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Best Primers
Which company do you all think makes the best primers for small (.223, .243) and large (30-06, .270, 30-30) rifles.
Im new to reloading and would like to bypass al the company propoganda out there. By best I mean most reliable and having the longest shelf life. |
RE: Best Primers
Depends on the use but CCI is a good reliable primer, use them in all my rifles.I like Federals for all pistols or a rifle with weak firing pin. Federals are a little softer. Example: Taurus pistols work best with federal because they have aweakfiring pin strike.
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RE: Best Primers
I've had real good luck with CCI.
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RE: Best Primers
I've had good luck with Federal, CCI, and Winchester. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of them. I normally work up a new load with one primer and then try one or two of the others to see which works best. I would suggest that whatever you use to work up your final load, stick with them. Buy a bunch!
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RE: Best Primers
I have been partial to federal since starting reloading. But I have used remington, CCI, and winchesters. I have seenfriends on here get sub 0.5MOA accuracy out of his 300RUM with WLRM primers and then try my beloved 215M and accuracy went down, and vise versa.
Its just another one of those components we have a option to try different ones |
RE: Best Primers
I've used them all and quite frankly never known .02$ worth of difference in any of them. But I'm a hunter and not a benchrest shooter. Most of the BR crowd used to go with Remington primers. I have no idea who is their favorite today.
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RE: Best Primers
I use CCI as well. I did get a good deal on some Federal large rifle primers as well. Havent tried them as of yet.
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RE: Best Primers
Let me add another comment here about primers. As I say, I've used most every brand and they all worked fine for me. But a few years ago I called Dillon tech support about some questions with a progressive press. Dillon told me flat out, "Do not use CCI primers. They are the sorriest made and least uniform in size. Almost all of the people who call us about primer feed problems are trying to use CCI. We tell them to change to anything else and 99% of the time their primer problems go away."
I've never tried to measure size, cup thickness etc and am only repeating what Dillon tech support told me. Mostly I use Federal and Winchester and both have been great. |
RE: Best Primers
ORIGINAL: Pavomesa Let me add another comment here about primers. As I say, I've used most every brand and they all worked fine for me. But a few years ago I called Dillon tech support about some questions with a progressive press. Dillon told me flat out, "Do not use CCI primers. They are the sorriest made and least uniform in size. Almost all of the people who call us about primer feed problems are trying to use CCI. We tell them to change to anything else and 99% of the time their primer problems go away." I've never tried to measure size, cup thickness etc and am only repeating what Dillon tech support told me. Mostly I use Federal and Winchester and both have been great. I use CCI for pistols because I use a progressive and they claim they are the toughest cup out there. Can't win. |
RE: Best Primers
I use the WLRM in everything. I tried the rest of them, and wasn't happy with the results. The Winchesters gave the most consistant velocities across the chronograph with the magnums and the standard loads. Remingtons gave a 45 fps deviation. Federals gave 25 to 30 fps. CCI's gave the same. Winchesters dropped the deviation to 10 to 15 fps.
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RE: Best Primers
Big Country, I'm sure you are right. I didn't pay much attention to the Dillon rep and sure didn't toss out all my CCI primers.;) The subject of which primer wasn't even really why I called the Dillon support. I used all different sorts in my Dillon presses and never had any trouble with any of them. I've got a few thousand CCI primers to go through before I run out.:)
------------ Red - Glad to read your comments as I've pretty well gone with Winchester primers these last dozen years. I never cared for Remington and never understood why they were once THE primers for the BR shooters. Rem primers always seemed a little wimpy to me. |
RE: Best Primers
ORIGINAL: Pavomesa Big Country, I'm sure you are right. I didn't pay much attention to the Dillon rep and sure didn't toss out all my CCI primers.;) The subject of which primer wasn't even really why I called the Dillon support. I used all different sorts in my Dillon presses and never had any trouble with any of them. I've got a few thousand CCI primers to go through before I run out.:) ------------ Red - Glad to read your comments as I've pretty well gone with Winchester primers these last dozen years. I never cared for Remington and never understood why they were once THE primers for the BR shooters. Rem primers always seemed a little wimpy to me. |
RE: Best Primers
Have not heard of any problems with Federal primers. I use a lot of them and like them...but I'm talking about my rockchucker. I don't load enough anymore to justify a progressive and sold both of mine. The Dillon progressives, which is what I was familiar with, had some little "fine tune" adjustments for primers and quite possibly needed a touch when switching brands. Progressive presses are just sort of tempermental critters. I use the little RCBS priming press now because I love the "feel" and control of what I'm doing. But naturally one doesn't have many "primer problems" with such a machine. Only drawback is I don't set any speed records.[&o]
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RE: Best Primers
ORIGINAL: Pavomesa Have not heard of any problems with Federal primers. I use a lot of them and like them...but I'm talking about my rockchucker. I don't load enough anymore to justify a progressive and sold both of mine. The Dillon progressives, which is what I was familiar with, had some little "fine tune" adjustments for primers and quite possibly needed a touch when switching brands. Progressive presses are just sort of tempermental critters. I use the little RCBS priming press now because I love the "feel" and control of what I'm doing. But naturally one doesn't have many "primer problems" with such a machine. Only drawback is I don't set any speed records.[&o] I know I am taking over this thread. Sorry, back to primers. |
RE: Best Primers
I feel your pain, BC.;)
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RE: Best Primers
I like Federals. But I have had good resuts in some calibers from CCI, some from Remington, and a couple of off-brands like the old Sullivan Arms Co. primers. Also have had good results from RWS & Normain .217", Berdan primeres for European cases. Never used Win. enough to evaluate them.
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RE: Best Primers
The best primer is the that shoots the smallest groop! Try different primers and you have to determine which is the best. CCI primers are great I don't care what Dillon Press has to say. I like CCI BR II in a lot of my guns. I also like Federal. These are the 2 that most guys use when shootingBenchrest.
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RE: Best Primers
As good as the RWS percussion caps are if they still make a primer it would have to be extremely good!
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RE: Best Primers
In my earliest years of handloading about all we could get or would see was CCI primers. They have worked well for me for 37 years.
small rifle primers - CCI BR-4 large rifle primers - CCI200 large rifle magnum - Federal Gold Medal match 215 (bought couple of bricks of them at $20 per) What little bit I have used of the others leads me to believe that primersor I should say using different ones has the absolute least to do with accuracy. Far down on the list from barrel quality, gun set up and overall consistency in loading. |
RE: Best Primers
I use CCI
My dad buys whatever is on sale which rarely is cci. I've found that on loads where I'm pushing the pressure envelope that CCI are better. I worked up a load once using Federal primers and thought that I had reached max pressure from reading the primers. Later used same load with CCI Primers and had no signs of high pressure???? Accuracy, Velocity, etc all the same only no deformation of the primer like was noticed with federals. |
RE: Best Primers
I have been using CCI without any problems but it seems like for the caliber I am shooting all of the manuals test with Rem.9.5 LR Mag primers so I am trying some of them now just to see if my groups tighten or loosen up.
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RE: Best Primers
I was using CCI for years, with good results. My son brought over two bricks of Federal Gold Medal Match primers, one in LR and the otherLRM for the bigger boomers that we have.With the same loads, and just changing appropriate primers, we've both noticedimproved groups. I'lluse the standard primers for plinking now.
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RE: Best Primers
Federal Gold Match Good luck.
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