Best primers?

Danger Mouse

Well-Known Member
Guys, I load .243 and .308 and I have been using Magtech primers, well I had 1000 of them but they are about run out now, so what primers do you find best and is there really that much difference? :eek:
 
Another for CCI.

Tried federal recently in 22-250 and had alot of smoke, put cci in and smoke gone?
 
i use remmington 9 1/2 to good attect i also have some cci but i only use them as a back up if i run out ! :
 
Well I started with Winchester, didn't like CCI much back then then used Federal 210 about 4 years ago couldn't get WLR for love nor money so switched to Remington 9 1/2's and of course they got difficult to get so I am now using CCI again :rolleyes: .

All I can really say is find otu what you can get a reliable supply of and work with them ;) Which reminds me I had better see about getting another 1000 box of CCI's I like to keep planty in stock and my current box is about half full now.
 
I wanted to buy CCI BR primers because that was what my reloading mentor had me using. They worked, not being scientific about reloading, all I can say is they did the job.

When I came to buy my kit I could not source CCI BR LR anywhere, so i bought Federal LR BR ones. At about 3.5 pence each, I bought a 1000 so they will last me a while. I had check my loads, but it seemed to make little, if any, difference in accuracy.

ft
 
I'd really hard to judge what will be good. Years ago I substituted Winchester for the Remington primers I was using and had my groups open up. Back to Remington and the groups shrunk. My buddy got had a rifle in the same caliber and, using the same brass, powder and bullets, got the opposite results.

You just need to try one and then another. Settle on what works.~Muir
 
DM,

I'd agree with Muir. It's not so much a case of what's good but what works in a given rifle.

I generally have used Federal for years but during the last few months prompted by advice from Mike Norris I have undertaken a series of primer tests and loaded a batches cartridges of the same load but with different primers. If you try it I think you'll be amazed. So far performing the test in .25-06 and .300WSM has yielded significant differences in accuracy. I now have batches loaded up with my favourite loads in .243 and .308 to try when I next get down to the range.

Regards,

Tim
 
I used to shoot comps including practical rifle, etc and would only ever use Federal - even if i had to drive an extra 50miles for them. However the rumour-mill started whipering 'CCI Magnums'.

So, same powder, load, bullets, brass etc and substituted federals for the magnums and the groups shrunk noticably. Primers are cheaper and easier to get so happy all round.
 
Primers are as much a variable component as any other in reloading and can alter velocity and trajectory and therefore accuracy quite considerably.

I have long been an advocate of using primers in the same way as powder to vary a load with great effect.

We dont choose our case because one looks shinier than another but because of the chemical composition that is most suitable for our particular load. Neither do we choose a Powder just because the local shop has it on the shelf and so with Primers - choose your primer to do the best job possible for the load you are generating.

A change of primer can in some loads require a drop of 3 grains and the difference in velocity without any increase in pressure can equally improve by 100fps. Use your primers in the same way as your powder and you will be surprised at the difference your loads will provide.

Here is a basic heat chart - from top to bottom drop about 5-6% in powder and work from there.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v...ther/?action=view&current=primerheatchart.jpg

Use it as a guide and add in your own primers when you have assessed them. eg, the Prvi Partizan Primers although burning approximately as hot as the Winchester range do because of their different construction not seem to require a reduction in powder when changing from say Remington. Try for yourself and let us all know your test results as it will expand the above chart considerably.

Use of Magnum primers is normally reserved for the Ball Powders but I am finding I can use them to great effect in the shorter stumpier cases such as the WSM and WSSM range of cartridges. Logically this should also be valid for the Benchrest PPC cartridges.

The same is true for the H4831 SC powder in 243 - A Federal Magnum primer seems to provide anything up to 120 fps higher velocities than standard primers yet seemingly without additional pressure.
BUT
do drop the powder weight and build up again.


Please remember to drop powder weights when changing primers and do also remember that in the hot summer weather you need to reconsider all those max loads and take out a little powder.

A 10 degree rise in temp requires a 5% decrease in powder. If we are going to get such varied weather in coming years it may be best to have a min, intermediate and max load to use dependant on weather temperature.
 
I agree that primer change, like changing any other component (including a new Lot of powder) requires rebuilding your load. I also agree that some powders are temperature sensitive. I do wonder about the 5% per 10-degree change of temp. I hunt in -20F with my varmint rifles and again at +112F. You know I'm not reducing my charge 65%! :)

I have, over the years, fugured out which powders are less sensitive and adjust my loads for seasonal changes. If you keep your charge sane (below maximum) to begin with you will minimize your problems.~Muir
 
A 10 degree rise in temp requires a 5% decrease in powder is a Nammo Lapua Oy recommendation
 
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