Hand Priming

[Gary C]

In the search for inproving the results at the target of my reloads I am considering
adding a hand priming tool to my reloading.
I currently use a RCBS Jr. press to seat my primers in Lapua brass and can feel the force
used to insert the primers into the always cleaned primer pockets.
I have no doubt using a hand tool would allow a better feel but don't know what exactly that will result
at the target.
When I bought my K&M arbor press and Wilson seating die I was convinced that the bullet seating pressure feel would allow me to sort any different feeling seating into rounds used for warming the barrel.
There are not many of these I would guess less than 10% and I have found that if I shoot a string of five liter feeling seated
rounds the group seems to be fine.
My question is, what do you do with rounds that have a slightly different feel that the hand priming tool allows you to identify?
Decap and reprime? Toss the brass if it again feels light or heavy?
Please remember I am interested in results at the target and have no interest in using a tool because everyone else does.
And I'm not chasing .001s at the target just lookin for improvment I can see.
Thanks, G

 

[quest450]

I'm not a big fan of seating by feel....I need to see #'s
I don't think just seating by feel is gonna make that much of a difference but testing does help
Paper doesn't lie

Are you uniforming primer pockets ?
Are you measuring primer seating depth ?
Are you sorting primers ?
Is your rifle capable of shooting the difference ?

There are waaaaay more important things in reloading process that could possibly shrink your groups before seating by "feel" does IMO.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I hand prime and if I feel a loose primer, I try to push the primer out with a hand tool I made. If it comes out, I pitch the case.

 

[gpoldblue]

In the search for inproving the results at the target of my reloads I am considering
adding a hand priming tool to my reloading.
I currently use a RCBS Jr. press to seat my primers in Lapua brass and can feel the force
used to insert the primers into the always cleaned primer pockets.
I have no doubt using a hand tool would allow a better feel but don't know what exactly that will result
at the target.
When I bought my K&M arbor press and Wilson seating die I was convinced that the bullet seating pressure feel would allow me to sort any different feeling seating into rounds used for warming the barrel.
There are not many of these I would guess less than 10% and I have found that if I shoot a string of five liter feeling seated
rounds the group seems to be fine.
My question is, what do you do with rounds that have a slightly different feel that the hand priming tool allows you to identify?
Decap and reprime? Toss the brass if it again feels light or heavy?
Please remember I am interested in results at the target and have no interest in using a tool because everyone else does.
And I'm not chasing .001s at the target just lookin for improvment I can see.
Thanks, G

I use a Lee Hand Primer and am well satisfied with the results in my 6PPC BR rifles and all my rifles for that matter. I can reliably feel primer seating in all cartridges.....once the primer is bottomed out,there is nothing more. I do uniform all primer pockets however. I have found it just as reliable as the more expensive
units. For $20 to $25 bucks.....been using it for years. Not a lot of investment if you don't like it.
Good luck and stay safe.

 

[K22]

I have been using a Sinclair hand primer for over 25 years or so now. Prior to that I used an RCBS hand primer, the handles of which kept breaking, and prior to that I use an RCBS tube feed primer which sometimes cause a shaved primer cup or a primer off center and / or causing a primer to lodge sideways in the cup.

I never detected any change in results on target from any of these methods. The reason I switched to the Sinclair tool was durable, reliability, and uniform insertion of the primer. I absolutely love the Sinclair tool.

I will sometimes "feel" changes in seating pressure, but I do not have any gas leakage around the primers, they all fire, and I can detect no differences on target between the difference in seating "feel".

If one encounters significantly loose primer pockets, the cases should be scrapped. It usually means the case head has been expanded due to over pressure. I never encountered loose primer pockets to the extent that the primer did not seal properly.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Currently I've been doing a feel until the primer stops and then press a little more. The idea is to provide a little "crush" into the priming compound.

Cartridges that don't meet your criteria can be used to foul the bore or warm up the barrel before shooting a group for record.

 

[Webster]

In the search for inproving the results at the target of my reloads I am considering
adding a hand priming tool to my reloading.
I currently use a RCBS Jr. press to seat my primers in Lapua brass and can feel the force
used to insert the primers into the always cleaned primer pockets.
I have no doubt using a hand tool would allow a better feel but don't know what exactly that will result
at the target.
When I bought my K&M arbor press and Wilson seating die I was convinced that the bullet seating pressure feel would allow me to sort any different feeling seating into rounds used for warming the barrel.
There are not many of these I would guess less than 10% and I have found that if I shoot a string of five liter feeling seated
rounds the group seems to be fine.
My question is, what do you do with rounds that have a slightly different feel that the hand priming tool allows you to identify?
Decap and reprime? Toss the brass if it again feels light or heavy?
Please remember I am interested in results at the target and have no interest in using a tool because everyone else does.
And I'm not chasing .001s at the target just lookin for improvment I can see.
Thanks, G

The primer pockets are punched into the case head, not machined. Uniforming the pockets only makes the pockets the same depth. Variation in the the opening diameter still exist. Plus primer cup dimension variation. Therefore a different seating feel. If you cannot consistently shoot groups near .250" you don't have a chance at seeing the difference in seating depth or primer brand. All primer manufacturer's reccomend seating primers to the bottom of the pockets. There are many other areas to improve groups. A good starting point is a barrel by one of the premium barrel makers. Buy a brand like the top shooters use that are in National Competition. The barrel on my GH hunting rifle cost $750.

Describe your rifle and what it is used for.

 

[gpoldblue]

The primer pockets are punched into the case head, not machined. Uniforming the pockets only makes the pockets the same depth. Variation in the the opening diameter still exist. Plus primer cup dimension variation. Therefore a different seating feel. If you cannot consistently shoot groups near .250" you don't have a chance at seeing the difference in seating depth or primer brand. All primer manufacturer's reccomend seating primers to the bottom of the pockets. There are many other areas to improve groups. A good starting point is a barrel by one of the premium barrel makers. Buy a brand like the top shooters use that are in National Competition. The barrel on my GH hunting rifle cost $750.

Describe your rifle and what it is used for.

You don't need a $750 barrel to see if one primer is more consistant than another over a chronograph.
Primers are about the ignition system along with the striker workings such as firing pin travel,firing pin protrusion,firing pin spring strenght,and head space.

 

[wkdickinson]

For years I used 2 Lee Hand Priming tools and was happy with the results. It was easy to feel the primer bottom out and if the primer pockets were loosening. However, as age (70) has taken its toll on my hands, it has become increasingly difficult to use them. So a couple years ago I bought a Lee Bench Prime, and really like it. Even though there is a lot more leverage, you still have very good "feel" and it is much easier with old hands.

 

[SeabeeKen]

Its all about consistency. I want my pockets the same just like my necks are the same, tension the same and HS is the same. I'd like the primers the same depth and the anvil seated to the bottom of the pocket. The problem with primer seating depth seems to be that it depends on rim thickness variation. I have and use hand primers, bench primers, and ram prime. The ram prime has good feel also and easier on my aging hands. I'm currently testing the new to me ugly reloading priming die from derraco engineering. Does it make a difference on paper? Jury still out but it gives me piece of mind knowing its all as close as I can get it to being consistent. It does seem to help my ES

 

[Straightshooter1]

Its all about consistency. I want my pockets the same just like my necks are the same, tension the same and HS is the same. I'd like the primers the same depth and the anvil seated to the bottom of the pocket. The problem with primer seating depth seems to be that it depends on rim thickness variation. I have and use hand primers, bench primers, and ram prime. The ram prime has good feel also and easier on my aging hands. I'm currently testing the new to me ugly reloading priming die from derraco engineering. Does it make a difference on paper? Jury still out but it gives me piece of mind knowing its all as close as I can get it to being consistent. It does seem to help my ES

Agree . . . it really is all about "consistency"!

My approach to all this is to control what can be controlled to get an much consistency as the tools I have will allow. Some of the things, like those things involving ignition is hard to see differences on paper, especially if the gun, barrel or shooter simply isn't capable of producing consistent results. If one is shooting >1moa, then there's not much that can be seen with what reloaders do that shoot <.250. I try to get as much consistency out of each element of the reloading process as I can, if for no other reason than to eliminate those factors to blame poor results on and helps me look closer at the nut behind the trigger for much of the problems on target.

 

[JFrank]

I test a lot of dumb stuff including primer weight , pocket depth, seat by feel, seat by depth ram press seaters against hand seaters etc. mostly at 500 yards, as long as the primer is fully seated my rifle is happy. I haven’t tested at 1k so things could be different at that distance, idk

 

[Richard Jones]

How Dusty Primes

 

[Chaotik]

I seat my primers with a pair of channel lock pliers.
All of my primer pockets are uniformed.
All primers are weighed and sorted.
I have arthritis in my hands so seating primers by hand has been an ongoing issue. So I use the K&M tool, which is the only tool that I know of that matches the primer height with the primer cup depth and allows one to seat to a precise 2-3 thousands of crush.

https://www.youtube.com/@bob1764

 

[Ccrider]

Does primer pocket depth change over a series of firings?

 

[TIMO]

I use several of the K&M hand priming tools (basic model) as well, they provide a good feel when seating the primers and well as very adjustable for seating. Have a couple of Derraco priming shell holders (Lee type) on the way to try for the 30BR & 6PPC. Their advertising promotes them as competition grade. I am hoping the tolerances are better than the standard Lee priming shell holders which can be a little sloppy.

Just my .02
Tim

​

 

[Mastershot]

I use several of the K&M hand priming tools (basic model) as well, they provide a good feel when seating the primers and well as very adjustable for seating. Have a couple of Derraco priming shell holders (Lee type) on the way to try for the 30BR & 6PPC. Their advertising promotes them as competition grade. I am hoping the tolerances are better than the standard Lee priming shell holders which can be a little sloppy.

Just my .02
Tim

​

I bought mine with the uglys shell holders. They are very tight from what I can tell. I have the lee shell holders and to this date never tried one.

 

[TIMO]

I bought mine with the uglys shell holders. They are very tight from what I can tell. I have the lee shell holders and to this date never tried one.

Mastershot,
Thanks for the info on them, I am hoping they arrive before the weekend so I try them when I load some 6.5 Grendel.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Webster]

You don't need a $750 barrel to see if one primer is more consistant than another over a chronograph.
Primers are about the ignition system along with the striker workings such as firing pin travel,firing pin protrusion,firing pin spring strenght,and head space.

You need a great barrel for accuracy not to generate numbers on a chronograph. Group size at the distance you shoot is all that matters. I would guess that all the top shooters don't use the same primer. I would like some of the top shooters to comment on what they use and why. Most shooters don't know how to inspect and improve the firing mechanism. If your serious about shootinng you should go over the firing mechanisn, improve any problem areas, then test by shooting.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Does primer pocket depth change over a series of firings?

Yes. How much depends on the brass being used and how hot the loads being fired.