TULA Primer in .454 Casull

[oughtsix]

Hi, I purchased a brick of Tula small rifle magnum primers, NCSRM. Lot # 13 - 10. Didn't fully ignite powder, lodged bullet about half way down barrel of Taurus .454 Raging Bull. Tried same loading with 10+ year old CCI 450 SRM. Results were........

250 Gr LRNFP + 35 Gr AA1680 + CCI SRM = Bang

250 Gr LRNFP + 35 Gr AA1680 + Tula SRM = Poof

Cast bullets from Georgia Arms. 1.700 OAL, HEAVY crimp. New Starline brass. Well, it's over ten years old, but never loaded.

I actually fired the old CCI 450s first to see if they were any good. I figured they were. Was certainly surprised when the new Tulas went poof. Powder charges were individually weighed and loaded. Primer strikes looked identical.

After doing some searching on the web there seems to be 2 or 3 different SRM primers from Tula. And different colors?? Mine are gold in color...Got me all confused. Sent an e mail to Tula. Haven't heard back yet.

Is this the wrong Tula primer to use in .454 Casull?? I almost always use magnum primers in this caliber, especially with ball powders. The Tula/Wolf primers are about all I can find around here, especially in SR Magnum.

[Lloyd Smale]

i ran into the same with wolf primers. Even the mag pistol and rifles are lacking compared to standard american primers and there standard primers are downright lame. To me there good for one thing. Getting a guy through times when better primers cant be found.

[Rainier]

Thanks for posting - I was thinking of purchasing some - one of my shooting partners just bought a brick of Tula small rifle primers - I'll send him a link to this thread maybe we can find out his results as well.

[bosterr]

I bought 5000 large pistol magnum Wolf primers during the first primer shortage a few years ago. 5 out of 25 would go pop on a hot day, more pops the colder it got using WC820. That's THE only powder I shoot in 44 Mag. I've been loading them in .45 ACP just the get rid of this junk. Wolf primers...never again.

[gew98]

I've had a fair amount of problems with tula Large primers not seating flush with properly prepared commercial and mil once fired brass. As noted is usually the only primers available not marked up to nosebleed prices.

[historicfirearms]

I've loaded and shot 10,000 wolf 223 sr primers without a single malfunction. I bought a box of Wolf large pistol and had quite a few squibs.

[coblake]

I have loaded and shot at least 2000 Tula LP primers in the last few months in 45ACP and 45LC. Zero duds.

[contender1]

Buy American. Better quality control.

[Ole]

Zero problems with many thousand Wolf and Tula small rifle primers fired in a rifle.

Have had a few that were slow to light off in my .357 Max T/C though. Just an educated guess, but I think they need to be hit pretty hard to go off fully.

[oughtsix]

Thanks for all the replies! Didn't mean to knock Tula primers! Just the first time I have tried any or ever even seen any till this last shortage. I have used H110/W296 and AA #9 with CCI 400 in the past and learned that a HEAVY crimp and Magnum primers, (CCI 450 always worked) are best for this .454 beastie. As some one else stated in this or another forum, the .454 Casull has a sharp learning curve.

Any way, I finally loaded 3 different powders with the Tula primers.

250 gr cast RNFP from Georgia Arms.

28 gr XMP 5744 went bang

27 gr H4227 went bang

23 gr AA #9 went click Waited a few minutes and opened cylinder, the primer was backed out about .010" above case head. Pulled bullet after waiting a few minutes. About a 1/4" ball of clumped together powder with rest of powder.

Guess this primer just ain't hot enough for ball powders in this big case. I have 100 CCI 450 left. I'll load them in the .454 under the AA 1680 and save the Tula primers for my .223 loads.

[snaketail]

After reading this I realized that I had a similar experience. Has a Large Pistol primer fail to ignite N310 powder fully in a .45 ACP. Until I read this I thought maybe I'd short loaded the powder charge. Now I'll just use the Wolf primers for plinking.
Thanks for posting.
M

[ebner glocken]

I've fired a few hundred of the large pistol magnum primers to ignite blue dot in a .44 mag case. No malfunctions yet, it sucks to read this considering I have several thousand to go.

Ebner

[waco]

Wolf.....Tula....I would not waste my cash on off brand ****.......

[44man]

I am sure all of you have read my work with the .454. The SR mag primer has enough pressure to push a boolit out with little heat to light the powder once the airspace has been increased. Starting loads of 296 would not go off so max must be used to keep powder close to the primer flash.
Primers in the .454 dance around accuracy loading with slow powders and ball powders.
Just what does 1680 need for fire? That is too slow for the .454 anyway.
I do not blame the brand of primer, I blame the stupid SR primer in the brass. I get a lot of heat over this but if you cut down .460 brass and go to a LP mag, you can work with any powder.
I cut pockets in .454 brass but it is extremely hard to get fit. I gave that up. I ruined too much brass. Yet it made the gun twice as accurate and allowed all loads from starting to work.

[doghawg]

We're all entitled to our opinions and after load tinkering with and hunting with two FA .454's for a few years now with Rem 7 1/2 and WSR primers I am of the opinion the cartridge doesn't need fixing.

[44man]

We're all entitled to our opinions and after load tinkering with and hunting with two FA .454's for a few years now with Rem 7 1/2 and WSR primers I am of the opinion the cartridge doesn't need fixing.
Go to your loading book and load starting loads of H110 or 296. Keep a brass rod and hammer handy because you are going to find one fail to light the powder. Most will go off but what if you don't catch a failure and shoot again? I see a safety issue.
You will not have a problem loading to max.
Seeing it in both the Freedom and SRH made us try all the SR mag primers, must have removed 10 stuck bullets/boolits. We tested my friend Jerry's Freedom later. Only max loads made it quit. Other faster powders were no problem.
Cut down .460 brass even fired all loads with a standard LP primer but was more accurate with a LP mag. The fed 155 was taken to well over 55,000 psi with out flattening or failures.
I am not inclined to recommend anything if there is a chance of danger.

[BRobertson]

We're all entitled to our opinions and after load tinkering with and hunting with two FA .454's for a few years now with Rem 7 1/2 and WSR primers I am of the opinion the cartridge doesn't need fixing.

I second this,

If it is loaded as intended it is a great cartridge as designed!!

Although I have to add that I never use lower end H110/296 loads in anything, full bore or
I use a different powder!! Also I always use mag primers with H110/296. My revolvers
are all subject to use in COLD weather!!

Bob

[km101]

I have only been using Tula primers for about 1 /12 years, but I have shot around 5,000 LP and about 12K SP and I have not had a failure yet. I started using them because they were the only thing available, but have since purchased another 10K SPP as they have given me good results.

No problems with Tula in the pistol primers. I have not used any of the rifle primers, so I have no opinion there!

[NoZombies]

The things I've noted about the Tula and wolf primers (same primers different labels):

They need a solid hit to ignite. I mean solid. Often a second strike will ignite them if recently loaded

They are more oil sensitive than many primers, to the point that handling the primers when loading can cause failures. The longer the ammo has been loaded, the more likely this is to be an issue.

My Solutions:
I only use them in guns with good strong hammer springs.

If I need to handle the primers for any reason, I wear nitrile gloves.

My 1911 runs Tula primers fine. My 625 often has to double strike to get the primers to ignite.

A video of the 625 with Tula primers (Bang Bang Click Click Bang Bang Click Click Bang Bang):


http://youtu.be/jL0LVXXOx3k

[saz]

44man is right. I had issues with full charges of H110 in my puma 92.
All I use are SR primers now- NOT SRM primers- and have no issues with LilGun, unique or trail boss.
Accuracy was erratic with the magnum primers.
The only powders I use in it now.

[High Desert Hunter]

I have yet to try the Rusky primers, but I will say in my FA 454, I have not had any issues with starting loads of H110 and 300gr jacketed or 330gr cast and SR primers. I now shoot a middle of the road H110 load, as it is what I have settled upon.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive shot 454s quite a bit. I look at it a bit differntly then other rounds. My 475s and 500 linebaughs do get downloaded. As a matter of fact i rarely shoot them anymore at full power levels. But the 454 is different. Its kind of like a souped up race motor. You cant pull two plug wires or feed it regular gas and expect it to run right. Its a round that was designed from the get go to be a high performance round. I doubt may who own it dont have a 45 colt or 44 mag that can shoot if they want less power. The 454 was not only designed to run at high levels it was actually designed to run at levels rarely ran by anyone anymore. Most problems with ignition are not the differnce in using standard or mag primers. ITs a matter of loading it down into pressure levels that arent optimal for the design. Ive shot 1000s of full power 454 loads and have NEVER had one single issue with ignition with small rifle primers. I know 44 man preaches a bit differnt story and in a way hes right. The round probably should have been designed for large primers but at the time they felt with the extream pressures they were running with duplex and triplex loads the small primer gave them a bit more case strenght. I did a test a couple years ago because of 44man. I got ahold of a bunch of 460 brass and cut it down for my fa. What i found was this. The accuracy was no better but no worse either. Some loads did better some worse. Granted again i wasnt fooling with low pressure loads as ive got guns to do that in anyway but at load levels that were in the higher mid range to full power it made little if any differnce and sure wasnt worth the bother of making the cases. After my experiment i gave the cases to my buddy Al and he did the same test and came away with the same results i did. Im not a big fan of the 454. Ive owned at least one for years but find for the most part that a 45 colt 6 shot ruger will push heavies as fast a cast bullets are good for. Shooting lighter jackted bullets at warp speed is nothing that intersts me in any handgun. The 454 might have a bit of an advantage when you pushing 350s but its small as the 45 colt will easily do 1100 or a tad more with them. In my opinion if you want to push something even heavier you should step up to something like a 475. So it puts the 454 in kind of a lame duck catagory for me. It needs full power and as i get older i dont like full power so for the most part it gets left home come hunting season. I much prefer a 475. It shoots a heavier, bigger bullet. Can much more easily be downloaded and just seems to thump things better.

[44man]

Lloyd says it well, same I found. It was only starting loads of H110 or 296 that gave trouble with the SR primer.
The only thing the LP mag primer did was to allow a work up from starting loads with safety, yet the most accurate loads were still near or at max. I did see a slight reduction in group size with the LP mag.
Anyway, the LP primer did away with stuck boolits no matter the 296 load tried. Then going over max book loads showed the LP primer can take the pressure.
My concern was someone sticking a boolit, then firing another behind it without catching it. Imagine a guy speed shooting!

[High Desert Hunter]

Wow, see now I have found excellent accuracy from both of my 454s at velocities from 850 all the way to almost 1700. I shoot thousands of RCBS 45-270SAA bullets at right around 1000fps and they give me one large hole groups at 25 yards. Guess every gun is a rule unto itself.

[44man]

Wow, see now I have found excellent accuracy from both of my 454s at velocities from 850 all the way to almost 1700. I shoot thousands of RCBS 45-270SAA bullets at right around 1000fps and they give me one large hole groups at 25 yards. Guess every gun is a rule unto itself.
Sure, the SR primer works fine with faster powders and light loads along with full loads of 296 but all of us are sure you are not shooting 850 fps by reducing 296!
You are missing what I said. Most everyone does in fact.

[High Desert Hunter]

No, I got what you said. Of course I am not shooting at 850fps with H110/296, it would have to be a 450gr bullet! I do however quite often shoot 300 to 325gr bullets with starting loads of H110/296, and I will say, I have never had a single problem with ignition, or accuracy. What I am not saying is that I doubt either you or Lloyd, what I am saying, is that in my guns, it has not proven to be a problem. The only hangfire I have ever had with H110, was in a 44 magnum, with a 270gr bullet, magnum primer, and a temperature of -30*F, and it was a maximum charge.I am not trying to argue, just point out that not everyone will have the same results.

[fivegunner]

Lloyd hit it right on its head, the FA guns are a work of art. but the .454cartridge is of the express type, (light boolit fast speed) it`s not a do all cartridge. Like Lloyd said the .45 colt will do anything most people want. I agree that the .475 is alot more user friendly. Good Thread.

[High Desert Hunter]

Fivegunner, I will have to disagree, the 454 has, and continues to be used to take every big game animal that can be hunted. I have shot the 475, and didn't care for it. If a 454 will reliably take an elephant with a frontal brain shot, then it is more than enough gun for anything I will ever hunt. I very rarely shoot bullets weighing less than 285grs, and my hunting loads use 315 to 360 grain bullets which give full length penetration on elk.

[44man]

You need to be aware most loads did in fact fire with starting loads but it only takes one to blow up your gun if you don't catch it. I shot many cylinders full but then a "POOF". Boolit in the bore with unburned powder behind it. The back of the powder column was just discolored.
It means the case tension on that piece of brass was lacking and the primer pressure pushed the boolit out away from primer fire. Do you trust your brass? We were shooting 335 gr boolits and up.
Up to you.
Can I suggest the mag primer in the .44 can also push a boolit out before ignition with poor case tension and you will blame temperature? Been shooting the .44 since 1956 and shortly switched to the Fed 150 primer with 296 for ALL conditions and never had a failure.
Now listen, got some Double Tap ammo for the .454 with a very strong full profile crimp. I asked why so much crimp??? Two shots and the Freedom and SRH locked up from boolit pull. More air space if the guns did not lock up. The chance of a failure to light or a tied up gun with a griz breathing in your face.
I can't lead you by your hand to safety but I try.

[44man]

Fivegunner, I will have to disagree, the 454 has, and continues to be used to take every big game animal that can be hunted. I have shot the 475, and didn't care for it. If a 454 will reliably take an elephant with a frontal brain shot, then it is more than enough gun for anything I will ever hunt. I very rarely shoot bullets weighing less than 285grs, and my hunting loads use 315 to 360 grain bullets which give full length penetration on elk.
You need to hunt with the .475, then you will never go back. The BFR with a 7-1/2" barrel is a joy to shoot, deadly accurate and capable of any animal on earth. Recoil is less then a hot .454 in a light gun.
I have shot many .454's and the recoil is sharper but I see no real problems with the .475, slower push with a little more torque.

[High Desert Hunter]

I do trust my brass, I have had exactly one 454 jump the crimp, and it was in a Ruger Super Redhawk, brass was Winchester, which for me has proven to work harden much quicker than other brass. The 44 mag load in question was in once fired Starline cases, I was more inclined to think that I had somehow got some sort of contamination in the case, but will not rule out poor case tension, as it can happen even with new cases. One thing that I feel has helped me with the 454 is I trim my cases at every loading, I also switched to RCBS dies, which size the cases down to minimum, when the bullets are seated, I can see every lube groove in the brass, I also switched to a Redding profile crimp die which cut my 25 yard groups from 2-2 1/2" down to 1 1/2". I now only have a Freedom Arms 454, and I would be ok if it was the only handgun I owned. I have plenty of friends who are partial to the 475 and 500 Linebaugh, and a few that love the 500 S&W, but for me, the 454 is it, replacing even my beloved 45 Colt, it has worked for everything from popping the heads off of grouse and ptarmigan, to insurance shots on a moose for a hunting partner. I do not in any way discount your experiences, but I discount my own experiences either.

[44man]

84626
I do trust my brass, I have had exactly one 454 jump the crimp, and it was in a Ruger Super Redhawk, brass was Winchester, which for me has proven to work harden much quicker than other brass. The 44 mag load in question was in once fired Starline cases, I was more inclined to think that I had somehow got some sort of contamination in the case, but will not rule out poor case tension, as it can happen even with new cases. One thing that I feel has helped me with the 454 is I trim my cases at every loading, I also switched to RCBS dies, which size the cases down to minimum, when the bullets are seated, I can see every lube groove in the brass, I also switched to a Redding profile crimp die which cut my 25 yard groups from 2-2 1/2" down to 1 1/2". I now only have a Freedom Arms 454, and I would be ok if it was the only handgun I owned. I have plenty of friends who are partial to the 475 and 500 Linebaugh, and a few that love the 500 S&W, but for me, the 454 is it, replacing even my beloved 45 Colt, it has worked for everything from popping the heads off of grouse and ptarmigan, to insurance shots on a moose for a hunting partner. I do not in any way discount your experiences, but I discount my own experiences either.
You need to touch on the brass more. I will not say more about the .454 because loaded right it is a great caliber so I will leave it alone.
However new brass is the absolute worst for groups. I have made many tests and the difference in tension with new brass drove me nuts. It does sound funny but brass shot more is more even. I can measure and sort by seating pressure. New brass is all over the place, any brand. The picture was 50 shots at 50 yards with new .44 brass. I did not measure seating pressure, just a test to show case tension differences.
Then what .44 brass did at 200 yards that has been loaded 40X. 84628

[High Desert Hunter]

Wow, have you posted this in another thread? I feel bad for having pulled this one so far off course, but I am very interested in your test and research. I have noticed, but didn't really pay enough attention to, the difference in neck tension with new brass. I know I have had problems with Winchester 454 brass, and Federal 44 Mag brass work hardening, and neck tension decreasing, I then relegate it to plinking loads until the neck splits, which is generally pretty soon after. Is that a 320gr in the picture? I appreciate the discussion.

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree with fivegunner in that the original goals with the 454 were to push fairly light bullets at near rifle velocitys. I do concede though to the fact that it does just fine with heavy cast bullets and has taken about every game animal on the planet and does well at it. In my opinion though when you step up to heavy cast or for that matter any cast bullet your gaining little over the 45 colt. I myself have pushed 320s over 1200fps out of a 45 colt, well over as a matter of fact. '

Most cast bullets used in handgun hunting no matter what alloy there cast out of will deform on heavy bone if pushed much more then 1300 fps so the fact that a 454 can push a 350 grain bullet to 1500 fps does little to interest me. Theres no way im going to hunt something dangerous with a cast bullet at those speeds. Replace that bullet with something like a punch bullet and you might be on to somethng. the big advantage the 475 has over the 454 is bigger diameter heavier bullets. A 475 will push a 420 grain cast bullet easily to 1300 fps. Will a 454 do the same. Probably but you wont have the same metplat size the same diameter and you will probably run into stability problems.

Ive shot game with both and will say without a doubt the 475 seems to slap down animals better. But then ive never shot a single head of game with jacketed bullets out of either. I would guess that a 454 shooting a 250 grain jacketed bullet at over 1500 fps would be more devestating on a small animal like a deer then the 475 load with a 400 grian jacketed bullet. But really i dont care as that facet of handgun hunting doesnt interest me. I love the 500 linebaugh probably even more because for the same reasons it just seems to be more deadly. But if push came to shove id have to admit that for most people the 475 makes more sense. Its has slightly less recoil, plenty of power, is a bit flatter shooting, unless real heavy bullets at top end speeds are used in the 500 the 475 will usually outpenetrate the 500, the 475 is easier and cheap to load for and if loaded to the levels John designed the cartridges to be loaded at the 475 actually is the more powerful of the two. The 475 is also easier to download then either the 454 or 500 are. Personaly i just cant see why anyone would choose a 454 over a 475.

I will probably allways own a 454 but my 454s tend to spend alot more time in my safe then my 44 mags 45colts 475s or 500s do. For lighter game it doesnt give me much advantage over a 44 or 45 and for heavier game it is handly beaten by even the 480 in my opinion and remember were talking cast bullets here and i think most of us here rarely use anything else.
Fivegunner, I will have to disagree, the 454 has, and continues to be used to take every big game animal that can be hunted. I have shot the 475, and didn't care for it. If a 454 will reliably take an elephant with a frontal brain shot, then it is more than enough gun for anything I will ever hunt. I very rarely shoot bullets weighing less than 285grs, and my hunting loads use 315 to 360 grain bullets which give full length penetration on elk.

[44man]

Wow, have you posted this in another thread? I feel bad for having pulled this one so far off course, but I am very interested in your test and research. I have noticed, but didn't really pay enough attention to, the difference in neck tension with new brass. I know I have had problems with Winchester 454 brass, and Federal 44 Mag brass work hardening, and neck tension decreasing, I then relegate it to plinking loads until the neck splits, which is generally pretty soon after. Is that a 320gr in the picture? I appreciate the discussion.
I started testing long ago when I started IHMSA. Nobody was making the .44 in any revolver shoot good, me neither. First shoots were disasters. Then one day when seating bullets (Hornady sil and later XTP's) I started to feel some go in very easy so I sorted by feel. It was eye opening.
I was using RCBS dies and the expander was wrong.
I called a custom BR die maker, explained the problem and he agreed. He made me collar dies to fit my Big Max press, no expander, just a little flare. I started to shoot 40's.
Then I made the tools to fit my handles so I could sort better. That is when I found new brass was not all even and I had little piles of loads all over the bench. Each pile by itself would group but POI was different for every pile and from loosest to tightest would be around 10" at 50 meters.
Working with different dies showed the Hornady New Dimension dies almost equal my BR dies, none of the other brands came close and all need work on expanders.
I use a hard boolit and the boolit will open brass as it seats, the Hornady expander is the right diameter and is short, entering the brass about 3/8".
Work hardening brass seems to even it out and I have never had a cracked case since 1956 and am still shooting brass from the late 70's.
The only revolver brass I ever had split was brand new .475 brass at the first loading.
I loved Fed .44 brass but we can't buy it anymore. Rem is good.

[High Desert Hunter]

That is one thing I love about my Dillon, the powder funnel, which is used to flare the case, doesn't expand it, it just flares it, so I get a bullet bulge with every case. I will be paying closer attention from now on though, so thank you!

[High Desert Hunter]

I have shot the 475, and I have nothing against it, or anyone who shoots one, but I will never choose a 475 over my 454, the 454 to me is just too versatile, my daughter can shoot it when I load it with 200gr SWC at 900fps, and I enjoy shooting everything from 200gr, up to 420gr bullets. I have never tried to push the heavy bullets past 1250fps, but they penetrate like there is no tomorrow. After the initial Linebaugh Penetration Tests were published, I set out to do my own testing with my guns, took me a year to gather up enough materials to test 4 different guns. I used wet and dry newsprint, with dry magazines, moose leg bones, beaver carcasses, and one fresh black bear skull. The calibers I tested were my 44 Magnum, fired from a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 7 1/2" barrel, my .45 Colt from a SS 5 1/2" Bisley Blackhawk, 454 Casull from a 6" barrel, and a 45/70 from a Ruger #1. Bullet weights were 320gr in the 44, 335gr in the .45, 325gr and 390gr in the 454, and 420gr and 500gr in the 45/70. In just the paper medium, the 45/70 with the 500gr RNFP was the clear winner, exiting the 48" of material in an almost straight line with a massive wound channel, the 454 with the 390gr WFNGC bullet also exited, not in quite as straight a line, but it was found in the snow about 4 ft behind the box, next was the 44 with 38" of penetration, and last was the .45 with 36" of penetration. The 45/70 500gr, 390gr 454, and 44 bullets were not cast by myself, so I am unsure what the alloy was, the .45 and 420gr 45/70 bullets were water dropped wheel weights. With the beaver carcass test, the big 45/70 bullet still exited, not quite as straight a line as the first test, the big 454 bullet stopped after 42" and had slight deformation, the 44 managed 30" and was also slightly deformed, the .45 went 29" and it too was slightly deformed. The moose bones were too old, and had almost no effect on any of the bullets, the black bear skull was also no challenge at all. The 454 with the 325gr bullets at 1650, penetrated 38", and had the largest wound channel of all bullets fired, I could easily run my fist into the cavity, easily twice as big as the 44's cavity, it also had the most deformation of any of the bullets fired. The 420gr 45/70 bullets penetrated to the very end of the box, but did not officially "exit", they were loaded to 1500fps and were pretty deformed , but the wound channel was still not as large as the 454 with the 325s. The 390s in the 454 were loaded to just under 1400fps, the 320s in the 44 were loaded to 1190fps and the .45 with the 325s was loaded to 1150, the big 500 in the 45/70 was loaded to 1700fps, and the recoil was brutal in the #1. I also tested some jacketed bullets, some fared pretty well, most were severely lacking. The shining stars in the jacketed department were the FA 300gr, Speer .452 300gr plated bullet, and the same bullet in 44 caliber, none of the jacketed 45/70 bullets were up to snuff. My friend brought out his Super Redhawk in .480, but all we had was factory hunting ammo, and it also was severely lacking. I am very confident with my caliber of choice, and even after firing a multitude of larger calibers, don't see myself ever switching.

[Lloyd Smale]

one thing ive come to do using the dillon funnel is to make sure that you start the bullet into the case by hand and insure its started straight each time. Its easy to get going fast and just slap a bullet on top of a case but because they dont expand the case you can get tipped bullets.
That is one thing I love about my Dillon, the powder funnel, which is used to flare the case, doesn't expand it, it just flares it, so I get a bullet bulge with every case. I will be paying closer attention from now on though, so thank you!

[High Desert Hunter]

That is the truth, I don't worry about the speed with which I load, and so I take the time to ensure my bullets are straight.

[454PB]

I had a post on here some years ago about a squib load in my SRH .454 Casull. I knew right away that it had stuck a boolit in the bore and no harm was done. I noted right then that I would no longer use "light" boolits with starting loads of slow burning ball powder.....in my case those powders were WC820 and AA#9. In my early load development for .454, I stumbled across a recipe using 250 Gr. XTP's and AA#9 that produced hangfires 100% of the time.

I now use faster burning powders for reduced loads, and have never had an ignition problem.

As to primers, I was having misfires in my SRH when using CCI 450 primers. I read somewhere that on some SRH's, the hammer was machined with too much metal at the top, causing insufficient hammer strikes. I pulled the hammer from my SRH, filed off about .004" from the very top, and did some tests. My gun is now 100% effective setting off the thicker cupped CCI 450.

I also own a FA83 and a Taurus RB, and neither of these have ever had a problem with the CCI 450.

[High Desert Hunter]

I have never really experimented with light bullets and slow powders in the 454, a 285gr SWC and H110 is the lightest bullet combo I have used, usually even it is over HS6 or Unique. After reading your post, glad I didn't. Only XTPs I have used were of the 300gr variety. I can't say I ever used CCI450s with my Super Redhawk, I know my FA has no issues with them. Amazing how, even though I read a lot about the development of the 454, the light bullet at hyper speed never took with me, I guess to much Taffin and Keith, and some other mentors along the way.

[daniel lawecki]

Been using Tula Primers in my guns 4yrs now 4or5 FTF. These have been used in Taurus Smith Wesson Rugers Colt Springfield & TC Contender. Cailbers 44 mag 45 Colt 45acp 22 Hornet. With a wide range of powders from fast burning Clays 2400 296 Lil Gun and others maybe I,m just lucky I still have about 10,000 left.

[High Desert Hunter]

I have thought about buying them in the past, but wasn't willing to buy enough to have a good sample to call them trustworthy, I guess for everyday plinking they might pass the muster.