What is your preference for non-magnum 6.5 to .338 ammo and why? My CCI 200's seem to perform just fine.

Question:
Which one do you use?

Choices:
210 Federal
200 CCI
other

 

I can't be sure which of those is the best but I've really gone off Remington nine-and-a-halfs for the smaller-capacity cases.

For some reason they seem a lot harder to seat, esp. in my RWS 6.5x54 cases.

I used CCI primers years ago but sometimes had trouble seating them uniformly. I tried Federal primers and have used them now for many years. I have heard CCI made some changes to the primers and they now seat easier. I just don't see a reason to change back.

I used CCI for years, then switched over to Federal for no particular reason, both worked just fine for me..Ive never traded back because most of my loaded stuff is federal and I don't want to change that and end up with mixed loads as almost any change can reflect on poi or accuracy...

I used every primer made for a couple years then looked all my targets and the best groups were with Federal primers. The Federal are all I use now and I have enough to withstand any scarcity that will come. I learned my lesson back in the early 90’s when shooters started to hord, now I have enough for my great grandson to have plenty. Good Shooting.

I have used Federal primers for more than 30 years now. Never had one misfire. They are extremely consistent.

I've been using CCI's for more than a decade and could never fault them.

Now I am moving to RWS. I want make myself independent of US manufacturers. Too much political BS happening lately.

When I was loading 10's of thousands of rounds a year it was what ever I could buy the cheapest.

I now have mostly Remington and cci in stock.

So that is what I use

With very rare exceptions, I've never seen primers make a discernible difference in load performance. I have both CCI 200's and Federal 210M's on hand and find no difference in them. Both seat a little more firmly than the Winchester LR primers, probably because they use the same size cups but the nickel plating adds a .0005" or so to their diameter compared to the bare brass Winchesters.

However, once I work up a load with one primer I try to stay with the same primer for that load.

During the bami/billary induced shortage I had to buy some CI 200s, though I had sworn off CCI primers long ago.
Do not know about accuracy, but they are the hardest to seat primers I have ever used.
Need to try some Federals, but the Winchester primers have NEVER let me down

quote:

Originally posted by custombolt:
What is your preference for non-magnum 6.5 to .338 ammo and why? My CCI 200's seem to perform just fine.

What ever I have on the shelf is the bet yer ass, bestest, fastest most perfectest there is until there gone!!

idk of they are "better" - but all my bigbores were using 215s, and i found a good deal on 210s .. had been very strongly winchester primers, prior - but the 215s lite off the big bores SO much better than WLRM primers - look, hang fires with 125gr of powder is NOT a good time - that i just made my life simple -

so, i like the LRM, and decided to also use the LRS, no science behind it, other than the 215s dont usually elevate my heart rate as much as holding on for dear life, with a "bomb" before my face

CCI 200 for every rifle load

im not a one primer guy. I use WLR, FED 210, and S&B, some 200's not much

I have always used Federal. Never had an issue. Had no reason to change. On that note, all my loads are developed with Federal. Have you guys seen a noticeable difference between switching lets say between Federal and CCI? Where I live Federal can be harder to get but CCI always seem to be stocked. Just wondering if I was in a pinch if using CCI would make a difference.

quote:

Just wondering if I was in a pinch if using CCI would make a difference.

Typically you'll see no difference. Given my choice between the two I would always chose whichever bore the lower price tag.

I found that Federals are generally softer than CCI. I mean Federals will flatten sooner with rising pressure over CCI. Also firing pin marks and primer "creep" around firing pin are more significant.

I don't believe it is due to different pressure, because velocity difference is almost none.

That is just my observation, maybe it is different lot to lot.

Jiri

I use Fed 205, 210 and 215's depending on the cartridge. With that said, I have found nothing to fault about CCI primers so if I had them, I'd use them. (been reloading centerfire cartridges for 40+ years and don't remember a misfire which can be blamed on the primer...and I've use 'em all)

Zeke

No such thing as better. Some rifles shoot better with one primer over another. IIRC Saeed did a test on how hot various primers are. I have a 340 Wby where WLR will cut the (POI) group size by half- that rifle will not shoot A frames at all, but is under half an inch with TSX. I also have 2 .300 Win, which shoot into one hole (POI groups). One likes Fed Match 215, RL 22 and TTSX, the other MRP, WLR and TSX. Talk about splitting hairs.

Nothing is better, it's all relative.....

quote:

One likes Fed Match 215, RL 22 and TTSX, the other MRP, WLR and TSX.

RL22 and MRP are made by the same manufacturer to the same specifications. However, this powder is well-known for lot-to-lot variations, so the two differently-branded powders will vary from one another in much the same way that different lots of the same-branded powder do.

I'm aware of the heated debate. But my guy who develops POI loads had both powders and both primers contemporaneously to play with each rifle and came up with those recipes. My point being it is the sum of the parts, not necessarily the parts themselves that counts.

Since 1969 I have used CCI 200 in all my rifles that use large rifle primers so I don't have a clue how any other primers would perform.

I have had great results Fed 210M primers in all firearms that use them, so I simplify my reloading, and use them almost exclusively. I had to change to Win WLR for my Garand, as the Federals were causing slamfires. WLR primers eliminated that. But, there was a negative effect to accuracy.... it is what it is.

I use Federal 210Ms and 215Ms in my centerfire rifles and CCI 300s, 350s and 500s, 550s in my pistols and revolvers. No particular reason. I have no definitive proof one works better than the other.

If I were to switch primers in full house loads, I would back off the powder charge and shoot a pressure series over the chronograph just to make sure I stayed safe.

coupla 2-3 years ago or so i decided i needed another 550 so set it up for 45 colt and 44 mag and could not get CCI to seat deep enough. i rigged the seating arm to go higher, tried lots of fixes. would not seat em. numerous calls to dillon were all the same, don't use CCI they are hard to seat. said don't send it back till u try another brand. tried WW and seated like "budda". maybe 5000 or so rds later and not a high primer in the bunch. shoulda listened to em first time. in fact, the first question the tech guy asked was are u using CCI primers?

[quote]quote:One likes Fed Match 215, RL 22 and TTSX, the other MRP, WLR and TSX. RL22 and MRP are made by the same manufacturer to the same specifications. However,

this powder is well-
Both MRP and Reloader 22 are made by Eurenco/Bofors in Sweden.

RL22 = Norma MRP
RL19 = Norma 204
RL15 = Norma 203
RL25 = MRP2

these powers are made by the same manufacturer.
NORMA has a higher quality control
WEATHERBY uses a lot of norma powers with fed 215 primers

I've reloaded ammo for more than a half century and have used both CCI 250 and Federal 215 primers and they both work. For the first 15 years I used CCIs and then switched for no particular reason.

According to Allan Jones, who then worked for CCI, their line of magnum primers was reformulated in 1989 to use a compound that provides a 24-percent increase in flame temperature and a 16-percent boost in gas volume over the previous version of the CCI 250.

quote:

According to Allan Jones, who then worked for CCI, their line of magnum primers was reformulated in 1989

Well, I wouldn't have anything that new in my primer stash, so I guess my 250's are the old weaklings.

I hear ya. I think that my stock of CCI primers is a mix of both old and new, but they always work, so I can't see any difference in them. When I started reloading, CCI primers seemed to be more readily available in my area so that's what I used. Years later, the local sporting goods stores seemed to stock more Federals so I switched. I'd happily use either the rest for the rest of my life.

Any problems between most of the primers I have tried or tested amount to the shooters imagination as a matter of fact..I use Fed have for the last 50 years for no other reason than consistency on my part..I used CCI prior to that for the same reason, nothing changed in the change over that I could tell, I was mostly concerned about velocity and POI, but that was to no avail, like I said nothing changed..I overthought the situation...

and they are both made in the same factory