Who uses solid Copper Bullets?

[deadeye]

I would like to know how many of you have switched to solid copper bullets for deer hunting.  If you have, how effective are they compared to jacked lead.  I am a firm believer that we should all use solid copper to avoid the lead contaminated meat and prevent lead poisoning in all the animals that eat the remains of gun killed deer.  Last year I shot a buck with a solid copper bullet. This year, three of the 5 deer we took were shot with solid copper.  None went more than 40 yards. 

[glenn57]

i currently still use lead. 30-06 220 grain to be exact. i'm going to be a politician here and not give a definite answer cause to me the verdict is still out on this lead/copper/steel debate.

it does sound however like it worked out for ya.  i truely believe it has more to do with shot placement then bullet material!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve-o]

I'm still shooting lead.  I'm working my way through a box of Hornady SST in 30-06.

I guess I'd be willing to try copper, but I'd want to see how they group out to 100 yards in my rifle and then do some research about how much energy remains at that range.  I don't think I've ever shot at a deer farther than 100 yards in the area where I hunt.

My daughter shoots a .243.  Would less ooomph be a reason to stick with lead for smaller calibers?

[dakids]

Just got home from work and am very tired.  I will add my opinion tomorrow. Good night.

[LPS]

I'm using copper ones.  Work great.

[Steve-o]

I think I may have to give copper a try next season.

http://www.huntingwithnonlead.org/bullet_performance.html

This was a good article.  You can probably find others as well as I can.  Among the things I thought were interesting were the xray pics of lead fragments in shot animals and a link to a 2010 study conducted by the MN DNR.

I still don't know about downrange accuracy.  That will be dependent on both the gun and bullet.  But as far as transferring the energy from the bullet to the animal during the shot, the bullets studied here all get close to delivering 1500 ft/lbs of energy, with Barns Triple Shocks delivering over 2000 ft/lbs.  If I read the article and chart right, I think the only lead bullets on the chart are the Remington CoreLokts; all the rest are copper.

http://www.huntingwithnonlead.org/PDFs_Main/velocitydata_chart.pdf

I'll have to look for some data on .243 caliber as well.