I'm strongly considering copper bullets in my .308 for antelope, deer, elk. I like the idea of not risking lead ingestion, and helping out the environment is a nice bonus. This is my first year hunting so I have no experience or prejudice regarding any bullet.
I'd love to hear some first-hand experience on elk with copper bullets in .308 - or other cartridges of comparable velocity. I ask because evidently copper bullets perform best at high velocities (lower ranges are variously quoted at 1800, 2000, even 2200 fps), but the 308 is not a particularly fast cartridge. With 165 grain bullets in copper (what I usually shoot), I'll probably be at ~2100 fps at 300 yards from 22 inch barrel (I'm looking at Federal Trophy Copper - my gun seems to like Federal premium ammo). I'm wondering if I should be worried, if I should step down to 150 gr, etc.
So: for those of you who have shot elk with copper in moderate-speed cartridges - how did it go? Thoughts about performance compared to lead? Any reason to be concerned about 165 grain? Any "never-again" experience?
Do point me to another thread if this question has already been answered.
I'd love to hear some first-hand experience on elk with copper bullets in .308 - or other cartridges of comparable velocity. I ask because evidently copper bullets perform best at high velocities (lower ranges are variously quoted at 1800, 2000, even 2200 fps), but the 308 is not a particularly fast cartridge. With 165 grain bullets in copper (what I usually shoot), I'll probably be at ~2100 fps at 300 yards from 22 inch barrel (I'm looking at Federal Trophy Copper - my gun seems to like Federal premium ammo). I'm wondering if I should be worried, if I should step down to 150 gr, etc.
So: for those of you who have shot elk with copper in moderate-speed cartridges - how did it go? Thoughts about performance compared to lead? Any reason to be concerned about 165 grain? Any "never-again" experience?
Do point me to another thread if this question has already been answered.