Brass vs. Nickel

Rem 700 · Mar 24, 2009

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the pros and cons of nickel plated vs. brass. I shoot a 30.06 and was wondering if interchanging between the two would couse variations in shot placement. The nickel plated seem to take a little more pressure to resize, however, after resizing, they seeem to rarely need to be trimmed...this would save a lot of time.
Any thoughts?

DrMike · Mar 24, 2009

Nickel plated shells can be a problem if you do not clean them before working them; if the coating flakes, it can potentially mar your dies. Perhaps the nickel is not as durable or as ductile as brass, though my experience does not really verify such a statement. Otherwise, it is essentially an esthetic issue. Which do you prefer in terms of appearance?

Rem 700 · Mar 24, 2009

I tend to prefer the appearance of the nickel. Also, I don't have a tumbler and the nickel, in my limited experience, seems to stay cleaner after the shot, therefore it also looks better. I have read that the nickel can be hard on the dies. In your opion, even though I like the appearance of the nickel better, is the nickel work the risk of damaging your die over time?

DrMike · Mar 24, 2009

If you prefer the nickel, then use it. Just be certain to keep your brass clean. Since you don't have a tumbler, you can always clean your cases by putting them in hot water with a little dish washing detergent and shaking them to remove any loosely adhering grit. Wipe the brass down and dry it gently, and you shouldn't have any trouble. Some people wipe their brass down with Flitz or other compounds, and that will work to remove serious corrosion and/or grit. However, washing will work just fine. Inspect your cases to ensure that the nickel is not flaking off, which potentially could be problematic. Good luck in your reloading.

Antelope_Sniper · Mar 24, 2009

As Nickel brass get old, and can become really tough to size. It can squeek very load and pull really hard over the expander ball. The biggest advantage of nickel brass is it doens't corrode in leather belt loops.

Bull oiler · Apr 3, 2009

I like to use the nickle plated brass for hunting. Corrosion is then not so much of an issue. I hunt/live in Western Washington. In Western Washington, people don't tan- we rust! :shock:
What I have noticed is that splits in the necks can occur the second time the nickle plated brass is loaded. I use my nickle plated brass one time for hunting. It then becomes range brass.
I do reduce my loads and work up carefully when switching from one brand of nickle plated brass to another and when I am first working up a load based on a brass cartridge.

Greg Nolan · Apr 4, 2009

I prefer nickel for the same reasons mentioned. Corrosion and it looks neat. It cleans without tumbling. I check for flaking and havn't had a problem yet. It seems to make the case harder. I guess the nickel doesn't allow the soft brass to stretch as much so it will make a difference in pressure. It feeds easier from the magazine on some rifles and calibers like the Short mags because the nickel slides instead of scrapes as it feeds. There's just something about a silver cartridge in a silver rifle that seems "RIGHT"! :wink:
Good Hunting
Elkhunt