Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Small primer 6.5 Creedmoor brass

I was going through a bunch of range pick ups and found that Federal loaded some 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition with small rifle primers. I know Lapua and the boutique manufacturers provide small primer pockets, but the Federal brass surprised me. Federals from loaded ammo I'd bought had large rifle primers.

Anyone else come across small primer Federals?

I've never seen any, but will throw this out there.........I know a couple of guys who said they tried the small rifle primer brass, and they both went back to large rifle primers, saying they got better results.

No reason to use small rifle primers in a case this size. They have also been known to have ignition problems in extreme cold temps. Many run magnum primers to offset that issue. In a hunting rifle, save yourself from a headache and use large rifle primers. If shooting straight up competition in Arizona, use small rifle primers..

Large rifle is my preference, but I have some Berger factory ammo loaded in small pocket Lapua brass that shoots so well that even equaling it with my handloads is tough.

I have both small and large rifle brass, for my needs I don't see any difference.

I have fired thousands of rounds using small rifle primes in my Creedmoors.

NOT one issue in using them and accuracy was just the same as using large rifle primers.
I don't live and shoot in below zero weather either.

Are y'all using standard SRP or #41 or Small Rifle Mag primers?

I have about 300 pcs of StarLine barss (all new) that I have not messed with yet that have small primer pockets.

I have a few once fired 6.5 CM SRP brass that I did a test against LRP brass using H4831SC and 140 gr. Speer Hot Cor bullets. I only did this, as another forum people were debating accuracy in LRP vs SRP brass., and I was curious. I used CCI 200 primers and CCI 400 primers for this. From the two 3 shot groups, I averaged 3/4” between the both of them. The SRP brass was a hair smaller for the groups, but nothing I am giving up LRP brass for. If I was to load up 2 more 3 round groups between the two, my groupings may be reversed. Again, I only did out of curiosity, and someone else I know would get different results then I did probably.

The best way to do a test like that is to work up a load in each of the different primer types of brass. Finding the best load for each and then comparing. Shoot a minimum of 5 shots per group (10 is better), and see which is more accurate. Just switching primers on a load is not going to tell you anything.. To make it fair, use brass of the same manufacture. Like Starline for example. They make both. Try it in extreme heat and extreme cold as well.

Oh, you'll get no argument from me that I could have taken it a lot further and used the same brand brass etc. I had just happened to have been loading some test loads for my 6.5 CM the same day I read the post about SRP vs LRP on the other forum, and thought what hell. I'm also not going to work a load up for 10 pieces of SRP for the 6.5 CM, when I have hundreds of LRP brass laying around. Truth be told, I prefer to keep my SRP to load in my 6.5 Grendel and 6 ARC. Until the first of the year when our kitchen remodel is done though, nothing is getting reloaded. I can't get to my reloading bench due to the 4 wheeler and snowplow, and new in the box kitchen appliances taking up all the extra space in that area.

I think the primary goal of SRP brass is that the base is slightly stronger due to the smaller primer pocket. Maybe that helps if running HOT loads, or maybe it yields better brass life? I don’t see how it could result in improved consistency. Anyway, I never felt the need to explore.

My brother did do a SRP to LRP comparison in his Creedmoor a few years ago using Alpha Munitions brass, and Federal match primers for both. I dont remember how he constructed the comparison, just that it seemed very rational for the sake of evaluating if the primer type made any difference. He collected a fair amount of data, more than Hudge did. Compared average velocity, standard deviation of velocity and accuracy. Results were virtually indistinguishable in all categories as I recall, at least to the point I was convinced I’d only be using SRP in cartridges that require it.

I use the SRP Lapua Palma brass for the stronger web area. I retired my last batch after 14 firings of hot 1000 yard Palma loads.

Federal Non-Typical whitetail soft point 140gr uses small primers. They shot well in my Kimber.

Not necessarily. I have several boxes loaded with large rifle primers.

Should of said of the ten boxes of different ammo I picked up to try in my new rifle Federal Non-Typical were the only ones that used small rifle primers. That was 18 months ago when the LGS only had 6.5CM on their shelves.

Same here. The Berger ammo with the 135 classic hunter and small rifle primer shot extremely well in my rifle.