Ficcohi 20 ga. Golden Pheasant Ammo

J

jpari

Member
I decided to order a flat of Ficcohi Golden Pheasant, 20 ga. 2 3/4" 1 oz. of #6 shot at 1245 fps, to try out for the upcoming NJ pheasant season. The fact that they contain nickel plated shot intrigues me. After doing some research of Tom Rosters work, I have found that forever the industry has used between 3%-4% antimony in shot sizes #6-#4. I am wondering whether the nickel plating of the Golden Pheasant shot is truly significantly thick enough to cause an increase in the hardness of the shot, or is this just another gimmick like the current breed of copper plated shot. To put in a call to Ficcohi I think would be fruitless since they are touting the nickel plating as creating harder shot. What have those who have used Golden Pheasant found through your experience.
 
Nickel plating does, in fact, significantly decrease shot deformation. Theoretically, it creates better patterns, & sometimes it does. But it all depends on your particular gun/choke/load combination. They're all different, even 2 guns, same model, same year, same choke. Golden Pheasant doesn't pattern worth a crap in my pheasant gun. But Fiocchi's less expensive, non-plated loads are great. Doesn't make sense in theory, but it's true in practice.
 
My favorite ammo. I shoot 5’s for pheasant and 7.5s for everything else from quail to sage grouse
 
I loaded 20ga 1oz nickel or copper plated #6 shot for years, still have a case left. Not sure if it was plated or coated, but still the best I have shot and killed with. Finally I ran out of yellow AA 20ga wads. Was not happy. No formal patterning, just uniform patterns noted at 30 yds.
Just deadly and brought me more involvement in the harvest of pheasants. I owe it to the birds to kill and minimize cripples.
 
jpari said:
I decided to order a flat of Ficcohi Golden Pheasant, 20 ga. 2 3/4" 1 oz. of #6 shot at 1245 fps, to try out for the upcoming NJ pheasant season. The fact that they contain nickel plated shot intrigues me. After doing some research of Tom Rosters work, I have found that forever the industry has used between 3%-4% antimony in shot sizes #6-#4. I am wondering whether the nickel plating of the Golden Pheasant shot is truly significantly thick enough to cause an increase in the hardness of the shot, or is this just another gimmick like the current breed of copper plated shot. To put in a call to Ficcohi I think would be fruitless since they are touting the nickel plating as creating harder shot. What have those who have used Golden Pheasant found through your experience.
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Been using #5 nickel plated Fiocchi in North Dakota for all my upland hunting. The stuff knocks em dead. Price point is also significantly better than most of the newer plated shot out there. I use it in both my 12 and 20 ga Winchester SX4’s.
 
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Here is a copper plated lead #5 taken from a pheasant thigh last night. Was a 25-30yd shot. You can see it has virtually no deformation, and even rolled around on the table until i put it in that groove to take a picture. Nickel does the same thing.
 
Just one shot would be considered sampling error. Used to buy Lawrence copper plated and nickel plated shot and reload. Not all shot are created equal as your pic. Thanks for your input.
 
Due to a shoulder procedure, I went back to shooting my 20guage Ithaca that my father got me back in 1980 (after getting it fitted). Purchased some golden pheasant loads in 5 and 6’s, but didn’t realize that they were 3” shells and my gun takes only 2 3/4”. Bought 5 boxes of the correct size, but have 2 boxes of the 3” that I have no use for. If someone wants them, I’ll be in South Dakota Nov 26-dec1st, Minneapolis 2-4 and back in S. Dakota Dec 5-9. Prior, I’ll be in Denver around Thanksgiving. Will sell for $45 which is what I paid, minus $5 because I shot 2 before I figured out why they were jamming in my gun 🤔😜.
 
I have used the GP in 1 oz #5 for several years and love them. I often find the pellets underneath the skin on the far side, and they look just about like the ones below from a cut-open shell. Only if it hits a bone will one deform. #6's leave too many pellets in the meat, that is why I switched to 5s years ago -- almost all of them pass completely through, though a lot get caught by the elastic skin on the far side.

I am sure the nickel plating makes the pellets a little more resistant to deformation (setback in the shell or from hitting bone) but I'm not really concerned about deformation with #5 or larger shot, and especially with a light load like 1 oz. I do find the slippery nickel draws way fewer feathers into the meat than non-plated shot does, which both increases penetration and avoids having to pick all those feathers out. I still get some drawn feathers, but not near as many as when I shot unplated #5's.



 
This is one of those GP #5's found underneath the skin on the far side. It is hard to see but there is a big cavity on the top. The nickel is very thin, and they are just lead (+ something like 3.5% antimony), so they will deform, but my experience is they never do, or at least very little, unless they hit bone. Anything that does not deform when it hits bone also does not deform when someone bites it, which can fracture teeth. No thanks.

A lot of "copper plated" shot is really just "copper washed," which does nothing for deformation-resistance but does provide a bit of slipperyness. The GP are truly nickel plated.

GP are not easy to find in the stores -- Scheels in Rapid City had some 1-1/4 oz #4 GP in 20-ga a couple of weeks ago, but I buy most of my ammo on-line any more. Just had another flat of the 1 oz. #5's delivered to Rapid a few days ago. Even with shipping, tax, etc., they were a little cheaper than the $22/box store price.

The old $10/box for hunting ammo days seem to be gone for good. :(

 
Fyi my copper plated pellet above is not a fluke if anyone is wondering. I forgot about this post or I would have been taking pictures. I bet ive recovered 10-15 pellets this year from skin of birds that are completely intact after going through breast bone. I have been trying to shoot up my copper shells this year so I can finish off my NP early next season then switch to all tungsten. Mine are lawrence copper plated #5 shot, which is what federal used to use in their premium wing shok loads (still might, not sure).

My buddy has been shooting up his fiocchi unplated HV 5s this season, I have been picking shot out of the meat all season.. square, flat, etc all stuck in the breast meat with a bunch of feathers. I have not found a single CP pellet in meat yet this season, and mine are 150fps slower than his.

Nickel Plated are copper plated (washed) pellets that are then nickel plated on top, so they are even harder (better).
 
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