Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Nickel plated shells

Can nickel plated rifle shells be reloaded? Thanks

Yes they can, but due to nickel's porosity have the tendency to carry dirt into dies resulting in scratched dies. BTDT is how I learned, no longer reload nickel plated rifle brass. And yes I tumbled the nickel plated brass before resizing and still scratched my dies.

They can be but after having to send dies back for re finishing i just toss them in the scrap box.

The only ones i use is 38 spl. and 357.

I have made dummies for the DA. before bit i make darn sure they are spotless before sizing.

Use a dedicated, separate sizing die for nickel plated brass.

They also dull cutting tools faster than plain brass.

That's my biggest gripe about using nickel plated brass...

I was gifted a bunch of NOS nickle plated brass, and after 4 or 5 loadings the 100 pieces of Federal .223 are fine, no scratches. The protocol I follow with them is no different than with other brass- careful wipe and lube with Imperial before going in the die.

Friends don't let friends buy nickel cases.

I used to shoot nickle plated Remington 45-70 brass. It was an easy way for me to tell loads for my Marlin 1895 and keep them out of my Winchester 1886 or Trapdoor.
If you don't want to tumble brass after each use and before reloading, then nickle might not be for you.

I have a few, mostly 270 WSM’s

Yes, they can be reloaded but most reloaders don't like nickel brass. Nickel brass is often harder and seems to get neck or body splits sooner. Its also a little harder on cutting tools. The only major problem I've had with it was nickel pistol cases splitting and flakes of nickel sticking to the sides of my dies and scratching cases.

Plumber, That’s only thing that we use for the “hunting loads”, for my wife’s .338 WM. We’re using Federal Safari nickel plated. memtb