Joe Rogan Experience #2555 - Ron White · Aired Sep 16, 2026
Claim summary · not a verbatim quotation
California requires the use of copper bullets for hunting with shotguns and rifles.
The finding
What the evidence shows
California does require nonlead ammunition to take any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in the state, rifles and shotguns included, fully phased in on July 1, 2019. But the rule is written as nonlead, meaning one percent lead content or less, not copper specifically. Copper is the common choice for rifle bullets, while shotgun hunters normally use steel or bismuth shot, which is legal and is not copper.
Read the supporting source · wildlife.ca.gov ↗Quick answer & review status
Quick answer
Is it true that California requires the use of copper bullets for hunting with shotguns and rifles?
Partly. The claim stretches what the evidence shows. California does require nonlead ammunition to take any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in the state, rifles and shotguns included, fully phased in on July 1, 2019. But the rule is written as nonlead, meaning one percent lead content or less, not copper specifically. Joe Rogan said it (matched by voice) on Joe Rogan Experience #2555 - Ron White, aired Sep 16, 2026, at 1:19:50. The supporting source is wildlife.ca.gov, linked below.
The context belongs here.
No separately verified on-air correction is recorded for this check. That is not a claim that nobody corrected it.
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- Editorial context review
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- One selected claim from the episode
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