I've used nickel cases for over 33 years without any problems whatsoever. They do not scratch dies. They do not scratch chambers. They do not dull trimmers. They do not do cause any of the horror stories people say they do. Dirty brass scratches dies and chambers and dulls trimmers, not softer than steel nickel. The only thing Nickel does do that some do not like is after repeated reloadings it can flake. That doesn't hurt the case any, it just looks bad and who wants bits of nickel floating around in the gun's action? However, it takes quite a few loading for that to happen, and then maily in revolver cases where you bell the mouth of the case for seating lead bullets. I have some nickel .300 Wby brass that is on its 5th loading and some .45-70 nickel that is on it's 10th loading and they still look like new, although the .45-70 cases are getting a little long in the tooth and are ready for retirement, but not because they are nickel. I load mostly brass cases, but when I need a way to easiy separate brass for different rifles of the same caliber, I often look for nickel to separate the lots, and most of my pistol cases seem to be nickel. Didn't plan it, that's just the way it works out. There's not a darned thing wrong with nickel plated cases IMO.
I have had no troble with nickel cases in my guns...I like to load solids in nickle cases and softs in brass cases, so I can recognize them at a glance...
I have heard some stories but have not had any of those problems and the gunworld gang being like they are are prone to technological statments that could be, but when questioned the have no actual experience with these surmised problems..I am not saying this is the case in this instance I am just saying it wouldn't come as a great surprise to me.....
Posts: 42320 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
My experience with nickle plated brass mirrors that of Big Bore and Ray Atkinson. It is the only brass that I use in my .300 Wby. I shoot a overpressured load in my Wby and the nickle plated brass is the only thing that will stand up.
Good luck!
Posts: 1323 | Location: San Antonio, Texas | Registered: 04 March 2003
No problems here. I got mine in factory ammo, don't know if I'd go buy any, but they sure are handy for distinguishing between different loads for different rifles.
You fellows all know a lot more than I do cause I've never used it . The reason I never used it was cause I'd read that when trimmed it was possible for the nickle trimmings to scratch dies. Thats all vicious rumor and hear say but it sure scared me off.---Shoot Safe---montdoug
I was worried when I first started loading them because of some of what I heard. So far there has been no problems and I find that they clean up much more quicker than brass.
There was one minnor problem. My primers were having a problem seating all the way but now that I clean the plating out of the bottom of the pocket it's gone away.
Posts: 4326 | Location: Under the North Star! | Registered: 25 December 2002
FORGET NICKEL-PLATED BRASS.... I liked the looks and feel of nickel-plated cases, but I don't load them anymore and here is why. The cases are strong and it is easy enough to outside neck turn them. That is not the problem. The nickel-plating on the case neck ID is like sandpaper. The only way you might be able to remove this grit is with a case neck ID reamer if you have a "tight neck" chamber and enough neck wall thickness to work with. If you have a loaded nickel-plated round laying around and don't believe me, just pull the bullet. It will look like you pulled it out of a tube of 180 grit wet/dry sandpaper. If you pull the bullet out of a brass case mouth that has been carefully chamfered and polished with the steel wool process above, it will be essentially like out of the bullet box. Want copper in the barrel? Start by sanding the surface of those nice polished precision bullets. Try it with a Moly Coated bullet and it is even worse; the nickel-plated cases scrape off the Moly. The nickel-plated case neck IDs don't get any better after you reload them a few times. They are still like sandpaper. Think about a few of those nickel pieces of grit imbedding into the copper of the bullet and what they do to your rifle barrel! I have heard that the nickel is hard enough to score some reloading dies and also wear down the expander ball. Any metal that hard, should be kept away from your precision barrel. I have heard that some people have had success in removing the nickel plate from the neck IDs with a stainless steel brush and a drill motor. I haven't tried it.
I should also say that Varmint Al's web site got me to buy a mini lathe [POS] and a Tasco World Class Plus 10x40x50 rifle scope [POS] and to aneal brass by getting it to glow [mistake], and to fool around with neck turning [mistake].
