Is lead-free .22 long rifle ammunition worth a shot?

Scavengers may ingest lead bullet fragments embedded in carcasses and offal left behind from hunting. Most studies focus on big game hunting as a primary source of lead exposure. Yet, millions of small mammals are shot annually for damage control and recreation. Ammunition manufacturers have responded to new regulations and accompanying hunter demand for lead-free bullets by introducing new products. Yet, few lead-free bullets are commercially available for the .22 long rifle, despite being the most popular cartridge in the world. We measured the precision of lead-free CCI Copper-22 ammunition fired from 5 rifles. At 46 m (50 yards), the Copper-22 achieved comparable group sizes to lead-based ammunition for 4 of the 5 rifles. Average group sizes of the Copper-22 ranged from 17 mm to 53 mm (0.7-2.1 in), depending on the rifle. Our testing indicates the Copper-22 bullets offer suitable precision for hunting and shooting small mammals.