Magnum rifle primers

Tuf Toy · July 20, 2006, 08:25 PM

How does one go about selecting a single primer for magnum rifle rounds?
I'm loading for a a 300 WSM and .338 LM and primers only come in 1,000 or 5,000 quantities.. I don't feel like experimenting and having thousands of extra primers that may never be used. .338LM camp seem to like the Federal #215M and the 300wsm camp seems to like Winchester LRM #8-1/2M. Either one will work in either round, how does one decide?

Scorch · July 20, 2006, 08:28 PM

Make up some loads and test which one gives you the best accuracy in your particular rifle. Federal primers tend to be hot, Winchester primers are middle of the road. Buy a box of 100 at your local gun shop, or find someone else who uses them and load up 10-20 with each primer type.

amamnn · July 20, 2006, 10:00 PM

Unless you are shooting for long range accuracy, it's doubtful that you would see much, if any, difference between the major brands of primers. If you buy your primers 100 at a whack, you will be using primers from different lots over time.
In my plinking loads and when I used to hunt, pretty much any primer would be ok. I got into loading for competition and varmint hunting at long range and got into the accuracy quest up to my ears. I had the opportunity to test lots of primers, and found that the only real difference in the performance of a load with different primers used was in consistency from round to round over a large number of rounds shot. Within 100 to 150 yards, the difference was so small as to be negligible in standard primers. Outside that range the difference was still quite small, but in competition one is concerned about a 1/16 MOA or less in EVERY shot as the difference between first and second place and etc....I've only had one primer ever fail to fire. It was a benchrest primer that turned out to have no chemical in it. QC was asleep when that one was made. I won't mention the brand because I figure that could happen with any primer.
I have not experimented extensively with magnum primers, but they follow the same trends I am sure.
I buy Federal Gold Medal primers for my competition loads and federal standard primers for everything else. If I were to run out before I could get my next 1000 primer order, I would not hesitate to go buy some CCI primers.

July 20, 2006, 08:25 PM	#1
Tuf Toy Member Join Date: June 30, 2006 Location: New England Posts: 25	Magnum rifle primers How does one go about selecting a single primer for magnum rifle rounds? I'm loading for a a 300 WSM and .338 LM and primers only come in 1,000 or 5,000 quantities.. I don't feel like experimenting and having thousands of extra primers that may never be used. .338LM camp seem to like the Federal #215M and the 300wsm camp seems to like Winchester LRM #8-1/2M. Either one will work in either round, how does one decide? __________________ Chris "V"

July 20, 2006, 10:00 PM	#3
amamnn Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2006 Location: WA, the left armpit of the USA Posts: 1,323	primer selection Unless you are shooting for long range accuracy, it's doubtful that you would see much, if any, difference between the major brands of primers. If you buy your primers 100 at a whack, you will be using primers from different lots over time. In my plinking loads and when I used to hunt, pretty much any primer would be ok. I got into loading for competition and varmint hunting at long range and got into the accuracy quest up to my ears. I had the opportunity to test lots of primers, and found that the only real difference in the performance of a load with different primers used was in consistency from round to round over a large number of rounds shot. Within 100 to 150 yards, the difference was so small as to be negligible in standard primers. Outside that range the difference was still quite small, but in competition one is concerned about a 1/16 MOA or less in EVERY shot as the difference between first and second place and etc....I've only had one primer ever fail to fire. It was a benchrest primer that turned out to have no chemical in it. QC was asleep when that one was made. I won't mention the brand because I figure that could happen with any primer. I have not experimented extensively with magnum primers, but they follow the same trends I am sure. I buy Federal Gold Medal primers for my competition loads and federal standard primers for everything else. If I were to run out before I could get my next 1000 primer order, I would not hesitate to go buy some CCI primers. __________________ "If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

July 20, 2006, 08:28 PM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Make up some loads and test which one gives you the best accuracy in your particular rifle. Federal primers tend to be hot, Winchester primers are middle of the road. Buy a box of 100 at your local gun shop, or find someone else who uses them and load up 10-20 with each primer type. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services