I've noticed that several folks have mentioned using Magnum Primers with H414. The Speer manual even indicates that CCI Magnum Primers were used with H414 for their 130Grn & 145Grn 7mm-08 loads.

In a word.....Why?

Should I be using Mag Primers when I load H414?

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

In a word, no. I use WLR (Winchester Large Rifle -- a regular non-magnum primer) primers with it and get superb results. In fact, my experience suggests that using magnum primers tends to decrease accuracy, unless one is loading for something that takes 80 or more grains of powder, such as a .300 Weatherby or larger case.

Thanks Lloyd

I had shot some work-up loads with H414 using Federal Gold Metal Match primers and got good accuracy and very consistent velocities (compared to varget). The average velocity spread was only 15 FPS.

Thanks again
firstshot
---------------------------
Make your first shot count!

I believe it came from Layne Simpson who said that ball powders need a better start in cold weather and that he always used magnum primers with ball powders.

For no reason than that I've used magnum primers with H-414 in the centerfire cartridges larger than 22-250 and had no problems.....but I can't say that it's necessary either.

I tried a test with a full load of W-760(H-414) in 338.06 225gr with CCI200,CCI250,and WLR,the velocities were about the same with the most consistant being from CCI200.Maybe in real cold weather it would be different!

quote:

Originally posted by First Shot:
I've noticed that several folks have mentioned using Magnum Primers with H414. The Speer manual even indicates that CCI Magnum Primers were used with H414 for their 130Grn & 145Grn 7mm-08 loads.

In a word.....Why?
Should I be using Mag Primers when I load H414?
firstshot
-----------------------------
Make your first shot count!

I note that almost all reloading manuals recommend (or use) magnum primers in loads using the various ball powders. I have used H414 in the 7X57mm and the .250 Savage, along with WW 760, and have had excellent results with plain old Federal 210 primers. Ditto for H380 in the .308, and WW 748 in the .30/40 Krag and .303 British.

I've seen absolutely NO NEED for magnum primers with various ball powders.

However, I did once read an article in a gun magazine by one of those "experts", who claimed to have had hangfires with WW 760 when he used stanard primers with it. Don't recall the cartridge or size of the charge he was using.

I've never seen the need to use magnum primers. Remington 9-1/2's work just fine for me.

One of my mates uses WW760 in the 7mm-08, standard primers no problems.

I use WW748 in the 9.3x57, with Winchester LRP primers.
No problems and accuracy is all one could want.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll stick with the Federal GMM primers I've been using.

firstshot
----------------------------
Make your first shot count!

It was my understanding that ball powders have a heavier deterrent coating, and thus need a hotter spark for reliability. I've never worried about it in cases smaller than the -06 family.

Have used both reg and mag primers with the ball powders,and the only thing I have found so far is that using a mag primer it burns just a tad cleaner.

I use ball powders almost exclusively for my rifle loads. In the Winchester loading booklet #15, they state that they used the standard WLR primer exclusively in working up all loads, even the slow burning WMR powder.
Possibly, if one were hunting in extremely cold weather, the magnum primer might make a difference, but I can't say. It just doesn't get that cold where I hunt. However, one of the "egg-spurts" in one of the gun rags recently wrote that he lost about 200 FPS during a cold weather hunt and swore he's use magnum primers under those conditions from now on. IIRC, he was using W-760. I use a lot of that powder and I've never had any problems during deer season with it. YMMV.
Paul B.

quote:

Originally posted by El Deguello:

I note that almost all reloading manuals recommend (or use) magnum primers in loads using the various ball powders.

Are you sure this is so? The only loading manual that I've seen do this is the Speer one.

If you are using 210 fed primers they're proably as hot as a cci250 anyhow. Fed and win primers seem to run hotter than most others. Not sure there's all that big of difference between primers as people might think anyhow. Whatever "floats the boat" but probably a good idea to move up to mag primer in very cold weather.

quote:

Originally posted by LE270:

quote:

Originally posted by El Deguello:

I note that almost all reloading manuals recommend (or use) magnum primers in loads using the various ball powders.

Are you sure this is so? The only loading manual that I've seen do this is the Speer one.

Not sure about the most recent manuals - I guess I should have said "At one time, ....."

while I'm on record as saying I use magnum primers with ball powders I also will say that I have never been able to see a difference between regular primers and magnum primers. When working up a load I get the same charge using a standard large rifle primer as I dom with a magnum primer.....if there's a difference I can't find it.....but then I don't have equipment to tell.....I use them out of emotional duress, not out of tested experimentation.