Thoughts on buying new unprimed nickel cases for reloading? Anybody reloaded much of it? Through years of reloading I've never used it...

Don't do it.

If you want the best cases in the world for quality use RWS, Norma and Lapua.

Federal and Remington also do limited runs of match cases which aren't too bad.

RWS, Norma and Lapua have the closest tolerances to weight, volume and size.

The new Nosler cases are supposed to be pretty good but I haven't owned any.

I reload nickel coated federal cases in my 7mm-08 and really like them. They are hard on the case prep tools though.

I like them for anything semi-auto. Easier to see them on the ground. Pasture grass is the same color as spent brass. I like nickle cases better anyway.

Nothing as pretty as a .357 nickle case and a 125 grn XTP HP

Been reloading for a long time and have never had any probs with them. Have thrown some away for split necks, but have thrown away some regular too for the same thing.

Chuck, I'm not sure I agree with this. It seems to me that the nickel stuff is much easier on the tools (especially the trimmer) than their brass counterparts... ESPECIALLY much easier than any brass that has been annealed.

Just my 2 cents

The nickel cases will work. But after sizing, sometimes the nickel will flake off. When it flakes off, it will scratch the dies up. I've found that the nickel cases are a little more firm than the brass cases. I tend not to reload the nickel cases. If I were buying brass to reload the case many times, I would not go nickel.

O.

While I was accumulating my reloading equipment I dreamed at night about nickle cases. I thought they were the coolest thing since sliced bread. Got a bag of them for my dads 280 loaded them twice and have sense resorted to using regular brass cases from some factory federal loads and am much happier.

I have a lee hand trimmer and it is MUCH harder to trim the nickle than brass. I wont use them any more.

matt

Yeah, I don't use nickel cases for any of my serious loads either, but I do leave them in the bulk piles for bulk 223 or whatever.

I have had the oposite result when trimming. As a matter of fact, the nickel cases dulled my trimmer to the point that I can't even trim 7mm anymore. Need to get a new cutter. Granted mine a nickel plated brass.

Interesting! Hope you have an RCBS trimmer so that they simply send you a new blade.

This doesnt make sense to me, there is no debating, nickle is harder than brass and harder on equipment. Also anealing is done to make the brass softer and more workable and not crack/split, whih should make it easier to trim than non anealed brass, not harder.

Always liked the nickel for handgun, but never tried on rifle.

I use nickel cases for some pistol, no rifles.

On this one, I'm happy to be proven wrong. This is just my experience - annealed (Lake City, etc) brass wears down my blades faster than other brass, and nickel plated brass is the easiest and fastest to trim. There may be other factors that I am neglecting, but that is where I am coming from.

The nickel cases are harder. Loaded some 1000+ rounds of 45acp & 40S&W with my Lee progressive loader & it takes 2 hands to work the loader with the nickel cases. When loading brass cases it is very easy to work the loader with one hand.

I have a Forster press and have 0 problems with Nickel coated or regular brass. I know for fact we do not get the stretch out of Nickel coated. IT is harder and I can see it being harder on dies. I clean and lube cases well before resizing. Always look for marks on each case as well. I guess I reload to slow but I have never seen an issue and have no problems taking free once fired nickel brass you may have.

The biggest problem I have had was with Winchester Nickle plated new brass, the plating must not have been very good since it started flaking off in the first full length sizing of never fired brass

They seem to crack easier than regular cases.

I've loaded lots of brass and nickel pistol cases and have never noticed a difference in effort expended on a Lee turret loader. I like brass as I don't have to be worried about flaking nickel in my dies.

I don't like nickel either for the reasons already mentioned. At this juncture in America, I say just load whatever you got.

I use Nickle for .357 mag....I just like the way it slides into the cylinders....and it cleans really fast.

It goes from good to cracked really fast though so inspect your cases.

I also use it in my .25-06 rounds....I don't know why but it just shoots so well in a converted M98K.

If exposed to the elements, nickle stays purty. It is a harder surface than brass, but I think it would take awhile to damage anything. As for flaking off, I have seen specs in the necks of plated brass, so I think that is possible.
Plating is done to protect. I store ammo in dry, airtight containers. My carry guns are kept clean and that includes the ammo. While I don't discard it, as a rule I don't reload it either.