"Which GECO lead-free cartridge should I choose?" This question is often asked by specialist gun dealers in shops or online and is not always answered with sufficient depth. GECO offers two lead-free hunting ammunition lines, with different bullet materials and design principles: the STAR and the ZERO. Both have been on the market for some time. Here we compare the characteristic properties and the best application possibilities of both bullet types.
It should be pointed out that even if the physical and ballistic advantages of lead as a bullet material cannot yet be reproduced 1:1 by any substitute material, the concerns about lead cannot be completely ignored. In principle, the planned ban on lead in ammunition is a political issue at EU level and does not only apply to hunting ammunition only. It is therefore important to be able to offer suitable lead-free alternatives.
GECO STAR: the dynamic, monolithic hunting bullet with a copper core for all ranges and game species
There is therefore a need for alternatives to proven cartridges with lead bullets that can no longer be used in hunting grounds for legal reasons. If there is no other choice, lead-free rifle ammunition is a good option without significantly impairing the performance and efficiency of the hunt. Depending on the type of hunt and shooting distance, bullets with specific and different effects on the target are required. The most common "lead-free" hunting ammunition on the market, regardless of the manufacturer, consists mainly of monolithic copper projectiles, i.e. one-piece bullets that achieve their target effect through mushrooming and maximum penetration. The experienced ammunition and component manufacturer GECO calls this ammunition GECO STAR: a proven design consisting of a lead-free one-piece bullet with a hollow point which, after mushrooming, ensures a high energy output with maximum cross-sectional enlargement while at the same time protecting game meat. The slogan "The dynamic hunting bullet" is correct in that the STAR can be used both at close range up to 50 meters and at distances of 150 metres and more, depending on the caliber, from light to heavy game. The open hollow point ensures a fast response and high energy transfer. The performance grooves enable lower resistance in the barrel and thus increase the speed of the bullet.
The GECO website lists the eight calibers currently available as well as the ballistic data, with the range lying between the .270 Winchester with a 130-gr projectile and the heavy 9.3x62 with a 255-gr bullet. The STAR bullets are offered as components in these three caliber groups: 7 mm (.308) with a weight of 10.7 g / 165 gr, 8 mm (.323) with 10.4 g / 160 gr and in 9.3 mm as a 16.2 g / 250 gr projectile. Common to all STAR bullets are the typical grooves in the middle area, which ensure maximum precision, and the solid copper core in the rear area – the residual weight of the bullet is almost 100 percent, and the game hit can only manage short flight distances at best. This means that hunting is absolutely fair as long as the maximum shooting ranges are adhered to in terms of energy release in the body of the game.
GECO ZERO, the clever alternative: a lead-free, highly innovative jacketed bullet with two tin cores for all game species
In contrast to the one-piece copper bullet of the GECO STAR, the GECO ZERO, which was introduced to the market ten years ago, follows a different functional approach (here is an overview on the GECO website). The first lead-free hunting cartridge from GECO at the time works with the partial fragmentation principle, in which two tin cores placed one behind the other interact with each other. Supported by the hollow-point design, the pre-fragmented and softer front core disintegrates immediately on impact with the body of the game and releases a large part of the energy that quickly binds the game in place. The rear, harder tin core forms a stable residual body with the jacket and ensures depth effect and reliable exit wound. This makes the GECO ZERO an excellent choice with the best suitability for light to medium game. The tin cores are encased in a tombac-plated mild steel jacket, so there is less barrel wear (compared to copper bullets) and the ZERO can also be fired more easily from hunting rifles that are otherwise fed with lead bullets. The special hollow point construction ensures high accuracy and guarantees a particularly high shock effect.
The range of currently available loads for the GECO ZERO extends from the 7x57 (bullet weight: 8.2 g / 127 gr) through the "classics" of the 7 and 8 mm calibers to the 9.3x74 R (11.9 g / 184 gr bullet). Four different bullets are also available for reloading, the smallest in 7 mm / .284 with 8.2 g / 127 gr, then in .308 (8.8 g / 136 gr), in .323 (9.0 g / 139 gr) and finally .366 (11.9 g / 184 gr).
GECO STAR or GECO ZERO – Which lead-free cartridge should you choose for which hunting purpose?
In principle, GECO gives the hunter the choice between optimised penetration effect (GECO STAR) or particularly high shock effect (GECO ZERO). But a clear "either/or" doesn't help much here, because the effects of both GECO bullets overlap depending on the type of game, caliber and distance. Nevertheless, there are differences when it comes to the personal weighting of shock effect and penetration effect.
Due to the small torso cross-section of small game, a bullet is required here that releases its energy immediately. In this respect, the GECO ZERO shows its strengths as a partial fragmentation bullet. The soft front core ensures immediate energy transfer, as the individual bullet fragments themselves act as secondary missiles and release energy. Tin is softer than copper and therefore deforms better and releases energy more quickly. One disadvantage however is that the residual body, which is usually only caliber-sized, hardly transfers any more energy, but instead mainly produces a bullet fragment which only provides an indication of the hit location thanks to the blood trail.
In contrast, the GECO STAR with its mass-stable copper bullet is characterised by an outstanding depth effect – the energy transfer takes place through the gradual mushrooming over the entire shot channel. While the ZERO bullet disintegrates around 40 percent of the material, the STAR bullet remains almost 100 percent mass-stable (visible when firing gelatine at 100 metres). This is primarily achieved by the controlled mushrooming of the bullet. The mass stability of the bullet generally results in less game meat damage (although no general statement can be made here. The protection of game meat is individually dependent on the bullet, caliber, point of impact and the type of game being shot at). On the other hand, due to its hardness, copper has the property that it needs some time/distance to develop its full effect when penetrating the body of the game. In the case of game with a small torso cross-section, it can therefore happen that the bullet only releases its full energy when it has already left the game body. However, the large increase in cross-sectional area causes a larger exit wound – and therefore tends to produce more traking signs (especially sweat) at the wounding point. So you can see that there are a few variables to consider and that GECO has a suitable solution for every situation.
What should you always bear in mind with regard to possible barrel fouling from lead-free ammunition?
Especially if you want to alternate between ammunition with lead bullets and lead-free projectiles in your hunting rifle, there are a few details to consider with regard to possible barrel fouling and cleaning intervals. While the GECO STAR consists of almost 100 per cent copper, there is a relatively high level of barrel fouling, as with all monolithic bullets. The deposits in the rifling and fields of the barrel should therefore be checked regularly by firing check shots. Cleaning is therefore always recommended if the accuracy decreases slightly. In contrast, the GECO ZERO with its tombac-plated mild steel jacket causes very little barrel fouling and can therefore be used together with jacketed lead bullets without the need for intermediate barrel cleaning. Especially with the STAR (or generally with monolithic bullets), the high dependence on bullet velocity should be taken into account.
To summarise, the GECO STAR is quite suitable for small game such as roe deer, it is excellent for stag animals up to deer and similar game species. The penetration effect and simultaneous game protection are very pronounced. The GECO ZERO, on the other hand, is a particularly fast bullet with a high shock effect and is therefore ideal as a partial fragmentation bullet for smaller game such as roe deer and well suited to medium-heavy stag animals.
VIDEO: GECO STAR & GECO ZERO – Lead-free rifle cartridges in comparison
All ballistic data and tables can of course be found in detail on the GECO website; click here for the reloading components. GECO ammunition is sold through specialist retailers against proof of authorization.
+++ Conclusion: GECO ZERO is lead-free and has a very high stopping effect. GECO STAR is also lead-free and designed to achieve maximum penetration. Ammunition manufacturer GECO opens the gates to the world of hunting and guarantees maximum success in the hunting area. +++