Why Copper Bullets Beat Lead—No BS, Just Facts | #BallisticsBriefs

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]Welcome back. We are starting a new little what do we want to call this?

[00:00:06]Little series if you want to call it that. In between our bi-weekly podcast.

[00:00:12]Um we want to have kind of like little 10 to 15 minute conversations with one person. Today I've got Greg Sloan with me. He's going to kick it off. What we want to do here is have a 10 to 15 minute conversation of a quick deep dive. I'm going to have one person with me today. I've got Greg Sloan with me. And what are what is our topic today? What what did we say that we want to have our topic about?

[00:00:38]>> Uh we can go wherever you want. We talked a couple different ideas. You can surprise me. I don't care. [laughter] >> Um Oh man, I'm I'm blanking right now for >> We talked about copper. Um we talked about stuff. You help me. Okay. So, my question to Greg today is, why does copper outshoot lead bullets? You have 10 minutes to tell me why people should choose copper over lead. Ready, set, go.

[00:01:08]>> Okay. I'm going to start by eating up some of my 10 minutes, >> okay?

[00:01:11]>> Because this is obviously a new format for us. Um, if you know me personally, I'm not a big talker, but >> but you but you get a microphone in front of you.

[00:01:20]>> Yeah. Well, I don't know if it's that or it's the right subject. You start talking cartridges, bullets, ballistics, guns, and hunting, and I probably won't shut up. So, I think this I I bring that up to say I'm excited about this new short format >> um to kind of use in between the long form podcasts, um which I obviously enjoy. Um but I'm getting at it is going to be a little bit of a challenge at times and I'm even eating up my time right now, right?

[00:01:45]>> Because I got to keep it short, to the point, simple, but I'm excited about it.

[00:01:48]we can hit some cool subjects, some cool topics. Um, like I said, just briefly deep dive. So, why copper? Why copper over lead? Um, I'm, you know, and we've talked a lot about this already, but I'm going to hopefully bring up a few, maybe a few points that we haven't yet discussed.

[00:02:05]Now, obviously, right off the bat, it's performance driven, terminal performance driven. You know, these are hunting projectiles for the most part. Um, there can definitely be some military law enforcement applications with barrier blind, you know, type performance. Um, which these monolithic copper bullets also work very well for. Um, I'm mostly going to focus on hunting. Um, and that's really it. It's terminal performance. That's what drove Barnes to introduce the solid copper expanding hunting bullet to the market in the late 80s. Um, and obviously it's evolved to the TSX, the TTSX, and the LRX. Um, but really the why behind it, I think some big advantages, you know, and I I'm not going to stand here and say you can only shoot copper or copper is the only answer. Um, obviously there's a ton of good lead core bullets on the market, including those manufactured by Barnes.

[00:02:51]Um, as well as Sierra. Um, there's some great options. Target bullets, match bullets, um, varmint bullets, thin thin skin game bullets, even dangerous game bullets if it's constructed properly, bonded type bullets. There's a lot of different options. But why copper? It really is consistency. You know, we've seen we do a lot of competitor evaluations. I shoot a lot of different bullets in the lab. We like to have a good understanding of what bullets do at different velocities through different test medias. You know, test mediums, be it bone, gel, water, you know, hide.

[00:03:26]We've done some interesting things. you know, where we've shot through fiberglass t, you know, square tubing, >> different things to simulate those so we can have a consistent um comparison side by side. But what I've always gone back to with these, you know, Barnes, solid copper, expanding copper bullets, the TSX, TTSX, LRX, is consistency. You go shoot 10 bullets into jail at the same velocity, more or less, all 10 look the same. That cannot be said always for cup and core projectiles. Um, they're controlled expansion bullets, so we really air on more weight retention, especially with a TSX design. So, you get the advantages of having a tough constructed bullet that holds together, it drives deep, it penetrates, it reaches vitals. You know, obviously, it could be argued that every application that maybe is not what you desire, and that is true. You know, I'm not saying go shoot prairie dogs with the TTSX. You can if you want to. It might get expensive. Um, but for the application, what they're designed for, for big game hunting, you know, we talk about some things like it acts bigger than it is. It's an opportunity if you're shooting subcalibur, you know, 22 cows and hunting 6mm, even 65s and 270s. as the game starts to step up, you know, if you're not necessarily want to go to a 30 cal magnum, a 338 Magnum and bigger, you can really get really solid performance where because of that weight retention, because of that penetration, because of that bullet integrity holding together, still expanding, still creating a big wound channel, but driving deep regardless of shot angle, that's where you can really have that advantage. Um, another big piece of it that I think gets overlooked a lot is accuracy. Mhm.

[00:05:02]>> Um, these bullets can be incredibly accurate. And I'm not going to say copper bullets are more accurate than lead core bullets, um, by any means, but I will say across the board, we get as good as of accuracy for the most part.

[00:05:15]You know, I've I've never, you know, there's always going to be this gun likes that load. Y, you know, whether it be factory loaded ammo or hand loads, but as long as you're doing, you know, using proper components, you know, willing to try different propellants, you got the right seating depth, you can get very good accuracy sometimes. And with our factory loaded ammunition like the Vortex and Vortex LR, I would even argue as good or better accuracy than some ammunition with some lead core bullets. And some of that I think comes from it can be a very forgiving design.

[00:05:42]Yeah.

[00:05:42]>> Um with distance off the lens, not worrying about jump, not having to be right up on the lands to get that good accuracy. They're pretty forgiving that way. Um so that's another advantage of Y copper. Um you know, it's forgiving, it's consistent, you can rely on it. You know, you've regardless of material, regardless of design, be it copper, be it lead core, cup and core, you always have to understand the design intent and kind of limitations of that given projectile and cartridge. You know, >> you don't want to go take a lightly constructed thin jacketed varma bullet that was designed to completely disintegrate on impact on a prairie dog and go shoot a Cape Buffalo with it. you know, obviously that's a pretty extreme example, right?

[00:06:27]>> But, you know, there's purpose-built optimized projectiles for different applications. Um, but a TTSX, it's an all-around. I mean, there is really nothing you can't go hunt with a TTSX.

[00:06:39]you know, you pick the right caliber, the right bullet weight, and a TTSX, be it, you know, I will use a something like a 270 Winchester, a 306, a 308 Winchester, you know, everything from white tail to elk to moose, it's completely capable. Really can step up.

[00:06:55]You know, a lot of people I I shoot 30 cal magnums. Um, I shoot some 338s, but at the end of the day, none of us like to go to the range and blast 200 rounds in a session out of a 300 Win Mag, >> right? you know, and so it allows you to shoot cartridges like a 65 Creedmore, a 6mm Creedmore, a 243 Win, a 270 Winchester, a 308, stuff that's, you know, generally pretty manageable as far as recoil. And regardless if I'm talking white tail, heck, even smaller, these things will open up on a coyote yet hold together and drive deep enough to work well on moose and elk. So, I don't know where I'm at. I can keep going.

[00:07:30]>> You are at um just over six minutes.

[00:07:34]>> Okay, >> got four minutes left.

[00:07:36]What else do I want to hit? I think I hit a lot already.

[00:07:38]>> Well, that's the great thing, right? Is that they don't have to be 10 minutes, but I'm going to give you 10 minutes to say everything you need to say and then we're going to wrap this thing up.

[00:07:45]That's that's the point of this ballistics brief brief ballistics, whatever that we end up calling it.

[00:07:50]>> Um, >> you know, I've got a lot of like as you were talking gave me a lot of other topics and I would say that like obviously we're going to open it up to the audience to give us topics. What what is something that you want a quick deep dive with Mitchell, with Sloan, with Brian, with, you know, other people that might work in the lab, that might work on the floor, right? We we can bring a lot of different [clears throat] >> um people into this because it is going to be so short and sweet, right?

[00:08:20]>> Um is to give them a quick topic and let them rattle off, right? You got 10 minutes to tell me everything that you want to tell me that gets the point across.

[00:08:29]>> No, I'm excited about it. It'll be cool.

[00:08:30]Like you said, it'll be cool to get some other people on here and hear what they have to say and, you know, those pick those specific subject matter experts for that given topic and let them share their knowledge and their and their experience. Um, I've got a ton of them in my head that I'd love to share. Yeah.

[00:08:44]>> Um, you know, this is kind of a simple just kickoff episode.

[00:08:47]>> Absolutely.

[00:08:48]>> Um, I love the cartridge deep dives, so I'm definitely looking forward to some of those.

[00:08:51]>> All right.

[00:08:52]>> I'd love to have 10 minutes to explain why the 30 Winchester is best cartridge ever or something like that. Um, but yeah, I think it's going to be cool. I'm excited about it.

[00:09:01]>> All right. Well, thanks, Greg. And uh thanks for everybody listening to the first ballistics brief.