Short-Barreled Revolver: Better To Use Standard Primers or Magnum Primers?

I have the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan .454 Casull which has the 2.5" barrel. Right now, the 2 loads that I am using in it are 1) Cast 265 grain RFN with 18 grains of Blue Dot for an average velocity of 1220 FPS and 2) Cast 360 grain RFN with 24 grains of H110 for an average velocity of 1037 FPS. Both of these loads are ignited with a standard small rifle primer.

QUESTION: Would using a magnum primer (working up a load from ground level) instead of a standard primer help increase velocity from such a short barrel?

Thanks

My experience has always been that a magnum primer will give you some extra velocity compared to standard. With those charges and powders that's all I would use, especially H110 which is somewhat hard to ignite.

It will probably affect the H-110 loads, but I doubt it will affect the BlueDot loads.

Is that change or increase just by a little bit? Or, a significant amount? Would it be worth working up another load?

Thanks

It's not the gun that determines if a standard or magnum primer is needed, it's the powder/case/bullet/boolit combo that determines it. Read your loading manuals.

I think you will find little to no difference between the small rifle primer you are using and a small mag pistol primer. I remember reading somewhere in the CCI line SR and SP mag were the same primer.

WHOOPs , Don't know where I got small pistol from. Gotta get my glasses checked.

The laws of physics explain that you will never develop the full potential of a given round from a snubbie...I don't know what the difference between a SR and SRM primer is but my guess is that your efforts would be better directed to clean and uniform primer pockets and flash holes. Even if you can get the powder burning more uniformly sooner there isn't time in the barrel to develop any improved performance.

I don't know what you're trying to stop but if one of those 265gr pills at 1220fps isn't enough my guess is that more firearm is in order!

I highly recomend using a CCI 350 for lighting of H-110. H-110 needs a blowtorch to get it going consistantly due to the heavy deturant coating used in it's manufacture. If you shoot at lower temperatures you'll find std primers result in hang fires.

A std vs mag primer should make no significant difference in velocity in any barrel length. If you want to maximize what you can do in the short barrel use the heaviest bullets as they don't loose as much velocity as lighter bullets when barrels get shorter.

Paul, he's talking 454 Casull.....which uses SMALL rifle primers, but I agree with you, magnum primers are needed with H-110 or any of the other slow burning ball powders. I've pounded stuck boolits from a few barrels, which was caused by the use of relatively light boolits, non magnum primers, and/or less than enough case tension. I've personally quit using light for caliber boolits in .454 Casull, preferring faster burning powders (like BlueDot). Though I quit using Hercules 2400 many years ago, some loaders say it works well in the .454.

In my case, a stuck boolit is no more than a nuisance, but if a guy is using an Alaskan as Bear protection, he needs to be sure the gun will go bang and not boom EVERY time!

So...would I be best served by using the **standard small rifle primers with the cast 265 grain boolit and 18 grains of Blue Dot AND the ***magnum small rifle primers with the cast 360 grain boolit and (new amount of powder worked up) H-110??

That's what I'd do.

I've tested a few rounds in .38 Special, 9X19, and .357 Magnum with standard and magnum primers and the magnum primer always got a bit more velocity than the standard. Nothing earth shaking, 30-40 fps usually. In .357 I always use magnum primers, no reason not to.

I would use a quicker burning powder like Bullseye and lightweight bullets (147gr and under) in a snub nose. Standard CCI small pistol primers show less velocity spread using my Croni.

Which one gives the best accuracy? The increase in velocity will not be significant.

In .38 and 9mm I have always gotten the best accuracy and lowest spreads with Federal Gold Medal standard small pistol primers. Powder selection affects velocity spread and accuracy more than the primer does, in my experience.

Bret is right! Don't try to avoid proven stats.
1Shirt!

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Originally Posted by Southern Shooter

So...would I be best served by using the **standard small rifle primers with the cast 265 grain boolit and 18 grains of Blue Dot AND the ***magnum small rifle primers with the cast 360 grain boolit and (new amount of powder worked up) H-110??

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Yes but don't try to reduce the H-110 loads below recommended starting loads. I tried that in the 454 and it wouldn't hit a barn if I was standing inside it. It's also fairly common knowledge that you could run afoul on pressure with reduced loads. And yes, use the mag primer with H-110.

Rick