Practical test: how does the RWS Evolution Green hunting bullet perform in the standard and Short Rifle cartridge versions?

The popular lead-free EVOLUTION GREEN loads in .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield are available in two versions from the experienced ammunition manufacturer RWS. The two versions, standard and Short Rifle, have been ballistically matched to different barrel lengths in order to offer hunters optimum performance in every situation. The RWS EVOLUTION GREEN (often abbreviated to Evo Green) is a bullet that delivers outstanding results at both short and medium ranges.

Bullet construction of the lead-free RWS EVOLUTION GREEN: versatility through well thought-out design

The RWS EVOLUTION GREEN hunting bullet is characterised by an innovative design that is specifically tailored to the requirements of modern and lead-free hunting. Each component of the bullet has a clear function to ensure optimum performance:

• 1. Speed Tip point: The aerodynamic tip of the bullet improves the ballistic coefficient and thus ensures a flat trajectory and accurate shots. It initiates fragmentation on impact and contributes significantly to the rapid release of energy in game body.
• 2. Front tin core with predetermined breaking points: The front core of the bullet is pre-fragmented, as tin – unlike lead  –  does not break on its own. The predetermined breaking points (radial perforations) enable a defined fragmentation effect, which also responds reliably to smaller game and ensures a high stopping effect.
• 3. rear tin core: The solid residual body remains dimensionally stable and penetrates deep into the game body to ensure a reliable exit wound even with heavy game.
• 4. Nickel-plated bullet jacket: The jacket not only protects the barrel from abrasion, but also offers additional advantages: it supports the fragmentation of the bullet front section and provides a sharp edge for a clean entrance wound in game. Tin residue can also be removed from the barrel more easily by mechanical means.
• 5. Boat-tail: The streamlined tail favours the aerodynamics of the bullet and contributes to a stable trajectory. This improves accuracy and extends the effective range of the bullet.

Thanks to this sophisticated design, the RWS Evolution Green combines several decisive advantages: the fast response behaviour of the front section of the bullet ensures that the energy is optimally released as soon as it penetrates the game body. This guarantees a high stopping effect, which is particularly important when driven hunting or shooting at moving game. At the same time, the rear, solid tin core remains dimensionally stable and ensures a controlled penetration effect. This property is particularly important to achieve sufficient penetration depth with larger game such as boar or deer and to ensure that vital organs are hit. The reliable exit wound, which is supported by the stable residual body, minimises the risk of follow-up searches. Overall, this balanced design makes the Evolution Green a universal hunting bullet that is convincing in a wide variety of situations, from short ranges to long shots.

What makes the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN hunting cartridge in .308 Winchester so special?

The .308 Winchester cartridge is considered to be versatile and is ideal for both hide hunting and driven hunts. The RWS Evolution Green load in .308 Winchester selected for the practical test supports this versatility and shows its strengths in different types of hunting and game species:

• Fast energy transfer: The design of the bullet enables fast and effective energy transfer to the target. This ensures a high stopping power, especially on driven hunts or on moving game.
• Reliable penetration: The stable rear core ensures a reliable penetration depth and ensures a safe exit wound, even with strong game such as boars or stags.
• Minimal game damage: With a clean hit placement on or behind the shoulder, the  game meat damage is reduced to a minimum, which makes the Evolution Green particularly interesting for hunters who attach great importance to hunting and high-quality game utilisation.

The tests in .308 Win caliber clearly showed that the Evolution Green is not only accurate, but also flexible in use. It responds quickly and also develops a convincing effect on hits behind the shoulder (incidentally, the RWS Evolution Green is also available in .30-06 Springfield as a Short Rifle load).

The Standard and Short Rifle version of the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN hunting ammo fired from a RÖSSLER Titan 6 in .308 Winchester

In .308 Winchester, RWS offers the Evolution Green in both Standard and Short rRifle versions, each with bullet weights of 9 .0 grams, or 139 grains. For both cartridges, both the muzzle velocity (_v0) and the velocity at 100 meters (_v100) were measured and the energy values E0 and E100 determined. A Garmin Xero C1 and the Shot Marker impact detection system were used for the measurements. The measured values are summarised in the following table.

The shooting test: RWS EVOLUTION GREEN hunting cartridge in .308 Win. in Standard and Short Rifle versions in two barrel lengths

In my personal experience, a rule of thumb when choosing hunting bullets should always be to assume an impact velocity of at least 650 m/s for leaded bullets and 750 m/s for lead-free bullets to ensure a reliable effect. However, the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN is an exception here: despite its lead-free design, it already responds reliably from an impact velocity of 650 m/s. I attribute this to the well thought-out design with the pre-fragmented tip and the fast response behaviour of the bullet, which makes it an effective choice even at lower velocities.

Shooting test wrap-up: comparison of two barrel lengths and the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN with standard load and as a "Short Rifle"

The following findings can be derived from the data measured in our test series on the shooting range:

RWS EVOLUTION GREEN in .308 Win. in the standard version

The standard version of the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN is specially designed for rifles with a barrel length of at least 60 cm. The powder composition of this variant is designed for (relatively) slow combustion, which ensures constant performance and maximum energy yield. This allows the standard cartridge to develop its full effectiveness from longer barrels in particular. From such barrels, the muzzle velocity remains high enough to ensure sufficient impact velocity and projectile effect even at greater ranges.

However, if the standard version is used with shorter barrels, such as a barrel with a length of 50 cm, the muzzle velocity drops significantly. As a result, the impact velocity falls below the critical value of 650 m/s at a range of 200 meters. This can impair the bullet's effect, as the kinetic energy is no longer sufficient to optimise the impact effect. This makes it clear that the standard version can play to its strengths above all in combination with longer barrels, while it is less suitable for shorter barrels. The RWS Short Rifle version of the EVO GREEN bullet is therefore the better choice for rifles with a barrel length of less than 60 cm.

RWS EVOLUTION GREEN .308 Win. in the Short Rifle version

The Short Rifle version of the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN was developed specifically for use in rifles with shorter barrels. While standard cartridges are optimised for longer barrel lengths, the Short Rifle version develops its strengths from barrels with a length of 50 cm or less. The key to this lies in the powder composition: the powder used in this cartridge burns faster and thus generates the necessary pressure early on to achieve a sufficiently high muzzle velocity even from short barrels.

In tests from a 16-inch barrel (approx. 41 cm), the Short Rifle cartridge was just able to reach the important threshold of 650 m/s impact velocity at 200 meters. This is crucial, as this velocity is the minimum requirement for a reliable effect and therefore a shot that is suitable for hunting. Even if the performance continues to decrease with the barrel length, the Short Rifle variant performs significantly better than the standard version in such extremely short barrels. Another advantage of the RWS Short Rifle version is the reduced muzzle flash, which is particularly important for short barrels. With standard cartridges, some of the powder is often burnt after leaving the barrel when used with short barrels, which leads to a strong muzzle flash. This effect is minimised by the faster-burning powder of the Short Rifle cartridge, so that the hunter is not disturbed by the conspicuous muzzle flash when hunting at night.

Our recommendations for cartridge selection for the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN .308 Winchester – Standard or Short Rifle?

The choice between the standard and Short Rifle version should depend on the rifle barrel length and the hunting requirements:

• Barrels from 60 cm: The standard version offers maximum energy and accuracy at longer ranges.
• Barrels around 50 cm: The Short Rifle variant is ideal as it has been specially developed for shorter barrels.
• Barrels under 50 cm: Here too, the Short Rifle version is clearly recommended, although extreme shortening of the barrel length can lead to a loss of performance.

Our conclusion: RWS EVOLUTION GREEN – the right choice for hunters looking for an accurate and effective lead-free bullet

The lead-free RWS EVOLUTION GREEN hunting ammunition in .308 Winchester is an excellent choice for hunters looking for a reliable and accurate partial fragmentation bullet. It is, so to speak, the alternative to the RWS HIT, a copper deformation bullet. The standard and Short Rifle versions of the EVO GREEN cover different requirements and, in combination with the right barrel length, achieve a very good target ballistic effect thanks to the special bullet design. The test results show that the EVO GREEN is very well suited for both hide and driven hunting and that shooting with both versions (standard and Short Rifle) is appropriate for hunting and gentle on game. The shorter the barrel length, the more likely you are to choose the short rifle variant because the reserves are simply higher. However, especially with barrel lengths of less than 50 cm, you should bear in mind that the appropriate shooting distance inevitably decreases with the barrel length.

Further information on the lead-free RWS EVOLUTION GREEN can be found on the manufacturer's website.