Bill Steigers at Bitterroot use dot tell me that he routinely rejected its of copper and lead for jackets and cores because they did not meet his specifications. He said that "good" copper and lead were essential to uniform penetration and expansion . It was important that the material be ductile enough and not brittle, which was inclined to shatter.
Im convinced that this is one reason for the bullet's reputation for uniform expansion and performance,which is strikingly similar in all calibers from 270 to 375. Still I bet a few got by his scrutiny even though I have never seen one.
I do know that he refused offers to go large scale "commercial" with the Bitterroot with other bullet companies because the techniques required to manufacture the bullets would have necessitated the use of brittle alloys for jackets and cores and compromised the bullet. He was not willing to do that.
I would not be shocked to learn that substandard material accounts for some of the bullet bahviour people complain about.
Last edited by BobinNH; 10/13/16.
