copper coated shot?

[paul b]

I have been wondering why this new fad seems to be becoming more popular so i asked one of the few cartridge manufacturers not to busy talking to each other at the shooting show,to explain and after hearing it all including the fact that some is electro plated and some is coated in dust i still couldnt realy understand it bearing in mind antonamy seems to to the job fine anyway.If anyone can explain please go ahead.

 

[Will Hewland]

I have been wondering why this new fad seems to be becoming more popular so i asked one of the few cartridge manufacturers not to busy talking to each other at the shooting show,to explain and after hearing it all including the fact that some is electro plated and some is coated in dust i still couldnt realy understand it bearing in mind antonamy seems to to the job fine anyway.If anyone can explain please go ahead.

Looks shiny. Offers something for those that are convinced they would hit more with "better" ammo.

 

[40UP]

Polished shot is barrel rolled in Graphite dust

Gamebore Diamond shot is polished using aluminium dust

Fiocchi HV is copper coated

"Golden" and "Oro" are anodised

RC Red Shot is Nickel plated

All this to improve the separation of the shot on firing and maybe a little less deformation.

 

[Salopian]

Obviously this attention to detail does improve the performance and behaviour of the shot pellets, but it may also be seen to be a marketing strategy.

Soft shot that can be subject to deformation is often considered as being more suitable and lethal for Game shooting purposes.

I once loaded for a titled Gent who believed that copper coated lead was legal for wildfowl  !

 

[paul b]

The bit that didnt make sense though was ,why not just use less antonamy and why would how the coating is applied make any difference, and how soft is to soft before you get deformed shot?

 

[Will Hewland]

Antimony 

 

[Santa2512]

Lead by nature is a soft material, and oxidises in air

Hence the dark colour you see on its surface,

Copper also oxidies, and depending on the oxident, will go Darker, Green, or Blue.

Its not a new idea, if you go looking, you can pick up nickel coated shot too, 

The plating of copper is said to harden the lead shot , Nickel plating, adds a Copper plating, then an additional Nickel plating

Lead shot rebooted

:santa:

 

[bisondan]

I maybe wrong but I believe that copper coating the shot leads to less 'fliers' ie they pattern better?

I did test some of the new Churchill Hellfire game cartridges and they were copper coated, smooth as anything to shoot and I got some tremendous kills but 32g size 6 won't be allowed on most shoots.

They have bought out some 6.5 long range Hellfire clay loads which I've got to shoot but I'll need some convincing to change.  I shot a really long crosser on Saturday and smashed it with 7.5 shot in 3/8 choke. 

 

[Deershooter]

The main reason it's plated is to extract more money out of your wallet 

 

[balltrap]

:huh:  no its not to distort the shot  hence better pattern 

 

[Mike L]

The emporer's new clothes.

 

[shootinguru]

Been there, done it, worn the tee shirt out!

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Shot coatings do not affect the hardness of the shot at all.  Dead soft lead can be plated as easily as any alloy.  And I believe that it has been more than adequately demonstrated that hardness is the key to consistent patterns - the deformed soft shot being the source of flyers.  One of those rare instances where intuitive actually translates into a reality.

I understand that back in the day, plated shot was the standard for long range kills in both pattern integrity and penetration - likely thanks to the flyer guys.  The hard shot available today must certainly be a suitable replacement.  I hear that much of the plated shot now is on soft allos regardless of type of plating and the hard/plated shot is not common with the "plated" hype being the critical aspect.  A certain exception is the RC that I hear is nothing less than God's Own Lightning.

all JMO of course

 

[andypandy]

I love spending money, there are no pockets in a shroud :lol: .

 

[Mutley]

The big move to copper over nickel is due to a proposed ban on nickel plating by ISSF, it was given a stay of execution for 12 months or so, while the manufacturers sorted themselves out...

Eley Gold, a superb copper plated shell, when they remembered the wad....