lead bullets vs. copper plated

[thegrandpoohbah]

Just noticed that all the good quality target .22lr ammo is lead and not copper plated. Would anyone care to enlighten me as to why?

 

[just having some fun]

Not a expert but

Copper is used to stop leading of the barrel
22 Don't lead a barrel
Copper is expensive
adding copper is more work
copper plating is not always uniform -- heavy in spots light in others so the bullet could be out of balance = less accurate

 

[joe_canadian]

To add to just having some fun, lead's also easier to pour consistently. Regardless if you're using CCI Green Tag or the same Eley Match ammo used in the Olympics, it's going to be lead because it's just easier to make consistently.

 

[Eagleye]

It is much harder to make a consistent bullet when it is copper washed.
Since consistency of everything is the criteria for top grade target ammo,
they are not plated, but lubed with proprietary lubes for optimum performance.
Also subsonic speeds are not prone to lead bores.
Regards, Eagleye.

 

[stubblejumper]

The copper is more of a copper wash, than an actual plating. It is actually a cheaper way to lubricate bullets than some of the wax type lubricants.