Hello,

Just getting into reloading for pistol. .32 S&W Long / .45 colt / .45ACP / 9MM / .38

What brand primers do you like to use and why do you choose them?

I've been reloading for my shotguns for years and have had good luck with Winchester 209's

Thanks in advance

rudyc

I use Federal primers for all applications when I can find them. Why, simply, they work. Never had a FTF with Federals.

I use winchester, CCI and federal. I have never had a failure that was the primers fault. I once seated a few too far out. The first firing pin trip pushed it in further to the case and the second pop set it off.

Now I seat firmly and have never had an issue.

i like WLR or standard. i have tightened up group when i changed to this primer and i like CCI-250

quote:

Originally posted by rudyc:
Hello,

Just getting into reloading for pistol. .32 S&W Long / .45 colt / .45ACP / 9MM / .38

What brand primers do you like to use and why do you choose them?

I've been reloading for my shotguns for years and have had good luck with Winchester 209's

Thanks in advance

rudyc

Rudy,

All bullshit aside, I load/have loaded for all the rounds you have mentioned. Primers from any of the major manufactures will work just fine.

I have chosen Federal Primers for all my reloading. I use Match primers for all my rifle reloading.

I was doing some load development about 20 years ago, and tried different brands of primers to see how it affected accuracy. It just seemed easier to find THE load for a rifle when I used Federal Match Primers, so I stopped searching.

When I was shooting Bullseye I used Federal primers. Now I use Winchester for handguns and rifles. Got a great buy at Powder Valley and number of years ago.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by 30378:
I use Federal primers for all applications when I can find them. Why, simply, they work. Never had a FTF with Federals.

Ditto!
Since Federal Primers are now hard to come by, I've been buying Winchester primers which seem to deliver very good accuracy. But, I've only been using them for about 6 months, since my stash of Federal Primers got used up. I'm hoping the Winchesters will keep me going till Federals return.

I use Remington primers (usually) for all my straight-walled pistol cartridges. They were the least expensive. And, since I'm not a competitive shooter, a smidge better accuracy doesn't mean squat to me. When the Rems are used up, I'll switch to my CCI's, which were the next least expensive. When they're used up, I'll switch to my Winchesters, then to my Federals.

I don't notice any accuracy difference between any of them. They all function perfectly through my Dillon SDB and RL550B. Of course, I match magnum primers with big case fulls of powder in big cases like 44 S&W magnum or 45 Colt.(I don't load wimpy cowboy loads.)

quote:

What brand primers do you like to use and why do you choose them?

I stick with Rem, Win, Fed and, sometimes, CCI. Specific c hoice is based on which shoots best in a given cartridge but for handguns it rarely matters.

quote:

Originally posted by mike_elmer:
I have chosen Federal Primers for all my reloading. I use Match primers for all my rifle reloading.

I was doing some load development about 20 years ago, and tried different brands of primers to see how it affected accuracy. It just seemed easier to find THE load for a rifle when I used Federal Match Primers, so I stopped searching.

+1. I started with Winchester primers when I began reloading b/c they were cheaper. After about 5 years, I tried some Remingtons and had terrible luck with misfires and accuracy. Then someone suggested the Federals. I've been using them nearly 99% of the time ever since.

quote:

Originally posted by DMB:
Since Federal Primers are now hard to come by, I've been buying Winchester primers which seem to deliver very good accuracy. But, I've only been using them for about 6 months, since my stash of Federal Primers got used up. I'm hoping the Winchesters will keep me going till Federals return.

DMB, I will be driving through Grayling on the 7th of February heading north on my wolf hunt. If you want some Federal primers I can bring some for you. I have 215s, 215Ms, 210Ms. I can part with some if you would like them.

I'll also send you a PM.

Like Doc and mike_elmer I use nothing but Federal primers. When I first started reloading in 1973 I used them all and worried myself sick over which to use. I then surveyed my targets and discovered most of my smallest groups were with the Federal primers. That was years ago and I haven't looked back. Good shooting.

When I started I would pick up a few flats here and there of whatever I could get.

At some point I standardized on Federal and have been very happy with them. I suspect I would have been just as pleased with CCI also.

I haven't used Win or Rem primers much but haven't been all that impressed with what I have tried.

Maybe I am just unlucky, or live in an area that ruins primers in storage or something. Before 1988, I would have opined that any brand of primer was just fine, except for precision match use. Then I had some very obviously weak primers in one brand, which for some reason I cannot now recall, I fired out of otherwise empty cases.. Then I had a failure to fire in a BR primer. There was no stryphate in the primer at all. Then, some years later, a couple of squibs, the second of which was without any doubt a primer failure, as all the cartridges in the batch had been disassembled and checked after the first squib.

I've used Federal match primers in all my match loads ever since the BR primer of a different brand failed. After the squibs, I've since gone to Federals for every load. The squibs were in a handgun load.

If you want to know what primers BR shooters use, ask Precision Shooting for a sample issue and go to the back where equipment and components are listed by shooter in the match results. These folks are usually very picky about components and try to use only the most consistent quality items.

I use Winchester primers for everything except my .257 Wby Mag. For it I use Federal Magnum Match primers.

I selected Federal components decades ago because I believed they were the best. Their brass has since deteriorated in quality, but their primers remain second to none.

Winchester.The guys at Federal have done nothing lately.

CCI or winchester thats all I've ever used

My choice depends on the use(s) to which they are put.

For match work, I use either Winchester or Federal, interchangeably. Both produce as good accuracy as one can want for match use though the loads may be VERY slightly different in charge weight for absolute top results. Time spent "learning" the particular rifle is probably more productive of top accuracy than obsessing over primer make.

That need to slightly adjust charge weight, of course, can be true between different "lots" of the same make as well.

For hunting loads, I use whatever I can find the quickest, easiest, or cheapest. For hunting I've never found a primer which wasn't adequate.

CCI in all but my .454 Casul. In that I use Federal because it is the only primer that will fire every time.

I guess I do have a partial box of Winchester Mag primers that I need to use up.

Are you kidding? For pistol loads, use whatever primer you can find the cheapest. Primers are incredibly reliable. I've never had a failure (due to the brand or quality of the primer) in 40 years of reloading, using every brand of primer of U. S. manufacture, plus German, Italian, and Japanese manufactured primers. I picked up some Brazian Magtechs and expect them to do just fine.