Copper Plated OO Buck

[Crusader 64]

Is there any real advantages of copper plated OO Buck shot over plain lead? At 1225 FPS, what benefit could exsist with copper jackets?

[Deadeye 325]

they look cooler

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

Good question Crusader,

and one that I looked at when I chose my preferred HD round, Fiocchi, Nickel Plated, high velocity, #4 buck.

 

Yes nickel or copper plating does offer some minor advantages, when included in conjunction with good buffering and/or shot cup and a overall better lead alloy.

Look at spent plated shot, the plate is really just a wash, so in order to really work the rest of the shell's components must be above average.

Nickel is harder than copper, so spend a little more and get the nickel.

The better alloys are composed of 5-6% antimony, making them harder than simple chilled shot, and therefore less prone to deformation

Coupled with a proper choke, they tend to hold patterns better at longer ranges than shells without all of the above.

They are also going to penetrate a little further into tissue as they don't deform as quickly.

Typically found in HD/SD and Magnum hunting ammo.

 

Just my

Edited August 24, 2011 by ChileRelleno

[Deadeye 325]

The non plated shot might be worse for lead poisioning in the handeling of shot for reloading just a thought

[sickness 89]

Is there any real advantages of copper plated OO Buck shot over plain lead? At 1225 FPS, what benefit could exsist with copper jackets?

 

I haven't done any real tests on this, but this is just what I've heard around the campfire, as it were:

 

Normal lead shot tends to deform as the pellets are compressed together as they run down the bore. Chokes, as well, tend to deform the shot. This opens up the shot pattern.

 

Jacketed pellets have a bit more resistance to this and don't deform as easily, and the shot patterns stay tighter.

 

Supposedly.

[20nickels 21]

Yes they may fly tighter and straighter but you will want some deformation upon impact. The old cap & ball revolver balls were very soft and "killed better than they should" because of this to quote a famous 20th century gunman, Keith I think....

So, it depends on the application.

[Azrial 1,091]

The reason this could be done is because that it is sometimes necessary to shoot someone with a shotgun, but to give them lead poisoning is just inhumane...

 

OK, not really, the real reason is to reduce pellet deformation while the load is traveling down the barrel. The flat spots that occur when soft shot is fired gives different aerodynamic surfaces then just plain spherical pellets and this results in the pattern opening up.

 

It has nothing to do with terminal effect of the load.

[TARE 47]

Copper plated deforms and fouls less. The lesser deformation results in slightly better penetration and accuracy.