Nickle Plated Brass
 

I was at a gun show a couple weekends past, and I was talking to a man who sells handloads. He told me he was hunting for elk in Colorado, and the temperature was 11 degrees below 0. He was using nickle plated brass, and when he took a shot at an elk the nickle seperated from the case and stuck to the chamber. He could not chamber another round, so he had to take the rifle to a gunsmith to ream out the nickle from the chamber. Has anyone run into this problem? [&:] :eek:Thanks in advance.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

Never heard of that situation but I have heard mixed reviews on reloading nickle brass . I have not experienced any problems I just choose to use regular brass. What brand of brass?

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

Well, 11 below zero, I guess its possible. I can't figure out what mechanism would cause this nickel to fall off however.

I hate reloading nickel, but would be hard pressed to understand the cause.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

First of all @11 degs below my arse would be in the cabin by the fire place
drinking very hot coffee and smoking a Arturo Fuente imported cigar.

Never had that happen while in colorado when it was very cold shooting
nickle plated ammo, but it was'nt 11degs below either.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

You would have to be a barbarian to hunt in that kind of weather..Zero and above Ok

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

I don't like it - the nickel brass I've tried "feels" stickier in the sizing die.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

I would be very curious to see if our local gun smith had any hunters come in with the problems with nickel plated brass as mentioned because around here it can get allot colder then -11° or maybe I should wait till it get down to -40° and buy a boxes of shells nickel plated and try them and see if I would have any problems. All kidding aside anything is possible.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

OldElkHunter:

I don't know what brand name of brass it was. Good luck.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

I have blackpowder hunted in below zero weather a couple of times...it sucks! But being the "adventurous" soul I am...I figured why not try it?

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

hehehehe........what a wuss:D:D, but I'd be right there with you, window cracked hunting from the livingroom.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

AHHH!! 11 below. A crisp Fall day in North Dakota.:D Last year during the late part of deer seaso it was 20 below when we headed out one morning in South Dakota. I prayed we would not see a deer. We didn't. I field dressed a couple mule deer one morning when it was 13 below with a 20 mile an hour wind. Never again. My hands were hurting so bad I can still feel it if I think about it. It was the last day of Muzzle loader season in South Dakota which runs into Jan. After I got done I got stuck and had to put the chains on the truck to get out. During the climb out one chain came off and got wraped around the axel houseing. I had to crawl under the truck and it took 20 minutes to get it off. I finally got home and walked in the house and the wife said "HI Dear did you have fun hunting?" She didn't ask that question again for several years. Oh the joy of the great outdoors.;) Oh I don't like nickel brass either.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

Never heard of that situation but I do know that nickle cases are a boatload more brittle than brass. Thats why I say ditch the nickle ones and use brass cases.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

I absolutely, positively will not reload nickel cases. Shoot them once and go back to brass. Nickel cases seem to do funny things in my sizing dies. Brass for me.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

I used to shovel snow with a tshirt on and as recently as 15 years ago hunted in zero degree weather wearing only a wool shirt and can take the cold as well or better then most . WHen you get on the other side of 50 life takes on a different perspective.

Handloader1, getting back to the topic it had to have been either Federal or Winchester brass. WHen the WSM's first came out I ended up with a lot of nickle plated brass..reloaded it twice or three times(don't remember) and then chucked it.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

OldElkHunter:

I guess it could even have been Remington brass. Now I wished I had asked him. Good luck.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

Do that or look at the head of the case and see if it says Remington or R-P (I think)

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

Nickel-plated brass goes through a resizing die like butter, it also resists corrosion. I have noticed that nickel coated brass does become brittle after a few loadings but I am not afraid of using them as I always Inspect all brass I reload before and after reloading. I have heard the reason of the brittleness is due to chemicals the brass is dipped in before the brass is dipped in nickel during the plating process.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

Jeep4x4:

I didn't buy any handloads from him, or see the loads he was talking about. Next gunshow I will have to ask him. Good luck.

RE: Nickle Plated Brass
 

I use rp nickle brass in a 22-250. been through the process with it 4 times. no problems. No neck splits. The last two times I just neck sized it (bump sized) using a rcbs full length die. I'm to cheap to buy a redding neck sizer and bushings. Never a problem. I've reloaded a 338 mag in nickle, the primer pockets felt a tad loose, but otherwise no problems, haven't loaded 338 in regular brass to compare.