CCI large rifle primers.

[JeffinNZ]

Team.
Primers look to be getting short in NZ. I use Winchester large rifle primers exclusively however can source some CCI LR for less $$$ and more availability. Is there much difference between them?
I have shot Fiocchi primers before in small rifle and found them much hotter than CCI and Win.

[gon2shoot]

I've used a lot of CCI primers, when the shortage came around I got a good deal on several thousand Win.
I think you'll be satisfied with the CCI.

[Heavy lead]

I've used CCI,Federal,Winchester, and Reminton. CCI are reported to be not quite as hot as the WLR. I don't use much ball powder so I generally don't use the WLR. The Fed 210 and CCI 200 work fine. Right now with the primer situation you take what you can get. I've also used Remington and never had problems either. I've read some reports of problems with their pistol primers, but I've never had one fail.

[Shuz]

If you can get them at a good price, by all means do so. I've used most all brands down thru the years. Once I get a load that shoots well, I try and stick with that brand primer and powder and boolit combo, but if one component becomes scarce or unavailable, I'll carefully build up another load.

[hicard]

I've had failure to fire problems with CCI and am told it is due to the fact they are harder than the others and you need a strong pirmer strike to set them off.

[Bullshop]

Something interesting I have found about cci primers is that they are less sensitive to having the firing pin strike exactly center.
I have an old model Ruger single six that has been converted to center fire by lowering the bushing containing the firing pin. We didnt get exactly the correct location to put the pin at the center so it strikes the primer closer to the outer edg than to the center.
This gun is now chambered for the 22 ccm so uses small primers. I have tried about every small primer that is redaly available and only one gives absolutely 100 % positive ignition. That primer is the cci #400 srp. All other primers gave some misfires even the softer/thinner cup pistal primers.
I do not understand why this is so but it is absolutely repeatable.
In the light of things we made a split order of cci and federal primers that amounted to 250,000 primers for the combined order. The cci primers arrived about three months ago but the federals are still back orderd.
For my money I almost always start with cci when starting out with a new loading project. If you can get cci better get them. Better to have even a bad primer than none at all. The times they are a changing!
Blessings
BIC/BS

[Beaverhunter2]

I shoot them by the thousand and never had a problem.

John

[kingstrider]

I just bought another thousand and really like most CCI products.

[Junior1942]

I've never used anything but CCI primers.

[runfiverun]

cci primers do have a harder cup.
i have never had a problem with their rifle primers, although they have never been
the most accurate in any load.
or part of any of my most accurate loads, however you wish to phrase it.

[James C. Snodgrass]

I used nothing but for years but switched to federal until it got hard to get fed's now it's back to cci with no big difference to be seen.

[Shiloh]

My 30 year experience in loading is that primers have virtually no difference in them. CCI's may be harder but slightly. I don't shoot an ultra tolerance bench gun though, just military relics and an old ruger '06. If there is a difference it will show up on a bench gun. I could never get a load to perform significantly better or worse buy just changing the primers. Especially with this shooters 50+ year old eyes. I also prefer Winchester but shoot what I can get.

Shiloh :castmine:

[jonk]

Echoing what Shiloh said, I don't see much difference- CCI, Winchester, Remington, Wolf, Magtech, or Federal- and I've tried them all- for my military rifles. If I had a bench rest gun or even a higher end 'regular' gun perhaps I would. The only difference is at my 200 yard match a different primer might change the center point of a group by a half inch or so- probably due to heat- but doesn't impact accuracy in my experience.

[Boomer Mikey]

CCI large rifle primers have a harder cup and may not be reliable in guns with reduced power mainsprings. They will work fine otherwise and I prefer them for use with maximum power loads. CCI 200's are the only primer I'll use in the M1A to reduce the possibility of slam fires. Some guys say that once you switch to CCI large rifle primers you will find your primer pockets loose using other brands.

Winchester WLR's are great GP primers, I typically keep 10-15 thousand of these around to get by the times when they're scarce; same deal with WLP's.

Federal 210's are excellent for match and reduced power loads (easiest to light off) but at times will pinhole rupture in the corners with maximum or high pressure loads (softest cup). My favorite handgun primer (TC's).

I haven't used enough Remington LR primers to comment.

Boomer :Fire:

[bigdog454]

I've had CCI fail to lilght the powder in the 454 Casull, even using different powders; but have not had any trouble in other calibers. Don't know why, but when I changed to Win that problem went away. I use CCi in others, but will only use Win in the .454.

[Heavy lead]

Something interesting I have found about cci primers is that they are less sensitive to having the firing pin strike exactly center.
I have an old model Ruger single six that has been converted to center fire by lowering the bushing containing the firing pin. We didnt get exactly the correct location to put the pin at the center so it strikes the primer closer to the outer edg than to the center.
This gun is now chambered for the 22 ccm so uses small primers. I have tried about every small primer that is redaly available and only one gives absolutely 100 % positive ignition. That primer is the cci #400 srp. All other primers gave some misfires even the softer/thinner cup pistal primers.
I do not understand why this is so but it is absolutely repeatable.
In the light of things we made a split order of cci and federal primers that amounted to 250,000 primers for the combined order. The cci primers arrived about three months ago but the federals are still back orderd.
For my money I almost always start with cci when starting out with a new loading project. If you can get cci better get them. Better to have even a bad primer than none at all. The times they are a changing!
Blessings
BIC/BS

This is interesting, I wonder if they work better because the cup is thicker-theoretically this would also make the crater bigger on the inside of the cup. But what the heck, if it works it works.

[JeffinNZ]

Thanks guys. I ordered a large quantity of CCI yesterday.

[ktw]

Thanks guys. I ordered a large quantity of CCI yesterday.

It's almost scary considering what those of us who shoot a lot might consider a LARGE quantity. :)

-ktw

[JeffinNZ]

What is scary and what I have not mentioned thus far is my regularly retailer, who is a little eccentric on a good day, is once again rationing primers. Rifle primers limited to 100 unless you purchases 1 for 1 primers/projectiles. Me thinks he is capitalising on the alleged shortage and of course what about us cast bullet shooters. Screw him thought me and ordered 2500 from someone else.

[Boerrancher]

Jeff,

I don't know how it is over there in Kiwi Land, but I know the way things are getting here. 5 years ago I felt comfortable with having 5,000 of each type of primer I shot on hand. As tight as things are getting and with the prices of nearly everything in my area nearly doubling in the last 5 years, I don't feel comfortable with having 5,000 of each size of primer anymore. I am working on at least 10,000 of each now, esp of Large Pistol, and Large Rifle.

I have never been picky about brands of Primers. There seems to be as many valid arguments for each brand as there are brands. I have shot a lot of CCI and have had great luck with them. You will be hard pressed to find any big name primer from the states available other that CCI. Federal, Winchester, and Remington are too busy cranking out 9mm, 45acp, 7.62x51 NATO, 5.56 NATO, along with the 50 BMG ammo and 20mm Cannon for the war. I talked with a friend who's job it is to keep track of Gov Contracts for the DOD and he is a shooter as well.

I can't remember how many billion dollars was wrapped up with Federal and Winchester alone for small arms ammo. That is why you can't find winchester primers on the shelf. Those who order them my wait for a long time before they see them. I like Winchester primers but the way I see it is even a Wolf brand primer on hand is better than a Winchester or Federal primer on back order.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch

Joe :Fire:

[Cherokee]

Been using CCI since the 60's, almost exclusively, with great satisfaction. YMMV

[John Boy]

CCI are reported to be not quite as hot as the WLR.
Heavy - Tis so and not so. A chart from Lyman's 49th using a 308 exact same load:

Rem 9 1/2 - 2509 fps
Fed 210 Match - 2508 fps
CCI 200 - 2526 fps
Win WRL - 2539 fps
CCI 34 - 2545 fps

Too bad they didn't include the CCI Br2 primers in the test