Winchester’s new leadfree bullets prove their worth in Poland.
On my hunt with Browning in Poland, I had the good fortune to be able to evaluate the performance of Winchester’s new E-Tip bullet on a number of game species of varying size and toughness from roe deer to red deer and wild boars. Calibres used by the hunters included .308 Win, .30-06 and .270 WSM. The E-Tip bullet resulted from Winchester and Nosler teaming up and combining their technology to produce a lead-free bullet that would expand as fast as the AccuBond but retain 90-percent or more of its weight. The stimulus to develop an environmentally friendly bullet was provided when the Tejon Ranch in California placed a ban on lead-core bullets to circumvent a bunch of “greenies” who were threatening litigation to protect the endangered California condor from lead poisoning. Already aware that animal rights activists in America will go to any lengths to stop hunting, bullet manufacturers like Barnes have been making all-copper bullets for years now. Winchester and Nosler recently got into the act with the E-Tip.
Nosler has achieved great success with its AccuBond. Hunters like this sleek, streamlined boattail bullet for its high ballistic coefficient and great sectional density and the way it opens up fast yet penetrates deeply. But while it’s a good performer, some hunters say that it lacks enough penetration and weight retention where really big, tough game is concerned. My own experience with the AccuBond on game the size of wapiti would not support any such conclusion, but that bullet does have a lead core.
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