why would you use plain lead 22lr when you could use copper plated?

[hminsky]

Maybe this is just superstition, but doesn't the copper plated .22lr leave less lead in the barrel than
plain lead .22lr? So why doesn't everyone use the copper plated? Is there any situation where plain lead
is better than copper plated?

If it were just cost, that would make some sense, but actually it really seems like most places I look the copper plated (when it's available) is usually the same price as non-plated.

 

[dhuze]

All good target ammo is Plain lead.

 

[rocket500]

I try to use the copper plated stuff but rimfire barrels don't seem to lead up as badly as centerfire barrels when you do shoot lead.

 

[RImike]

I've had lead fouling with copper plated .22 lr before, you have to remember that the base of the round is still exposed which results in lead melting into the bore. Also the plating is so thin that the rifling will cut through it. I slugged a round once and it was quite noticing. I suppose they have a place in AR's with conversions, but they still need to be treated as lead rounds and not true jacketed ones.

 

[TomMontana]

The Ely match and CCI standard velocity are not copper plated and they are better and cost much more than the Winchester white trash copper plated.

 

[snax]

I had a gun once. Cant remember which one. Instruction manual said to only use plated ammo. It was a rifle.

 

[mac1911]

If you have a 22lr that lead fouls something is wrong. The ghost copper plate will not matter.
A slight advantage to the copper washed bullets may come in to light with semi auto where the copper wash can negate the need for typical "wax" bullet lubes. Although I never had a issue with good old solid lead bullets with typical Bullet lube in my MKIII or SW41.

Plating is not ideal for target shooting as it's not uniform. Where talking match guns now.

Again if your experiencing bore leading it's usually a matter of bore condition and bore size... also improper sized bullets not lead vs plated issue.

I have put many 10s of thousands of plain lead bullets down a few guns since I started shooting at 8yrs.
My model 60 has had every type of ammo put through it. I think that barrel was "cleaned" once in its life.

My guess really is since most copper plated 22 seems to be of the HV variety it's more to reduce the use of a waxy lube. Possible lube might smoke more with HV ammo.
I don't have much to say about HV ammo I do not own any 22s that need it. If anything my 22s are not recommended to use HV.

Good luck.... as with any gun find the ammo it likes and buy as much of the same lot as you can!

Match ammo as far as I know has never been available plated...
Also just because ammo is match grade doesn't mean it will shoot better in your platform. Although good consistent ammo will for the most part.
As does velocity play a role in accuracy.... at 25 yards my old Glenfield 25 will shoot close to 1/2 moa with 22 shorts...go beyond 35 and it doesn't do as well at 50 yards 40 grain 1050-1070ish fps do so much better than anything faster.
My 513t target rifle surprises me often. It really likes the silly expensive ammo but does well enough with the upper middle stuff

 

[grey]

I once had an issue with excessive lead fouling in shooting many tens of thousands of .22s over 30 years. I was rapid firing a mark III with crap thunderbolts when the sounds of the shots began to sound weird and the accuracy opened to 12" + at 20 yds. After clearing the gun a quick inspection indicated I was shooting a smoothbore. That was not easy to clean and I have half a bucket of thunderbolts for sale. Proceeds to go to comm2a.
I've shot other lead bullets since with no issues in that gun. It loves the aguilla pistol match

 

[jpm]

I believe that the reason for plated bullets is because the round is loaded to produce high velocity which would be faster than an unplated round could withstand. So it's plated to allow you to shoot it at higher velocity, not just coincidence that it's high velocity and plated. See if you can find hv lead rounds or sv plated rounds.

 

[kmanick]

my SR22 loves copper plated CCi and Aguila, it rarely jams when I use that ammo .
Everytime I've used Federal automatch or any other 'lead' nose ammo it jams like crazy.
Even the Remington copper plated golden bullet hp's run flawlessly through it, so I just stick with th ecopper
as much as possible.

 

[GP89]

I would if I could find more plated subsonic options. CCI 0074 is not as common as it used to be.

 

[Gak44]

I use what I have. Some of it is copper, and most of it is lead. Does not seem to matter to my guns.

 

[mac1911]

I believe that the reason for plated bullets is because the round is loaded to produce high velocity which would be faster than an unplated round could withstand. So it's plated to allow you to shoot it at higher velocity, not just coincidence that it's high velocity and plated. See if you can find hv lead rounds or sv plated rounds.

here are a few
AE 1240fps solid plain lead
SK HV 1262fps 40 grain HP lead
Federal Match 1200fps LRN

Im sure I could dig up more from the closet...

I have this weird thing in my head that the plating aids in manufacturing only?

compare bullet profiles with ammo that doesnt feed well in your guns.???

end game is use what works at a price your willing to pay.

 

[Spanz]

I had a gun once. Cant remember which one. Instruction manual said to only use plated ammo. It was a rifle.

wait, was it a GUN or a RIFLE?

 

[MAGA99]

The copper plating on 22s is so thin, I mean paper thin would be exaggerating it's thickness, that I'm surprised that it even matters.

My uneducated guess as to why most 22 was copper plates was to protect hands from handling lead....because some people care. But I guess it could be a barrel lube? Ever not shoot a full magazine in a semi 22?? Ever look at the top bullet in the mag after the bolt has taken the one on top of it? I think spray painting the lead bullet would lay a thicker coat on it, or atleast the way that I spray paint, and I suck at painting.

 

[Asaltweapon]

I have sent many thousands of rounds of .22 target ammo down range in both a HS Victor and a Pardini. My Mod 41 likes RWS but I also never tried anything else thru it. Never had a lead fouling issue and I only cleaned the gun after it jammed. I was not one of those guys who cleaned after every match because I was shooting for fun. In fact you could track the gun getting dirty by my scores. The Victor was CCI .22 shorts and suffered from the wax build up that needed a quick wipe once in a while and the 'pasta gun' was purely RWS.

I do know guys who had fouling issues with Walther and Pardini target guns shooting some of the most expensive ammo available. Never heard complaints from the other high end gun users. I also never ran into other shooters using HV ammo.

I never saw plated rounds in many years of Bulls eye shooting so I don't know if they work or not.

 

[Koolmoose]

As a kid when out plinking, the advantage of plated 22lr was they didn't pick up lint from your jeans pocket. Wax coated lead bullets would get awfully messy in the pocket and needed to be kept in the box
Steve

 

[mac1911]

As a kid when out plinking, the advantage of plated 22lr was they didn't pick up lint from your jeans pocket. Wax coated lead bullets would get awfully messy in the pocket and needed to be kept in the box
Steve

This is true.....but I bet it didn't stop you from craming them in there.
Honestly I think the manufactures have lost something when it comes to 22lr and ammo.
Growing up in the late 70s and 80s all but one of our 22s where already 15Plus years old.
Got dragged every where put what ever 22 we could find through them and I do not remember people have as many function problems as 22s do today.
Didn't need any special ammo for the semi auto's either in fact many of the semi auto's ran on shorts,long and LR all you had to do was load them in and pull the trigger.
I still have 3 semi auto's made before 1968 that will function on 22lr shorts,L&LR
22lr has been around for 100s you would think by now manufacures could build a 22lr that will feed and fire it with little issues.