I made the switch to copper a few years ago due to landowners & game dealers both requesting that I use "non-toxic" ammunition - otherwise I wouldn't have made the switch.
I had settled on Super Hammerheads as my go-to bullets/ammo and absolutely loved them, I didn't want to use anything else and if the push to copper hadn't made me switch I suppose I'd still be using nothing else
But, I've had no trouble with copper bullets since I switched to them, no apparent signs of lack of expansion, no runners - yet. I've used Sako Blade, S&B Blue, Nosler E-tip and now Hornady CX, all of which are described as expanding copper-based projectiles. The only real difficulties with copper bullets were lack of choice, poor availability & high price
Those issues aside they all seem to do exactly what I need them to do to deer
Adding to my personal experience, and it is therefore hearsay, I had an interesting (well, to me anyway) discussion while I was shooting on an estate which I visit each year with a group of friends.
There's an excellent keeper there who is responsible for organising deer culls etc. I was asked which ammo I was using and they were interested when I said that it was Hornady Outfitter - I don't think they were familiar with that ammo. When asked I confirmed that it was loaded with what Hornady described as a copper bullet "designed to ensure reliable expansion". The keeper then said they would be interested to see the results if I got a shot at anything.
Fortunately I did manage to get a couple and the results seemed to impress the keeper
I asked why the concern and was told that a group of Danes had been on the estate, some of them using Sako Blade & the others using RWS Evo Green
Apparently there was a marked difference in the results achieved between the two groups
Those using Sako Blade had consistently good results; humane kills, no runners, clean carcasses = happy keepers & hunters and no need to get the dogs out
Those using The RWS Evo Green had bad shot after bad shot, some wounded deer (blamed on poor penetration on initial shot), too many runners and ruined carcasses = very tired dogs and unhappy hunters/keepers
The results with fragmenting ammo on larger deer were reported as "tolerable"
But smaller deer, such as Muntjac & Chinese Water Deer, all too often suffered so much damage that the whole carcass was ruined.
The keeper said that the results with the fragmenting bullets were so bad that they were informed/ordered NOT to plan to use that ammo on their trip next year
I realise that's the keeper's/estate's take on things - but I know them & trust them so I see no reason for me to doubt what they told me
Plus it tallies with what other people have told me about fragmenting copper ammo
I find it ironic that THE big argument against copper bullets used to be lack of expansion resulting in the dreaded "pencilling through" & accusations of being "too hard for British deer". Now we have bullets which might be too frangible!
Just like lead-based bullets eh?
www.sako.global
www.geschoss-manufaktur.de
