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Thread: Primers????

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy

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    cci then winchester

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    I haven't had to buy primers in a while as I stocked up on them. I usually use CCI or Winchester - never used any other brand. The main reason was that that was what the LGS had on their shelves. I don't really have a preference - they all make the cartridge go bang. And I use small pistol, large pistol and small rifle.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    A friend asked me to load some .44 mags for him and brought me the components. There were 2 boxes of Herter's large pistol and going into PMC brass. I have never seen a primer that was that hard to seat. These components were from 28 years ago, and I had never seen a Herter's primer before. They do seem to shoot well, though.

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master



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    For most handgun and shotgun whatever is cheapest. For rifle and pistol competition whatever groups the best. For serious accuracy you have to test each lot.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by fast ronnie View Post
    A friend asked me to load some .44 mags for him and brought me the components. There were 2 boxes of Herter's large pistol and going into PMC brass. I have never seen a primer that was that hard to seat. These components were from 28 years ago, and I had never seen a Herter's primer before. They do seem to shoot well, though.
    Primer pockets may have oxidized.

  6. #26
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    You name a brand and I have probably used them for my revolver loads for my rifles I have used rem or win more than the others but I did use a whole bunch of wolf I got dirt cheap and they worked good surprised me a little but they were a little hotter than the win.

  7. #27
    Boolit Bub
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    CCI because it was recommended when I first started reloading. Or maybe it was recommended because the dealer made more money from them. But either way, they work, so why change. I do have a few other brands but don't really see any difference with them. And you're right about the Federal packaging. It is way too big for what is needed. Probably won't buy them again.

  8. #28
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    A long time ago I started using Winchester in cartridges that take LR primers because I used a few ball powders and reasoned that if any brand was better with ball powder it should be Winchester; at the time Olin made both the Winchester primers and the ball powder. Now it probably doesn't matter (if it ever did) since ball powders are more widespread and all primers should now be formulated for use with ball powders. I switched to CCI a couple of years ago when leaking Winchester primers etched a couple of my bolt faces.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy

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    For most things I load, whatever I found on sale and stocked up on.
    Fed, Win, CCI, Tula, Wolf, S&B
    You name it!
    - Have a good day and a better tomorrow...

  10. #30
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    Hmmmm Didn't Winchester have a Fail To Fire issue about 11-12 years ago? Large Pistol? Got a lot of press in Cowboy circles. And then there was the primer splitting issue about 4-5 years ago. I saw a S&W 610 with the firing pin boss eroded from flame cutting. I think Winchester has had more quality issues but there are a lot of folks who shoot nothing but.

    Magtech and Tula seem to be "harder" and some revolvers have a trouble lighting them every time. It's not just guns with lightened springs, the trouble I had was with a new Redhawk. Both those factories produce military ammo and it's been speculated they make all primers to mil spec.

    CCi used to be considered "hard" but is not now and I've never had a problem. They have the same parent company as Federal considered the softest.

    You can find pages of information on powder but nothing on primers. I've heard that Federal Magnums are no hotter than their standard primers but the cup is thicker. I did 2 tests with opposite results. LOL

    It would be to have a chart like a powder burn rate but the manufacturers change products and tell no one. This article is interesting. http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammo/am...motaip_200909/
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master

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    federal magnum primers are the hottest primers you can buy. my choices are federal and winchester primers.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master WRideout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by phonejack View Post
    Given a choice I have always picked up the Winchesters for pistol.
    CCI wasn't always reliable in my Mod 19 revolver. I use Winchester for small pistol now, but I was given a quantity of CCI in larg and small rifle, which all work well.

    Wayne
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  13. #33
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    Mostly only used Winchester primers in everything. All i can really get that is reasonably priced and local.
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    I've mostly been using S&B LR primers since stocking up on them before O'bama's last term, and am completely satisfied with their performance. A few years ago I also had some odd burn through on some Win LR primers, even with mild cast loads.

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
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    CCI for the win. I've been using them since 1973. I never had the need to change.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master

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    First, I have never had a FTF that was the fault of the primer.
    It always turned out to be an issue with the firearm.
    Second, I see some here saying such and such primer is "hotter".
    How do you gauge that? Chronographing identical loads with different primers?
    Firing primers only in an empty case in the dark and watching the flame size/duration?
    What is your method?....dale

  17. #37
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    "Second, I see some here saying such and such primer is "hotter"."

    Brisance is how. Here is the only chart out there. You can find many articles on the topic which are useful, for small, large, handgun, and rifle:


    Primer Testing Reference

    This testing was done to try and rank primers by power (brisance).

    Primer tester1.JPG (43461 bytes) This is the home made tester. The shot is fired against a weight which in turn moves a pointer. The pointer remains at the highest point of the shot.

    Primer tester2.JPG (37043 bytes) This shows the pointer after a shot has been fired. In this case, it was a Federal large rifle magnum

    NOTE: This data is reference only. This is on a DMS (don't mean squat) scale. It is relative to this set of tests and this tester. Take them with a grain of salt and as a guide only. Most of the tests were of 100 or more primers. A few were of 50 when limited amounts were available.

    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

    Pistol primers

    14 Rem LP 4.47 3.2-5.6 .5171

    15 KVB 45 LP Russian 3.89 3.3-4.2 .2232

    16 CCI 300 LP 3.18 2.7-3.5 .2406

    17 Federal 150 LP 3.11 2.6-3.5 .2090

    18 Fed Match GM150M 3.05 2.6-3.7 .2299
    http://www.castingstuff.com/primer_t..._reference.htm

    This is for shotgun primers, but very instructive

    http://www.armbrust.acf2.org/primersubs.htm

  18. #38
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    When I started reloading, Winchester primers were lowest priced at the LGS. So that's what I used. I never had any problems with them, so whenever I buy primers, Winchester is always first choice. I do like CCI, they seem to be slightly larger or maybe a slightly harder metal cup? Because they seat a little more difficult, which can be handy if I have a batch of brass with loose pockets, CCI's will seat with some resistance where Winchesters won't have any resistance.

    I did buy some of the cheap S&B two years ago...I haven't tried them.

    I also bought all the vintage primers I could find at the gunshows during the primer shortage. So. boy oh boy, do I now have a selection...some are vintage Herters LPP that fast ronnie mentions, mine also seem oversize...much more oversize than I think the CCI are. I imagine some day, I'll have some brass with stretched pockets that I'd normally have to scrap, that I'll be glad to have those Herters primers, to get one more reloading, LOL.

    Quote Originally Posted by fast ronnie View Post
    A friend asked me to load some .44 mags for him and brought me the components. There were 2 boxes of Herter's large pistol and going into PMC brass. I have never seen a primer that was that hard to seat. These components were from 28 years ago, and I had never seen a Herter's primer before. They do seem to shoot well, though.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  19. #39
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    i see no difference at all. i am no bench rest shooter mainly pistols on the 7 to 15yard range. can't see any difference mainly use cci for no pertecular reason a dollar difference in price would get me to switch.

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Twice in my lifetime I have dumped a brick of primers because of misfiring or not firing to be exact first time was SP last time they were magnum LR both times were from the same manufacturer . I still use their primers but I have trust issues with them and will not order more than a thousand at a time . Both times the primers were purchased by me new - used in properly functioning firearms - in properly loaded ammunition .

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check