Copper plated or lead?

[MiddleKingdom]

I quite often hear guys say they won't shoot non-plated bullets through their .22s. Does shooting copper plated .22LR ammunition actually prevent lead fouling or funtion issues? I mainly shoot with semi-auto rifles and/or pistols and buy the cheap stuff at Walmart. I'm shooting at metal silhouettes at 50 yards with open sights. I do avoid the Remington ammo because I tend to have more misfires with it.

Also, why is match grade .22LR ammunition usually non-plated?

[Merc1138]

1. Yeah, remington rimfire ammo sucks. Apparently the old stuff from a few years ago was ok, but the new stuff they're making is garbage.

2. I'm not entirely certain, but considering one of the key things about match grade ammo is consistency I can only guess that the copper wash used might have consistency issues(if you look closely enough at it, it doesn't appear to be perfectly even).

[Izzy43]

Copper plated (acutally its a copper wash) bullets are also lead. The copper wash is a cheap lubricant which you will find on nearly all bulk ammo. It does not prevent or cause leading. Higher grade ammo, especially match ammo has a waxy type lube and is one reason, among others, that improves its accuracy. The lube, either copper wash or waxy coats the barrel and reduces friction.

Leading is normally not an issue in .22s as leading is caused by excessive heat. Most high grade centerfire rifle ammo is copper jacketed (not copper washed) to help prevent leading due to the higher velocity (more heat) of that ammo. .22s just don't go fast enough to heat up and cause leading. A very tight bore can cause leading and happens occasionally in .22s.

[Chaos47]

It does not prevent or cause leading. Higher grade ammo, especially match ammo has a waxy type lube and is one reason, among others, that improves its accuracy. The lube, either copper wash or waxy coats the barrel and reduces friction.

This^

Wax coated bullets are what are used in the Olympics.
IMO I trust wax 100x more then I do copper/brass "coatings" ie paint.
So far so that I do not let friends use non wax type of ammo thru my rimfire firearms...

IMO stick to wax such as Blazer, Federal for bulk and eley and Wolf for match.

Stay away from Remington golden for tons of reasons (do a search here for all the horror stories)

[MiddleKingdom]

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate the input.

[M27]

this is my favorite 22LR ammo

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/30315767-1.html

Lead round nose

[sig808]

For copper go CCI for lead go wolf.

[ejhc11]

The copper wash ammo is recommended for AR type rimfire rifles, because the actions are more sensitive from the buildup of lube.

Winchester M-22s, CCI Velocitors, Mini-mags, and the famed Rem GBs work pretty good for me in my AR rimfires.

http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/ac352/ejhc11/AR15/ARRFM4.jpg

[DesertRat810]

Dunno if really applicable, but my favorite plinking ammo is CCI Blazers, which are LRN w/o copper washing. Usually similarly priced to Federal bulk, and more reliable and accurate in my experience.