bad primer advice

onlybrowning · January 2, 2006, 11:38 PM

I was given some bad advice by a gunsmith that I had work on a gun of mine, and wanted to ask some advice. I was told to use magnum primers in my .270 "because I hunt in cold temperatures and this provides a better ignition." I had read this previously in a muzzleloading magazine as well for muzzle loaders, so I figured it was legit. Now that I have talked to many others and read a lot, I have found it to be nonsense. So, my question is, do I have to start over with developing this particular load? It was 53.25 gr of H-4831sc with a 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and I was able to shoot under an inch usually with it. Where should I start to get about the same pressure with a standard LR primer? The velocity seemed to be pretty good because I shot three deer with it with the exact desired result.

steve4102 · January 3, 2006, 12:00 AM

Nothing wrong with your load using Mag primers. Although they may not be needed for your particular load and hunting conditions as long as you started low and worked up the load is just fine. If it works well in your firearm no reason to change, unless you want to. In that case, as with any component change, Start low and work up checking for any signs of pressure along the way.

somerled · January 3, 2006, 12:01 AM

You'll be okay. From what I can figure from Hodgdon, that charge is still quite a bit under maximum. Now if you have worked up a maximum loading with certain components, it's not smart to change any component and not back off the powder.

Most manuals will list what type of primer to use with certain powders such as slow-burning ball powders. Those need a hotter magnum primer.

geneinnc · January 3, 2006, 08:09 AM

I have used magnum primers since I started loading in the 80's. I really think it matters not as long as you use them when your making new loads from scratch. If you start mixing & matching primers, then you can have some accuracy problems. If a load works, use the same brass, primers, powder, bullet. I have always hand trickled my rifle loads to the exact grain I want, on a digital scale. A digital powder dump will be my next investment. that should cut match load loading time in half.

onlybrowning · January 3, 2006, 09:19 AM

I guess I dont have to make up a different load, but I am just about out of the old ones anyway. I think I will switch back to the large rifle primer because I will get a little bit higher velocity with the regular primer and slightly more powder that will equal the pressure of the old load right? Also I want to seat the bullets a little deeper and using the reg primer will increase powder enough to have less of a gap between powder and bullet, hopefully increasing consistency.

Leftoverdj · January 3, 2006, 10:12 AM

Only, the gap between the bullet and the rifling is a lot more important that that little bit of airspace. If you are getting good accuracy leave the length alone. That charge fills about 90% of the available space anyway.

I'm going to mount my high horse here and proclaim that results are a lot more important than theory. Rifles are individuals and results are not uniform. If you have a load that works, it's a lot easier to buy another box of magnum primers than to work up another load from scratch with no assurance of improvement.

onlybrowning · January 3, 2006, 10:09 PM

thanks for all of the replies everyone. I think I am still going to work up a new load simply because I feel that this load is not as accurate as another may be, and changing the primer seems like a logical start. I am also going to go back to the charts and seat at the depth they recommended because that gave me good results with my 130 gr load.

January 2, 2006, 11:38 PM	#1
onlybrowning Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2005 Location: Saratoga Springs, NY Posts: 275	bad primer advice I was given some bad advice by a gunsmith that I had work on a gun of mine, and wanted to ask some advice. I was told to use magnum primers in my .270 "because I hunt in cold temperatures and this provides a better ignition." I had read this previously in a muzzleloading magazine as well for muzzle loaders, so I figured it was legit. Now that I have talked to many others and read a lot, I have found it to be nonsense. So, my question is, do I have to start over with developing this particular load? It was 53.25 gr of H-4831sc with a 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and I was able to shoot under an inch usually with it. Where should I start to get about the same pressure with a standard LR primer? The velocity seemed to be pretty good because I shot three deer with it with the exact desired result.

January 3, 2006, 12:00 AM	#2
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,955	Nothing wrong with your load using Mag primers. Although they may not be needed for your particular load and hunting conditions as long as you started low and worked up the load is just fine. If it works well in your firearm no reason to change, unless you want to. In that case, as with any component change, Start low and work up checking for any signs of pressure along the way.

January 3, 2006, 12:01 AM	#3
somerled Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2005 Location: eastern Kansas Posts: 603	You'll be okay. From what I can figure from Hodgdon, that charge is still quite a bit under maximum. Now if you have worked up a maximum loading with certain components, it's not smart to change any component and not back off the powder. Most manuals will list what type of primer to use with certain powders such as slow-burning ball powders. Those need a hotter magnum primer.

January 3, 2006, 08:09 AM	#4
geneinnc Junior member Join Date: December 29, 2005 Posts: 127	I have used magnum primers since I started loading in the 80's. I really think it matters not as long as you use them when your making new loads from scratch. If you start mixing & matching primers, then you can have some accuracy problems. If a load works, use the same brass, primers, powder, bullet. I have always hand trickled my rifle loads to the exact grain I want, on a digital scale. A digital powder dump will be my next investment. that should cut match load loading time in half.

January 3, 2006, 09:19 AM	#5
onlybrowning Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2005 Location: Saratoga Springs, NY Posts: 275	I guess I dont have to make up a different load, but I am just about out of the old ones anyway. I think I will switch back to the large rifle primer because I will get a little bit higher velocity with the regular primer and slightly more powder that will equal the pressure of the old load right? Also I want to seat the bullets a little deeper and using the reg primer will increase powder enough to have less of a gap between powder and bullet, hopefully increasing consistency.

January 3, 2006, 10:12 AM	#6
Leftoverdj Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2004 Posts: 934	Only, the gap between the bullet and the rifling is a lot more important that that little bit of airspace. If you are getting good accuracy leave the length alone. That charge fills about 90% of the available space anyway. I'm going to mount my high horse here and proclaim that results are a lot more important than theory. Rifles are individuals and results are not uniform. If you have a load that works, it's a lot easier to buy another box of magnum primers than to work up another load from scratch with no assurance of improvement.

January 3, 2006, 10:09 PM	#7
onlybrowning Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2005 Location: Saratoga Springs, NY Posts: 275	thanks for all of the replies everyone. I think I am still going to work up a new load simply because I feel that this load is not as accurate as another may be, and changing the primer seems like a logical start. I am also going to go back to the charts and seat at the depth they recommended because that gave me good results with my 130 gr load.