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Hey Fellas, please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that the reason to put the copper coating over the steel jackets to act as a lubricant ( for want of a better word) or a barrier to prevent steel against steel. Doesn't your barrel wear out eventually anyway? I realise that using steel jackets may wear it out quicker as metal against metal without lubrication of some sort has to be a bad thing. Bit like running your car without oil, won't run for long
But I am with you NitroX , stick with the Woodleighs and only use steel jacketed projectiles when absolutely necessary

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Yes BB416 you are correct, most if not all steel jacketed bullets will have a coating on them. Silver coloured Norma steel jacket bullets, similar to the RWS bullets shown in the photo above, are coated in tombac a high copper content brass alloy. Some 404 ammo loaded by Norma and sold under the Parker Hale banner have copper coated/coloured steel solids.

Closely examining the sectioned RWS bullet in the photo one can see this coating applied to the inside of the jacket as well. Recovered bullets show a copper colouring where the rifling has scored the jacket.

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Today the RWS uses Woodleigh bullets in 404. The bullets you displayed looks very much like Woodleigh solids.

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Those RWS bullets pictured are genuine RWS stock and were produced and used quite a while before Geoff McDonald started up his production line of Woodleigh bullets. I used the RWS solids on Australian buffalo in 1978, one year before Geoff did his first buffalo safari. Woodleigh bullets are much heavier jacketed, one reason why some question their suitability in doubles.

I actually obtained the RWS 404 bullets from John Saunders of Century Arms back in 1977 the same place where Geoff McDonald obtained some 577 brass enabling him to take his 577 gun along on his buffalo hunt with cast bullets.

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