Solid Copper Bullets: Real-World Results From the Field

I’ve hunted extensively with the Barnes TTSX bullets in my 270 Winchester for the last two years. In that time, I’ve taken seven big game animals with it and have had great results with these solid copper bullets. While experiences may vary, let’s examine why they have become so popular.

Solid copper bullets are monolithic bullets made of copper and, therefore, do not contain lead. While they are environmentally friendly, that is not the only reason that people use them. They perform excellently on game animals in areas like penetration and weight retention.

Solid copper bullets aren’t a new thing. But they are gaining popularity as regulations against lead threaten many hunting areas. However, let’s leave the politics out of it and dive into the real-world performance of these copper bullets. Are they really worth a damn?

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My Experiences Thus Far

Before we dive into solid copper bullets and their upsides and downsides, I would like to share my experiences hunting with them so far. I’ve used the Barnes 130-grain TTSX bullet in my 270 Winchester for three years now, taking four different big game species(Antelope, Mule Deer, Elk, and Bighorn Sheep Ewe), seven animals in total.

Those seven animals were taken at ranges from 80 to 360 yards, with impact velocities between 2,700 and 1,950 fps. The bullet performed consistently on each game animal, producing perfect pass-throughs and enough energy or “shock” to put the animal down within 10 yards of where they were shot. The bullets on all of these examples expanded and stayed together as they are advertised to do. This is an assumption based on the one bullet that I was able to recover from a Montana mountainside using a metal detector and the fact that I was unable to find a single fragment of the bullet anywhere in any of the carcasses.

*A note on pass-throughs: Some people will argue that you don’t want to have a bullet pass-through. They believe that having the bullet expend all of its energy inside the animal will cause the fastest death. I’m not saying this is right or wrong. I prefer pass-throughs as they tend to give you a much better blood trail coming from both the entrance and exit wounds. However, there is no wrong answer here.

The bullet that I did recover flowered perfectly, except for one side that I believe was misshapen after passing through the animal and hitting the frozen ground on the other side. The shot was taken at approximately 90 yards broadside on a 25-degree downslope, with an impact velocity of approximately 2,700 fps. I hit a little high and went through the spine and out behind the opposite shoulder. When I found the bullet, it was under a few inches of snow and had not penetrated the frozen dirt.

The Numbers: Weight Retention, Expansion, & Meat Damage

Here are the numbers from that recovered bullet. It retained 97% of its initial weight, hitting the scale at 126 grains. The expansion of the .277-diameter bullet was impressive, to say the least, measuring .670-inches after recovery. That means that it expanded to 2.4 times its original diameter. The numbers don’t lie here.

Lastly, I noticed that this bullet produced far less meat damage than any other bullet I had used. One of the animals that I shot was hit a little far forward in the back section of the front shoulder. I lost almost no meat off of those two shoulders. Take that with a grain of salt, as many factors could have caused that, such as my modest velocities, but it is worth mentioning.

Now, let’s take a detailed look at the construction and the ups and downs of using solid copper bullets.

What Are Solid Copper Bullets?

Solid copper bullets are monolithic bullets made solely of copper or a copper alloy. Some are made to expand, while others are made to stay together and maximize penetration for dangerous game. For this conversation, we are going to focus on the expanding ones.

I can remember the first time I heard about these bullets from a friend. We were driving through a blizzard in Colorado on our way to a cast and blast, catching trout and shooting the occasional duck that flew low enough. This friend fills a lot of elk tags. Enough to feed his family year after year. While talking through one of his stories, he brought up the Barnes TTSX bullet, which really piqued my interest as I wasn’t familiar with Barnes bullets yet.

“In my .264 Win Mag, I’ve had pass-throughs on almost every elk that I’ve shot. When it is not a pass-through, the bullet is in the hide on the other side,” he said. His shots weren’t close either, ranging out to 350 yards. When he mentioned the high weight retention, I knew I had to try them.

Until then, my experience with hunting bullets had been pretty traditional. What always bothered me was how some bullets would be completely unpredictable once they hit the target, blowing up and sending lead fragments all throughout the meat. At that point in my life, I could only expect to get a deer or two a year, so I needed all the meat I could get, and I was losing too much with my current bullet selection.

Looking back on it, I probably would have been just as good going with a Nosler Partition or something similar. However, I don’t regret moving to solid coppers one bit. They’re boringly effective.

Where Solid Copper Bullets Shine

Solid copper bullets are known for their excellent penetration. The pass-throughs that I’ve experienced are perfect examples of this. How much penetration is important, as you need to know whether you will hit vitals when needed, depending on the angle of the shot. Consistency of that penetration is even more important. Sure, you can get a pass-through with classic cup and core bullets, but what happens if you hit bone? I know what my solid coppers have done and will do.

The driving factor behind this penetration is weight retention. In simple terms, the heavier the bullet is, the more it will penetrate. This applies throughout the whole travel of the bullet within the animal. If a bullet is shedding weight as it penetrates, it will not penetrate as far. Also, weight retention determines how consistent that bullet will be each time. If I know it will retain +90% of its weight, I can assume that hitting a bone won’t cause any erratic behavior of the bullet. Solid bullets are made to stay together and retain their weight, many times only shedding the little plastic tip.

Copper is lighter than lead. As you’ll see in the next section, this can be a pro or a con. I see it as a pro, as most of the time, you can get away with using a lighter-weight bullet than you are used to in that caliber. For example, many prefer a 110-grain Barnes for a 270 Winchester instead of a 130-grain. With the near 100% weight retention, you are getting plenty of penetration but also hitting the target a little faster.

Lastly, solid copper bullets meet all the requirements in states that restrict you from using lead-free ammunition. Like it or not, some states and specific hunting areas have these requirements in place. Whether you agree with them or not, there is no denying that this bullet class is still very effective.

The Downsides of Using Solid Copper Bullets

Almost every disadvantage that these bullets have stems from their lower density. Copper is approximately 23% less dense than lead.

Copper is lighter than lead. Yes, I’ve already included this in the pros category, but it also has some negative effects. This can be seen in the efficiency of the bullet over longer distances. Heavier bullets hold onto their velocity longer, giving them a flatter trajectory. Thus, solid copper bullets will have a lower ballistic coefficient(B.C.) than a lead core bullet of the same weight and class. This hasn’t bothered me, as I haven’t hunted at distances where my B.C. really matters.

Copper bullets are longer than lead-core ones of the same weight. Again, we deal with the copper is lighter than lead problem. According to Bryan Litz, author of Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting, copper bullets are approximately 10% longer than similar-weight lead ones. This may not be an issue to some, but it can cause a problem if your magazine box length limits you.

Copper bullets need velocity to expand properly. Because of their design, most solid copper bullets need velocity to expand to their full potential on impact. That limits you when using some of the modest velocity cartridges, like the 6.5 Creedmoor. If you have a short-barreled 6.5 Creedmoor and use a 130-140 grain copper bullet, you significantly reduce your effective range. The companies that provide optimal performance velocities will be listed below, but most solid coppers don’t like to expand under 1,900 fps. Peregrine Monolithics makes a solid that expands to velocities as low as 1,600 fps, but I have yet to try that bullet.

Copper fouling can be an issue in some rifles. This build-up of copper can cause accuracy issues and be a pain in the ass to clean. However, there are many variables here, and it seems to be rifle-dependent. I’ve shot 100 rounds out of my 270 using the TTSX and have had no signs of any loss of accuracy or copper build up.

Lastly, copper bullets are expensive. There is no getting around this. Copper costs more than lead. For a hunting bullet that you may only shoot 100 times in your lifetime, this isn’t an issue. However, you won’t see me taking my solid coppers to the range to plink steel plates anytime soon.

Current Solid Copper Bullets on the Market

There are a number of monolithic solid copper bullets on the hunting market right now, so what’s the difference between them? Every factory has put these bullets through endless testing, and they will work. However, which is the best for you depends on how you intend to use it.

The differences in weight between manufacturers within the same caliber bullet are due to the alloy that they are using and how they make the bullet itself. A bullet using bands weighs differently than one without, even though they are the same size.

I am only listing the bullets available for the reloader just about everywhere. This list does not include some of the smaller manufacturers. If I forgot to list one, please comment below and tell us your experience with them!

Use coupon code KTG10 to get 10% off your order of $150 or more at Brownells.

Barnes

TSX – The Barnes TSX is a hollow-point bullet that is a slightly modified version of their original “X” bullet. The TSX incorporates grooves that decrease the amount of fouling that is sometimes seen with copper bullets.

TTSX – The Barnes Tipped Triple Shock X-Bullet, more commonly referred to as the TTSX is a solid copper monolithic bullet designed for hunting. It is essentially a TSX bullet with a tip and redesigned nose cavity to provide faster expansion. The tip also gives it a slight advantage ballistically. This has been my bullet of choice for the last few years.

LRX – The LRX has all of the features of the TSX and TTSX with some long-range capabilities added in. A redesigned nose cavity allows for expansion at lower velocities, and a more aerodynamic shape makes it a great option for long-range hunting.

Hornady

CX – The Hornady CX is a copper alloy bullet that utilizes a heat-resistant tip to eliminate any deformation caused by the friction of the air. My wife hunted with these this year and had great results.

Nosler

E-Tip – The Nosler Expansion Tip(E-Tip) is a copper alloy bullet designed with a dual expansion cavity for uniform expansion throughout. This bullet has a very high B.C. compared to other solid copper bullets of the same weight class.

BTLF – The Nosler Ballistic Tip Lead-Free (BTLF) Varmint is a lead-free option for varmint hunters. It uses a fragmenting copper core, producing immediate and rapid expansion. It is a flat base design, and its ideal performance velocities are from 1,600 fps and up. Available in .204, .224, and .243 diameters.

A Comparison

The chart below compares the .284/6.5mm diameter solid copper bullets on the market. While the weights and associated numbers will be different for other calibers, the comparison will be consistent across the board. For example, the brand with the heaviest bullet in the 6.5 category probably has the heaviest .30 caliber bullet as well. The same goes for the ballistic coefficient.

Brand	Bullet	Weight	Optimal Performance	B.C. (G1)	Cost
Barnes	LRX	127 gr	*Not Listed	0.468	$45.99
Barnes	TSX	120 gr	*Not Listed	0.381	$42.99
Barnes	TSX	130 gr	*Not Listed	0.411	$43.99
Barnes	TTSX	100 gr	*Not Listed	0.359	$42.99
Barnes	TTSX	120 gr	*Not Listed	0.412	$43.99
Hornady	CX	120 gr	2300-3000 fps	0.428	$39.99
Hornady	CX	130 gr	2300-3000 fps	0.489	$39.99
Nosler	Expansion Tip	120 gr	1800-3050 fps	0.497	$55.99

Why I’m Switching From Solid Copper Bullets

So why am I switching from a bullet that I speak so highly about? Because they are almost too boringly effective. I know that no matter what, I will have a perfect pass-through on certain-sized animals and that they will expand every time within their velocity range. So it makes sense to switch, right?

Well, the statement above isn’t entirely true. I’m not switching completely away from them, but I am going to start experimenting more with some other cup and core designs, primarily so that I can learn about their performance firsthand and speak knowledgeably about them. I now have a baseline of how I like to see my bullets perform and what to expect moving forward.

Have you used solid copper bullets? If so, let me know your experiences in the comments! In my YouTube video about the subject, many viewers have chimed in with their experiences. It’s worth a look!