Being relatively new to reloading, my experience is relegated to only CCI primers. I read post & in magazines of data using other brands:Federal,Winchester,ect....
In your experience do you see any real difference from one brand to another. Also,I've heard of some use of Magnum primers vs Large rifle primes being used in non-magnum rounds, and info pro or con would be appreciated.
Thank you.
TaZ

In general I don't think you'll see much difference in any of them. They all function about the same. You may find a load for a rifle that gives better results with one brand of primer or another, but I dont think you can say "brand x" always gives the best accuracy. There is some difference in how hot they are. Some primers also seem to be a little softer than others.

Yes, there are differences. No, one brand isn't better than another.


Go to the FAQs section of Accuratereloading and find the file that gives the results of Saeed's tests on primers.

It's at:

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

with a couple of exceptions I think primers are all about the same. those are a few years ago federal had some with over sensative cups, and I think I have better luck with remington 7 1/2 small rifle than others. I'm not much of a believer in magnum primers until I'm loading over 70 grains of slow burning powder, and even then I'm not sure they will yield anything. You will notice a very slight diameter difference in some of the primers, with winchester being slightly small than remington or cci, mostly in pistol primers. Knowing this, if you get some primer pockets that are very slightly enlarged you can switch primers, or visa versa if you have some tight ones

I've had better success w/ Federal 215 GMM primers in most of my magnums. I've tried Win and CCI in them and groups opened. I believe it has more to do w/ the power of the primer than the brand name. The Federal 215s are quite hot primers. There was a test done on here awhile back that compared the power of different primers, maybe someone can show you the link.

Never used anything other than Win LR primers w/ the standard cals unless I used ball powder then, I go up to a Mag Primer.

I think you will also find that some primers have larger diameters than others. Federal seems to be the largest.

Reloader

The intesity of the primer flame definitely does differ from brand to brand. And so does the hardness of the primer jacket and even dimensions of the primer.(Cartridges with Federal primers I once loaded would not consistnly go off but would with CCI primers. The firing pin was a tad short due to a flaw and wouldnt set the thinner - deeper seated - Federal primers off every time). Some standard primers in one brand can have a stronger flame than the mag version in another brand. I load my Hornet using small pistol primers in that small case and get much improved accuracy--presumably because the force of the more gentle pistol primer doesn't blow the bullet out of the case prior to the Lil Gun powder fully igniting.
That's not to say that one primer is better than the other just that the load pressures will change as the primer is changed. Presumably if the pressure is regulated by changing the amt of powder to match the primer it would shoot the same as another load with a different primer.
Of the various factors that affect bullet accuracy, the primer seems to have the least effect. Less than pressure per se (from powder amt and bullet set-back) the bullet itself, case uniformity and load concentricity for example.
So, to affect major change in accuracy change the other factors before changing primers.

I use one primer for general rifle loads (CCI LR for my 308, 243, et al.), I use Federal match for my 22.250 precision varmint loads., Remington LR Mag primers for my 300WSM, Win LR Mag for my 7 Mag and Fed LR Mag for my 375 H&H. I will use another match primer for precision loads for my 6.5/284.

By using different primers for different guns I can keep an exact count of how many rounds are fired through each barrel.

I just look at the number of primers left in each brick and I save the end flaps off of empty primer bricks and I know exactly how many rounds I have fired through each gun.

It easier than having a seperate log book for just counting shots.

quote:

Rifle primers-is one brand really better ????????

I don't think so.

I use Winchester primers almost exclusively because they are the only brand that I have local access to. The Winchesters are the hottest of the major brands, but I agree with the others that doesn't necessarily make them better or worse. I will warn that changing the primer in any way can and does have an effect on chamber pressure either increasing or decreasing and should therefore be approached with caution.

quote:

The Winchesters are the hottest of the major brands, but I agree with the others that doesn't necessarily make them better or worse

Federal is hotter than Win by most data I've ever read on the two. Both great primers.

Reloader

When I first started reloading I worried myself to a frazzle trying each primer manufactured, looking for that super accurate load. I noticed that most of the time that was the Federal primer, now I use nothing but the Federal match primers in whatever I am loading. I shoot 3000 plus rounds per year in mainly Magnum rifles, for myself and lots of buddies that don't take the time to shoot the way they should. I buy the primers several thousand at a time and don't look back, knowing I have pin point accuracy with Federal. Good shooting.

Primers can effect accruacy more than we think in some loads. This is because primes have different burning lengths and work better with some powers. There are three classes of primers, A, B, and C. Class A primers like Federal 210 and Remington 9 1/2 produce 6 % less pressure than Class B such as CCI-200. Class C such as CCI- 250 and Federal 215 produe 6% more pressure than a class B. Knowing this certian types of powder work better with each primer.

Initially I found that some brands seated easier than others but when I started uniforming the primer pockets this was less noticeable. If you measure the primer cups you will find that some taper in a bit and some are a bit flared. Must be differences in manufacturing methods. I use CCI's a lot because they are readily available, but I prefer Winchester primers. In short, try them all and see what you like.

I have personally found more accuracy differences in different primers rather than different powders to be honest.

I've tried a lot of differnt primers and the most accurate loads and most consistant loads have always came from Federal Match primers.

They just flat perform with every load I try.

If I try a Winchester or CCI to my loads, it gets finiky and inconsistant in a screaming hurry. But when those loads are worked up again exactly the same with Federal Match primers for me, the groups get tighter and consistency becomes more apparent.