Small flash hole primers?

[quartermaster]

I have brass prepped and ready to start working up a load for my nephew’s 6.5 creedmoor. The lapua brass has small rifle primer pockets and an undersized flash hole. Just curious if you guys still use regular small rifle primers or magnums.
Thanks in advance,
QM

 

[CJ6]

I've been using SRM's in all Lapua 6.5x47L, 260, 308 with small primer pockets

 

[jepp2]

use regular small rifle primers or magnums.

Depends on the powder I'm using. I use CCI BR 4, Rem 7 1/2, CCI 41 and occasionally 450's

 

[markm87]

I opened my flash holes up just large enough to work with my dies decap pins. I've had good luck with BR4 and Fed AR Match of all things.

 

[quartermaster]

Starting out with H4350. I have some Redding 047 decap Redding pins that I use for my 6BR and for their universal decapping die. I guess I should see what I used in my BR.
Just was curious so not to waste bullets, powder, etc. in load work up

 

[bozo699]

Starting out with H4350. I have some Redding 047 decap Redding pins that I use for my 6BR and for their universal decapping die. I guess I should see what I used in my BR.
Just was curious so not to waste bullets, powder, etc. in load work up

Don’t alter your flash holes , Lapua made that way for a reason . They work perfect just the way they are I use 450’s in mine and it works great
Wayne

 

[6.5 forever]

I use CCI 450. I tested bench rest primers and actually got lower SD with the 450.

 

[PopCharlie]

I used to open up the fash holes using the Sinclair tool. However, I don't any more. I agree with bozo699. Lower SD leaving the flash holes alone.

PopCharlie

 

[ppaul]

Rather than opening the flash holes just put a small pin in your de-cap die and be done with it. I have a universal de-cap die with a small pin and use it for everything. .223 thru 300 win mag works just fine.

Paul

 

[M-61]

Lapua engineers did not wake up one morning and decide to use small flash holes.
There will be a reason which I don’t care about.
They work for me and the last thing I would do is alter them in any way. My idea of deburring is just that. If a burr is there I carefully remove it and am cautious not to do any changing of the inside angle should it exist.

 

[markm87]

I was quite cautious about modifying the flash holes until I researched here. Believe me, that brass isn't cheap, and I looked hard before making a decision.

There was a large percentage of opinions of "Doom and tragedy" of you do it. But there was one member here who actually did it and tested it. No measurable difference in performance for him. So I opened mine just enough to fit with my die pins and haven't looked back.

 

[quartermaster]

I have no intention of enlarging the flash holes. i have the Redding undersize decapping pin. I was curious about whether or not I should use a small rifle mag primer.

My nephew will be using it for hunting. Wonder if the regular small rifle primer would give good ignition when the temps drop to near 0 F. Using H4350. I would assume that they will be fine, but not positive.

i will prob start with them to get a load worked up, then drop down and start over with a mag primer. If the mag shoots as accurate, I will go with that.

 

[M-61]

I was quite cautious about modifying the flash holes until I researched here. Believe me, that brass isn't cheap, and I looked hard before making a decision.

There was a large percentage of opinions of "Doom and tragedy" of you do it. But there was one member here who actually did it and tested it. No measurable difference in performance for him. So I opened mine just enough to fit with my die pins and haven't looked back.

Well, I researched nothing.
For the cost of a small flash hole pin I rolled the dice and felt the engineers at Lapua might know more about this since they actually made the hole small.

 

[RegionRat]

I have no intention of enlarging the flash holes. i have the Redding undersize decapping pin. I was curious about whether or not I should use a small rifle mag primer.

My nephew will be using it for hunting. Wonder if the regular small rifle primer would give good ignition when the temps drop to near 0 F. Using H4350. I would assume that they will be fine, but not positive.

i will prob start with them to get a load worked up, then drop down and start over with a mag primer. If the mag shoots as accurate, I will go with that.

I tend to pick the 450 for the job of tuning the load first, then if I am left wondering I go back and test with a regular primer. I have had regular primers as well as the BR primers do better or worse depending on the luck.
This is a backward way of saying both kinds work fine for this... but only a test can say if one or the other agrees with the rest of the recipe and weather conditions for you.

One last thought, is that a simple swap doesn't always tell the story, so to give an alternate a fair shot you should be prepared for times when you have to adjust other parameters to optimize the tune for the alternate primer. Good Luck.

 

[Bill K]

I use the small rifle mag in my Lapua brass in the 6.5 CM.

 

[boltman13]

I use Remington 7 1/2 Primers, H4350, Lapua SRP Brass and Berger 144 Hybrids in my 6.5 Creedmoor F-Class rifles and do not alter the flash hole. I have no problem with powder ignition and it is my most accurate load. Berger 140 Hybrids, same story.

 

[6MMsteve]

I just alter the decap pins, I never open up the holes, I have 6xc and 308 large primer and small primer pockets, I just grind down the pins so they will work for both sizes of pockets, not gonna change out pins all the time, it's not a big deal to chuck them in a drill and hold it on a file or sandpaper and grind and chk for your finished size, if this makes any sense

 

[6MMsteve]

I use magnum primers 450's or 41's depending on the powder I'm using, ball type powder I use the magnum
stick I use 400 or standard or br

 

[markm87]

Well, I researched nothing.
For the cost of a small flash hole pin I rolled the dice and felt the engineers at Lapua might know more about this since they actually made the hole small.

I couldn't get a smaller pin for my die of choice, or I would have. And option 2 was to turn my decap die down a few thousandths, but I couldn't chuck it up because of the flange on the top.

 

[markm87]

I just alter the decap pins, I never open up the holes, I have 6xc and 308 large primer and small primer pockets, I just grind down the pins so they will work for both sizes of pockets, not gonna change out pins all the time, it's not a big deal to chuck them in a drill and hold it on a file or sandpaper and grind and chk for your finished size, if this makes any sense

Very much so. I've done similar to my neck mandrels when tension wasn't adequate. My die decap pin (Lee Collet neck sizer) has a flang on the end that wouldn't allow me to chuck it in my press.