Copper-bottomed!

Richard Faulks says the brass and copper bullet developed by the Simpson brothers and EPA could be the answer to stalkers’ non-lead prayers

- Richard Faulks

The banning of lead in both shotgun cartridges and rifle bullets and the debate surrounding it rumbles on. We have yet to see any sign of legislation to enforce the change but it will almost inevitably come at some point. Political and cultural pressure has forced the shooting market’s hand and, in turn, that of shoots and game dealers to allay the fears of the public about lead. This is all in the quest to encourage them to consume more of the game we shoot.

Marcus and Matt Simpson and Andy Papworth are avid stalkers with many years’ experience between them. They have been working on a non-lead bullet alternative to suit the very particular British market. There are many loads on the market now that are lead-free but, as Andy explained to me, some of them are problematic because of the crowded island we stalk on.

Problem 

Monolithic copper bullets are the most common solution to avoid lead. Most ‘lead’ bullets are made of a lead core with a copper casing. Hollow points or ballistic tips make the bullet expand on impact with a target. This deforms the malleable lead in the bullet to impart the kinetic energy and create a wound channel in an animal to kill it swiftly. With the monolithic hollow point design of most copper bullets, the deformation is far less and the majority of the bullet passes through the animal in one piece. That could be hazardous if you’re in lowland Britain and you don’t have the luxury of the effective types of backstop other parts of the country have to offer.