Primers, is there a best, or even a better?

[Leo_B]

My loading will be mostly revolvers, 32/327 and 38/357, most of those the smaller of the pairs with just a little magnum now and then. Maybe. My rifle loading will be .22Hornet and maybe eventually a lever action in one of those two pairs. I presume I can just use my same ammo in the rifle, if/when I get one, but will have to study that when the time comes. I'll probably be shooting at a max of 25 yards handgun, thank goodness for air conditioned indoor ranges, and 100 yards with the Hornet.

I suspect the Hornet capable of shooting the base out of a teacup every time, whether I am or not. My goal will be to shoot within the mouth of the teacup every time. My handgun goal will be something like enter the teacup every time at 4 yards, break the saucer every time at 8 yards, salad plate every time at 12 yards, small dinner plate every time at 17 yards and large dinner plate every time at 25 yards. That's just thinking about the size of our Correlle stuff in the cabinet and stringing it out 25 yards. More reasonable goals may likely follow when I get going.

So it's sounding like my Magtech primers don't need to be exorcised but going forward stick to CCI. Unless I magically become an Olympic shooter somehow. HAHAHAHA. I slay myself sometimes.

 

[Leo_B]

Large or small rifle primers?

Small all around.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I run Fed 205 AR and CCI 450 in my gas guns. And Rem 7.5 in bolt guns. For hunting/prairie dogs I haven't had any reason to experiment/test primer brands.

 

[L.Sherm]

I can tell you for a fact primers do more than just make a round go bang, you test them for yourself you will see, now that excludes pistol and shotgun with me.
That being said only Win. Primer in my cabinet are LR pistol ones for my 44 mag.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

You’re getting good advice. It would probably be good to just cross off a couple not to buy, those being the Winchester and the CCI 400 in case your load is to stiff for them.

 

[Janeau]

A friend of mine had Winchester LR primers damage his bolt face because they were "leaky". He had to have a costly repair.

They were leaky because his primer pocket were done. Nothing to do with primers. Case have a lifespan and primer pocket are going south fast with overpressure. If it damaged his bolt..he was just ignoring the issue and kept using worn out brass.

 

[Janeau]

Can't go wrong with cci primers.

Can’t go wrong with Federal & Remington either. Primers are chosen as part of developping a load. I shoot in Benchrest and changing primer and testing is part of load development..and more important when you are seeking the smaller group ever.

 

[J_idaho]

Cci BR

 

[6.5 forever]

Lot number variance in the same brand can also be something to watch.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

They were leaky because his primer pocket were done. Nothing to do with primers. Case have a lifespan and primer pocket are going south fast with overpressure. If it damaged his bolt..he was just ignoring the issue and kept using worn out brass.

thats completely false, please do some more research on this and you will see.

 

[Leo_B]

Is there any advantage to choosing BR-4 over 400 or save the money and use 400's? For a non-competitive shooter only competing with the last trip to the range.

 

[muvef]

I test CCI 450, Rem 7.5 and Fed GMM. I don't mess with anything else. I do have some Wolf magnum primers that perform well, but I can't get them anymore.

 

[Steve Donlon]

Remington 21/2 LP. Some people don't like them because they are softer, but never had one go off unintentionally, the same for 400's plus Remington 71/2 SR because they are HARDER to seat.

 

[kelbro]

I haven't had any issues with WW primers, but then again, mine are at least a decade old. QC was probably better then.

I still have a couple of bricks in the white boxes Never had an issue with them.

 

[243winxb]

Is there any advantage to choosing BR-4 over 400

Thicker cups? The CCI 400 primes seen to flow more around 40,000 PSI.
Remington 7 1/2 primers work well.


Old Chart. I avoid Winchester primers.

 

[bozo699]

seating means nothing to me, winchester are probably the worst primers you can buy.

load up everything else (not winchester) and see what shoots best

Winchester primers matter!…..
Wayne

 

[bozo699]

Is there any advantage to choosing BR-4 over 400 or save the money and use 400's? For a non-competitive shooter only competing with the last trip to the range.

BR4’s will take higher pressures the 400’s were designed for low pressure cases like the 22 Hornet.
Wayne

 

[ggshoots]

For pistol I had read several studies last year that rated the Magtech very well. I decided to give them a try and have been very happy. We are using them in 9mm and shooting at 25-40 max. Just shooting different steel plates and not Bullseye so cant verify any accuracy changes but no failures due to primers.

Im pretty much Fed and CCI on rifles after being CCI and Winchester growing up.

 

[jpjulian]

Why? For seating? FTF? Accuracy?

They tend to pierce or leak around the edges. I have had 3 different rifles, using large rifle and small rifle primers, with bolt face damage due to Winchester primers that pierced. And no, they were not anywhere near hot loads.

 

[Syncrowave]

I've gotten a lot of good loads with low ES and SD using Russian (Wolf, Tula) primers. Others report same.

Other than that, as for which brand to start with when developing a load, roll the dice. Flip a coin.