Best way to prime?

[timelinex]

So I e always used a Lee primer since Ive read and been told it's one of the best ways to feel the primer and insure consistent seating.

I don't think my thumb can handle it anymore.... Any suggestions?

 

[Zuul]

I too got fed up with the Lee hand priming tool and switched to using the press (Lee single stage) to seat the primers. It's a little more time consuming but way less fatiguing, plus I think it's easier to "feel" the primers on the press then it was on the hand priming tool. I love not having my hands feel like they were smashed with a cinder block after a priming session.

 

[Powermac]

I have two primer seaters i use one from K&M and one from 21 st century.
The feel you get with a press is not even close to what the 21 st century BR primer tool gives, the feedback is a lot better.
And i love the adjustability, and ease of use witch is why it's the tool i use the most.
I am quite certain you could adjust this seater's stem to a point where it becomes a lot easier on your hand to use it too, worked for me at least.

The K&M version with a gauge is the thing if your utterly worried with consistency though, as it gives a better amount of control.

Have not found any issues with using these at all, as long as you use your primer pocket uniformer, you should have no problems consistently seating primers without having to use excessive force and feel worn out after priming.
But there is a big difference in quality and ergonomics from Lee plastic junk, to a well designed, cnc machined stainless steel seater.

If you are decided on moving from a hand held setup, the Forster linked above is the best tool to my knowledge at least.

 

[JBNj]

Increase your grip strength or stop having girly hands?

 

[milo 2.0]

If you are decided on moving from a hand held setup, the Forster linked above is the best tool to my knowledge at least.

Sorry Powermac, the Forster is a POS. You must adjust the jaws for each case you load, pain in the ass. RCBS makes a bench tool, survived for over 30 years if you must get away from hand priming. The RCBS hand primers offer a little more leverage, not thumb leverage and work great. I see no need to become so intimate with your primers that you need to handle each one.

JBN, great to have another chump that brings so much to the table!

 

[JBNj]

JBN, great to have another chump that brings so much to the table!

Sorry man. Just a joke. No need for getting butt hurt.

 

[T J]

I got tired of the hand priming tools very quickly; made the switch to the RCBS bench mounted tool & I'm really digging it, no issues here.

RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool



t

 

[P7M13SC]

Just like tj said. Go get one. Don't wait! I had one for years that someone gave me. I never used it till I had the same problem you're experiencing while load 6mm Norma. Lapua brass. If you don't like it Ill buy it from you. Money back guarantee!

 

[The Lawn Ranger]

I have use a RCBS for pistols and a K&M for large/magnum rifle.

I leave the Forster set up for 223/300 Blk.

OF the three, I prefer the K&M which uses Lee shell holders.
It's a cheap easy way to load for all large rifle calibers.

 

[rduckwor]

I like the feel the Lee gives. When my thumb gets tired, I start using both thumbs.

Sorry nothing more to offer to help you spend money.

 

[milo 2.0]

Sorry man. Just a joke. No need for getting butt hurt.

Without a smiley or the like, I or we have no idea of your tone or meaning.

 

[fx77]

With this U can use all 4 fingers



SINCLAIR PRIMING TOOL | Sinclair Intl

 

[timelinex]

I have use a RCBS for pistols and a K&M for large/magnum rifle.

I leave the Forster set up for 223/300 Blk.

OF the three, I prefer the K&M which uses Lee shell holders.
It's a cheap easy way to load for all large rifle calibers.

Are those all the bench ones?

 

[The Lawn Ranger]

No. Only the Forster.

 

[jdboy]

The only thing about the K&M and the Sinclair is that you have to load the primer singularly. If you're loading more than a box or two of rifle cartages that can take some time. I've used the Lee press mounted system, the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme mounted system (also a single feed), the RCBS hand priming system, and the Lee hand prime. Out of all I keep going back to the Lee hand prime for ease of use.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

I prime on the Dillon 650.

I used to have a Lee Auto prime, what a POS. First I broke the lever - which is of course made of unweldable potmetal. So fabricated a new one from 4130CM steel. Then I broke the powder-metal linkage.

I read about "feeling" the primers better with a hand tool. What is it you're feeling (that needs to be felt) with the hand tool you don't on the press?

I feel it go in. I feel it seat. Sometimes it feels loose. I pull those from the press to inspect it to see if that piece of brass is up for another shot or not.

 

[damoncali]

I've tried Lee, RCBS and 21st Century. Lee and RCBS were, um, not very good. The RCBS was especially disappointing because at least the Lee was cheap. The 21st Century is night and day apart from those two. It's much, much better.

 

[19Scout77]

Increase your grip strength or stop having girly hands?

All kidding aside OP, but at 26yo, I would be truly concerned if my hand strength was such that I could not easily prime a few hundred cases without hand fatigue. Must wreak havoc on marathon CoD matches...

 

[Rthur]

At 26 I'll bet his grip is just fine. As they say practice makes perfect.

I have used a RCBS hand primer for 20+ years. Not the best built but gets the job done fine.

R

 

[timelinex]

All kidding aside OP, but at 26yo, I would be truly concerned if my hand strength was such that I could not easily prime a few hundred cases without hand fatigue. Must wreak havoc on marathon CoD matches...

It has nothing to do with strength, it's about the thumb getting sore (I hold my left thumb over my right).

Many of mass I have no problem doing hundreds. But the 308 lc brass I did just yesterday, I only did 100 and it left a bruise on my thumb. Maybe it needed slightly more crimp taken out,i bought them preswagged. Obviously these primer pockets are much tighter than the ones your used to dealing with. Nothing to do with strength or macho-Ness. I see a problem and I find the easiest solution to fix it.

 

[damoncali]

It has nothing to do with strength, it's about the thumb getting sore (I hold my left thumb over my right).

Many of mass I have no problem doing hundreds. But the 308 lc brass I did just yesterday, I only did 100 and it left a bruise on my thumb. Maybe it needed slightly more crimp taken out,i bought them preswagged. Obviously these primer pockets are much tighter than the ones your used to dealing with. Nothing to do with strength or macho-Ness. I see a problem and I find the easiest solution to fix it.

This sounds more like a brass problem than a priming tool problem. Even the Lee isn't that bad.

 

[GrantA]

If I have to squeeze that tight that brass gets tossed to the side, if the primer is partially seated I'll carefully remove it and check the primer pocket. If they're that tight I bet the pocket either still has some crimp in it or needs to be uniformed.
I like the RCBS universal hand primer, no shellholders. I did just pickup a Lee press with their safety prime system, might give that a try but I like the hand tool just fine

** a case neck reamer works great for taking the crimp out

 

[timelinex]

If I have to squeeze that tight that brass gets tossed to the side, if the primer is partially seated I'll carefully remove it and check the primer pocket. If they're that tight I bet the pocket either still has some crimp in it or needs to be uniformed.
I like the RCBS universal hand primer, no shellholders. I did just pickup a Lee press with their safety prime system, might give that a try but I like the hand tool just fine

** a case neck reamer works great for taking the crimp out

I have been uniforming pockets... The hard parts is the part of getting it just barely in there, then it goes in and seats well.

 

[GrantA]

if you chamfer the primer pocket it'll make life easier, crimped brass gets that treatment now on my rcbs case prep center

 

[fw707]

With this U can use all 4 fingers



SINCLAIR PRIMING TOOL | Sinclair Intl

I got one of the Sinclairs after I broke a couple of the Lee hand primers. I got another one later and set it up for small primers for a different caliber. I can prime 50 pieces of brass in about 8 or 9 minutes. That's fast enough for me since I usually only load 50-100 rounds at a time.
I prime .223 brass on top of a Co-ax press I have set up for .223 loading, so I don't have to change the shell holder jaws or the case holders for the primer seating.