copper bullets for 45-70

[gary rice]

Anyone know of any alternatives to the barnes 300 grain tsx for the 45-70? Being in kalifornia I will be forced to hunt pig with this bullet but my rifle likes 400 grain bullets. Anybody tried the 450 grain tsx?

[otteray]

You won't need a copper bullet if you hunt outside of the condor area. That leaves you about 3/4 of the state to get a hawg.

[scr83jp]

Anyone know of any alternatives to the barnes 300 grain tsx for the 45-70? Being in kalifornia I will be forced to hunt pig with this bullet but my rifle likes 400 grain bullets. Anybody tried the 450 grain tsx?

I purchased 2 boxes of barnes 250gr tsx 45-70 bullets that i'm going to load and try in my marlin,I wish nosler made the etip 45-70.

[scr83jp]

You won't need a copper bullet if you hunt outside of the condor area. That leaves you about 3/4 of the state to get a hawg.

Most of the best areas for Sus scrofa are in the condor zone.Any area with year around running water is a place to check for pigs in fact there are several not far from this area but one is a state park and the other is in a county that prohibits pig hunting.

[gary rice]

You won't need a copper bullet if you hunt outside of the condor area. That leaves you about 3/4 of the state to get a hawg.

Most of the best areas for Sus scrofa are in the condor zone.Any area with year around running water is a place to check for pigs in fact there are several not far from this area but one is a state park and the other is in a county that prohibits pig hunting.

For the most part in kalifornia their is the condor area then the desert where their is very little water. most of the prime hunting areas are now classified no lead condor area's. i heard i cant even hunt dove and quail with lead shot anymore. 22 rifle is out now too for varmint hunting, who needs gun control as they now have ammo control and growing.

[Mike D.]

I hunt in the "condor zone", where copper bullets are the rule. Do to the expense of the Barnes TSX, I haven't taken the .45 calber Winchesters out to the fields, yet. At a dollar each, they won't be used for target practice, which severly limits their trial use. I have been hunting with my trusty '95 Winchester '06, but haven't seen a worthy buck, so far. I also have not shot at any pigs, despite being as close as 5 ft to several of them. We cut one off on Saturday morning by racing the jeep up a ridge and waiting for him to come to us. He came up the hill with his tusks a popping and passed right in front of me. It was so funny that both of us were laughing out loud. If the pig would have tuned my way, I would have rolled him, but he went away and up the ridge. It was a small, around 150 lbs, boar with a great big attitude.

This weekend, we passed on 8-9 legal bucks, but saw no larger 3X3s, or bigger bucks that we were looking for. I may go back for the last weekend, I don't know. I will be pig hunting later in the fall, and will try the 300 grain copper bullets in one of my .45-70s, or maybe the .45-90. The problem with the copper is that they tend to shoot much higheer than lead/copper jacketed bullets of the same weight. At least, that has been the case with.30 cal TSXs. I had to lower the receiver sight all the way on my '95, and crank the scope on my bolt gun one full turn lower, just to be able to hit the bull at 100 yds. My first shots were 10" high, but on center. It took several shots to get the bullets to strike at top center of the bullseye. I was unprepared for this huge difference in trajectory, and was quite surprised by it's much higher apparent strike. I will probably be forced to expend a few rounds of the precious copper bullets at the target, so that I will be able to hit the piggies with the first shot. It will be interesting to see the effect of the TSX on the animal. Hopefully, one shot will do the job. We'll see.

[scr83jp]

You won't need a copper bullet if you hunt outside of the condor area. That leaves you about 3/4 of the state to get a hawg.

Most of the best areas for Sus scrofa are in the condor zone.Any area with year around running water is a place to check for pigs in fact there are several not far from this area but one is a state park and the other is in a county that prohibits pig hunting.

For the most part in kalifornia their is the condor area then the desert where their is very little water. most of the prime hunting areas are now classified no lead condor area's. i heard i cant even hunt dove and quail with lead shot anymore. 22 rifle is out now too for varmint hunting, who needs gun control as they now have ammo control and growing.

When I was employed as a deputy probation officer I was assigned to the desert for 12 years(my degree is in wildlfe mgt) so I learned a lot about the area as it pertained to various species of wildlife.A few years ago a hunter on another forum was bragging about his success chukar hunting so I asked him where he'd located the birds ,naturally he didn't respond so knowing the area I mentioned his exact hunting location,I got an immediate response to delete all of the site info,I didn't! I started buying TC Encore receivers and barrels I have a 20" Bullberry Rifle barrel chambered for SW460mag that will take 454casull & 45lc.Magtech is selling 225gr 454 all copper jhp ammo & bullets on midway I bought a 100 bullets for $ 83 but they're not on the approved list , I contacted magtech & asked them to please get their ammo & bullets approved they agreed & are working on it.When it's approved I'll be able to use my encore rifle & 15" 454casull pistol in the condor zone.You can hunt rabbits in the condor zone with lead 22 cal bullets.

[gary rice]

I hunt in the "condor zone", where copper bullets are the rule. Do to the expense of the Barnes TSX, I haven't taken the .45 calber Winchesters out to the fields, yet. At a dollar each, they won't be used for target practice, which severly limits their trial use. I have been hunting with my trusty '95 Winchester '06, but haven't seen a worthy buck, so far. I also have not shot at any pigs, despite being as close as 5 ft to several of them. We cut one off on Saturday morning by racing the jeep up a ridge and waiting for him to come to us. He came up the hill with his tusks a popping and passed right in front of me. It was so funny that both of us were laughing out loud. If the pig would have tuned my way, I would have rolled him, but he went away and up the ridge. It was a small, around 150 lbs, boar with a great big attitude.

This weekend, we passed on 8-9 legal bucks, but saw no larger 3X3s, or bigger bucks that we were looking for. I may go back for the last weekend, I don't know. I will be pig hunting later in the fall, and will try the 300 grain copper bullets in one of my .45-70s, or maybe the .45-90. The problem with the copper is that they tend to shoot much higheer than lead/copper jacketed bullets of the same weight. At least, that has been the case with.30 cal TSXs. I had to lower the receiver sight all the way on my '95, and crank the scope on my bolt gun one full turn lower, just to be able to hit the bull at 100 yds. My first shots were 10" high, but on center. It took several shots to get the bullets to strike at top center of the bullseye. I was unprepared for this huge difference in trajectory, and was quite surprised by it's much higher apparent strike. I will probably be forced to expend a few rounds of the precious copper bullets at the target, so that I will be able to hit the piggies with the first shot. It will be interesting to see the effect of the TSX on the animal. Hopefully, one shot will do the job. We'll see.

ahh, bingo. Ive been waiting for someone to confirm what i already found out about the barnes tsx 300 grain bullet. in my rifle a 26 inch cb they shoot about a foot and a half high at 75 yards, no, im not exaggerating one bit. this while the 405 grain remington or lead cast bullet shoots at poa at the same distance and dead on. im very distraught over the whole thing. for one being confined to a 300 grain bullet and secondly the broad adjustment of the rear sight required to just get the thing on paper. they call it a flat point but it really appears to be a hollow cavity bullet instead. at this point i have no hopes of them producing a 400 grain bullet that is lead free because of the structual design of the copper bullet. the 300 grain barnes is close to the same length of the 400 grain remington. the only way that i can see to increase the bullet weight would be to fill the hollow cavity with more copper or some other non lead metal which may not be possible, im not sure.

[Old Time Hunter]

Does this "copper" bullet law cause for the exclusion of pre-1899 firearms? I know my Trapdoors, '86, '85, and my Sharp's would be junk in 'bout one shot with jacketed bullets, only use 20-1 or #2 Lyman cast for those soft bores.

[Old Savage]

Apparently if they think you understand the law they will confiscate your rifle.

[Mike D.]

While I have not used the new all copper bullets in pre-1899 guns, I have shot many hundreds of regular copper jacketed bullets through the bores of my antique Winchesters with absolutely no ill effects whatsoever. Occasional use of copper, or copper jacketed, bullets will not harm any so called "soft steel" barrels. I have yet to see any visible damage to any of my "older" guns from their use.