I notice in the last Midway flyer that Starline has some nickel-plated available for the 454. Other than the price difference, do you know if there any other differences make it a viable choice over the standard brass? Could it be reloaded more often, maybe? I've had good luck with Winchester brass in .45 and 9mm and according to the flyer, I can get 200 Winchester for a better price than the 100 Starline. On the 50, the longest official range around here is 400 yards. There are a lot of unofficial ranges, but finding a 1000-yard range is difficult and takes some scouting. I'm not there yet, but hope to be one day, before my legs give out or my 4-wheeler stops working.
Unless you are making ammo for "show", avoid the nickel plated stuff. I've observed that the case mouth on nickel plated .357 mag brass tends to work harden and split much sooner than the simple brass shell.
I recommend the simple brass Starline .454 as the formulation is harder and less likely to "fire form" to the inside of the cylinder. Starline brass drops free every time.
My outdoor range (2 miles away) is good to 500 yards. The firing line is covered with good benches and a few outfitted with concrete "tables" for the die hard benchrest shooters. There are steel support shelves every 25 yards to support the silhouette critters. I think the last shelf is at 400 yards. It is great shooting in the Fall. Trying to set up in the Spring is a slippery dance though lots of gooey mud. There is a small road to drive a 4 wheeler out to the far end of the range. We do have a responsibility to watch for livestock too. The occasional cow wanders out there and must be shooed away.