Hand Priming

[One Eye Pete]

I have gone down an awful lot of rabbit holes and owned a lot of different priming tools but there are a few things that I have observed when it comes to priming cases.
1. A priming tool that indexes off the case head is generally more accurate at seating primers to a given depth than one that indexes off the case rim. I have two priming tools that index off the case head, the Lee ACP press and the Sinclair hand priming tool. While both can seat primers to an accurate depth the Sinclair is by far better. It is a bit slow but it is very easy on my old hands.
2. I haven’t observed a lot of dIfferences in accuracy as far as primer seating depth goes as long as all my primers are seated to about the same depth and all of the primer anvils are firmly seated against the bottom of the primer pocket.
3. At first I thought that weighing and sorting primers was a worthless exercise. However in the pursuit of accuracy I decided to give it a try. What I observed was that my groups weren’t necessarily a lot tighter but vertical flyers were noticeably reduced.
If you want a hand priming tool for accurate easy seating I highly recommend the Sinclair tool. If you do go with the Sinclair pick up a set steel of ring shims from McMaster Carr (item # 3088A932) so that you can accurately set the desired seating depth. If you want to accurately measure your primer pocket depth and primer seating depth I highly recommend the Accuracy One precision primer gauge.

 

[Tangent]

3. At first I thought that weighing and sorting primers was a worthless exercise. However in the pursuit of accuracy I decided to give it a try. What I observed was that my groups weren’t necessarily a lot tighter but vertical flyers were noticeably reduced.

Did you chronograph them? It would be interesting to see any velocity difference of the vertical fliers.

 

[Gary C]

Yikes
This ones good and that ones good.
This one give a good feel.
Been using that one for years and I am satified.
Glasscock seems to be saying as long as the primers are seated to just touching or crushed slightly (<.005)
there is no measurable change on group or velocity? I think I can measure primer thickness and pocket depth and get there with my RCBS Jr. press.
Cortina says when using Lapua brass, leave it alone.
No need to true up the pocket or uniform the flash hole.
SO, My assumption is with my Savage LRPV and urbanrifleman Prefit Wilson barrel that is pretty consistantly
giving me .200-.300 at 100YDS and I most likely will not be able to see any change AT THE TARGET.
I will stick with my present set up for now, but thanks to all who have offered their experance and advice.
I will keep reading the threads on this forum and I'm sure I will continue to learn.

G

 

[One Eye Pete]

Did you chronograph them? It would be interesting to see any velocity difference of the vertical fliers.

No the reduction in flyers I noted was over the last four to five F-class club matches that I shot (Since I have been sorting the primers). I don’t chronograph at the matches. Needless to say a flyer can ruin your day. I have been caught by the wind and ended up either to the right or left in the 9 ring but I haven’t had one unexpectedly drop down or rise up into the 9 ring. Generally speaking one thing I have learned is to put a lot more faith into what appears on the target rather than the ES or SD numbers from the chrono.
Now if I could just get a better handle on the wind.

 

[jackieschmidt]

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 do chase .001 on the target, and I pay no attention to primer seating pressure. I just seat them to the bottom of the pocket with nothing more than a RCBS hand held tool.