Primers

[truck driver]

It's probably been discussed before but I'm curious what primers everyone is using and for what application. I have CCI BR2, CCI LR, Fed Match LR, WInchester White and Blue box, Fed 215 and CCI LRM.
What does everyone use the most of in their magnum and standard rifle cartridges?
The Winchesters burn hotter than others and I save them for my ball powder loads like CFE223 and tend to use the Fed Match in other loads including my 7RM. The Magnum primers I bought for a 300Wby which I don't own any more and don't see the need for them in what I'm loading for since all my loads are under 70grs of powder.

 

[Elkman]

I use CCI for 90% of my reloading. I have some others but have found the CCI's to be a little more accurate. I use , Winchester, and Federal usually when I am loading ammo for others.

 

[truck driver]

I use CCI for 90% of my reloading. I have some others but have found the CCI's to be a little more accurate. I use , Winchester, and Federal usually when I am loading ammo for others.

Which CCI primers do you prefer, BR2, standard or magnum?

 

[Elkman]

TD
I use the standard primer for the non-magnums, and magnum primers for the magnums. I know that some loads for the .308 call for magnum primers but as my rifle shoots sub 1/4 MOA with the standard primer that is what I use. I have never really used the Benchrest primers. My focus is developing accurate loads for hunting and never really thought that I would gain enough to make a difference in the field.

 

[jimbires]

over the years I've used them all . I use mostly CCI200 in my non magnum loads . I use Fed 215 or 215m in my magnum loads . but I'll use any primers that I can buy when things are hard to find . I try to get my rifles to shoot well , but they are hunting rifles . I bought some CCI BR2 primers to play with but I've never tried them . in the back of my mind I'm thinking " will they light my load at - 20*F while hunting ?" I'll stick to what works for me .

 

[RaySendero]

With only 2 exceptions, I use the same LR primer for all my CF rifle reloads.

This way I can compare the degree of primer flattening as among other ways to watch pressure signs.

 

[REDGREEN]

I have used the WLRM primer for a lot of years. I get a very low SD , and they plain work. If it works, I don't try and fix it anymore. Standard or magnum, they are lit with with Winchester magnum primer. Doesn't matter if it is 100 degrees or -50, no failures.

 

[HTDUCK]

I use Federals ( when I can find them ) 210s for standard and 215s for magnum loads.
Loading for my Garand and my M1A I use CCI #34s which are designed for the military rifles.
As of late the only thing I have been able to find in any quantity are Winchester small and large primers.
I generally buy primers 1k at a time but when I got the Dillon 650 set up to feed the ARs I bought 10k Win SRPs.

 

[joelkdouglas]

I use CCIs, 200s, 250s, and 450s. I do have some BR2s but I don't see much difference between them and the 200s.

I started with Federal Magnums in the 7 MSM recently because I have about 1000 of them, and they seem like they will work fine.

I think if you wanted to test how loads acted with different primers I would try replacing standards with magnums before I tried BR primers. I think BR primers are essentially more money for the same performance.

And my 25-06 likes magnum primers with H4831. It's not required as I'm only loading 54 grains but I'm not going to argue with the results so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OU812]

All I use is Fed 210m for non-mag and Fed 215M for mag. I've used WRL and had issues so I'm done with them.

 

[Guy Miner]

CCI 200's for most of my "large rifle" needs.

Federal Match primers OR CCI BR primers when I'm trying for my "best" loads.

Federal 215's when a magnum primer might be required.

That's it for "large rifle" applications.

Guy

 

[truck driver]

Thanks everyone for the input.
I have been doing just what everyone else has been doing.
The primer shortage we had some time ago threw everything out of wack and was using what ever I could get.
I bought pistol primers 10k at a time when I was shooting competitively and would get Federal or Winchester which was known to be made out of softer metals and would ignite easier so you didn't have miss fires from light firing pin strikes. Winchester primers were also known to be hotter so I never bought magnum primers till I got the 300Wby and a few hundred of them left for the R7M.

 

[Guybo]

I use Winchester large in my 25.06, CCI 200 in my daughter's .260 and Fed 210 in my .308 LTR. I have some Remington in the cabinet but to my knowledge I've never even tried them before and don't even remember buying them. I plan to try the CCI's in the 25.06 and .308 but I haven't gotten around to it as of yet. There are several hundred Magnum's in the cabinet as well and again, I don't remember when or why I bought those either.

My plans are to try and standardize on one primer for everything and clear out the cabinet of all the others. My choice is the CCI's since I have a good inventory of those built up and have had good luck with them over the years. It would make life alot simpler.

 

[Silent Sam]

Fed 215M for Weatherby and Winchester for everything else...

 

[jimbires]

when I first started reloading I only used winchester primers . they only sold one large rifle primer , it was for standard or magnum loads . here is a pic of the packages over the years . a little walk down memory lane .

 

[Silent Sam]

True enough... I used only Winchester until I got a Weatherby. The 215s were available so I used them as they were reportedly designed for the big Weatherby cases even though my Weatherbys are not the "big" ones. If they weren't available I would have used the Winchesters. I have no idea which are really "hotter" or "harder" or anything else. On the other hand I don't use any of the modern truly "slow" powders but I do use some ball powders and I do hunt when the temps are sometimes below zero. I've been lucky enough to not have to try to substitute a new primer into a known load nor have I ever used different primers as part of load development. All my ammo is hunting ammo and I don't shoot for target/match accuracy over long string of tens or hundreds of rounds. For me, the comment about making life simpler applies... Perhaps I've missed out on some "better" loads but that is really academic. "Perfection is the enemy of good enough". I enjoy hand loading, but not at the expense of shooting & hunting.

 

[Richracer1]

I strictly use Fed GM205M, 210M, and 215M primers for my rifles. Fortunately, I stocked up on them before they became extremely hard to get. I'm sitting on about 4K or more of each.

 

[sask boy]

Rodger I have Winchester, CCI & Remington's but I have used Federals both the 210M & 215M exclusively for the last 7 or 8 years :wink:.
I find them to be the most consistent for what I am shooting. .

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Polaris]

I am using S&B as my bread and butter primers in Small Rifle, Large Rifle, Small Pistol and Large Pistol. These were a happy accident, I discovered them in the great primer drought of 2012 as they were the only brand available when I ordered a pile of powder before it disappeared too. I've found them to be highly consistent and accurate, and priced lower than other brands to boot.

I do also use Fed SR match (5.56mm 600 yard only), Fed LR match for 2 loads in 7.5 Swiss and 6.5 Swedish. I will probably be replacing all of these with S&B once my supply of Fed is exhausted.

I do keep a handful of Win LR on hand for ball powders and heavy loads in the .280 Rem with IMR 4350.

All of the cartridges I load would be considered medium-standard. .223, 6.5x55 to
30-06. No magnums.