Author Topic: nickel plated rifle cases and lubalox (Read 393 times)

kenscot · « **on:** December 31, 2005, 10:40:54 AM »

I received several boxes of winchester supreme ammo loaded with ballistic silvertips. I have been told that if you don't shoot these from a totally clean barrel the accuracy will be hell. I am not so worried about the accuracy as I plant o shoot these as part of breaking in a new barrel. But I was also told that cleaning out the coating that the lualox leaves is a pin in the a##. I was als otols that the nickel plated case were really hard on reloading dies and that I should avoid using them. Just seems a shame to throw away so many

ihuntbucks · « **Reply #1 on:** December 31, 2005, 06:58:35 PM »

I load mostly nickel only.Load in .270,.3006,.44mag,.357 mag,and .45 acp.On .3006 I load those silvertips you mentioned (168 gr bt silvertips).I have never had any problem loading them,shooting them in tight groups or keeping my barrels clean.So I don't know;but I've had no problem with them at all...........Rick

Tom W. · « **Reply #2 on:** January 01, 2006, 02:12:14 PM »

Someone told you a fable. Perhaps they have the coating on the bullets confused with a Moly Coat.

As for the Nickel plated brass, I've heard that they are a bit brittle, or at least not as long lasting as unplated brass.

I haven't found that to be the case.

oliverstacy · « **Reply #3 on:** January 01, 2006, 05:36:31 PM »

I recently cleaned my friends 7400 in 270 Win. He has been shooting them for some time and not sure when the last time his barrel had seen a brush. It was really bad, now I've shot several hundred rounds in one setting through my 40 S&W and never had as much trouble as I did with his barrel. His had no more than 30-40 rounds of Winchester SBT. Still don't think I got all of it out or not.

Just my thought. I have convinced him that he needs to let me borrow his rifle this summer and handload a round to his liking. No Lubalux in the future for him.

Josh

Steve P · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2006, 12:28:25 PM »

Sound like a friend told a friend and when the wife heard she told her boyfriend who's sister overheard and when the uncle asked she told him the facts.........makes sense? Neither does the ballistic silvertip accuracy going to hell in a dirty barrel.

Nickel brass is harder on the outside. If it is dirty, it can scratch the sizing dies. Once the sizing die get a little scratch, all of your brass will scratch. Since the cases are a little harder on the outside, they tend to work harden quicker and need to be annealed or they will crack.

All nickel cases I load are cleaned well and get a dose of imperial sizing die wax from my fingers, even if they are going into a carbide die. Cheap insurance to protect a $35 die.

Steve