In article ugwkb.826623$uu5.145754@sccrnsc04, said...
You have to use adhesive, otherwise it won't last. A decent nail gun will
drive nails that will be covered/disappear easily. Don't nail in the tongue
or groove---that's just asking for trouble.

Yes, it will damage the plaster or sheetrock, but ten years from now, when
your tastes change, you can make those repairs fairly easy. That's assuming
your are still living in the house...

Whenever I have done wainscoting I have nailed on the tongue to hide the
nail and it has worked like a charm. I also remove the sheetrock/plaster
below the chair rail so I can put up a plywood nailer and keep it flush to
the existing wall.