copper bullet with a lead insert in the base.

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Bavarianbrit

Well-Known Member
As copper petals out at the front and looses the petals in the carcass would the rest of the bullet be better able to punch through giving an exit hole if the base was heavier, i.e. bored out say 20mm deep and filled with lead which as it punches through cannot be left in the carcass? Or does such a projectile already exist?
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The Barnes MRX were very similar to what you describe, though no longer produced.

Unsure why they discontinued it and nobody has picked up a similar idea, but I’m sure there was a good reason!

Ben
 
Bavarianbrit said:
As copper petals out at the front and looses the petals in the carcass would the rest of the bullet be better able to punch through giving an exit hole if the base was heavier, i.e. bored out say 20mm deep and filled with lead which as it punches through cannot be left in the carcass? Or does such a projectile already exist?
View attachment 427640
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I don’t think it does, although partition bullets are half way there.

However

1) Monolithic's already punch right the way through most animals, provided that bullet / calibre is suitable for the class of animal being shot.

2) copper is about 80% the density of lead (depending on what allows are used). How much extra weight would you really gain by drilling out the base. You would recquire many more manufacturing processes and thus expense for what gain.
 
True, or someone with a decent lathe could modify some presently on the market bullets to explore the effects.
Modern production automation should make producing them no big deal.
 
Heym SR20 said:
I don’t think it does, although partition bullets are half way there.

However

1) Monolithic's already punch right the way through most animals, provided that bullet / calibre is suitable for the class of animal being shot.

2) copper is about 80% the density of lead (depending on what allows are used). How much extra weight would you really gain by drilling out the base. You would recquire many more manufacturing processes and thus expense for what gain.
Click to expand...
A bit of PiR^2.

7mm bullet diameter. Leave a 1mm thick wall hence 5mm hole.

Hole is the bottom half - H

Wall base area is 49Pi.H
Hole Base Area is 25 Pi.H.

So base volume drilled out is about 1/4 of the volume of the bullet. Appreciate bullets are not cylinders but ogive at front and boat tail at back.

Lets call 1/3 of the volume.

So we take a 150gn copper bullet and replace 50gn of copper with lead. Copper is 80% density of lead.

Hence 100x50/80 =62.5grains.

So our 150 gn bullet is now 162.5gn in weight.

Will that materially make a difference. On paper it will have a slightly better BC, and will impact with a little more energy giving a slightly larger temporary and permanent wound channel before exiting.

Question is - does this really matter? Last boar I shot was 100kg or so hanging up, shot at 80 odd yards with a 150 grain fox quartering away. Bullet punched right the way through. It squeeled loudly and ran 20 yards. Heart lungs all had big holes through them. I very much doubt the most highly skilled vet, even if able to administer immediate surgery would have changed the result. Perhaps an immediate onto immediate bypass with lots of blood infusion and a complete heart / lung transplant might have worked.
 
Bavarianbrit said:
As copper petals out at the front and looses the petals in the carcass would the rest of the bullet be better able to punch through giving an exit hole if the base was heavier, i.e. bored out say 20mm deep and filled with lead which as it punches through cannot be left in the carcass? Or does such a projectile already exist?
View attachment 427640
Click to expand...
As said above, your idea is just reverting back to jacketed lead. As to punching through animals after jettisoning petals, Yew Tree 114gr TLR bullets fired from 6.5PRC have proven it on red stags out to 400m.
 
I can't see the point, copper can work very well, the bullet either has lead in it or not, like being a little bit pregnant.
The marketing of a product which is 100percent lead free but might have a bit because we want to bend the rules a bit. Either do it properly or not.
 
Bavarianbrit said:
As copper petals out at the front and looses the petals in the carcass would the rest of the bullet be better able to punch through giving an exit hole if the base was heavier, i.e. bored out say 20mm deep and filled with lead which as it punches through cannot be left in the carcass? Or does such a projectile already exist?
View attachment 427640
Click to expand...
Your suggestion is the opposite of the Trophy Bonded Bearclaw bullet, bonded soft point up front and solid copper rear. Probably better to keep the centre of gravity forward to keep it tracking straight in tissue.
 
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