Which primer to use?

[howlnmad]

I'm working up some brass to do a load test (30/30). My Speer manual says to use large rifle magnum primers but none of the others do. I'm loading 150 grn Rem Core-Lokts over H335 powder. The max charge will be 34 grn and working down in .2 increments. Should I use the magnum primers or just go with the large rifle?

[whirley]

Magnum primers will give you possibly better ignition and a little more velocity. All my loading manuals specify standard primers,so I'm surprised at that. I only use mangum primers in my .375 H&H. Large case, lots of powder, better ignition. You have acess to the internet, I suggest you ask SPEER about the primers. I'm sure they'll give you a good explanation.

[steve4102]

335 is a ball/spherical powder that may need a magnum primer to ignite fully, especially in very cold weather . Use em if ya got em.

[accident]

The book I have access to right now is Lymans 47th.It says with 150gr jacketed RN, using H-335 powder starting chge is 34.3gn and max chge is a compressed 39gr. using Large Rifle primer. What do your other books list? Speer's max chge appears to be just below Lyman's recommended start chge? Just concerned..Joe

[BobMcG]

It looks as though either primer should work but maybe it's more important when using CCI brand primers?

A look through some of my Speer manuals shows that H335 first makes an appearance with them in 30/30 loads in the 10th edition. They did make a change in the charge weight though, from 29.0gr to 33.0gr in editions #10 & #11 down to 28.0gr to 32.0gr in editions #12 - #14. However, they do recommend using a CCI #250 mag primer in all of the #10 - #14 editions with H335.

A look at some other manuals reveals that at least for their (or non-specified) 30/30 150gr bullet loads:

Hornady manuals #6 - #8 shows the use of a standard Fed. #210 primer & 27.4gr to 35.0gr of H335.

Barnes lists their first 30/30 loads in editions #2 & #3 w/their XFN bullets using standard Winchester WLR primers & 26.0gr to 30.0gr of H335. (In edition #4 they went to the TSX bullet and dropped using H335.)

Lyman #49 though, mentions using a standard CCI #200 primer & 30.5gr to 34.0gr of H335.

Lee #2 simply mentions using a "large rifle primer" & 29.7gr to 33.0gr of H335.

Sierra #5, while using standard Rem. #9.5 primers for their 30/30 loads, no loads are shown using H335...

[howlnmad]

I don't have a Barnes or Sierra manual but I have referenced all the others except my Speer is #13. The Hodgdon 2003 and 2010 both say LR as well. Speer was the only one that suggested using a LRM and it does specify CCI. I'm going with the 34 grn as max just to split the difference between all the references.

[The_Rifleman]

Originally Posted by steve4102

335 is a ball/spherical powder that may need a magnum primer to ignite fully, especially in very cold weather . Use em if ya got em.

I agree. The spherical powder I've used in winter experienced hang-fires, I solved the problem with a heavier charge weight but a magnum primer may have solved it also.

I would also suggest working up to 34grains incrementally, instead of "working down."

[Bindernut]

Like Steve and Rifleman noted, H335 (and pretty much any other spherical that I've used) will give more consistent ignition with a hotter primer especially in the cold weather.

For the 30-30 (and others), I used to use WW748 and I also used Mag primers with it for any cold weather loads.
I'm now using BLC2 instead, and since it's spherical too I'm still using magnum primers.

[howlnmad]

I do have a few hundred CCI LRM primers hanging around, I reckon I'll give them a try. Thanks for the help folks.