Primers for .308 Lapua Palma Brass

[Fidain]

Bought 100 .308 Lapua Palma brass with small flash hole. Can someone suggest what primers would be the best? I have 30” 1-10 Krieger, RPA quad lock action. Rifle is throated for heavy bullets. Planning to shoot Bergers 185 LRBT, 200 Hybrids. Powder is VV-550. This forum is great Special thanks to German and Laurie; I just love reading their articles. Thanks everyone

 

[wapiti25]

You should contact Kevin Thomas about using the palma brass. I have heard that there can be ignition issues with some loads using the small primer. The palma brass was devloped for some palma loads, 155gr bullets.

 

[Steve Blair]

I use Lapua Palma brass with 230 Hybrids, H4350 and either Wolf SRM or CCI 450 primers. Both are very mild and, with ES in the 9-12 range, there are no ignition problems.

 

[Laurie]

I've always used CCI-BR4s with this brass and got good results. The BR4s are a tad 'hotter' than CCI-450s, at least with the lots I have. As we shoot in much cooler conditions than in the US that gives me a bit of extra insurance for cold days (under 50F today on my home range!). But otherwise, wherever I use the BR4, I'm also happy to use the 450 SR Mag version.

We can't get the Russian primers over here any more (Wolf, Tula, PMC a few years back), and I keep my remaining stock of PMC SRMs for .223 Rem 90gn VLD loads for long-range, but I'd be pretty sure they work well as Sleepygator recommends.

Most Brit 308 Palma users loading heavy bullets with N550 seem to use Federal 205M, so that's another one for you.

 

[Down South]

I've always used CCI-BR4s with this brass and got good results. The BR4s are a tad 'hotter' than CCI-450s, at least with the lots I have. As we shoot in much cooler conditions than in the US that gives me a bit of extra insurance for cold days (under 50F today on my home range!). But otherwise, wherever I use the BR4, I'm also happy to use the 450 SR Mag version.

We can't get the Russian primers over here any more (Wolf, Tula, PMC a few years back), and I keep my remaining stock of PMC SRMs for .223 Rem 90gn VLD loads for long-range, but I'd be pretty sure they work well as Sleepygator recommends.

Most Brit 308 Palma users loading heavy bullets with N550 seem to use Federal 205M, so that's another one for you.

Interesting about the BR4s, I woulda thought they woulda been milder than the 450s......I have both, guess im gonna try em in my palma brass and see what happens......I thought about trying the 205Ms also but they are HARD to find at the moment.

 

[Fidain]

Thanks for the feedback! Very helpful! 8)

 

[Laurie]

Interesting about the BR4s, I woulda thought they woulda been milder than the 450s......I have both, guess im gonna try em in my palma brass and see what happens......I thought about trying the 205Ms also but they are HARD to find at the moment.

Like I say that may just be the lots I have. I base that on .223 Rem with 90s. In terms of MV, high to low is CCI-BR4, CCI-450 and PMC (same as the old Wolf) SRM with the same charge of Re15. The PMC gives the smallest groups and spreads, markdly lower / smaller than the BR4. Dropping the Re15 charge with the BR4 reduced velocity to same as the PMC but didn't restore groups and small ES values. Therre is little difference in MVs bertween the CCI-450 and PMC SRM lots I have, but the PMCs give smaller groups and velocity spreads.

For another 223 Rem rifle, I use the 90gn Berger LRBT and N150 with CCI-450s and this combination works out very well.

I've used this lot of BR4s in Palma brass from day 1 and got good results, but never done a comparison with other makes / models of SR primer. BR4s have been used with 208/210s and N550 / Re17 and 155s with Varget and IMR-8208 XBR and have worked fine with all four powders.

I hear you on primer availability. The UK only gets a few shipments each year of powders and primers from the US. As last year's / January 2013 deliveries got used up, a lot of things are quite unavailable now. Our importers are mostly told their orders are on back-order until the US market is satisfied. We do have Viht, Lovex, Ramshot (made in Belgium, though Ramshot is a US marque from Western Powder of Miles, Montana, but we get it direct from the factory gate. Many other powders have disappeared or got very tight.

Primers? Nobody in the UK has got anything much if at all at the minute - if you need them and can find any you don't worry about make or model! Fortunately, I tend to build my stocks up when times are good.

 

[Fidain]

Just placed an order for 500 of each: CCI-450S, BR4S and Federal 250M. 8)
Laurie - I thought we have hard time to get reloading components in Canada, looks like you guys straggling as well I'm often traveling to UK from Canada; if you fish I can get you some staff from here?
Thanks again everyone!

 

[Laurie]

Just placed an order for 500 of each: CCI-450S, BR4S and Federal 250M. 8)
Laurie - I thought we have hard time to get reloading components in Canada, looks like you guys straggling as well I'm often traveling to UK from Canada; if you fish I can get you some staff from here?
Thanks again everyone!

Hello Fidain.

Thank you for your kind offer, Personally, I'm OK.

There were worries about foreign team members travelling to the US for the F-Class World Championships in Raton in August. as powders and primers cannot be carried by air, but the US manufacturers have generously promised to ensure deliveries to the agents working for the 'visitors'.

 

[Down South]

Thanks for the informative post as always Laurie. Always look forward to reading your post.