\"No Lead\" bullet requirement for my hunt
After sitting on the waiting list for 3 years, I'm finally going out to California in September for a combo hunt for Roosevelt elk and mule deer on Santa Rosa Island. The National Park Service calls the shots there and has decreed that the elk and deer on the island are non-native and must be removed from the island by the end of 2011. This is correct as the elk were introduced around 1912 from the Olympic Peninsula and the deer in 1929 from the Arizona Kaibab. This is a shame as both species have done exceedingly well, thus the waiting list for the hunt.
I've been planning on using my 7mm Rem Mag with 160 Nosler Partitions as this load has resulted in many DRT kils on elk, deer, and caribou over the decades. Imagine my surprise when I learned this week that the Park Service has decreed that only non-lead bullets will be allowed on the island this year and forward (shades of steel shot for waterfowl!).
Over my 40+ year career in hunting big game, I have NEVER shot an animal with a factory load, and I shall not break the string now. So.....I need to work up a handload with a "non-lead" bullet.
I've been hanging around this forum for a few years now and have heard some positive comments about the Barnes Triple Shocks, as well as other non-lead bullets. Would anyone like to weigh in on any personal results with TSX or others on elk with the .284 calibre?
I may go with my .300 WM if someone can provide compelling evidence of feild results with the larger bore. Please don't hesitate to recommend a pet load in either 7mm RM or .300 WM.
By the way, if anyone is interested in the particulars of this hunt, go to www.mumwildlife.com and click on Santa Rosa Island.
Thanks guys, Dave
After sitting on the waiting list for 3 years, I'm finally going out to California in September for a combo hunt for Roosevelt elk and mule deer on Santa Rosa Island. The National Park Service calls the shots there and has decreed that the elk and deer on the island are non-native and must be removed from the island by the end of 2011. This is correct as the elk were introduced around 1912 from the Olympic Peninsula and the deer in 1929 from the Arizona Kaibab. This is a shame as both species have done exceedingly well, thus the waiting list for the hunt.
I've been planning on using my 7mm Rem Mag with 160 Nosler Partitions as this load has resulted in many DRT kils on elk, deer, and caribou over the decades. Imagine my surprise when I learned this week that the Park Service has decreed that only non-lead bullets will be allowed on the island this year and forward (shades of steel shot for waterfowl!).
Over my 40+ year career in hunting big game, I have NEVER shot an animal with a factory load, and I shall not break the string now. So.....I need to work up a handload with a "non-lead" bullet.
I've been hanging around this forum for a few years now and have heard some positive comments about the Barnes Triple Shocks, as well as other non-lead bullets. Would anyone like to weigh in on any personal results with TSX or others on elk with the .284 calibre?
I may go with my .300 WM if someone can provide compelling evidence of feild results with the larger bore. Please don't hesitate to recommend a pet load in either 7mm RM or .300 WM.
By the way, if anyone is interested in the particulars of this hunt, go to www.mumwildlife.com and click on Santa Rosa Island.
Thanks guys, Dave
