I am looking for brass for a 300 Winchester short magnum and I am finding mostly the silver cases (nickel?) in the factory loaded rounds. Can these be reloaded and are they different than brass? Is there a source where I can buy brass? None of my normal sources have it yet. Thanks

As far as I know, the cases you have should be nickel (plated over brass). When you trim the case, if it is in fact brass you will see it exposed on the edge you cut.

Winchester will be selling brass shortly, I spoke to the rep about it the other day.

The 300 WSM ammo loaded with the 180 grain power point is in a brass case.

[This message has been edited by Bill (edited 06-28-2001).]

Varmint Al's Reloading Page discusses nickel cases.

http://www.cctrap.com/~varmint/arelo.htm

It's nickel plated brass. You can bank on that. Nickel is more corrosion resistant, but it's not as ductile as brass. Nickel plated cases tend to split at the neck a bit faster than brass.

Al finds nickel abrasive, that it scores the bullets and imbeds in the bullet. Nickel is hard enough to score bores and dies. That's his feelings at any rate.

I load nickel plated, straight wall cases for handgun. Lead bullets, and it's just plinking ammo.

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PowderBurns Black Powder / Muzzle Loading Forum:

www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=powderburns

Nickel plated cases in rifle rounds can be both good and bad. I've used them in .222, .270, 7mm Rem, .30-06, and .308 necked down to .243, mostly with very good results.

The main problem I have run into has been with some Remington cases in the larger calibers which have had very rough interior neck finishes. I solved this by chucking a stem wrapped with steel wool into an electric drill and smoothing the inside of the case necks. This is a bit of a pain, but did help. The worst offenders seem to have been the 7mm Magnums. It would stand to reason that inside neck roughness should be less of a problem with once-fired factory loads.

I don't shoot the larger calibers enough to have reloaded any individual cases that many times, so can't say if neck splitting will be a problem. The .308's, which were Federals, sized down to .243 beautifully. I have shot the .222's through several cycles and they are performing flawlessly, but I am using a Lee collet die on them, which works the brass very little and exerts no "shearing" friction on the neck.

None of the nickeled brass I have used has been Winchester, so I can't comment on it as opposed to the other brands.

Overall, I recommend nickel; just be sure to check the insides of the necks.

I use nickel-plated cases (usually left over from factory premium big game loads) for light-bullet, low-velocity handloads, to make them easier to tell apart from full-power stuff.

I find the nickeled brass to be harder--book maximum reduced loads (generally from the Speer manual) don't expand the cases as much as full-power loads do, according to micrometer readings at the pressure ring.

A guy on another board claimed Wideners has 300 win sm brass @$39/100. Phone # is 800-615-3006.

Thanks for the info. Wideners does have the brass, so I won't need to be buying the factory loads. I have always left the nickle plated stuff on the ground and it looks like I will continue to do so. Thanks for the replys.

John Frazer,
I find the same thing. While the manufacturers insist that loading nickeled brass will not vary from uncoated cases it does not ring true. The coating does alter mic readings to some extent, as you mention. I also find them 30% more time consuming to prep for loading than regular brass of the same or any other brand.

I reload the plated brass all the time, and have not had a problem. The whole idea of the plated brass, is feeding reliability, in all climates, and weather. An unplated brass case,you may have trouble working the bolt, because the bare brass glues to the chamber walls. if it rests in the chamber of a rifle for a day while while hunting in coastal rainy weather of Alaska, or very humid rain forest,the bare brass carrodes quickly. The Nickel plated brass is uneffected by the salt air, and will slide right in, or out like it was oiled, regardless of weather. I will use nothing else in Alaska, for the September hunting season's rain. The Federal 375 H&H Premium Safari ammo with 300 gr Nosler Partitions, is slick as quick sliver. Carried for days in the rain, in a belt loop ammo belt, it is still slick! Great stuff, any that you don't want, I will gladly accept!

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

Hello,
Not a big fan of nickel myself, but as the post above states, it does serve a purpose. So if you are going to be in that situation, get a few, otherwise save your money.

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Safety & Ethics,Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
Joe M

I have been reloading full power 30'06 loads with nickel plated R-P cases. I have not had a problem. I neck size only and they run through the dies very easily. I only load cases 5 times and then discard them, but I have had no problems.

I save all the nickel-plated brass to reload for my .338 Magnum. I usually reload them around four times, then crush them with a hammer and throw them in the trash. However, I have never found any problems with it. Brass is so cheap nowadays that I can afford using new brass after four firing.

Yes, I like using nickel-plated brass, and I don't tumble them. This is the way I clean them: I hold the case upside down, and clean the inside with a plastic brush. Then I neck-size, trim, and finally scrub the inside with a plastic .25 caliber brush and soapy water. I rinse them with hot water, and dry them with a hair dryer as they stand on a loading block. I turn them upside down on the loading block to make sure all traces of water has been removed, and dry them one more time. By then they will be too hot to the touch, so I leave them there to cool off overnight.