Anyone seen the new lead-free Winchester 22 rimfire ammo?

[AmBraCol]

http://www.winchester.com/products/newi ... oductid=74

It's supposed to be out already...


The new SUPER-X .22 Win. Mag features:

* Muzzle velocity of 2,200 feet per second
* Bullet weight: 28 grain JHP
* Rounds per box: 50 rd. plastic pack
* Symbol: X22MHLF
* Availability: January 2009

The new SUPER-X .22 Long Rifle

* Muzzle velocity of 1650 FPS
* Bullet weight: 30 grain THP (tin hollow-point) & TRN (tin round nose)
* Rounds per box: 50 rd plastic pack
* Symbol: X22LRHLF & X22LRLF
* Availability: March 2009

[J Miller]

First I've heard of it. I'll have to look for it and try it. Just for curiosity of how it works. I'll bet is twice the price of the lead stuff.

Joe

[Mike D.]

First I've heard of it. I'll have to look for it and try it. Just for curiosity of how it works. I'll bet is twice the price of the lead stuff.

Joe

Without a doubt, Joe. When Federal starts offering it's "bulk pack" .22 LRs in that bullet type I may change my lead ways. Until then, ground squirrels will have to digest lead, along with the Condors.

[J Miller]

First I've heard of it. I'll have to look for it and try it. Just for curiosity of how it works. I'll bet is twice the price of the lead stuff.

Joe

Without a doubt, Joe. When Federal starts offering it's "bulk pack" .22 LRs in that bullet type I may change my lead ways. Until then, ground squirrels will have to digest lead, along with the Condors.

I'm all for choice and variety. But not bans on ammo or bullet material. The only way those stupid condors are ingesting lead is because the CA tree huggers are lacing their kibbles and bits with it.

Joe

[Blaine]

Here we go......

[Modoc ED]

It's expensive just like the rest of the lead-free stuff. MidwayUSA has the Winchester WMR lead free ammo coming for $15.95 a box of 50. Pretty expensive for rim-fire.

[AmBraCol]

It's expensive just like the rest of the lead-free stuff. MidwayUSA has the Winchester WMR lead free ammo coming for $15.95 a box of 50. Pretty expensive for rim-fire.

Wow! That's what, about twice the cost of regular 22 WMR? (I'm WAY out of touch on prices right now)...

[Mike D.]

I'm all for choice and variety. But not bans on ammo or bullet material. The only way those stupid condors are ingesting lead is because the CA tree huggers are lacing their kibbles and bits with it.

Joe[/quote]
Ain't THAT the truth! I live and hunt in the "CZ" and have posed this question to the "Condor Wranglers" and have yet to get anything resembling a truthful answer from them. The mantra that "lead = dead Condors" has penetrated their little, excess haired, skulls and removed all common sense, leaving them unable to process a simple fact. Condors DO NOT eat deceased ground squirrels. I have never once seen a Condor on the ground dining on squirrels. Pigs and cows, yes, smaller stuff, definitely not.

[Modoc ED]

Mike --

I've killed thousands and thousands and thousands of ground squirrels and the two animals that feed on the DEAD squirrels the most are coyotes and other ground squirrels.

Funny, most folks don't think of ground squirrels as meat eaters but they are. It's not all grass and alphalfa with them.

I've seen many hawks, golden eagles, bald eagles and other birds hunt and eat ground squirrels but only LIVE ground squirrels. I've NEVER seen one take a dead squirrel.

[AmBraCol]

I've seen many hawks, golden eagles, bald eagles and other birds hunt and eat ground squirrels but only LIVE ground squirrels. I've NEVER seen one take a dead squirrel.

I've never seen 'em take a dead one either, but a friend was out earlier this week shooting prairie dogs. He shot one and started drawing a bead on one further out - in line with the first one - when he paused to steady himself and draw a breath at which point a bald eagle dropped right into his line of site to take the one he'd just shot. If he'd finished the squeeze like he'd started he'd have gotten a much bigger varmint - and a chance at a huge fine and who knows what all else... so there's no tellin' what you'll see out in the varmint fields. Of course, there's not much lead (or anything else) left in a prairie dog or ground squirrel after a .17 caliber bullet passes through...

[Bob A]

Bald Eagles will eat dead squirells, fish, sheep and calves. They are really more like Vultures than Eagles and Hawks. I used to see lots of Eagles (Bald and Golden) back in my cowboy days in Nevada. Bald Eagles would show up in Feb and March during calving season to fight over the afterbirth. We got Seagulls in from California during the same season, after the same food source.

Back to the lead free 22lr. I am looking forward trying to these if they are frangible like the Barnes Varmint Grenade lead free bullets. I have a problem with ricochet when shooting squirells around the ranch. So, I use my hornet with explosive bullets that don't bounce, but it would be nice to use the old 22 more. I don't care if they are lead free, I need explosive.

Bob A

[Cliff]

Today looking at my dealers catalog, they showed the tin bulleted 22LR round nose and hollow point loads at a dealer price of $6.41 for a box of 50. Seems it was a little cheaper at 5.81 a box if you buy a case. Expensive plinking stuff for sure. ATB

[Mike D.]

Most raptors will not bother with dead ground squirrels, but turkey vultures love them and line up like it's lunch time. If it's too late for the buzzards, the pigs'll clean 'em up overnight. On really hot days, the squirrels are only active in the morning, staying downstairs when the temp rises beyond 100º. On occasion we'll kill as many as 50-60 at a time in one field alone. If those get "gun shy" we just head over the hill to another canyon. They forget quickly.

[jdad]

I'm more curious as to the accuracy of the "tin" bullet.

[AmBraCol]

I'm more curious as to the accuracy of the "tin" bullet.

Accuracy will be mainly a function of ammo/gun fit I suspect. Now I'm curious as to what Paco's tool will do with this new ammo...

[Jacko]

1600 fps from a .22 long rifle - there are brands of .22 magnum that don't do that admittley with a 40 grain pill . If its over $6 a box in the US we will be paying double that and then some in Australia . I gag at having to pay $19 a box for Super X .22 magnum ammo , thats why I bought my .357 mag .

regards Jacko