Mauser M12 243- copper advice

[Heym SR20]

As an aside..I recently bought an M12 in .243 and was advised via Brock and Norris not to use copper without complete lead cleaning as when using copper there is an affect on the barrel due to a chemical interaction ...any experience of this on the forum?

There are claims that this is the case.

However all lead bullets use copper jackets and this is what interacts with the barrel walls. The copper used in jacketed bullets is pretty much the same material as used in most monolithics ie its the same chemical. I cannot see how there is different reaction between the rifling of a jacketed bullet and a monolithic bullet.

Copper fouling can affect accuracy regardless of whether you are shooting a monolithic or a jacketed bullet. Certainly I have found over the years that my rifles shoot better with cleaner bores, and I do wipe out with copper solvent reasonably regularly.

If you having to clean lead fouling from the bore of high velocity centre fire rifle shooting jacketed bullets something is going seriously wrong IMHO.

 

[VSS]

As an aside..I recently bought an M12 in .243 and was advised via Brock and Norris not to use copper without complete lead cleaning as when using copper there is an affect on the barrel due to a chemical interaction ...any experience of this on the forum?

Sounds like an old wives' tale to me.
Did they manage to sell you some cleaning products on the strength of it, by any chance?

 

[hendrix's rifle]

Sounds like an old wives' tale to me.
Did they manage to sell you some cleaning products on the strength of it, by any chance?

You'd think so but there's a number on videos online now showing back to back groups being shot before and after cleaning. Whether jackets are made with gilding copper and they have a different construction than pure copper and thus have different properties than a copper bullet, i dont know because im no scientist but it would semi make sense.

 

[farrieral]

Have shot a few more beasts now with the 80 grain TTSX, hand loaded doing 3,300 fps, a few big fallow bucks, roe, red hinds and yearlings.

Nothing has gone further than 20 yards.

Shot placement, depending on presentation has been a mixture of high shoulder, the "Vital-V" and a couple of head shots.

Full pass throughs on everything and good expansion!

I shoot lead for foxes through the same rifle without thoroughly cleaning with no issues. I cleaned the 243 down to bare metal and it took a while to "shoot back in" to previous accuracy. Where as my .308 loves a clean bore

If a stag stepped out and reasonable distance I'd happily take it with the 80 grain TTSX

 

[Fishcake]

80 grain sako for me. Can’t go wrong

 

[SOE]

Sounds like an old wives' tale to me.
Did they manage to sell you some cleaning products on the strength of it, by any chance?

The gun was bought from Swillingtons...the advice came from Brock and Norris