Nickle vs copper plated shot performance differences?

[Bon Sauvage]

Nickle plated shot seems much more expensive then copper plated shot. Before I toss out my shekels for one or the other does anyone have any first hand experience using both? Does one type plating out perform the other in the field or at the patterning board or are they pretty much the same? Thanks, Ogre

 

[roundball]

Nickle plated shot seems much more expensive then copper plated shot. Before I toss out my shekels for one or the other does anyone have any first hand experience using both? Does one type plating out perform the other in the field or at the patterning board or are they pretty much the same? Thanks, Ogre

I have experience with copper plated 4s and 6s, but not nickle. But my basic understanding is that nickel is harder than copper so it should follow that nickle would do better than copper.
However, based on peer feedback, magazine articles, etc, I've never gotten any sense that nickle plated shot was "the rage"...conversely I hear about copper plated fairly often...and with the benefits I've personally seen from it I don't even bother looking further...just my .02 cents.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I shot some nickle plated #6's in a Navy Arms T&T double bbl. It performed ok but I got just as good results using lead # 5's. Took my second biggest spring gobbler with it at about 30-35 yds. The load as I remember was 1 1/4 oz. shot equal amount of powder with overpowder wad,cushion wad, the shot then a thin overshot card. Also used the same load for squirrels and it worked fine.

 

[bingo1952]

Nickle is about as hard on your bore as a load of steel would be. I personally wouldn't use it unless I were using plastic shot cups to keep it from contacting the bore. :hmm:

 

[CZMark]

Nickel-plated shot will pattern and penetrate slightly better than copper-plated, but not enough that the average shooter will notice any difference. Nickel-plated shot is used mostly by competitors in live pigeon shoots.