WLP -- Opinions?

[insanelupus]

I've used CCI primers for years. Lately I've been very pleased with WLR primers in my rifle loads. Picked up some WLP primers today to try and load up in my .44 Magnum. I'll be loading rounds for hunting, possibly with H-110 among other powders. As it can be quite frigid up here in the winter during hunting season I want to make sure I'm using a primer that will light H-110 and 296, every time all the time.

I know 44man is not a fan of magnum primers, even for H-110. I've not seen much discussed about the WLP primer, mostly Federal and CCI.

Anyone use or have anything good, bad, or indifferent to chime in with on the WLP primer?

Second, I've never seen a primer marked for both standard AND magnum loads. Just curious which this primer actually is, or if it's something in the middle.

[35 Whelen]

For the last two or three months I've been shooting ALOT of cast through my .30 caliber rifles. Normally, I just use large rifle primers, but I got quite alot of magnum pistol primers(specifically Winchester large pistol magnum) when I bought some used loading equipment. So I've been using them as well as standard LP primers. I use quite a few different different powders including Bullseye, Red Dot, Unique, and 2400. To be perfectly honest, I can't tell a nickels worth of difference in accuracy any of them.
35W

[High Desert Hunter]

I shoot WLP almost exclusively, I have been using them for the last 10 years, before that I used Federal and CCI. I have never had any trouble with them, and I get very good accuracy with my loads. They work well with H110, even in below zero temps.

Dave

[Kraschenbirn]

Up about six months ago, I was using nothing but Federal for everything but Federals in my area have become hard to come by...and darned expensive when I can find them. Stocked up on Winchester from Graf's and, so far, haven't noticed any substantial change in load performance. Do plan to chrono the Winchester-primed loads for comparison when the weather breaks, though.

Bill

[mooman76]

I started using them because that's what they had and it turned out good because it cuts down on te primmers I need. I have never had one fail yet. Seems to work good on all the powders I've used so far.

[Rodfac]

I've used Winchester's for the past 15 years, so long now, that I cant remember what I was using prior. Remington's probably. I've never had a problem with them. Recently, I did load ten .44 Magnums with Winchester Magnum Lg Pistol and ten using the standard Winchester primer. The Magnum primer gave me 40 fps higher velocity over the standard. The load was 20.0 gr of Bartlett's 820 powder, very close to AA-9 in burning rate, in fact Bartlett recommends using AA9 Data. In 10-20 degree weather I had no problem with ignition and target groups with the two different primers were indistinguishable.... I see no need for the magnum primers in that particular load. I've also tried the standard primer with Win 296 and IMR 4227 as well with no ignition problems and all the accuracy I could expect from the load-rifle combination. I like the standard primer for all my uses, and have not found the need to resort to a magnum primer. Regards, Rodfac

[Whitespider]

...I've never seen a primer marked for both standard AND magnum loads. Just curious which this primer actually is, or if it's something in the middle.

Well , maybe this will add to the confusion...
It's from a post I made some time ago, I did the copy & past thing...

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There’s more to primer brisance than how “hot” it is. To say that primer X is hotter than primer Y doesn’t explain much. “Brisance” is used as a descriptive for the aggregation of things that happen when a primer ignites.

1) Energy
2) Pressure increase
3) Heat
4) Flame
5) Burning sparks/embers
6) Burn time

If primer X has more heat and sparks, but less flame and burn time than primer Y, which primer is “hotter” (has more brisance)?

A few years ago I was out of work for nine months. I spent that whole summer experimenting with primers in revolvers and rifles. I fired thousands of rounds over the chronograph. The more I experimented, the more confused I became. I did learn one very important lesson, primer choice is very important to load consistency.

I could come up with no “rule of thumb” when it comes to primers. Two different guns shooting the same loads may like different primers igniting the load. Increase the powder charge from a mid-range load to a high-end load in the same gun and a primer change may be required for load consistency. The same powder in two similar cartridges like different primers. Some magnum primers appear to have less brisance than some standard primers. It’s simply not true that slow burning ball powders always need a magnum primer. Etc., etc., etc.

But, one thing was quite obvious across the board. A primer that was “too hot” for the load was much more detrimental to consistency than a primer “too cold” for the load. A load with a “too cold” primer would show high ES/SD, but a load with a “too hot” primer would have wild velocity/pressure swings (as much as 400 fps in some loads).

All that said, I did find one revolver load that liked a small rifle primer. My Blackhawk .32-20 liked a 120gr. GC boolit, IMR 4227 and an old Herter’s Small Rifle primer I had in the cabinet. One rifle, a .22 Hornet did best with most loads using standard small pistol primers.

Just my TWO CENTS worth, if it’s worth anything.

[R.C. Hatter]

I have used CCI primers mostly for over 40 years, but have used Winchester, Remington, and Federal primers as well. In most cases, I could not determine if a difference in ignition or accuracy existed.