I've often heard of folks using Magnum Primers w/ the Ball powders when loading standard carts.

I was wondering what you all are using w/ the Ball powders?

I've never had a problem igniting Ball Powder w/ standard primers but, the temps don't get very low down here so I haven't seen the need.

Reloader

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I've never had a problem igniting Ball Powder w/ standard primers but, the temps don't get very low down here so I haven't seen the need.

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Neither have I....but because some writer years ago wrote that he "Always lights his fires with magnum primers when using ball powders"...I do too.
Intelligent????...correct???...right thing to do???...beats the hell out of me....I just do it and with no good reason other than it works.....I strongly suspect a standard primer will do exactly the same. Further, I'm not at all convinced that there's any difference between standard and magnum primers either.

Standard, and it does get cold here...

I suppose it all depends. If it is slow burning surplus, probably. I talked to the ballistician at Ramshot, and he advised to use what you would with a stick powder in that size case and that burn rate. So, the times, they may just be a changin'. JMO, Dutch.

I too have wondered about the Magnum primers with "ball" powder recommendations. I tend to use the oft quoted rule of a "powder load over 60 grains gets a hotter spark". I do believe that Federal 215 primers are hotter than all the rest by what the chronograph tells me (always higher speeds in magnum cartidges). Until a few years ago, Winchester made a primer that said it was "standard and magnum" loads (now they sell rifle primers for each). Makes you wonder; their large pistol primers still say for standard and magnum. Supposedly there is a different priming compound for each type of primer. I've used standard primers with ball powder in small cases and can't tell the difference. Like vapodog, most other loads calling for magnum primers, I tend to follow their recommendations. I've never seen any conclusive proof they work more reliably.

Dutch, I just started playing with Ramshot powder. I am using Ramshot Magnum in my 257 wby and really like the powder. Good velocities, and great to work with , meters excellent, just a nice powder in general. I think Ramshot has made a customer out of me. I am next going to take a look at Hunter in my 240 wby, 270 win, and 30-06'

AD

Aggie, I've been using quite a bit of it, and I like it. Some, like Hunter, are also quite temperature stable. Hard to beat a clean burning, easy to ignite, easy to meter, temp stable double based powder! FWI, Dutch.

I too like Ramshot powder. I use Hunter in my 300WSM and 30/06, and BigGame in my 7MM-08, great velocities and accuracy. I only wish Ramshot had load data for the 7.62X39.
I use mag primers in the 300WSM and standard in the rest. I am going to try Fed 215's in my 06 with Hunter and see what happens.

Try both regular and magnum primers and see what results you get. When I used CCI small rifle magnum primers in loads for the 223 with Winchester 748 powder, I got loads that were significantly less accurate than loads made with the regular CCI small rifle primer. I use H 414 in my 7x57 with Winchester standard (non magnum) WLR primers, and get good results.

You could also look at Saeed's results from his primer trests, posted at:

http://www.accuratereloading.com/primer.html

No hard and fast rule from me, I use BR-4 primers in .223, standars 200 in 7x57 with H414, 250 magnums shoot better in the .220 AI. These are just the ones that come to mind immediately. You just have to try them, I think the cold temp ignition problems with ball powder is probably BS as it gets cold here too and a lot of my shooting is coyotes in the dead of winter.

I am in the market for a new reloading manual so I was reading through a couple at the store today....Noticed that the BALL POWDER loads had an "*" by them, which meant USE MAGNUM PRIMERS.

Also read that BALL POWDERS ar harder to ignite than tubular powder, which is why you should use Magnum Primers.....went an bought some mag primers for my H380 loads.........

The H110 for reduced target loads with the .222 Remington gives good results with S&B standard Small Rifle primers. Results with CCI Small Pistol Magnum primers were somewhat worse regarding precision; for more details see my separate post from today.

Some brands of "standard" primers are "hotter" than some other brands of "magnum" primers. Regardless of that, I have never found a charge large enough (up to 98 grains), nor a powder difficult enough to ignite (WC 872, an extremely slow surplus ball powder), nor a temperature extreme enough to cause an ignition failure with "standard" primers.

The biggest difference between "standard" and "magnum" primers is the label and the price.