Primer Selection - The Firearms Forum

Zhurh · 04-25-2012, 11:04 AM

Couple years back, (when the shelves were full again after the last election) I bought bunch of powder & primers at Sportsmans. Now, everybody has their preferred primers for each caliber. I use Fed 215's, 210's and CCI 41's more than anything and have over 10K of them so I feel my grandkids will still be eating moose & caribou long after I've left this earth. But when I did buy those supplies, they mainly had CCI primers on the shelf and I bought a bunch; I picked up the 210's and 41's the following summer. So, I have like 14K total CCI 400 & 450 small rifle and CCI 200 & 250 large rifle primers in my stash and wonder what to use them for; since I mainly use the 215,210, and 41's. Figured I'd trade them or use them eventually. Those CCI 400, 450, 200, and 250, are they standard small & large rifle primers or are they less desireable for whatever reason? Everybody I talk to uses the 210, 215, and 41's.

cpttango30 · 04-25-2012, 11:26 AM

I use Wolf. Better than either federal, or cci's.

Hammerslagger · 04-25-2012, 11:54 AM

Statements of fact:

ATK owns Alliant Powder, CCI/Speer, and Federal Cartridge.

CCI/Speer and Federal often load, package, and ship each others' ammo.

Rumor: Federal has stopped ACTUALLY MAKING primers for the hand-loading market and has given that segment of its business to CCI.
CCI may be actually making all reloading market primers and packaging them in both CCI and Federal packaging.

Question: Does anyone have any actual knowledge as to the rumor as stated above?

LDBennett · 04-25-2012, 01:42 PM

Unless you test your loads with various primers for accuracy there is no advantage to using one primer over another. For guns that you just want to go bang, anyone's primer will do. For competition or for bragging rights you have to test to find what works best with your loads and guns. Few people do that and just go by hearsay as to what primer is better than another. That is not the way to do it if you care.

Years ago a magazine did a test of primers for how energetic they were with pictures and all. The Winchester family of primers won the photo shoot. Since at the time the best deal I could get on primers was at the gun shows and the deal primers were Winchester, that is what I bought then and still do. My current source of Winchester primers has the best pricing and, except during the OBAMA Fear of 2008/2009, usually has all the primers I need. But I still stock up and the OBAMA Fear has started again, I see. Fortunately I have sufficient supply for a few years.

LDBennett

Appliancedude · 04-25-2012, 03:41 PM

All those primers you mentioned are crap. They don't shoot worth a darn, and worse yet may cause discomfort in your shoulder from excessive shooting So just send them all to me and I will take care of disposing of them for you.

Zhurh · 04-25-2012, 04:01 PM

Thanks and appreciate the input; and LD you got to be about the most knowledgeable TFF member on this site (even though you're from Californistan). So, I guess I'll start using some of those CCI's. I'm just newbee to the whole reloading thing, so when friends tell me this primer or that, I'll just remember if they go bang and fit they are good.

Wife and I are doing the 600 mile drive into Anchorage in 2 weeks for doc visits & supplies. I'm picking up a few thousand primers for my revolvers, 44, 480, 460 mags. I guess its th same with those as with the rifle primers. About 10 years back, I shot a blk bear that was crawling in on me real slow, front quarters down, butt up in air, ears goin like crazy and he was too close; within 10 feet; just like a cat on a rabbit. Thats why I think about primers.

Frogtop · 04-25-2012, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Appliancedude

All those primers you mentioned are crap. They don't shoot worth a darn, and worse yet may cause discomfort in your shoulder from excessive shooting So just send them all to me and I will take care of disposing of them for you.

I agree totally. Send some to me.

312shooter · 04-25-2012, 05:00 PM

I can tell you Remington primers gave me the highest velocity spread in a 308 load test I conducted. I dont mind them, but choose to avoid them for precision work. YMMV

thunderchild223 · 04-25-2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 312shooter

I can tell you Remington primers gave me the highest velocity spread in a 308 load test I conducted. I dont mind them, but choose to avoid them for precision work. YMMV

what do you use for precision work?

gdmoody · 04-25-2012, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpttango30

I use Wolf. Better than either federal, or cci's.

cpt, do you find the Wolf primer harder to seat?

I spent part of today reloading some .223 and I used wolf primers. I had a hard time getting them to seat properly with my thumb operated Lee priming tool. After about a dozen, I brought out the Ram Prime tool to finish up what I was doing.

BlackEagle · 04-25-2012, 09:28 PM

I've used Federal, CCI and some German brand of small rifle primers, and never really had any trouble with any of them. They all seated well, except in some military cases that I hadn't reamed out the primer pocket well enough. They all made the powder go "bang" and I didn't see any real difference in shooting performance.
I have used CCI, Federal and PPU small pistol primers with similar results and no particular problems.

76Highboy · 04-25-2012, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Appliancedude

All those primers you mentioned are crap. They don't shoot worth a darn, and worse yet may cause discomfort in your shoulder from excessive shooting So just send them all to me and I will take care of disposing of them for you.

Oh ya, Appalaciandude is so right, except if you guys send them to me first I will get them to him as a courtesy. I'm everyone's friend.

Really, trust me.

Zhurh · 04-26-2012, 12:51 AM

Ok, another one. I was looking in load books and saw that you could use mag or large rifle primers in a few mag pistol calibers. I need to get primers for 44, 480, and 460 mag when in town. Is this Kosher or do I need specific pistol primers?

Last winter I loaded up for all my rifles, nx winter I want to work on the revolvers.

Thanks Again. One of these days, one of you all will be hunting in ALaska and not know where to kill something; then I'll be able to help you for once.

gdmoody · 04-26-2012, 07:47 AM

I use standard pistol primers in all handgun loads, no matter if they are magnum or not.

04-25-2012, 11:04 AM	#1
Zhurh Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Upper Yukon, Alaska Posts: 1,819	Primer Selection Couple years back, (when the shelves were full again after the last election) I bought bunch of powder & primers at Sportsmans. Now, everybody has their preferred primers for each caliber. I use Fed 215's, 210's and CCI 41's more than anything and have over 10K of them so I feel my grandkids will still be eating moose & caribou long after I've left this earth. But when I did buy those supplies, they mainly had CCI primers on the shelf and I bought a bunch; I picked up the 210's and 41's the following summer. So, I have like 14K total CCI 400 & 450 small rifle and CCI 200 & 250 large rifle primers in my stash and wonder what to use them for; since I mainly use the 215,210, and 41's. Figured I'd trade them or use them eventually. Those CCI 400, 450, 200, and 250, are they standard small & large rifle primers or are they less desireable for whatever reason? Everybody I talk to uses the 210, 215, and 41's. -->

04-25-2012, 11:26 AM	#2
cpttango30 Former Guest Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Stafford, VA Contributor Posts: 3,071	Re: Primer Selection I use Wolf. Better than either federal, or cci's.

04-25-2012, 11:54 AM	#3
Hammerslagger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,099	Re: Primer Selection Statements of fact: ATK owns Alliant Powder, CCI/Speer, and Federal Cartridge. CCI/Speer and Federal often load, package, and ship each others' ammo. Rumor: Federal has stopped ACTUALLY MAKING primers for the hand-loading market and has given that segment of its business to CCI. CCI may be actually making all reloading market primers and packaging them in both CCI and Federal packaging. Question: Does anyone have any actual knowledge as to the rumor as stated above? Last edited by Hammerslagger; 04-25-2012 at 11:57 AM.. Reason: typos & clarify

04-25-2012, 01:42 PM	#4
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,715	Re: Primer Selection Unless you test your loads with various primers for accuracy there is no advantage to using one primer over another. For guns that you just want to go bang, anyone's primer will do. For competition or for bragging rights you have to test to find what works best with your loads and guns. Few people do that and just go by hearsay as to what primer is better than another. That is not the way to do it if you care. Years ago a magazine did a test of primers for how energetic they were with pictures and all. The Winchester family of primers won the photo shoot. Since at the time the best deal I could get on primers was at the gun shows and the deal primers were Winchester, that is what I bought then and still do. My current source of Winchester primers has the best pricing and, except during the OBAMA Fear of 2008/2009, usually has all the primers I need. But I still stock up and the OBAMA Fear has started again, I see. Fortunately I have sufficient supply for a few years. LDBennett

04-25-2012, 03:41 PM	#5
Appliancedude Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: The true northern Cal Posts: 1,562	Re: Primer Selection All those primers you mentioned are crap. They don't shoot worth a darn, and worse yet may cause discomfort in your shoulder from excessive shooting So just send them all to me and I will take care of disposing of them for you. __________________ It ain't broke it just lacks duct tape. The nice thing about opinions is everybody has one.

04-25-2012, 04:01 PM	#6
Zhurh Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Upper Yukon, Alaska Posts: 1,819	Re: Primer Selection Thanks and appreciate the input; and LD you got to be about the most knowledgeable TFF member on this site (even though you're from Californistan). So, I guess I'll start using some of those CCI's. I'm just newbee to the whole reloading thing, so when friends tell me this primer or that, I'll just remember if they go bang and fit they are good. Wife and I are doing the 600 mile drive into Anchorage in 2 weeks for doc visits & supplies. I'm picking up a few thousand primers for my revolvers, 44, 480, 460 mags. I guess its th same with those as with the rifle primers. About 10 years back, I shot a blk bear that was crawling in on me real slow, front quarters down, butt up in air, ears goin like crazy and he was too close; within 10 feet; just like a cat on a rabbit. Thats why I think about primers.

04-25-2012, 05:00 PM	#8
312shooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 1,148	Re: Primer Selection I can tell you Remington primers gave me the highest velocity spread in a 308 load test I conducted. I dont mind them, but choose to avoid them for precision work. YMMV __________________ "Democracy is based on citizenship- perhaps the greatest gift the United States has given to the world- Power is vested in the people themselves, and government flows from the people" James M Henslin

04-25-2012, 09:28 PM	#11
BlackEagle Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: UK Posts: 3,168	Re: Primer Selection I've used Federal, CCI and some German brand of small rifle primers, and never really had any trouble with any of them. They all seated well, except in some military cases that I hadn't reamed out the primer pocket well enough. They all made the powder go "bang" and I didn't see any real difference in shooting performance. I have used CCI, Federal and PPU small pistol primers with similar results and no particular problems.

04-26-2012, 12:51 AM	#13
Zhurh Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Upper Yukon, Alaska Posts: 1,819	Re: Primer Selection Ok, another one. I was looking in load books and saw that you could use mag or large rifle primers in a few mag pistol calibers. I need to get primers for 44, 480, and 460 mag when in town. Is this Kosher or do I need specific pistol primers? Last winter I loaded up for all my rifles, nx winter I want to work on the revolvers. Thanks Again. One of these days, one of you all will be hunting in ALaska and not know where to kill something; then I'll be able to help you for once.

04-26-2012, 07:47 AM	#14
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,334	Re: Primer Selection I use standard pistol primers in all handgun loads, no matter if they are magnum or not. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)