Copper bullets better for deer Hunting?
07-23-2018, 02:15 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 508
Copper bullets better for deer Hunting?
Are copper bullets primarily due to California restrictions or are they a better bullet? Reason I ask, when I use Federal’s site to help me pick a bullet for medium size game, they recommend premium bullets for the most part but in most cases, also incl the power shok copper bullet, not the fusion or less expensive bullets. Makes me wonder if the copper is really superior to core lok type bullets. I know Barnes vx bullets have an outstanding reputation, are they copper too?
looking at 243 for my daughter ...
looking at 243 for my daughter ...
07-23-2018, 02:27 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
California's reason or any other area's reason for mandating copper bullets had nothing to do with which was better, copper or lead in the terminal performance in bringing down game and everything to do with knee jerk reaction to lead in the environment, which is really a non issue since lead is mined from the environment. I don't know about you, but so long as lead is legal where I hunt I will use lead.
07-23-2018, 03:08 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SW Montana
Posts: 550
I agree with Oldtimr. I hunt with Barnes TTSX bullets in my .300 Weatherby only because they are accurate in that rifle, and my Leupold CDS scope is calibrated for those bullets. I've also hunted with Barnes TSX bullets in my .375 RUM, but again because those bullets are very accurate in that rifle. I've been hunting both mule and whitetail deer for over 50 years, and have killed dozens of them without any trouble with both lead and copper jacketed lead bullets. I killed my largest antlered mule deer, a couple of black bears, and an American Buffalo with plain or cast lead bullets. Its more about bullet placement than bullet composition.
07-23-2018, 03:32 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 995
Copper bullets, for the most part, can be better and they can be worse. In high velocity cartridges, with them being generally tougher in construction, they tend to hold together better than typical cup and core bullets. Some of them penetrate better on tougher game. The worse department is also due to their toughness. Unless you hit bone, some of them don't open and pencil through. Not a good day if hunting with a small caliber. There are some coppers/brass out there that are designed to fracture, sending 3 or 4 petals outward destroying soft tissue. Some are pre stressed to open efficiently both cutting and causing wound channels through mushrooming energy transfer. Bullet technology has greatly increased over the past 10 or so years. I know the old man was sent tons of bullets for testing over the past 15 or so years. He liked the accuracy out of many of them but was let down by a lot of them in terminal performance. He wasn't all that impressed with the TSX and TTSX bullets from Barnes at first but I think they grew on him after they worked the bugs out. They didn't reliably open without a strong bone strike at lower velocity impact such as at longer ranges. I think they fixed that. If you are looking for a good pre loaded ammo option for your daughters .243, try Hornady's American Whitetail for accuracy from her rifle. If it likes them, they do a great job on whitetail. The interlock bullet holds together very well. My sister uses a .243 when she hunts out of state and loads interlocks in hers. I've yet to see her miss and every deer she has hit with that little rifle has been in the dirt quickly.
07-23-2018, 05:18 PM
#5
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: texas
Posts: 1,201
most guys miss the point, copper bullets were mandated in California as a way to greatly reduce the number of people who, had the ability too reload existing stocks of existing lead core bullets,
and those that might use cast bullets, thus reducing the amount of ammo potentially in the hands of the population. the excuse was that birds like ducks and condors eat the lead projectiles.
statistically they know very well thats a NON-ISSUE but it was used for leverage.
keep in mind the democrat control over california and the goal to disarm the general population and make reloading and recreational fire arm use both difficult and more expensive.
yes copper bullets work, , but the dems could care less about efficiency, its just a way to raise cost and limit access to ammo.
this was even mentioned at the time on dem web sites as a big plus in the passing of "ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS" and a way to limit the importation of reloading components available in the state.
and those that might use cast bullets, thus reducing the amount of ammo potentially in the hands of the population. the excuse was that birds like ducks and condors eat the lead projectiles.
statistically they know very well thats a NON-ISSUE but it was used for leverage.
keep in mind the democrat control over california and the goal to disarm the general population and make reloading and recreational fire arm use both difficult and more expensive.
yes copper bullets work, , but the dems could care less about efficiency, its just a way to raise cost and limit access to ammo.
this was even mentioned at the time on dem web sites as a big plus in the passing of "ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS" and a way to limit the importation of reloading components available in the state.
Last edited by hardcastonly; 07-23-2018 at 05:23 PM.
07-24-2018, 12:58 PM
#6
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: South central South Dakota
Posts: 5
I’d recommend listening to the podcast Shoot’n the Bull, episode #49. I recently had a friend send it to me, we both have only ever used lead and never thought about switching, and I also assume everything that comes out of California is not based on rational thought. Take out the question just how non lead billets perform compared to lead and whether or not lead bullet fragments can negatively affect the environment or hunters consuming the meat. To me the biggest question is as a hunting community in the day of the internet and trumped up outrage is how do we want to be perceived by the non hunting population, which is the majority. We need to do a better job of informing the public that we are managing wildlife and preserving the environment because as a group nobody relies on and cares for it more than us. Maybe volunteering to use non lead is part of way to get our message across while doing the right thing. I haven’t switched yet but am considering it.
02-22-2021, 01:08 PM
#8
Spike
Join Date: May 2020
Location: central Wisconsin
Posts: 67
Years ago when I reloaded I had a nice Browning A-bolt Micro-Medallion in 7mm-08. I tried the Barnes X-bullet (at that time) and after about 20 rounds at the range the barrel was getting much hotter then normal. I quit and got home and that barrel was so copper fouled it took me days to get it out. I'd shoot coated copper bullets but never the bare ones anymore.
02-23-2021, 02:40 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: west central wi USA
Posts: 2,242
Years ago when I reloaded I had a nice Browning A-bolt Micro-Medallion in 7mm-08. I tried the Barnes X-bullet (at that time) and after about 20 rounds at the range the barrel was getting much hotter then normal. I quit and got home and that barrel was so copper fouled it took me days to get it out.
02-23-2021, 11:17 AM
#10
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: texas
Posts: 1,201
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124028343920
you can reduce copper bore fouling measurably by dropping all your unloaded projectiles in a small plastic container and pouring in some MOLY powder lube, and shaking the contents for a few minutes, this will leave a micro coating on the projectile surfaces
repeated use of moly spray used by swabbing the rifling in the bore with moly before you put the rifle away after its cleaned and before you shoot the gun when you can do so also tends to reduce copper fouling
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lyman-Super...oAAOSwuuFgIqY-
you can reduce copper bore fouling measurably by dropping all your unloaded projectiles in a small plastic container and pouring in some MOLY powder lube, and shaking the contents for a few minutes, this will leave a micro coating on the projectile surfaces
repeated use of moly spray used by swabbing the rifling in the bore with moly before you put the rifle away after its cleaned and before you shoot the gun when you can do so also tends to reduce copper fouling
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lyman-Super...oAAOSwuuFgIqY-