I been reloading for over 25 years and been using favorite loads, but I been going for extreme accuracy now. I have a collection of reloading books, Sierra, Hornady, Hogdon, Speer, Lyman. It seems some of them are prejudice, if they don't make the bullet or powder they don't show a load for it. Some will show Mag primer with a powder and another will show standard primer with same powder both giving same FPS, what gives here? Also I am under the understanding that these 3 cartridges (military) always used magnum primers. ie: CCI small rifle mag primer and H335 powder for 223. Am I correct or lost. Please someone give me insight on these.

I don't even know where to start on this one.

Is this a test?

quote:

Originally posted by magnumlaod:
I been reloading for over 25 years

Hell!! 3 years ago you were reloading over 30 years . roger

I will give it a go.

1. Companies load for their products with components they list. Results vary do to many variables.

2. It is my understanding that ammo used in automatic weapons has a harder primer cup not a magnum primer. Also some ball/spherical powders lite better with mag primers and some recommend mag primers in cold [20 degree] or colder weather.

To answer your last Q. No not correct, not lost just uninformed..

No Ted this is not a test. I'm just wanting to be sure I'm using proper primers with proper powder. Also if anyone has a favorite load for any those cartridges I might try. Personally on 223 for my Ruger mini or AR I use magnum primer, 23.5 grs of H335 behind a 55gr FMJ bullet.

Huh! Well, there ya go.
Sounds like you've got all the "extreme accuracy" that you need for that cartridge/firearm combo.
Now, what was the question again?

Zeke

Do what the book says; they do vary; hand loading is not an exact science; evidenced by all the variations between the manuals.

quote:

Originally posted by magnumlaod:
No Ted this is not a test. I'm just wanting to be sure I'm using proper primers with proper powder. Also if anyone has a favorite load for any those cartridges I might try. Personally on 223 for my Ruger mini or AR I use magnum primer, 23.5 grs of H335 behind a 55gr FMJ bullet.

Your rifle will tell you what's "proper" for your end-point (greatest accuracy).

What works for me or anyone else won't necessarily work for you.

And dpcd is right . . . if only for safety, begin with what the books tell you to do.

The fun of reloading is experimenting to find out what the best combination of bullet/primer/case/powder/seating depth/etc. gives you what you want.

This is why I ask is this a test.....

"been reloading for over 25 years"

The basics of loading in every load book I ever read cover all of your questions in great detail

There is a difference between 25 years of experience, and ONE year of experience, repeated 25 times.
Just sayin, making no inference toward the OP at all.

seems like you want solid answers to questions tha are anything but solid. To quote the Hornady book: "each rifle is a law unto itself and statements shold be made with circumspection...."
The way to find out if your rifle does best with magnum or standard primers is to try some. The same is true for powder and bullets. Just aout the time you think you've developed the perfect load for your rifle, a buddy will say, "man, yiu've got to try some xyz powder or bullets or primers..." And you're off and running again. That is one of the reasons that folks that dabble in accuracy have shelves and shelves of partial cans of powder and partial boxes of bullets.
Unless you plan on shooting competitively, the journey to finding the perfect load for your rifle is where the fun is.

I'm generally polite but your post tweeks me. If you read the reloading manuals you list you would know about why you need magnum primers.

Since you asked and didn't read. Ball powders need magnum primers. Some companies load all.of there loads with magnum primers for everything. Some standard primers, like CCI 400 are too soft for some cases. For example, .223/5.56. Some People will tell you military rifles have floating firing pins and need the harder magnum primer. The magnum primer does have a harder cup and burns a little hotter to ignite either ball powders or large powder charges.

As to you other thread, which now I understand was raised from the dead, if I had to guess your does were misadjusted. 25 grains of H335 with a 52 to 55 grain bullet will perform very well in a .223 cartridge. Varget is not particularly well suited to light bullets but will work in a pinch. 24 grains with a 75 to 77 grain bullet is a hammer if you have the right twist rate.

Thanks to all for their input and opinion, and Sam sorry didn't mean to tweek. I'm just curious and wanted more opinions than just one local guy.