BB steel/BB steel copper coat

[Old farrier]

 

The point of the copper is - as I understand it - to lubricate the shot as it goes through the choke, since polished copper has a lower friction coefficient than iron oxide (which is the surface layer of "steel" pellets).

 

I realize we're talking about steel shot here, but I'll expand this to both steel and lead. With lead, if you coat the pellets with enough copper on it to significantly affect the size of the shot, you lower the average density of the pellet and make it less ballistically efficient, so there's no argument for greater killing power there. You could argue a slight benefit in the case of steel pellets - copper is denser than iron, so theoretically, you'll increase the average density of the pellet very slightly, which should make it ballistically more efficient - this probably explains the slightly lowered pellet count - but the difference is marginal at best, as I suspect, is the improvement in terminal performance.

 

That said, copper is also softer than iron and most steels so the more you add, the more likely it is that you'll create surface deformations, which will make pellets less ballistically efficient, so there's no argument for greater effectiveness there either. It is harder than lead, so you could, with a layer of decent thickness, theoretically reduce the deformation of lead pellets, which might improve patterns, but in this case we return to the point above about lowering the average density. For everything you gain in pattern, you're losing penetration.

 

As far as I can surmise, in either case, the copper layer too thin to prevent deformation to lead pellets (think apple skin around an apple hit with a hammer - it holds the thing together but there's no real strength there). I suspect it's intended by the manufacturers to be sacrificial - similar to Molybdenum coating for rifle bullets. Most of it will not be intact by the time the pellet / bullet is actually hitting what it's being fired at. I imagine it provides lubrication in the "crush" of the choke area by detaching from the surface of the pellets to allow them to pass each other without deforming to such a great extent. In that respect, I suppose it could theoretically do what is intended, but on the basis of what little evidence I've seen either way, I think its more likely to be "marketing fad" than "amazing new innovation". I certainly wouldn't spend extra on copper-coated shot at this point - I need to see more evidence that it's actually beneficial to performance and even if that can eventually be shown, I suspect the effect will be small.

Hmm seems to be a good bit of theory and I would imagine 🤔

11% is a lot of improvement 😊👍

And the pattern from the particular gun is very good

 

I've over the years shot a lot of copper plated lead shot and load for load against straight lead it has always killed better

Back to proberably the first introduced (Yankie rippers ) the old Winchester western

Eley had a stint of loading there Grand Prix game cartridges with it

They performed very well

Personally think the copper coating on steel has many benefits

 

All the best

Of

[Isaidduck]

Hmm seems to be a good bit of theory and I would imagine

11% is a lot of improvement

And the pattern from the particular gun is very good

 

I've over the years shot a lot of copper plated lead shot and load for load against straight lead it has always killed better

Back to proberably the first introduced (Yankie rippers ) the old Winchester western

Eley had a stint of loading there Grand Prix game cartridges with it

They performed very well

Personally think the copper coating on steel has many benefits

 

All the best

Of

I saw some Eley cartridges in the shop last week that were copper shot , so I guess there must be a market for them , perhaps I will get some to try.

[B525 LIGHT]

The old Winchester super XX were copper plated lead and used a fibre wad with a teflon wrap and buffer. Nothing could compare with their patterning abilities. I recall getting a 62% pattern through 3/4 choke in an old Beretta 687 at 70 yards. They were simply stunning. I'm in no doubt it assists lead.

[Old farrier]

I saw some Eley cartridges in the shop last week that were copper shot , so I guess there must be a market for them , perhaps I will get some to try.

Try a box and let us know what you think

No substitute for shooting a few at stuff 👍

[Old farrier]

The old Winchester super XX were copper plated lead and used a fibre wad with a teflon wrap and buffer. Nothing could compare with their patterning abilities. I recall getting a 62% pattern through 3/4 choke in an old Beretta 687 at 70 yards. They were simply stunning. I'm in no doubt it assists lead.

Still got a few of these

 

All the best

Of

[coyotemaster]

I tend to think neutron 619 has some pearls of wisdom in his thinking and the rest have confirmed it mentioning the good old Win XX loads. They had a copper coating(albeit over 4- 6% antimony shot) and they killed well-- not because of the copper but the harder than average shot. The copper coating MAY have provided some lubricicity and helped large pellets adjust to the choke-but bear in mind they have polyethelyne buffer as well.

In steel loads the only advantage I could see would be the prevention of bare steel pellets exposed to moisture rusting into a solid mass as they don't need the added slickness to negotiate the choke. Much like the house Gorilla they go where they want.

The real key in steel loads (and deformation was mentioned above) is truly round pellets and in my humble opinion the largest pellets you can throw and have a dense enough pattern as steel loses velocity rapidly at range and in cold temps(denser air).

I have seen steel pellets from promo loads that were less than stellar in the roundness category ie. cheap loads equal cheap shot.