Ridgerunner what primers?

muzz

Handloader
Nov 11, 2014
265
12
Ridge, I was wondering what primers you use in your 280AI load with the RL26
 
I do not use RL26, but with IMR7828SC in my .280 AI, I use Federal 210 match primers. Not sure if that helps or not.
 
Thanks. I am gonna try to get a load out of my new 280AI with the RL26 and I know you have had good success with it and accuracy. I hope to mirror your results.
 
Don't look for the smallest group....

Look for the most consistent.


Lowest ES and SD is what you're after.... You can have single digit ES and SD.... The devil is details.

My hunting load is no "one holer", but it will hold .5 moa from the muzzle out to around 800 yards....I do have a "one holer" load too, but it uses Berger bullets....I just prefer the penetration of the 160 AccuBond.

Credit for that is due to both the rifle and the load.... I've never had the pleasure of a more consistent rifle/ammo combo in my life.... Its like an old well trained mule, it does what it does, and its very hard to make it do something else .... If it does, its always operator error.

I put some time into finding the load.... But now, its just point and click.

At 100 yards, no load from that rifle has printed a group bigger than .75 moa...I could, and have, fired a group using different ammo for every shot and it would still be around .75 moa.

But at 300 yards and beyond, the targets tell the true tale....The tale of inconsistent velocity.


Yes... Nosler built me one hell of a rifle.
 
And in truth....any match primer, CCI or Federal, would do fine I'm sure.

I messed around with magnum primers a little just to see what they did.... Nothing in my rifle, no different than standard except for an added 4-6 fps.... And since I have a lifetime supply of BR2's...
 
I use RL22 & Federal GM210s in my 280AI. I have never tried the 215 GMs but I may as I have a good supply of them as well.
I am looking forward to your range reports using RL26.

Blessings,
Dan
 
There was a guy posting on here a while back (280ai shooter) who had issues with RL26 and Fed 210's. He switched to 215's and it made a huge difference. Since then, I've noted several other RL26 users going with the magnum primers.

I'm using the 215s. Sadly I haven't been able to find 215M to save my life, so I'm just going with the regular ones for now.
 
When this question was first posted I grabbed my Lyman #48 loading manual and it has a section on primers on page 57.There is a chart that list standard primers and the effect they have in a .308 with the same bullet and powder charge.
Velocity Pressure
fps psi
Rem. 9 1/2 2509 52,800
Fed 210M 2508 53,100
CCI 200 2526 54,000
Win. WLR 2539 54,700
CCI 34 2545 55,400

Total Spread 37 fps 2,600 fps

The Win primers were always hotter than the others and the CCI 34 is designed for semi auto military ammo with a short cup so you wouldn't get firing pin bounce discharges and are the hottest of the standard primes from what I have read.
The old manuals have a lot of good info in them and when in doubt I grab one and start looking.
 
Are the standard federal 210 and 215 the same as the match primers or are they a hotter primer? Whats the difference? I cant even find either federals and am thinking of trying the Remington 9 1/2's
 
They aren't supposed to be hotter (210 vs. 210M or 215 vs 215M). The match primers were manufactured with tighter standards, so they should be more consistent.
 
My experiences with primers from doing some testing 8-9 years back are this in a 243, the bench rest style primers never shown on my chronograph to the lowest SD or ES, in fact standard winchesters gave me my best groups and SD and ES. Sure the winchesters are a hotter primer but I feel they are very consistent so hotter really means little and in fact when one is filling a case around 90 percent capacity or more I would want a hotter primer versus a so called BR primer that burns with less heat and maybe not burning all that powder as quickly as a hotter primer. So I gave up on all match primers years back and I can't see where with wh groups I shoot them giving me any REAL advanatge, myself I think they are a marketing ploy and a way to make a few bucks more per 1,000 sold. FWIW.

Sure many comp shooters use them but is it because they are really better or because they say match on them? Wondering if their groups would be any different with a Winchester primer?
 
Yes.... My numbers were different with Winchester primers... Remington primers didn't work so well either... I've seen way too many burnt bolt faces with WLR's.

I will use Federal or CCI...I prefer CCI.

Match primers are more consistent, in my experience... But one likely won't notice it unless EVERYTHING about the load is dead nuts consistent (neck tension, sizing, seating, annealing, powder charge, bullet weight, bullet length, etc.).... Otherwise, it gets lost in the variables.

Real advantage?

That depends on how far you shoot.
 
Back
Top