Is there a brand(s) of primers on the market that you just refuse to use.?
I'm trying to get my cousin started in reloading and I have a feeling his selections will be somewhat limited.
I've been reloading less than 10 years and have used basically Winchester primers for all my loads, so I don't have a large database to pull from.
Are there any brands that you don't like or refuse to buy due to quality or difficulty in working up a good load when using?
I stay away from Winchester primers due to 1) softer cup 2) hotter flash and 3) flame cutting issues with recent Win. primers due to weak cups.
I do prefer CCI and Federal. If loading a case that's been loaded a few times and primer pockets are opened up, I'll switch to Wolf/Tula primers due to their slightly larger size.
I use mostly Winchester large primers. I also use some Federal large rifle benchrst primers. When the Federals are gone I'll stick with Winchester.
I haven't had any Large Rifle primers that didn't work well. All of them gave acceptable accuracy and velocity.
As far as Small Rifle primers go, Fed205M, WinSR, and Rem 7 1/2 all worked well for me. CCI400 and Fed205's worked, but weren't all that accurate, and I actually had some BR4's fail to fire, which was especially aggravating since one of my really accurate loads used that primer with Benchmark powder.
As a general rule with stick or flake powders I try to use the mildest primer that works well. According to the ratings I've seen that means Federal 210 and CCI-200 for rifles.
For .223 with TAC (ball powder) I use the hotter Winchester Small Rifle and have a few Remington 7 1/2 left over.
In pistols I always had a soft sport for CCI so go with CCI-300 and CCI-500. I also use Fed 150 and some Fed 100.
Only primers I ever had a problem with were a batch of Rem 9 1/2 large rifle. Two out of a box perforated right at the outer edge of the pocket, this with a very sane .270 load. They impressed me with how destructive a jet of gas can be. Two tiny pin pricks but they each burned away a divot from the bolt face of the Model 70.
I have some magnum primers in each style but don't use them hardly at all, maybe to experiment with now and then to see if they give better groups or lower SD's with ball powder.
Ranked in order of power
Large Rifle = LR, Large Rifle Magnum = LRM, Large pistol =LP,
Brand/type Power Average Range Std. Dev
1 Fed Match GM215M 6.12 5.23-6.8 .351
2 Federal 215 LRM 5.69 5.2-6.5 .4437
3 CCI 250 LRM 5.66 4.5-7.4 .4832
4 Winchester WLRM 5.45 5.1-6.0 .2046
5 Remington 9 1/2 LRM 5.09 3.5-6.75 .6641
6 Winchester WLR 4.8 4.1-6.0 .4300
7 Remington 9 1/2 LR 4.75 3.7-6.25 .5679
8 Fed Match GM210M 4.64 4.0-5.6 .3296
9 Federal 210 LR 4.62 3.7-5.5 .3997
10 CCI BR2 4.37 4.0-5.0 .2460
11 CCI 200 LR 4.28 3.8-4.8 .3218
12 KVB 7 LR Russian 4.27 3.8-4.8 .2213
13 Rem 91/2 (30 yrs old) 4.16 3.8-4.8 .3427
Living in the middle of nowhere with no place to buy components close by, I usually buy what I can get when I make it to Winnipeg or Thunder Bay. What I can usually get is Federal 210's and 215's as well as CCI 200's and 250's. I like them both, and cannot tell a lick of difference in the bunch. (Separated of course by regular and magnum varieties.)
My preference is the Federal 210, though, for no particular reason other than I have found accurate loads maybe a little quicker.
I use mostly CCI primers now and have had no real reason to switch other than getting some brass colored Remington 9 1/2 to be able to tell apart loads that have the same style bullets in different weights like the 200 and 225 gr Accubonds in 35 Whelen and the 260 and 300 gr Accubonds in the 375 Ruger. I don't think there are any bad ones from the big manufacturers like CCI, Federal, Winchester and Remington.
Generally what I can find
CCI and Federal for the most part.
CCI is the most available around town. I'm glad I packed away 1k-2k of everything the last year.
I like in this order Federal 210M, 210, and 215M and 215, also CCI BR-2, 200, and 250 for Large Rifle and Large Rifle Magnum loads. I have used Winchester WLR and WLRM, Remington 9 1/2 and 9 1/2M as well. They work fine too, I just seem to find a good shooting load quicker with Federal and CCI primers in my experience, maybe I'm wrong or mistaken, but that's sure how it seems to go for me. I've been reloading for 22 years now, but I still learn new things all the time. If I didn't have the luxury of choice, I'd use any of the brands I mentioned, tinker until I find a good load, and not give it a second thought.
Fan of BR2s. Seems all my most accurate loads are with them.
Ive gone to all federal primers, stocked up a couple years ago, and still have quite a bit left.
To the WLR/WLRM fans, I have two partial bricks if you want them. That is if you can keep them from blowing holes in your bolt faces .
CCI for me from now on.
I use Federals mostly, but in cases that take small rifle primers I've been using CCI 450's and 400's.
The only one I absolutely refuse to use is Remington primers. I've had too many misfires and hangfires with remington factory ammo to ever trust their primers.
The local shop always has the federal 210M and 215M so thats what I use. I tried cci but ended up going back to federal since i develped my loads using the fed match primers.
I started reloading about 1965. Don't do magnums or heavy loads. Load for 243, 6mm Rem, 260 Rem, 7mm-08, 270 and 30-06.
I started with CCI 200 and still satisfied with their performance.
CCI's for my rifles. Winchester for .45 acp and shotgun. Dunno why, just how it is.....
Ive had several problems over the years with Remington primers failing to fire or hang fires in extremely cold weather,in my 375 H&H and 378 wby, never an issue with federal or Winchester so I just don,t use Remington any longer, I think part of the problem might be related to thicker and stiffer primer cup metal in the Remington because the indents don,t look as deep in the fired cases as they do with the fed,Winchester or CCI primers.
it was easy to tell because the GOLD color Remington vs the silver federal primers, I usually load up 120 cartridges for a hunting trip, just in case, but seldom use more than a couple to verify zero and one or two to kill game. one year I loaded about 200 because both my sons carry 340 wbys, and I loaded 40 with remingtons. both my older son and I had hang fires, both with the gold primers
I too have had issues with Rem and Winchester failing to fire in mutiple calibers in all weather conditions. maybe I have just been unlucky? I switched to CCI many years ago and have had nothing but success with them in every gun I load for. Never tried Federals except in shotgun shells. So my vote goes to CCI.
I have found both speed and accuracy to fall off with Remington 9 1/2s compared to CCI 200s, WLRs, and Fed.210s.
I seem to burn a good deal of the cci's. But I have good loads for them all.
I mainly use RP 9 1/2M's and WLR's use WSP's and RP 1 1/2's. Also use RP 7 1/2's.
Seems to always be readily available and they have gone bang for me everytime.
Russian made Tula Large Rifle Magnums are what I use in everything except my .338LM. I use F215MM in it.
Russian made Tula Large Rifle Magnums are what I use in everything except my .338LM. I use F215MM in it.
I'll be trying those when they get here from PVI. Also have their SR primers ordered. Any experience with them?
Russian made Tula Large Rifle Magnums are what I use in everything except my .338LM. I use F215MM in it.
I'll be trying those when they get here from PVI. Also have their SR primers ordered. Any experience with them?
I use the Small Rifle Magnum in my BR rifle 6 PPC they are as accurate as anything being used in BR. Small pistol mag in my hand guns and large pistol magnum and large rife magnums they all shoot as well as anything else I've use. The chronogragh data also says they are as good.
I'll switch back to the American brands when they drop their prices to match Tula and Wolfe or come up with a primer that is more accurate than they presently are.
I like anything that works. Over the last 47 years I've tried most and they all worked fine. If the didn't, they wouldn't last long in the market.
Are match primers worth it for a hunter? I mean do they make much difference? also I have found very good accuracy with Ramshot Hunter a double base ball powder made in Belgium. It shoots better with Magnum primers in my 30-06. Buckfever1
Are match primers worth it for a hunter? I mean do they make much difference? also I have found very good accuracy with Ramshot Hunter a double base ball powder made in Belgium. It shoots better with Magnum primers in my 30-06. Buckfever1
I'm not sure match primers are even worth it in BR.
Only primers I ever had a problem with were a batch of Rem 9 1/2 large rifle. Two out of a box perforated right at the outer edge of the pocket, this with a very sane .270 load. They impressed me with how destructive a jet of gas can be. Two tiny pin pricks but they each burned away a divot from the bolt face of the Model 70.
.
I had the same problem with some Rem. 91/2 primers. I put a few of the fired ones in an envelope and sent them to Rem. They offered to repair the rifle, but I didn't think the few divots would hurt anything, so I didn't send the rifle in.
They also explained they had come up with a new method for making the primer cup, and it was leaving a small crack or some type of weak place in the primer.
As far as I know, they recalled all of the ones that were defective.
I continued to use Rem. 9/12 primers ( not the same lot number), but a few years ago, I had some misfires with them. I switched to Federal and Winchester and haven't had any more problems.
Many years ago, when I fired in High Power competition, none of the shooters would use CCI large rifle because of misfires.
Maybe CCI has solved the problem since then. It was a long time ago.
I also shot in competition pistol, and none of the shooters would use Rem. 22 Rimfire because of misfires. These were the low velocity match cartridges.
I have used all of them with satisfaction. I have had the most mis-fires non-fires with Remingtons, but that's still only about 4 in about 40 or 50 thousand rounds... YMMV
Just a note that I was at my local reloading supply store today and there was absolutely no shortage of primers there.
100's of thousands of all brands and styles.
WLR and WLRM for all applications. I've used them all and settled on winchester.
Just a note that I was at my local reloading supply store today and there was absolutely no shortage of primers there.
100's of thousands of all brands and styles.
Care to share the location? Thanks
Just a note that I was at my local reloading supply store today and there was absolutely no shortage of primers there.
100's of thousands of all brands and styles.
I'll bet they were cheap LOL
Just a note that I was at my local reloading supply store today and there was absolutely no shortage of primers there.
100's of thousands of all brands and styles.
Obviously the people in your area don't understand the gravity of the situation.
Friggin hoarders and scalpers are at it again. There's more primers, powder and MREs stored underground by the hoarders and rathole warehouses by the scalpers than an army could use in 10 years. And damn if folks don't fall for it and start paying 2 prices for things they had no interest in buying before the Chicken Little choir started to sing. An instance of the participants creating they're own crisis. Reminds me of a forcast for snow in the South. Everybody stocks up on milk and bread, like milk sandwiches are going to make all other problems go away.
Just a note that I was at my local reloading supply store today and there was absolutely no shortage of primers there.
100's of thousands of all brands and styles.
Care to share the location? Thanks
Superior Shooters Supply in Superior Wisconsin.
Price is about what it was in the summer but very little is cheap at SSS.
http://www.superiorshooterssupply.com/
Any of you fellas ever use RIO shotgun primers? Haven't been able to find any Winchesters.
I know, it's just a [bleep] shotgun, figured I'd ask anyway....
I use Federals mostly, but in cases that take small rifle primers I've been using CCI 450's and 400's.
The only one I absolutely refuse to use is Remington primers. I've had too many misfires and hangfires with remington factory ammo to ever trust their primers.
Have you compared the BR4's to 400 and 450's?
Friggin hoarders and scalpers are at it again. There's more primers, powder and MREs stored underground by the hoarders and rathole warehouses by the scalpers than an army could use in 10 years. And damn if folks don't fall for it and start paying 2 prices for things they had no interest in buying before the Chicken Little choir started to sing. An instance of the participants creating they're own crisis. Reminds me of a forcast for snow in the South. Everybody stocks up on milk and bread, like milk sandwiches are going to make all other problems go away.
And how many components should one have on hand? Seems to me that to enjoy the shooting and hunting I do I need to stock at a certain level in case there are interruptions in the supply chain like in 1994 and 2008. And if anyone is caught short now, it would be in my opinion their fault and not the fault of hoarders or scalpers. We control our own destiny to a point!
Friggin hoarders and scalpers are at it again. There's more primers, powder and MREs stored underground by the hoarders and rathole warehouses by the scalpers than an army could use in 10 years. And damn if folks don't fall for it and start paying 2 prices for things they had no interest in buying before the Chicken Little choir started to sing. An instance of the participants creating they're own crisis. Reminds me of a forcast for snow in the South. Everybody stocks up on milk and bread, like milk sandwiches are going to make all other problems go away.
And how many components should one have on hand? Seems to me that to enjoy the shooting and hunting I do I need to stock at a certain level in case there are interruptions in the supply chain like in 1994 and 2008. And if anyone is caught short now, it would be in my opinion their fault and not the fault of hoarders or scalpers. We control our own destiny to a point!
If oberry and company have their way its going to be a lot worse than an interruption.
I'm a CCI and Federal kind of guy. Although, I do use Rem 9 1/2 in my 7mm-08 and Wolf LRM primers in my 300 WM b/c I already have loads worked up for them.
I'm a CCI and Federal kind of guy. Although, I do use Rem 9 1/2 in my 7mm-08 and Wolf LRM primers in my 300 WM b/c I already have loads worked up for them.
I have to tell you I've had some really outstanding results with the Wolfe LRM primers. I used them in a couple of my varmmint rifles 22-250 and a 6MM.
Friggin hoarders and scalpers are at it again. There's more primers, powder and MREs stored underground by the hoarders and rathole warehouses by the scalpers than an army could use in 10 years. And damn if folks don't fall for it and start paying 2 prices for things they had no interest in buying before the Chicken Little choir started to sing. An instance of the participants creating they're own crisis. Reminds me of a forcast for snow in the South. Everybody stocks up on milk and bread, like milk sandwiches are going to make all other problems go away.
You're not making themthar samiches the rite way...pour the milk in a glass and start throwing bread in
Friggin hoarders and scalpers are at it again. There's more primers, powder and MREs stored underground by the hoarders and rathole warehouses by the scalpers than an army could use in 10 years. And damn if folks don't fall for it and start paying 2 prices for things they had no interest in buying before the Chicken Little choir started to sing. An instance of the participants creating they're own crisis. Reminds me of a forcast for snow in the South. Everybody stocks up on milk and bread, like milk sandwiches are going to make all other problems go away.
It gives government something to think about!
Friggin hoarders and scalpers are at it again. There's more primers, powder and MREs stored underground by the hoarders and rathole warehouses by the scalpers than an army could use in 10 years. And damn if folks don't fall for it and start paying 2 prices for things they had no interest in buying before the Chicken Little choir started to sing. An instance of the participants creating they're own crisis. Reminds me of a forcast for snow in the South. Everybody stocks up on milk and bread, like milk sandwiches are going to make all other problems go away.
And how many components should one have on hand? Seems to me that to enjoy the shooting and hunting I do I need to stock at a certain level in case there are interruptions in the supply chain like in 1994 and 2008. And if anyone is caught short now, it would be in my opinion their fault and not the fault of hoarders or scalpers. We control our own destiny to a point!
I like to keep at LEAST 5k of each size primer on hand, and a minimum of 8lb of each powder I use.