Does anybody know what the practical difference is between nickel and stainless steel? I'm thinking about getting my first muzzleloader to add two more weekends to my hunting season. I don't want to spend $250+ on a muzzleloader, but there are a couple for less than that that are either stainless or nickel. One is a CVA Wolf or a CVA Optima. The NEF Sidekick comes in stainless. Given that I will probably only use the thing a couple of times each season, I'm leaning toward going with the Knight Wolverine package and head to the woods with that.

Are we just playing word games here coutesy of the marketing folks? Is one more durable than the other or are they one in the same?

xd9x19

In my mind there is a significant difference between Nickle and Stainless with Stainless winning that competition hands down.... Nickle is just a finish applied to the barrel - stainless is stainless all the way through... Again in my mind I would prefer Stainless, then blued, then nickel...

of the three guns you listed - the optima is probably the most modern (newer features) than the Wolf or the Knight with the Knight possibly being the better. I am not much into the NEF - it can get really dirty in the breech area.

Another you might want to look at is the TC Black Diamond



and the Knight Big Horn



Hope I have not confused the issue.... but I have one more thought you can get an Omega Z5 which is a top quality rifle fairly inexpensively and it be a gun you can used when you really get hooked on ML's...



$286 @ Buds...

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_440/products_id/17877

I thought I could find one for $250 - they are out there...

Might check this page out...

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/complete_eeb.htm

When I went "window shopping" last year, I narrowed it down to a Thompson Omega Z5. Sort of flip-flopping at the moment. May ask Santa for money and get this one - Thompson Omega Z5 Premium Pack. I like the cost of the Wolverine, but I think I'd be happier with the ease-of-use of either a break-open or the pivoting action of the Omega.

xd9x19

That really is a good setup in my opinion... I really believe you would be more happy with this gun into the future than you would be with the others you mentioned...

Make sure it is OK in your hunting area to use 209 primers and sabots...

To be honest there are some things that I would change on the basic gun...

1. If you start shooting the gun a lot then you may want to get a 25ACP ignition system - much cleaner than the 209's...
2. The plastic compsit stock MIGHT cause you a problem down the road but the problem is easily fixed with a bit of sand paper.
3. The new barrel MAY be really tight... PowerBelts will go down just fine but a bullet/sabot combination might be really tight. You will probably need to purchase MMP HPH-3p-EZ load sabots or Harvester crush rib sabots until you get the barrel broken in...

Good luck in what ever you choose... give a shout if I can be of any help...

I own a Wolverine ... they are a great rifle. They might take five minutes more to clean then the other rifles. The Knight has a Green Mountain Barrel. Timney Trigger. And a great warranty.

That is a good deal on that Knight kit. I would sure lean that way.

Also the difference between nickel and stainless is like Sabotloader said, stainless is stainless. Nickel is a blued barrel with a finish on it. The nickel will stain and other then looks nice, is nothing to get too excited about in my opinion. That Knight would be all the rifle you would ever need, but you have to make the decision on what you want. I sure like mine.

Probably gonna come down to whether or not I buy it for myself or get money from "Santa". If I keep my list short, I can get a good bit of green from the parents.

xd9x19

You have no idea how many folks have bought their first muzzleloader with this very statement in mind, including myself. First one was Lyman Trade Rifle, then a CVA Firebolt, then a Remington 700 and now I am embarassed to tell you how many ML's that I have. In the last 7 years I could count on two fingers the number of times that I have returned to a centerfire to hunt with. The ML bug has bitten me and others real hard... so that is why I hestitate recommending the least expensive ML's... get a very good one with a very good warranty that you can rely on in futures years and all weather conditions... it is addictive!!!!

While stainless is harder and offers an advantage to centerfire bullet shooters. I'm not sure how much of a disadvantage a high quality electro nickel plating is. I say this with all due respect because sabots are made out of plastic anda nickelinterior barrelfinish appears to be slicker than plain steel....so maybenickel produces less friction.
Not every steel barreled gun that I've bought has beenwell finished and mirror polished. Some barrels have lots of striations left in the steel from the rifling process, andthe nickel plating just may smooth them out.Even stainlesssteel can rust if it's neglected too much. Stainless probably costsseveral times more than nickel. Sopeople get whatthey pay for, and a nickeled barrelcosts more than aregular steel barrel model. It offers something, just like chrome lined barrels do. Sure stainless probablylasts longer, but what if plastic slides over nickel with less friction?If Traditions offers nickel instead of stainless, then it's probably not as good as stainless, but it doesn't mean that nickel is bad.
Nickel makes a gun more affordable than stainless,and more rust resistant thanplain steel.So how bad is it?

my cva hunterbolt is nickle plated , its been used , abused , and neglected , yet it shows no signs of rust anywhere .

ive sat in the rain / sleet with it more than once , and forgot to do more than dry it off at the truck , and still no rust .

i'd buy a nickle plated gun again without even thinking about it ..............MIKE



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My nickel plated CVA Staghorn magnum has held up very well. The only mark is near the 209 primer where it stained or burned, what ever. I have tried countless things to remove that spot. Now I notice the outside of the barrel is starting to discolor, but for what I paid for the rifle, I am not going to complain. Its a great shooter.