I am new to reloading and use a dillon 550.
I started loading 38 specials using win primers.
I was told win primers are a little harder and therefore a little safer. Cause it is possible to drop a primer. Or de prime a live primer.

Then I wanted to load 357. The store only had fed primers. So I bought 100. I worked up a load with A 2400 and hornady 158g XTP's and I cannot belive the accuracy I did not think I could shoot 1 1/2 groups at 25 yards.
I do not need this accuracy. But it makes things more fun.

Questions:
1) Is there really more caution required with fed primers?

2)Would win primers make much difference for recreational shooting?

quote:

Originally posted by arcticat:
I am new to reloading and use a dillon 550.
I started loading 38 specials using win primers.
I was told win primers are a little harder and therefore a little safer. Cause it is possible to drop a primer. Or de prime a live primer.

Then I wanted to load 357. The store only had fed primers. So I bought 100. I worked up a load with A 2400 and hornady 158g XTP's and I cannot belive the accuracy I did not think I could shoot 1 1/2 groups at 25 yards.
I do not need this accuracy. But it makes things more fun.

Questions:
1) Is there really more caution required with fed primers?

2)Would win primers make much difference for recreational shooting?

Standard and magnum primers are the only real difference. Some powders and large capacity rife rounds need a magnum prime. Your reloading manual gives this information.

Questions:
1) Is there really more caution required with fed primers?

IMO, No, there is no reason for this.



2)Would win primers make much difference for recreational shooting?

In my world a primer is a primer is a primer.

Get some Win primers and test that load again and confirm for yourself that the accuracy difference is really in the primer....or was it in one's imagination.....and it happens!

With shotshells there can be reason to use the primer in the recipe however.

quote:

With shotshells there can be reason to use the primer in the recipe however.

Very good point. Primer swapping in a shotsheel could be catastrophic if using the wrong combo.

Federal primers have a rep. for being "soft" or more sensative to impact. It is the recommended primer for modified pistols w/ light springs/hammers.
I have never really seen that much diff. in accuracy in pistols by switching primers but in rifles, switching primers can have quite an affect on accuracy in certain loads & rifles.

Actually it does make a difference.Mic McPherson did a test in The Precision Shooter and found that Standard Winchester large Rifle primers Produce almost mag primer ignition.So I would not work up a load with say CCI`s and then subsitute Winchesters.When I buy Primers I buy 5000 lots.That way you know they came from the same lot no.and you dont have to worry about lot to lot differences.

WW are like mag primers? Never heard that one before.

Im sure some one will post that primer test again

Yep some time ago it stated on the box "For standard and Magnum loads. Presumably to light up their ball powders.
Lately I've bought boxes marked stantard and others marked magnum.

quote:

Originally posted by SShooterZ:


Very good point. Primer swapping in a shotsheel could be catastrophic if using the wrong combo.

When I was trap shooting about 30 years ago we were supposed to be carefull about matching wads to powder, but the only change we made in primers was to a larger diameter as the shells got older. I think we could get .243 & .244. & .245

All of my comments are related to rifle and handgun reloading since I've never reloaded for a shotgun.

I have used a wide variety of handgun and rifle primers in a variety of cartridges. Most of the time, the primer doesn't make a noticible difference in accuracy but occasionally it does. Also, switching between regular and magnum primers in cartridges the size of the 308 Winchester, 460 S&W Magnum, etc. has never made a noticible difference in pressure either.

There are two cartridges I've loaded for, the 357 Herrett and the 460 S&W Magnum where going from large rifle to large rifle magnum primers gave a significant improvement in accuracy with IMR 4227 and IMR 4198 respectively. Supposedly, the advantage of using magnum primers is with ball powders but thus far, I haven't found that to be the case.

I believe they do. My experience did happen with a group of 5 shots with one particular brand. All cases trimmed and bullets seated to the same length with the same powder. I changed to a different brand and all shots "tightened" up.

What you have read is typical of comments of most people. That “primers are primersâ€. Shooters cannot afford primer testing equipment, so what they can tell about primers are what they see across their chronographs. Assuming they use that.

Primers vary in sensitivity and they vary in intensity. All US primers are within SAAMI specs. If you know anything about industry specs, they are written to guarantee that no vendor’s product line is disqualified. The limits for SAAMI specs are pretty wide. Therefore you will get a range of primers going from insensitive to extreme sensitive. Current trends seem to be for primer makers to make primers that are on the low end of SAAMI specs. I think this started when gun magazines is to touted “sensitive primers†as a quality attribute.

What you get with “sensitive†primers are primers that have thin cups, and will give the rare slamfire when used with semi automatic mechanisms with free floating primers. As noted, for those who weaken pistol mainsprings have found certain brands of primers give them misfires. Typically the owners loudly blame the primer brand instead of their modifications. There are a lot of old firearms with ancient mainsprings, with so many firearms out of tolerance, this also helps increase the demand for extremely sensitive primers.

As long as your firearm is within spec, and it is not a semi automatic mechanism with a free floating firing pin, and you are not approaching maximum loads, a change between primer brands is likely unnoticeable.

I was talking primers to a former 1000 yard Wimbledon cup winner, and he told me primers make a difference. I believe him, he is of a skill level to actually see the difference on target. He tests primers and sees what batches give better accuracy. He also told me that going from large rifle primers to small rifle primers reduced groups size about 20%. Of course he can shoot that well to see that, I doubt I would have seen a difference. This accounts for that period in the late 80’s and early 90’s when small primer brass in, 243, 7mm-08, 308appeared on the market. His follow on statement, that you get misfires with small rifle primers when the temperatures drop, also reflect why that type of brass disappeared from the market.

I have heard others, whose shooting abilities exceed mine, also make statement about how accuracy improved when they went to “mild†primers.

I cannot comment on reloading equipment.

quote:

Originally posted by SlamFire:
I have heard others, whose shooting abilities exceed mine, also make statement about how accuracy improved when they went to “mild†primers.

No doubt, but it may work both ways, better in a Hornet but not so good in a big magnum with ball powders or such?

Saeed did tests on primers. His results are in the Accuratereloading FAQ file. I'm always surprised, when this question comes up, that people haven't consulted Saeed's report on this question; it's at:

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

Looking for pressure signs in handguns, the difference between a win small pistol primer and win small magnum pistol primer is about 1.1 gr Bullseye.

This is while operating at 70 kpsi to make the extractor groove grow and primer fall out, which makes the Bullseye very fast, but not as fast as the extra primer.