Making the Switch to Copper Bullets

[Big Iron]

Seems like within the last 5 years there has been a lot on banter about the negative impact of fragmenting lead on wildlife and humans. At first I shrugged off the reports (lead is always the best material right?), but now a part of me starts to wonder- why not shoot copper loads? We're always so worried about weight retention in large game applications- this is right up our alley.

After some unimpressive off hand shooting this last fall, I've depleted my supply of Noslers and need to load up on ammo for the coming season. I'm seriously considering giving copper a chance. I'm hoping my rifle likes them as much as the accubonds/ partions I've always shot.

Anyone had good/ bad luck with copper loads?

 

[Kurtr]

seen plenty of stuff die from copper put it where it counts and shit dies its really that simple

 

[Tikka280ai]

had really good luck using the Barnes TTSX. My old man, brother, and i all use them for deer(300wsm, 270rem, and 243win). In the next couple years we will be loading them for my grampa and aunt as well.

I found 1 2 years ago. The bullet weighted 80 grains when i loading it in my 243 and weighted 79 grains when i recovered it. Only weight lost was the tip.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I usem and likem. TSX and TTSX are great, but not for plinking IMO, they aint cheap. Go light for caliber. 110TTSX do a number on deer out of my 308w. Ive shot them out of smaller caliber guns, 223 etc, but prefer them out of something a little bigger. The smaller bullets tend to loose petals easier than the wider bullets do from what Ive seen.

 

[Big Iron]

seen plenty of stuff die from copper put it where it counts and shit dies its really that simple

Amen Brother

 

[Norske]

Buy a reloding manual for the bullet brand you chose. For example, the triple shock Barnes don't require anything special, but the older style without the grooves in the shank do require a minimum freebore to reduce peak pressure. Factory loads with monometal bullets should be okay, as any necessary compensation has been done.

 

[ndlongshot]

Rifle may need some adjusting while making the switch, but I believe "has the potential" to shoot even better. If you were a shitty shot with lead, not much will change with copper. Regardless, I believe the bullet performance upon impact on live targets is better than lead. Not to mention the health benefits of a bullet that stays together rather than fragments. I really dont believe the hoopla about eating lead, but for a guy with a wife starting a family, why risk feeding your wife and kids lead when I can shoot animals with copper that hit harder? Just my take on things......

 

[jtillman]

I use 130gr TTSX's in my .308. pushes 3200fps. Whitetail and Antelope have all been one shot, dead on the spot kills from 40 yards to just under 300. I have yet to recover a bullet in an animal yet so I can't speak to weight retention. I made a believer out of my dad as well who couldn't get over the sticker price (comparing to Fed Blue Box)....I see no reason to think twice and just move to copper and be happy.

 

[deleted_account]

ive only shot 3 deer with barnes but they worked perfectly. 2 Mule deer bucks and 1 doe. 1 buck was high shoulder shot at ~60 yards, the other buck was slightly quartered away so the bullet exited the opposite shoulder at ~200 yards and the doe was lung shot at ~100 yards. 7-08 120ttsx on the two bucks and 270 130tsx on the doe. All had caliber sized entry and golf ball sized exit holes.

 

[2400]

I've been using Barnes bullets for about 10 years and really like them. I've killed 5 elk, 3 deer and a bunch of coyotes with them, one shot and they're done. I agree about getting a manual to match the bullets you're loading.

I've been using the 130gr TSX in my 270 Win and the 235gr TSX in my 375 H&H. They are accurate, and so far one shot kills.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Pic I took of some 160TTSX fired from my 338wm into jugs of water.

 

[Allen]

At this point I have still shot a LOT more critters with lead than I have with copper. The copper bullets do indeed hold together vastly better than any lead bullet I have ever used. In particular, some of the more accurate lead rounds for my 25-06 and 7 mm were the Winchester BST's and some of the accubond offerings. However, while they were great at distance (in both accuracy and performance), at close range the lead rounds really came apart because of the speed. This hasn't been an issue with the copper, I've only recovered a handful of copper rounds from formerly live targets because they more often go all of the way through and end up in the ground somewhere down range.

In that sense, one simple point in physics will tell us that the lead has better "knockdown" power over a similarly sized/velocity copper bullet. When using F = MA in ballistics, the force of the impact is equal to the mass of the bullet times the acceleration. Or rather, in this case the deceleration of a bullet. When the bullet comes to a complete stop in the animal, F is greater because the acceleration is greater. Any bullet that keeps on traveling through the animal is still carrying part of its original energy down range until it hits the ground.

So one needs to weigh the different advantages between them. On the one hand, the copper staying together provides quite the wound channel through the animal. On the other hand, lead more often will impart its full energy into the animal producing impact shock damage farther away from the point of impact.

If you are a good shot, go for copper. If you spray and pray, stick with lead.

 

[64Mustang]

I have about 100 rounds of 243 loaded with 85 grain spritzers (from like 25 years ago), I would like to pull the bullets, dump the powder and reload TTSX 80 grains. I have a lot of IMR4350 that I use for 22-250 and 270. I would like to do a load for 243 with same powder. I cant find that powder chart in Barnes reloading for 243 online. Any one have suggestions? Thanks

 

[Lycanthrope]

I like the 85tsx better than the 80s in my 243, seems more accurate. I emailed them a few times asking for a 60 or 65 TSX or TTSX, but they must not see a market for it...

 

[PrairieGhost]

I agree with Allen. I have shot X bullets since the late 1980's when they were still nearly unheard of. I have shot deer with them in 223, 22-250, 243, 270, 308, 300WSM, 300 Win Mag. I have host them in my 45 Auto, and my 44 mag. Also in sabots from my muzzleloader.

If I had a nice elk running straight away I know I could still reach his heart from the rear with my 300 mag, with X bullets. If I was hunting an area with a lot of hunters I would switch to lead. Yes, the deer I killed were one shot and dead, but even though I have turned front shoulders totally black from hit dead through the center and taking both lungs they still run up to 200 yards. I think a 180 gr out of my 300 mags are expending more energy on the hill behind the deer than on the deer. The reason I switch to lead is to drop them faster. If I hunt in an area with other hunters I don't want it running 100 yards and past another hunter who shoots and thinks he killed it. When my hunting partner had rotator cuff surgery he didn't want to take the boot from his 300 mag so he loaded 110 gr at 3300 fps. That deer dropped the fastest that I have seen with an X bullet and that was about 60 yards.

I think I still have a couple hundred X bullets on hand, and maybe 100 loaded but I have not shot X bullets for six or seven years. The last ones I tried were the 52 gr X out of my 223 and 22-250. I don't remember the years back, but it was some time since I had five doe tags.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Been mostly using the Barnes TSX, TTSX, and tested some LRX for about maybe 8-10 years, 7mm Rem Mag 140gr and 6.5-284 Norma 120gr and 127gr. As Kurtr said put it where it needs to be and things die, but as Allen said if your a spray and pray then stay with lead. All my kills with Barnes are one shot and pretty much watch them drop so no tracking needed but can see on a bad shot that tracking might be tougher with less of a blood trail. I can tell you one thing that when you hit whitetail shoulders they are pretty much anchored or close to it.

 

[Tikka280ai]

I have about 100 rounds of 243 loaded with 85 grain spritzers (from like 25 years ago), I would like to pull the bullets, dump the powder and reload TTSX 80 grains. I have a lot of IMR4350 that I use for 22-250 and 270. I would like to do a load for 243 with same powder. I cant find that powder chart in Barnes reloading for 243 online. Any one have suggestions? Thanks

loaddata.com may be your best bet. at least to get an idea for a starting load

 

[64Mustang]

thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[2400]

I have about 100 rounds of 243 loaded with 85 grain spritzers (from like 25 years ago), I would like to pull the bullets, dump the powder and reload TTSX 80 grains. I have a lot of IMR4350 that I use for 22-250 and 270. I would like to do a load for 243 with same powder. I cant find that powder chart in Barnes reloading for 243 online. Any one have suggestions? Thanks

I know this isn't what you were asking but I really like H-414 for both 22-250, 243 and 270 Win.

 

[Tikka280ai]

I also use h414 in my 243 win and going to give Ithe a try under 110 ttsx outta my 280 remington