[en] The sputtering of neutral metal clusters was investigated by measuring relative sputtering yields of copper clusters ejected from polycrystalline copper under 3.9 keV bombardment by Ne⁺, Ar⁺ and Xe⁺ ions at normal incidence. Yields of clusters from Ne⁺ bombardment were lower than those from Ar⁺ bombardment, were lower than from Xe⁺ bombardment. Sputtering yield ratios Ne⁺/Ar⁺ and Xe⁺/Ar⁺ were 0.56 and 1.08. Size distribution of sputtered clusters can be fit by a power law dependence with exponents of -8.1, -8.2 and -6.2 for Ne⁺, Ar⁺ and Xe⁺, respectively. The similarity of the exponents of the Ne⁺ and Ar⁺ power law fits indicates that the sputtering yields for these two primary ions are similar while that for Xe⁺ is substantially higher, in contrast to the sputtering yield ratio data. The difference between the two measurements can be explained by assuming a systematic uncertainty in the sputtering yield ratio measurements that makes the measured ratios lower than the true values. Assuming a value at the high end of the experimental Ne⁺ sputtering yield range, the exponents of the power law fits exhibit a linear dependence on the total sputtering yield