Fox Classic Hunter vs Hornady CX
Two copper-alloy monolithic hunting bullets compared: material, tip design and what each is built for.
Last updated 28 July 2026
The Hornady CX — successor to the GMX — is one of the better-known lead free options and, unlike the Barnes X-family, it is a copper alloy bullet rather than pure copper. That makes it the closer comparison to the Fox Classic Hunter of the two.
Both are alloy, but not the same alloy
Hornady's monolithics have historically used a gilding metal — a copper-zinc alloy in the region of 95 per cent copper. The Fox Classic Hunter uses CuZn10, closer to 90 per cent copper and 10 per cent zinc. More zinc means a harder bullet. The direction of travel is the same; Fox simply goes further along it.
The practical consequences of the extra hardness are the ones covered in copper-zinc vs solid copper: better dimensional stability under firing, and less copper left in the rifling.
| Fox Classic Hunter | Hornady CX | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Copper-zinc alloy (CuZn10) | Copper alloy |
| Tip | Black thermo-stable polymer | Heat-resistant polymer |
| Shank | Grooved driving bands | Grooved |
| Sold as | Components, boxes of 50 | Components and loaded ammunition |
Tip design
Both use a polymer tip, and both use one engineered to resist the aerodynamic heating that softened earlier generations of plastic tips in flight. The tip does two jobs on each: it improves the ballistic coefficient by giving a sharper profile than a hollow point, and it drives back into the cavity on impact to start expansion.
What tends to decide it
- Availability as components. Fox Classic Hunter is sold here as projectiles in boxes of 50 for handloading. If you want loaded ammunition rather than components, that is a point for Hornady.
- Weight options in your calibre. Compare the actual weights each maker offers in your diameter — that often settles it faster than any material argument.
- Fouling behaviour. If you shoot high volume, the harder alloy is worth something.
Fox Classic Hunter
Projectiles only — no powder, primers or loaded ammunition.
Is the Hornady CX the same as the GMX?
The CX is the successor to the GMX in Hornady's lead free line. Both are copper alloy monolithics; the CX is the current design.
Which fouls less, Fox or Hornady CX?
Both are alloy rather than pure copper, so both foul less than a solid copper monolithic. The Fox alloy carries more zinc and is harder, which should favour it, but the difference between two alloy bullets is far smaller than the difference between alloy and pure copper.
Can I buy Fox Classic Hunter as loaded ammunition?
Not from Oxon Deer. We sell component projectiles only — no powder, primers or loaded ammunition.
Read next
Oxon Deer stocks the full Fox Classic Hunter range in 6mm, 6.5mm, .270 and .308, in boxes of 50. Browse the shop.