Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles What causes this?

Just a hint. Hybrid 100V and Superperformance are much better powder in the 25-06 than 4350, if you have a proper length bbl (at least 26")

In my 30" Wyoming Centennial High Wall 25-06 I am getting 3997 with the new 80 gr TTSX. Not even slight effort to extract. Kills like the hammer of Thor.

Good to know, I'm shooting a 243 Winchester

Bad primers when they pierce/perforate on the edges. The usual reason the cups were improperly annealed after the last forming operation. A very small crack develops which turns into a hole when the primer ignites.

I have a Remington 700 .30-06 that has pits in the bolt face from a batch of Federal 215 primers I tried with some H414 back in the mid 1980's, because "they" say you should use Magnum primers with ball powder. I did not realize at the time that is was a primer issue, I just did not load anymore of the H414 or Fed 215's. So when I got a .300 RUM this fall I cast around for some Magnum primers and low and behold there are some in my stash. One of the first very mild IMR4831 loads pierced one of the primers on the edge just as in the picture, stupid me I did not remember the incident in 1985, so I dropped the load back and had another pierce before I connected the dots.

Several dozen much stouter loads later, no problems with a different lot of F215's, but now I have two 700's with pitted bolt faces from the same lot of bad primers 30 years apart.

Michael

I found a good load for my 17, one that metered well into that tiny neck using H414. It certainly squirted CCI 400s though, I think they were BRs, until I moved over to their 450s. It happens to all brands I'm sure. I've shot a lot of CCI's primers over the years and never had that problem again, nor have I had an issue with Federal or Winchester primers for that matter either.

I have a small pit in the face of my bolt face as well from these 2 that blew.

If that dark spot in the blurry photo is a pinhole in the primer edge, then it's the primer. It's not up to the pressure. Had that same problem with a Contender firing the 7mm TCU in silhouette matches, the load was good, but it grouped phenomenally with Remington 6-1/2 primers. Every primer would blow a pinhole in the cup and pit the firing pin bushing. After awhile I'd remove and replace the bushing (TC supplied free parts in those days) and carry on. If I used Remington 7-1/2BR primers the pinholes disappeared.

You can get rid of that ring of pinhole erosions on the bolt face by having the firing pin hole on the bolt bushed down with a matching smaller firing pin. But switch primers first or it'll get all pitted up again.

mathman,

Here are all the lot numbers of Winchester primers I've found mentioned with this problem on this site and others:
CAL401G
CLL555G
DAL594G
DFL717G
DHL766G
DNL 837G
DNL836G
EAL234G
GDL225G
GEL250G

7x64FN,

If you'd ever done any cold-weather shooting with either H100V or Superformance, you'd find neither is a "much better powder" than H4350 in the .25-06 for hunting in varying temperatures.

THNX M D for the list. I've Emailed it to myself for future ref.

Jerry

Although his load may be up in pressure, these weren't.

M1 Garand, 48 grains IMR4895, WLR primer, not a high-pressure load by any means. About 42 Kpsi

I had also used these primers in some .45-70 loads, but the pressure was under 28Kpsi, so no issues, but I replaced them anyway. A Marlin bolt is not as easy to come by as a Garand bolt.

M1 issues



M1 boltface

I have used that same load, literally by the thousands, primed with CCI 200 and #34 primers with nary a problem.

I contacted Winchester and I am awaiting a reply.

Lotsa luck.

I did the same, emailed pics and stuff, was told that a check for the amount of a bolt for my Garand was on the way.

That was in early November, I guess check's still in the mail....

They'll want receipts for primers, lot numbers, any documentation they can have.

I have simply quit using their primers, and seriously looking at discontinuing use of their brass, QC issues have gotten so bad.

I have heard, but have not confirmed, that they underwent a restructuring and move to a new facility such Marlin. That would explain QC problems.

Thanks JB.

This really does not help much, for the most part because you are wrong

His load wasn't over max, as anybody will find if they check the Barnes data. Antelope sniper apparently looked at Hodgdon data for H4350 and the 80-grain Hornady GMX, which is not what the OP was using.

Barnes lists 45.5 grains of H4350 as max with the 80 TTSX. This still isn't exactly the powder the OP used, but IMR4350 and H4350 are very similar in burn rate.

Here is a link to an article I ran across on primers some of you may find interesting.

Michael

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/primers_and_pressure.php

MD, you might want to add lot # CAL401G to your list. My load was 41.5 gr. of RL 15 behind a 140 gr. Partition in my Cooper 7mm-08. I, like Essox, now have a pitted bolt face. That load is not maximum either, but silly me, I backed off a half a grain and deepened the pitting. I quit using WLR primers and switched to CCI and/or Federal. No more problems.

It is the primer for sure. Winchester had a run of brass that shows evidence of stress cracks in the primers which causes the blowouts on the primer radius. I had two primers do it last October and crater the bolt face of a pristine Venezuelan mauser. I ordered a new bolt from Sarco (properly headspaced) so I will use that bolt for playing and keep the original in case I ever sell the rifle. Anyway, Winchester sent me a check for the cost of the new bolt plus some primers and cases. There is a list of lot numbers on the internet somewhere, but is not all inclusive as mine was not included but very close.

lastaround,

Thanks the for addition.