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Old November 15, 2017, 10:18 AM   #3
Slamfire
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Join Date: May 27, 2007
Posts: 5,261
Quote:
I've been giving this some thought lately after trying some different primers in 308 ( Large rifle CCI , Win & Fed 210m ) I bought a brick of the Fed match primers a couple years ago in hopes of really making that uber consistent load after always using Win primers . After multiple load developments I have not found them to be any better then Win primers as far as finding a nice group or ES/SD .
The effect due to primers is very subtle. I have friends who are F Class National Champions, they extensively experiment, and whatever combination shoots best, they use that. While CCI Benchrest primers are very common, they are not used exclusively. In fact, the Russian primers (TULA) have an excellent reputation.

A bud of mine worked Calibration/Gaging for a Government Agency and visited Army Ammunition Plants. He stated out of the guys making primer mix, the guy who made the most consistent primer mix was given a bonus, but, no one monopolized the bonus money. Bud also stated that the instrumented "mules" used in primer testing measured everything, such as the amount of matter ejected, temperatures, flames, flame time, etc, etc, etc.

The next lot of primers you buy will be different from the last lot.

The current military primer mix is the FA 956 mix,

PATR 2700 Encyclopedia of Explosives Vol 8 gives the composition

FA 956

Lead Styphanate 37.7 +/- 5%
Tetracene 4.0 +/- 1%
Barium Nitrate 32.0 +/- 5%
Antimony Sulfide 15.0 +/- 2%
Aluminum Powder 7.0 +/- 1%
PETN 5.0 +/- 1%
Gum Arabic 0.2%

As can be seen, there are tolerances for the composition within the mix. Also, purity of the constituents will be different batch to batch. Therefore you can expect a variance with the flame and flame intensity lot to lot.

I use standard primers in my standard cases and I have used standard primers in my 300 H&H and it held the ten ring out to three hundred yards, the limit of my testing with that round. Very big cartridges seem to require magnum primers. CCI #34 primers are claimed to be magnum level but I have not seen any velocity difference over the screens. I do know that ball powders are harder to ignite, which is why the "military" primers are supposed to be magnum primers as the military wants their guns to go bang in the cold.

It is hard to over estimate the influence of advertising on behaviors within the shooting community. Manufacturer's stamp "Match" or "Sniper", or "Extreme" on something and the shooting community goes nuts over the product. You will read fanatical claims about someone's Extreme Sniper Match primer or bullet giving sub MOA groups at thousands or yards.What these guys are in fact reporting is the result of Confirmation Bias. The shooter paid more, therefore expects more, reports what he remembers as more, but is in fact, ignoring the less. Anyone remember the Coke versus Pepsi taste tests?, it showed that people had strong behavioral preferences based on emotions not taste. http://web.bend.k12.or.us/jeremy.rub...20research.pdf

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...oke-over-pepsi

Federal Match primers were the most slamfiring primer in the history of NRA Highpower, and yet, it was the most popular primer because Federal stamped "Match" on the box. Federal also charged more. What we, the shooting community don't know, is how much better, or even if these premium primers were any better, than standard primers.

This is one reason Eley refuses to test Black Box rimfire ammunition in customer rifles at their test center. They will test Red Box, but you have to pay hundreds of dollars more for a case of Red Box over Black Box. Lapua stop testing Rifle Match in their test center, because once shooters saw objective evidence the the $1750 a case ammunition was slightly better, or maybe not better, than the $1500 a case, or even the $800.00 a case (Rifle match), shooters had the choice of buying the cheaper stuff.

As Orwell wrote in the book "1984", Ignorance is strength. Ignorance of the masses is the strength of the elites.

So, my opinion. load your ammunition and go shoot. If you like the group, the bullet is good, the powder is good, the case is good, and the primer is good.
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