Copper bullet question

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buckchaser

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Forgive if this comes across as a naive question, but I have been finding it challenging to locate a straight answer to this question.

I've used Nosler Partitions, Federal Trophy Bonded, and such for my big game hunting to date. Curious to try one of the copper bullets on the scene as I have heard many positive reports.

I know that when they first came on the scene copper bullets had a reputation for fouling barrels. From what I have read this has become much less of an issue.

Those of you who use copper bullets - any special maintenance required to ensure a clean bore?
 
How badly any particular bullet fouls any particular bore, is dependent upon the quality and condition of that bore. Some mono-metal bullets are banded, and these bullets having less contact area with the bore, foul to a lessor degree, but clearly bore smoothness is the overriding factor. A mass produced barrel will foul worse than a custom barrel, simply because its rougher, and more prone to stripping copper from the bullet near the lead, then depositing that copper throughout the bore as its carried along by the plasma created by the high pressure gases sealed behind the bullet. A barrel with a worn throat will foul worse than one with a smooth throat, even if the bore is smooth. The mono-metal bullet I'm the most familiar with is the Barnes TSX. I don't see much difference between the fouling I get with it compared to the fouling I get with cup and core bullets, nor do I clean differently when I use it. Having said that, I don't shoot long strings of TSXs. The old style X Bullets would foul badly, and when using them I would follow up with Foul-Out(?) foaming bore cleaner after each shooting session.

The only time I give my bores any special treatment is when I intend to shoot moly-coated bullets. In this case I treat the bore with moly paste or moly-powder to ensure moly on moly contact along the entire length of the bore. I only had one moly treated barrel, and that rifle has been sold, so I'm not sure if I will continue with the use of moly.

Edited to add . . .

I meant to say Wipe Out . . . not Foul Out
 
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If you use Wipe Out, Foul Out or other good cleaner after shooting sessions, you'll be fine. If your rifle is
in a chambering compatible with Hodgdon CFE 223 powder, then you'll not need to worry about copper fouling
at all. This powder dissolves it.....no foolin'.
 
I run them pretty much exclusively for hunting and have put hundreds of 30, 375 and 458 cal down range. Hard to say if they put any more copper down on the barrel versus a copper jacket bullet. After a range session I just quickly brush out the barrel with CLP at the range to remove the bulk of the carbon and then use wipeout when I get home. It usually takes a couple shots of wipe out to get it all but little actual effort.
 
Boomer gave a nice, comprehensive answer describing copper bullets.

For me (and I suspect Boomer, too) fouling form TSX style bullets with the bands is really a non issue. I clean my bores when accuracy drops off, regardless of bullet type. That is usually 50 ish rounds. Sometimes a bit less, sometimes waaay more, depending on rifle.

Usually I can develop a good hunting load with these bullets far quicker than using 50 rounds, so I will develop the load, clean the barrel, do some sight in shots and go hunting.

The other day I took my 300WSM, cleaned the barrel, went to range with the 150 gr TTSX load I had decided on, checked the zero/drop at 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards. Banged a few 400 and 500 yard gongs. Took about a dozen shots altogether.

Ready for hunting season. ;)
 
I've found the accubonds to be the worst for fouling. All I shoot these days are Barnes. In my opinion it is BS about the Barnes fouling so badly. They have been the best in my guns.
 
I noticed with my XCR's 6.8 barrel that around the flash hider I have oxidized copper turning it green on the inside, and I don't get that with my 5.56 barrel even though I shoot many more rounds through it. The only real difference is I have shot about 40 TSX rounds through the 6.8, and only copper FMJ rounds through the 5.56 barrel. The 6.8 seems quite clean apart from the green in the flash hider so I'm not sure how significant the copper fouling could be... I thought it was interesting to see though.
 
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