Which Primer

[amlevin]

Over the years I have used CCI BR-2's and can't say anything bad about them. I recently was checking some websites and ran across Federal Match Primers for a considerably less amount.


Which is better? CCI or Fed? Or is their another "Bench Rest" quality primer out there to consider.

I'm not averse to paying the extra for CCI if they truly are the superior primer for accuracy but I'm always willing to learn and I tend to ask around before I jump into a new purchase.

 

[crewchef]

In responses to posts/questions similar to yours I've seen Wolf mentioned quite often. I'm giving them a try now with good results.

 

[markm87]

Yep. Wolf has run well for us. Much cheaper too.

 

[Laurie]

Have a look at German Salazar's Rifleman's Journal blog on the subject using .30-06 as a test vehicle:

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/primers-large-rifle-primer-study.html

Personally, I've had very good results with BR2, 210M and the PMC standard (Wolf) in .260 Rem to 6.5X55mm size cartridges. I reckon the important thing is not to chop and change once you've got a good performing combination. A different primer in the same category might not change anything (group size, pressure, MV spreads) for the worse, but then again it very well might!

 

[Larryh128]

I think that you can find a slight difference in lot to lot in any primer so it's a good idea to buy a bunch at once. I use CCI primers because when I used to burn 500-1000 rounds of 12 ga target loads a week ,right after we killed the last dinosaur, they had by FAR the best quality control. They were all the same size & they all went bang. It still applies. I imagine that the others have gotten better, but i can tell you that I wouldn't have taken a couple major brands back then if they were given to me.

 

[Beau]

I think it depends far more upon the lot# you get rather than the brand.

 

[ar15topgun]

wolf or tula...same primers

 

[K22]

I've used both CCI BR and Federal Match Primers (205M) in my various 223's.
Both have yielded excellent results. For the last few years I've been using Federal because they work well in all my rifles and I like to buy them in bulk thus simplifying my inventory of components.

As to which is better, you'll just have to test with you choosen powder, bullet, rifle combination. I don't believe either one is inherently better than the other based on my expereince.

 

[1deadpdog]

Hmm, interesting.. good info.. Haven't got into the BR 'yet', tho have noticed differences season to season, different lots of primers, glad I've started buying bulk now, never gave it a thought.. As long as they went bang..
Another twist to this,, I see people wondering/concerned about the 'slam-fire' in the AR's. I've been using CCI 400 and 450 with good results in my AR,. OK, I've got a Thompson Contender in .223AI, Still fireforming Hornady brass/factory rounds. Not sure who's primer Hornady uses, they're hard, probably for the AR app. Rather than looking for a 'hard' faced primer for the AR, I'm going to ask the opposite,, which may be the 'softer' primer for the T/C? I've been thru the T/C, new hammer spring, new firing pins.. Have to drop the hammer 2-3 times before the bang with the factory ammo. Just wondering, will be experimenting meanwhile.. I have an assortment, CCI, Rem,Fed. Any insight will be appreciated.

 

[pdhntr]

Here ya' go:

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/primers_and_pressure.php

Jim

 

[Laurie]

I'm going to ask the opposite,, which may be the 'softer' primer for the T/C? I've been thru the T/C, new hammer spring, new firing pins.. Have to drop the hammer 2-3 times before the bang with the factory ammo.

Any of the standard SR primers - Rem 6.5, CCI-400, F200, standard Wolf / PMC. They use 0.020" thick brass cups while magnums and most BR models have 0.025" (F205M aside which is half way between the two). My Russian manufactured PMC standard SRs are the softest I've used, barely usable in .223 Rem in an AR15 with a Giesselle match trigger and hammer, or a Rem 700 with rather loose firing pin.

You're ignition problems may also be down or partly down to headspace issues. If the pin is having to drive the cartridge forward in the chamber by more than a few thou', you lose a lot of its energy. If you've not already done so, try backing the sizer die out a turn and then gradually tightening it back down until the action will just close on a resized case without any additional effort needed. (I don't know how that would work in a T/C. if it's not viable, you need the Hornady or Sinclair comparator body and appropriate case headspace gauge to measure your fired unsized cases and then compare your sized examples against that figure, setting the die to push the shoulder back some two to three thou'

 

[bozo699]

Over the years I have used CCI BR-2's and can't say anything bad about them. I recently was checking some websites and ran across Federal Match Primers for a considerably less amount.


Which is better? CCI or Fed? Or is their another "Bench Rest" quality primer out there to consider.

I'm not averse to paying the extra for CCI if they truly are the superior primer for accuracy but I'm always willing to learn and I tend to ask around before I jump into a new purchase.

I have shot thousands of Br2's,.....good primers but other then the B stamped on the bottom there EXACTLY the same as the 200's the br4 and the 400 are different but not the BR2's. I keep thousands of all kinds of primers in stock and shoot what shoots best, right now with the lot of Varget and the lot of 450's that I have shoot the best in my 6brx after that's used up who knows?
Wayne.

 

[Bradley Walker]

I would love to see tests with the rem 7 1/2 and the cci 450.

 

[bozo699]

I would love to see tests with the rem 7 1/2 and the cci 450.

Bradley,
That would be easy enough to do,.....do you own a rifle that shoots a cartridge that uses small primers? Do what Dave Berg did and give us a side by side
Wayne.

 

[Bradley Walker]

I would love to see tests with the rem 7 1/2 and the cci 450.

Bradley,
That would be easy enough to do,.....do you own a rifle that shoots a cartridge that uses small primers? Do what Dave Berg did and give us a side by side
Wayne.

Oh I am going to do that...

I really needed a 100 yard backstop... whcih I now have. I was load testing at 200. That is tough.

 

[Laurie]

I have shot thousands of Br2's,.....good primers but other then the B stamped on the bottom there EXACTLY the same as the 200's [bozo699]

Wayne,

out of curiosity, how do you know?

Laurie

 

[bozo699]

I have shot thousands of Br2's,.....good primers but other then the B stamped on the bottom there EXACTLY the same as the 200's [bozo699]

Wayne,

out of curiosity, how do you know?

Laurie

Laurie,
I am sending you a p.m on how I know
Wayne.

 

[Steve Blair]

Laurie,
I am sending you a p.m on how I know
Wayne.

[br]
I've heard rumors that Wayne has insider knowledge. The SEC is investigating.