Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles H-414 and magnum primers.

My speer manual says to use magnum primers with H-414 and there is no mention of this in my other manuals . What do you guys do ?

My approach to ball powders is to use WLR primers or a magnum variety. It may have been the Speer manual going back a few decades that pointed me in that direction and I believe John Barsness has recommended that approach. It comes down to my preference for a "hotter" primer with ball powders.

CCI-250 for me

I'm burning 45 grs of 414 with a WLR primer in my 7 08. I've had no issues and get outstanding accuracy with it. Personally, I see no reason to use a magnum primer unless used in extreme cold and then only if really needed.

H414/W760 give better performance with magnum primers. In all my years of using it. There are the occasions when you are running a heavy bullet when the magnum primer may not give you any noticeable accuracy improvements. But it may improve consistent velocity or increase velocity. H414/w760 works best in all my experience near the max pressure for the load you are working on. If the data lists a WLR or other LR primer I do reduce the max charge 2 grains on a test. Then let the results tell me if I can go up or want to.

it's a ball powder, so use magnum primers, and near max loads.

I could not disagree more, in the last 15 years I have used 24 pounds of this powder. in every case I have had better performance using standard primers.....better groups, lower SD and ES

Been using it for a lot of years,even started with mag. primers.

Tried standard and never went back to mag.

I use it in 7x57,243 and others.

I use the Fed 215 or 215M with H414 and 120 grain bullets in the .257 Roberts. Switching from std to magnum primers typically cuts group size in half ... or less ... in my rifles.

Eons ago, I had a Ruger 77 RL in .257. Shooting 75 grain Sierras and IMR 4064, I got near 2 inch groups with standard primers or 9/16ths inch groups with either magnum or match primers. Beats me, but theory about what SHOULD happen becomes irrelevant when compared to on-paper results.

Typically I start with magnum for spherical powder and std for cylindrical powder but I have no qualms about switching if I am not getting the accuracy I require.

Tom

I use 414 in a 243 with 75gr V-Max loads and tried both standard and mag primer's. The mag primer's really did cut down the size of the group's!

Well good for you. What cases Bullets, primers.

Well, sounds like there is a consensus!

Well, after reading all this I guess I had better get some magnum primers and compare the two.

I can only verify this to 300 yds, but with either primer in any rifle I have used H 414 in..
from a rest, I can get minute of bunny rabbit...

so for a hunting rifle, that should more than equate to minute of Deer....

most accurate rifle I have is a 6mm Rem, using H 414 with 75 and 80 grain bullets..
and with that, ANY old Large Rifle primer will accomplish that accuracy....

I use 760 to reload for 4 different 243's, bullet weights from 58 to 100 and have always used large rifle primers. Same way with the 6.5 Creedmoor, and also with the 22-250. I tried some 760 in a 270 WSM, and used Federal 215's for a very accurate load.

My experiences with 760 and the 243 have been excellent, especially in the lighter bullets. I don't believe my loads could get any better. There is room for improvement with the 90-100 grain bullets, and I'm wondering if a magnum primer would be the difference there. I may have to try it.

I used H414 for years in a .22-250 and a Swift. Accuracy was so good using using mostly CCI 200s that I never bothered to try a magnum primer.

I like using magnum primers under ball powders especially if I am going to hunt in below freezing temps. In fact I will use magnum primers with extruded powders if I am going to hunt in below freezing temps. Shooting varmints in the summer is practically a frivolous pursuit compared to elk hunting in the mountains but more accuracy is important so if your rifle shoots your prairie dog load better with standard primers go for it. I have yet to notice any meaningful decrease in accuracy using mag primers in big game rifles. I have had certain rifles show preference to both standard and magnum primers at times but the differences have always been small.

I use Mag primers when:

When using Ball Powder charges over 40 grains
When igniting charges of over 45 grains in .308 size cases
When using powder charges over about 58 grains in an ‘06 size case
Always when using a Magnum size case (7/.300/etc)

Interesting stuff. I'm sure you have reasons for saying so.

I've been doing a little research on this, and as I said, I've used a lot of W760 and have never used magnum primers. Speer does list their loads in the 243 and 22-250, the one's I'm interested in, as using a magnum primer with 414 and 760. I'm tempted to try a few and see if there's much difference. Just about every load I have for the 243 and 760 is above the listed above max loads, with never any signs of pressure whatsoever. I'm wondering if maybe I should drop back a few grains if I try the magnum primers. Any thoughts?