I'm having a 30-06 Ackley imp. built on a Rem 700 action. I was getting ready to do some loading and wondered if magnum primers would be recomended for the round? A while back I read that magnum primers should be used if loading more than 60gr. of powder. Is this a good rule to live by? If I use magnums will I get the same velocity while using less powder? I plan on using RL22 to start and have a stock of WLRM's on hand? Please don't tell me to use Federal primers, but I won't get into that here!
Thanks for the help,
Elk Country

Elk Country' I use nothing but Win. mag. and standard primers. I load 63gr. of r22 with standard Win. primers in my Sako 30-06 for an average 2827' per sec. I generally load several of each to see which works best. The Win. standard primer is as hot or near as the others. I know this will cause controversy. Good luck. fws

If your hunting late seasons, with a slow burning power, absolutly use the Mag primers. I hate hang fires. Ya, some people use large pistol primer to improve accuracy while shooting penguins with there 30-378 in the antartic.
Mag primers are fine.

no need for "magnum" primers...Winchester WLR are just fine...

Alliant, and Hercules before them, recommend standard primers for ALL cartridges with exception of the very large capacities and over-bores. Footnote #3 in their reloading book. Except for Weatherby's, use standard primers for RL22. My accuracy was always significantly better with standard primers than magnums in 338 Win Mag and '06.

Toto,
Are you shooting a standard 06 with that load? What length barrel is on your rifle? Mine will have a 24" tube and I forgot to mention I am using this as my primary elk rifle so 180gr. Hornadys will be used. The Nosler book only lists a load of 61gr. as max. for the good ol' 06 and they only list a max load of 62gr. for the Ackley 06'. Do these loads sound conservative to you all?
Talk to you later,
Elk Country

Unless the WLRM's you have on hand don't seem to perform well (after eliminating all other variables), they should be fine.

I prefer "standard" force primers in ALL of my loads, even those in very large capacity cases with very slow burning powders. On the other hand, I've never suffered any from primers labeled "magnum", or "benchrest", except for the financial penalty of paying more for the label.

To the degree that a "hotter" primer has an effect on the performance of a load, it would be to make the effective burning rate of the powder seem faster. Now, does it really make sense to go to a slower powder for lower pressure at higher velocity, then turn around and "speed" that powder up by using a more forceful primer, thus making the powder act more like one of a faster variety? Fortunately, the difference in primer forces is far less than the difference in primer prices, therefore there's not much to worry about.

I will stipulate that I have never done much shooting below about the freezing mark, but in terms of absolute zero and relative molecular activity, the difference in 32 degrees F. and -20 degrees F. is neglible. Winter polar bear and musk ox hunters may feel more confident by paying an extra 3 or 4 bucks per thousand to have "magnum" printed on the primer box, but if the primer is going to work at 70 degrees, it's also going to work at sub-zero temperatures, with one caveat:

Some claim that some manufacturers make their "magnum" primers with thicker cups in order to withstand overpressure better. If this should be true, then the slower and less forceful firing pin fall caused by "sticky" lubricants in sub-zero weather might fail to properly ignite a thick-cup primer as opposed to a regular-cup primer. Therefore, you might make a case that "magnum" primers should be avoided in cold weather. How 'bout that for kicking an ant mount?

Hodgdon notes that magnum primers are hotter in order to ignite bulkier, slower burning powder. The stiffer cup theory is a nice idea, but not true.

You can find primers with heavier cups. There are primers designed specifically for semi auto actions like the AK and SKS which lack a firing pin spring and, accordingly, allow the firing pin to slam forward on the primer when the bolt closes.

The rifle is a L61R Finbear Sako with a 24" barrel. I have not loaded the partition for the 30-06, but in loading the 7mag.I have found in my particular rifle which is a Rem.700 that using the same load, powder, primer etc., the bt.& par. will perform equally as to velocity. Hope this helps. fws

Stonecreek hit it well.

WLR are "hotter" than most standard primers, and will work just fine in your gun.

Rel 22 is not that hard to ignite, and certainly a lot easier to burn than ball powders in cold weather.

In cases of short magnum size and larger, AND, with heavily deterrent coated ball powders, there may be some need for magnum primers. But they are not generally needed (or as good) in standard cases the size of the .30/'06 and smaller.

I use Fed 210 in all 06 cases and Fed 215's in most magnum calibers....works for me and I get a little better accuracy with Federal primers than any others...Actually it is a try and see situation, but the above is the norm.