Best Lead-Free Hunting Ammunition: Is Copper the New Lead?

There are many benefits to switching to lead-free ammunition. Whether you live in California and it’s required for hunting, or you just want something cleaner and less barrel fouling, copper and monolithic bullets are the way to go.

You can find the best lead-free hunting ammo, Barnes VOR-TX, HERE. Or you can keep reading about all of my favorite options in a variety of calibers.

Recommended Lead-Free Hunting Ammunition

• Barnes VOR-TX - Best Overall
• Winchester Copper Impact - Best for Deer Hunting
• Hornady CX - Best for Elk
• Federal Premium Trophy Copper - Best for Bear
• Nosler Ballistic Tip - Best for Varmints
• Fiocchi Golden Waterfowl 1-⅜ oz. #2 Shellshot - Best for Waterfowl

Best Overall: Barnes VOR-TX

Pros

• Affordable
• Available and easy to find
• Clean-shooting
• High ballistic coefficients
• Available in multiple calibers
• Great for reloading

Cons

• Pricier than some other non-lead ammunition

Why We Chose It

Barnes VOR-TX is top-of-the-line, high-quality, lead-free ammunition. It's available in a wide range of easy-to-find rifle calibers.

Multiple variants of VOR-TX label ammo are available. Plain VOR-TX, which features Barnes' lead-free TSX and polymer-tipped TTSX bullets, offers an excellent solution to any kind of hunt. VOR-TX LR label ammo showcases the superior long-range performance of the monolithic LRX. VOR-TX Safari (loaded with TSX bullets) and VOR-TX Reduced Recoil (TTSX) are both aptly named ammunition lines.

Barnes LRX

Barnes Long Range eXpanding (LRX) bullets are designed to exhibit impressively flat trajectories across vast distances, as well as penetrate deeply and fan out four razor-sharp cutting petals throughout penetration.

Barnes TTSX

Barnes Tipped Triple-Shock X (TTSX) bullets aren't quite as ballistically efficient as the LRX, but still deliver deadly results on medium game throughout their respective cartridges' effective ranges.

Barnes TSX

The cheapest of Barnes' lead-free rifle bullet lineup, the Triple-Shock X (TSX) lacks a streamlined polymer tip but still kills swiftly courtesy of its high weight retention, capacity for deep penetration, and expansion which takes the form of four sharp petals. Like the TTSX, the TSX features accuracy-enhancing Accu-Groove technology and a precision heel radius.

As far as copper bullets go, you can’t go wrong with Barnes bullets. They’re reliable and effective on medium and large game, and generally fairly easy to find.

Best Lead-Free Hunting Ammunition for Deer: Winchester Copper Impact

Pros

• Excellent expansion and penetration
• Affordable
• Available

Cons

• Expensive (as is the case with all copper bullets)

Why We Chose It

Winchester Copper Impact ammunition is the perfect solid-copper solution for hunters going after medium game like whitetail and mule deer.

Winchester’s Copper Impact line of ammunition features the Copper Extreme Point projectile. True to its name, the bullet sports a very large polymer tip. In addition to streamlining the bullet's frontal profile, the large tip forces extremely rapid expansion on impact. If the resultant shockwave of energy proves insufficient to drop the quarry, then the bullet's subsequent deep penetration and broad expansion ought to do the trick.

The Copper Extreme Point's frequently exhibits deeper penetration, wider expansion, and better accuracy than lead-core alternatives. If you’re looking to try copper hunting bullets for deer hunting, this is a great starting point.

Best Lead-Free Hunting Ammo for Elk: Hornady CX

Pros

• High ballistic coefficient
• Excellent weight retention
• High-quality monolithic projectiles
• Perfect for big game and long-range hunting
• Versatile enough for medium and large game

Cons

• Availability can be an issue

Why We Chose It

This lead-free hunting ammunition is perfect for long-range elk hunting (you can check our stock HERE). Its hard-hitting, high-quality Copper alloy eXpanding (CX) bullets are designed to soar across a flat trajectory, resist wind drift, and inflict maximum damage to large game with thick hide.

The heavily alloyed (but still nontoxic) CX is exceedingly tough – hence its ability to penetrate to the depth where an elk's vital organs lie. By avoiding fragmentation, the CX is able to conserve the momentum it needs to keep on pressing through dense, sinewy flesh.

The CX’s polymer tip doesn't just increase its ballistic cofficient (which is just a fancy way of saying it helps the bullet conserve more velocity downrange). It also forces broad, swift expansion after impact, which is precisely the sort of terminal performance needed to drop game as large and tough as elk.

Best Lead-Free Hunting Ammunition for Bear: Federal Premium Trophy Copper

Pros

• High-quality
• Suitable for medium and large game
• High ballistic coefficient
• More affordable than some other options
• Designed for maximum penetration and expansion

Cons

• Can be challenging to find

Why We Chose It

Federal produces a lot of high-quality big game hunting cartridges. That includes outstanding lead-free ammunition, such as that which is loaded with Trophy Copper bullets.

The Trophy Copper is accurate; not just because a monolithic bullet necessarily lacks any jacket concentricity or weight distribution flaws that could have impacted its balance, but also because it has a sharp tip, grooved shank, and boat tail. Up to 99 percent weight retention necessarily produces deep penetration. And thanks to its nose cavity, which is optimized for wide expansion across a wide range of impact velocities, the Trophy Copper reliably exhibits the terminal ballistics which kill bears dead as disco.

Best Lead-Free Varmint Hunting Bullets: Nosler Ballistic Tip Lead-Free Varmint

Pros

• Thin jacket and copper core designed for rapid fragmentation
• Superb accuracy

Cons

• Challenging to find in stock
• Pricey

Why We Chose It

I’ve written about lead-free bullets for medium and large game hunting so far, but you may need something for smaller critters, too! Fortunately, Nosler came through with Ballistic Tip Lead-Free Varmint ammunition.

This bullet isn't made of a single chunk of copper. Instead it features a thin copper jacket and frangible copper core: two distinct components. When high-velocity impact slams the tip into the underlying core, the bullet responds by undergoing practically explosive fragmentation. The resultant starburst of shrapnel quickly turns a varmint's insides into pâté.

The Ballistic Tip Lead-Free Varmint also features a flat base, which alongside its sleek polymer tip ensures highly consistent close-to-mid range accuracy. That's a huge advantage while you're hunting small, perceptive and skittish small game like coyote and prairie dogs.

Best for Waterfowl: Fiocchi Golden Waterfowl Bismuth

Pros

• Affordable
• Available
• Perfect for waterfowl
• Lead-free shot

Cons

• Brittle bismuth shot may fracture on ignition

Why We Chose It

I couldn’t end my review without talking about one of my favorite lead-free hunting loads, Fiocchi Golden Waterfowl Bismuth. These shotgun shells contain nontoxic bismuth shot that patterns tightly and hits hard. They're relatively easy to find as well.

Parting Shots

Copper bullets aren't just nontoxic. They are also intensely accurate, and have deadly terminal ballistics to boot. They're well worth looking into even if you aren't obligated to forgo lead bullets wherever you hunt.

If you want to check out our inventory of lead-free ammunition, click HERE.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Lead-Free Ammunition

Choosing non-lead hunting ammo takes a little more thought than simply clicking on the first available option. If you’re curious about how I made my selections or want to learn more, keep reading.

How to Choose Lead-Free Ammo for Hunting

Picking out the perfect box of hunting ammunition can be challenging under normal circumstances. Adding “lead-free” to your list of requirements can complicate the process even further.

I begin by scoping out ammunition rated for the creatures I’m after. If I’m going after smaller critters, I need something with a thinner jacket and a softer core (to expedite expansion). If I'm hunting larger game, I want a monolithic bullet that won’t fragment following impact. I also want a polymer tip and boat tail, which help to reduce drag, flatten trajectory, and fortify striking energy.

Health Benefits of Lead-Free Ammunition

Everyone knows about the health risks associated with lead exposure. While I'm not chiefly interested in copper ammo for its health benefits, there has been interesting research to suggest lead-free hunting ammunition is actually worth the switch.

For example, studies done in the UK suggest that there are significant levels of lead in venison harvested with lead projectiles. However, if you aren’t getting a buck every week and serving it for supper every night, you will probably be okay.

FAQ

Are there lead-free rimfire cartridges?

Yes. Norma Eco-Speed 22 is one example of lead-free rimfire ammunition. However, this type of ammo is challenging to find in stock.

Do copper bullets have the same muzzle velocities as traditional bullets?

When they are the same weight as lead bullets, yes. With that said, many lead-free rounds are loaded with lightweight bullets which achieve higher-than-average muzzle velocities without exceeding standard pressure specifications.

Is lead-free handgun ammunition a thing?

Yes. Many lead-free handgun bullets are available, such as the solid copper hollow point (SCHP), Hornady MonoFlex, Lehigh Defense Maximum Expansion, and Black Hills HoneyBadger.

Back to the Top

Now that you know how to choose lead-free hunting ammo, you can click HERE to go back to our list and choose your next favorite cartridge!