All Copper Bullets

[Terryt]

Hi:

Does anyone have experience with all copper bullets in.223 caliber.

How accurate are they?

Thanks,

Terryt

 

[ZenArchery]

Barnes 70gr. .5 accuracy

 

[watercam]

It is mostly about seating depth with copper pills. They like to be jumped A LOT! In my experience, .050" or more.

 

[Terryt]

Thank you

Terryt

 

[wboggs]

Barnes 70 gr in 22-6mm. Half moa and jump them about .06

 

[searcher]

If you literally mean, SOLID COPPER with NO granulated or powdered compressed material inside a copper jacket, as in the type formed out of solid copper wire, I bought a bunch and tried them in a few barrels. They shoot O.k., but not good (like 1 to 2 moa with most powders) I really tried to get them to shoot better - but to no avail. They are not good for game as they do not expand and impractical for varmints in most areas because they do not open up at all - they just keep going. I also don't think they would be so good for the barrel over time as they don't compress into the rifling as easily as a lead-core bullet might. Probably good for pigs or other pests in jurisdictions that allow non-expanding bullets and where animal recovery is not a primary concern or just hitting informal metal at the range and plinking.

If you mean "lead free" bullets, I have had some experience with the 50 Varmint Grenades (24.1 IMR8208xbr), 40 grain lead-free Ballistic tips (27.7 gr. w-748 or 22.8 RL7 or 22.6 LT-32), 55 Barnes MPG (23.1 TAC), Barnes 36 Gr. Varmint Grenade (22.9 RL7), Hornady 35 NTX (22.7 RL7) and the Barnes TSX and TTSX in the mid weights. As you can see, most of these loads are for varmints - for which I did exhaustive testing of the various lead-free bullets as that must be shot where I. After firing close to 10,000 rounds in around 18 firearms (load development alone), some very repeatable loads developed which worked great in a large array of rifles. The 40 grain lead-free Ballistic Tip and the 50 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade reigned supreme. There were a lot of other bullets tested not shown - they didn't come close to making the cut in a variety of rifles. Most all of these rifles were 1-9 twist with one 1-12 and two 1-8 twist. All of them required some pretty good bullet jump to attain best accuracy. I'd follow the OAL recommendations in the Barnes manual for their bullets. If I could only own two bullets and three powders for all future guns for unleaded, I'd get the 50 V.G, 40 Ball Tip and Lt-32, RL7 and IMR8208XBR. The above loads produced groups of 1/3 moa or less in one or more of the guns. In some cases, like the 50 V. G. load - it worked in a surprising number of guns.

Varget, 10X, Varmint, H322, H335, etc., etc., all worked well with a bullet here and there and many produced 1/2 MOA or less (most of the guns were A/R's - only one bolt gun) - but they tended to be "one or two-trick ponies" and none provided the small-sized consistency of those others listed.

I found the lead-free bullets to be very "picky" compared to leaded bullets and it took some time to find which powders were consistently good in most rifles. I know a few guys that tried all the powder on their shelf and never got a good group. That doesn't surprise me a bit. I went through very long streaks of getting 1 1/2 to 2" groups with powders the guns didn't like so don't be surprised if this happens. Lesson learned is that when your gun doesn't like a powder with a lead-free - it will tell you loud and clear. I'd not waste time trying to make what you have work if your gun is not showing signs of liking it early on. You WILL KNOW when you hit the one it does like. it will often shoot varied bullet weights and that of different manufacturer all very well. Once dialed in, you will really like the explosiveness of them on varmints.

Hope this helps

 

[Dusty Stevens]

i've found on the lead free sintered metal type bullets they are usually longer than a lead core bullet so even though your twist will shoot a lead core bullet does not mean it will shoot a lead free bullet of the same weight. i've seen some 55gr lead free 22cal bullets that needed a 9tw where a 55gr lead core will usually work in a 12.

 

[searcher]

Yeah. I run almost all 9-tw and all I have tried shoot 55 lead free fine, though any slower than that and it gets real iffy unless they are 40 grains or less. I have a Remington 700 factory barrel 1-12 tw that will shoot the 55's fine. A 1-14 will shoot them all over the place usually.

 

[joed49]

I've been thinking of trying some and have done some research. From what I've read they are harder then bullets with a lead core and because of that they need to be smaller then a lead core. I started asking myself about barrel wear but haven't seen anything on it.

 

[Fast14riot]

I use cnc turned solid copper .277 match bullets with excellent results. Haven't used them in .224 caliber though. No excessive fouling, no increased wear, just increased cost. But, in .277 there aren't a whole lot of light weight (120gr) match grade bullets around.

 

[searcher]

Again - it depends on whether you are talking about SOLID copper bullets or what most companies term "lead free". The Hornady, Barnes and Nosler lead-free .223 cal bullets are NOT solid copper, but rather a copper jacket filled with compressed particles of copper and/or other material. I can only speak for my experience - but I have put many thousands of rounds on many barrels and if they wear the barrels out faster - I cannot tell. I am very pleased with my barrel life. I expect to roll well over the 10,000 round mark this weekend on a barrel that has never shot a leaded bullet. There are a few companies on the internet selling solid copper bullets formed from copper wire. They are not very accurate and I won't run quantities of them through my guns as I feel they will be hard on them. I have no long term experience to base that on though.