Switching to lead free before 2029: a practical plan for deer stalkers
A season-by-season plan for moving your deer rifle off lead in good time, rather than in a rush the winter before the deadline.
Last updated 28 July 2026
The restriction on lead bullets for live quarry takes effect on 1 April 2029. The temptation is to do nothing until 2028. This page sets out why that is a poor plan and what a sensible one looks like.
What actually takes time
Buying a box of lead free bullets takes five minutes. Arriving at a load you would stake a clean kill on takes considerably longer, and most of the delay is not in your control.
| Step | Realistic time |
|---|---|
| Check twist rate, choose a weight | An evening |
| Initial load development or factory testing | Two or three range sessions |
| Seating depth work, if handloading | Another session or two |
| Confirm zero and cold-bore behaviour | Several sessions, spread out |
| See it perform on carcasses | A season, minimum |
| Total | A year, comfortably |
A season-by-season plan
Working backwards from April 2029, and assuming you are reading this in 2026, you have room to do this properly.
- Now: check your rifle's twist rate and pick a candidate weight. Twist rate for lead free bullets is the place to start. Buy one box of 50.
- This season: develop and confirm a load. Get a solid zero and learn where the cold-bore shot lands.
- Next season: shoot deer with it. Recover bullets where you can and look at the wound channels. This is the step nobody can do for you.
- The season after: you are done, with time in hand if something needs revisiting.
- 2028–29: watch supply rather than scramble for it.
The three most common problems
- Groups open up. Usually a twist rate or seating depth issue, not a bullet quality issue. Drop a weight or vary the depth.
- Point of impact has moved a long way. Expected and normal. Re-zero properly rather than dialling it out — see zeroing lead free bullets.
- Velocity is down on the lead load. A longer bullet eats case capacity. Going a step lighter usually buys it back.
If you shoot factory ammunition
The same testing applies, but your choices are narrower and depend on what is loaded in your cartridge. If your cartridge is poorly served by factory lead free ammunition, this is a reason to look at handloading sooner rather than later — components are available across a far wider range of calibres than loaded rounds. Oxon Deer sells projectiles only, for handloading.
Start with one box
Projectiles only — no powder, primers or loaded ammunition.
How long does it take to switch a deer rifle to lead free?
Allow a year to do it properly. Load development and zeroing take several range sessions, and seeing the bullet perform on carcasses takes a season.
Do I have to switch before 2029?
The restriction on lead bullets of 6.17mm and above for live quarry takes effect on 1 April 2029. Switching earlier is a matter of preparation rather than obligation, but leaving it late risks supply pressure and rushed load development.
What if my rifle will not shoot lead free accurately?
In most cases the answer is a different weight rather than a different bullet type. Monolithics are longer for their weight, so a lighter option that suits your twist rate often solves it.
Read next
Oxon Deer stocks the full Fox Classic Hunter range in 6mm, 6.5mm, .270 and .308, in boxes of 50. Browse the shop.