Nickel plating vs copper plating?

[A strange person]

I know there was probably a thread about this at some point, but I could not find it.

Which one patterns better? Every copper plated load I've patterned has patterned little to no more densely than a similar unplated load, and has been very disappointing. Supposedly it improves penetration, but I don't hunt deer with birdshot. I have not had occasion to use any nickel plated stuff as of yet. I'm interested in a few of Fiocchi's nickel plated loads.

Does anyone have any experience with this stuff?

 

[Outfitter]

I just finished a four day hunt in South Dakota where four of us shot Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads. Mostly 20 and 16 gauge #5's. I have shot many brands of ammo, and this has become my go-to shotshell. We shot some tough birds in high wind with great success. I wouldn't be afraid of recommending them to anyone. Good Luck and Good Shooting!

 

[Zoogster]

Nickel is slightly lighter than copper.

Theoretically if the projectiles retain their shape the copper would have slightly more penetration, or retain velocity.

However the primary thing all other things being similar that will effect patterning is deformation of the shot. The primary advantage plated shot gives over non-plated shot to begin with is ability to retain spherical shape after going through the forcing cone and choke.

Nickel hardness compared to copper:
Vickers hardness
Nickel- 638 MPa
Copper- 369 MPa

So if neither are being slightly deformed the benefit should go to copper, but if the copper is still seeing slight deformation the benefit should go to the harder nickel.


However there is another factor you may not realize that can be at play. Hard shot that deforms little or not at all does fly better the longer drag plays a role for a given density, but it also does not compress going through a choke. This means it must physically push other shot out of the way to make room.
The result is that too constrictive of a choke can make the patterns worse, creating a less uniform and symmetrical shot column, and imparting some lateral forces to some of the shot. So even when a tighter choke might work better for lead that deforms at closer ranges, it can be worse for shot that does not. Figuring out the right constriction will likely have a bigger impact on the patterns than the slight differences between copper and nickel.
At close ranges hard shot of a given size may pattern even worse from the wrong constriction than pure lead, but as the distances increase the harder shot that stayed spherical will continue to open up less and fly more predictably than deformed shot.





Further consideration:
Copper is also toxic to plant life. I know from experience shooting copper coated BBs where some ended up in a tree that the tree was looking pretty poor some months later with clear expanding rings of death around each projectile. Copper nails are sold specifically to kill trees. Copper coated projectiles will have a similar effect.
However nickel also does not corrode like copper does, so over a longer period of time if the metal is exposed to the elements the nickel remains looking like a bright metal. In the field this looks like shot littering the ground, while copper or steel tarnish and rust and turn very dark, disappearing from view.
So dead trees vs bright nickel shot on the ground is your choice.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I've patterned Fiocchi's low recoil 00 load (12LE00BK, 1150 FPS), as well as their standard velocity 00 load (12HV00BK, 1325 FPS). Both pattern approximately as well as other major manufacturer's standard production (as opposed to 'premium') buckshot loads. IOW, about like Federal VitalShock or Remington Express. Both are good quality as would be expected from a major US manufacturer, and their prices are usually very good as well. I wasn't disappointed with it, for what it is.

Thing is, there's no buffering (grex) in the Fiocchi loads, and that does seem to help protect pellets better in the loads which use it. Apparently the company believes their harder lead alloy and nickel plating make up for that, and it very well might. They do use a one piece plastic wad/shot cup, which will help protect the pellets on firing and on their trip down the bore. And they're star crimped, another thing that seems to me to contribute to better patterns. While they are relatively inexpensive, the Fiocchi loads outperform the 'low priced spread' buckshot (S&B, Rio Royal etc) by a good bit as far as patterns go. The least expensive loads usually offer soft lead pellets with little or no protection on firing, and thus tend to yield the widest patterns in my experience.

The Fiocchi 12LE00BK load is the softest recoiling 00 load I have tried so far, and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it for defensive use to anyone who was recoil shy. However, I would not use this load at any more than in-house distances, as I have less confidence in the ability of reduced recoil buckshot to get the job done at longer range based on reports from the field. The Fiocchi 12HV00BK load is IMHO the equivalent in performance to the standard velocity loads (1325 FPS muzzle velocity) from any other major manufacturer, and the price is usually less, which is a consideration in purchasing case lots.

I have not tested penetration of either load.

hth,

lpl

ETA: None of the above will likely pattern as well as the premium loads from various companies which feature hard lead alloy plated pellets, cushioned in grex, and loaded with the relatively new FliteControl wads. These loads work best out of CYL or ImpCyl barrels as a rule.

 

[Virginian]

In personal patterning tests, nickel slightly outperformed copper plated in handloads with custom chokes. Most that I have seen is made in Italy. The imported shot runs smaller than US shot, i.e., #3 nickel is just a bit larger than #4 lead or copper. Winchester and Remington used to load nickel plated shot for the US Olympic team. I don't know if they still do or not.