I am venturing into the realm of reloading for my new .308 Bergara HMR. The only primers I have been able to find are the CCI #34 for 7.62 rifles. From what I have read they are just a harder large rifle primers. Has anyone used them reliably in a bolt gun?
- Thread starter vtecrx
- Start date
I have used CCI .34 and CCI .41s almost exclusively for all of my loading (bolt action and semi). I've also read they have a harder cup for use in semi autos but I don't have a way to confirm that claim. I believe the intent was to prevent slam fires, which ive never experience in a semi-auto. But the gov may error on the side of caution.
From testing against normal small/large rifle primers, they tend to run hot. I consider them magnum primers.
If you work up a load with them you are good to go, start low and work up to pressure.
Over the years I've noticed several loading manuals note using magnum primers with dense ball powders. The military has used balls powders quite a bit over the years, so it makes sense for the primer to run hot.
From testing against normal small/large rifle primers, they tend to run hot. I consider them magnum primers.
If you work up a load with them you are good to go, start low and work up to pressure.
Over the years I've noticed several loading manuals note using magnum primers with dense ball powders. The military has used balls powders quite a bit over the years, so it makes sense for the primer to run hot.
I have used them with no problems in a factory savage 6.5 Creedmoor. SD’s might have been a little more than when I use Winchester LR but still less than 10, and that may have been a brass issue as I was using once fired brass from a gas gun.
Slightly off topic, but in the same vein, so I hope it won't qualify as a thread hi-jack. When reloading for semi-auto, one is meant to use magnum rifle primers or CCI 34/41, however, I don't recall ever having seen on standard .308 or .223 commercial hunting loads a disclaimer to say 'not to be use in semi-autos'. Just to make sure, I had a look on Midway at a couple Nosler and Hornady offerings, no disclaimer. So is one left to conclude that they use something above standard rifle primers for liability reasons, the hype about slam fires is a marketing tool to get us to use other primers or SRP/LRP for semi-auto are actually okay? It's a lot easier to replace regular primers these days if one doesn't mind working up a load again is why it's been on my mind.
Those primers suck! If you pm me, I'll be happy to dispose of them for you. LOL. Just kidding, I've used them for years with no adverse issues.
Hornady does give a tutorial in using their "Superformance" ammo in gas guns.
Superformance in Gas Operated Firearms - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc
Background Superformance ammunition was developed in the Hornady ballistics lab utilizing state of the art test equipment in accordance with SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) guidelines for pressure, velocity and accuracy ut...
I had an issue with some of the newer lots of the Hornady 308 168 gr. "TAP" ammunition in my SR-25. This was around 2005-2006. The new lots were blowing primers pretty consistently. I got ahold of Hornady's L/E division and explained the issue and sent them back some of the ammo. They did their testing and after a few months, sent me some newest ammo. The new ammo worked fine. I don't know what the issue was, they didn't tell me.
As far as the slam fire issue, there are a lot of factors that can be the cause. Some years ago White Oak recommended Remington 7 1/2 and Federal primers for reloading and recommended not to use Winchester SRP. I had a slam fire in an AR-15 in the 1970's by fooling around reloading and used a small pistil primer instead of a rifle primer. Rifle went off as soon as the bolt went into battery. I didn't do that again.
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Hornady does give a tutorial in using their "Superformance" ammo in gas guns.
Superformance in Gas Operated Firearms - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc
Background Superformance ammunition was developed in the Hornady ballistics lab utilizing state of the art test equipment in accordance with SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) guidelines for pressure, velocity and accuracy ut...www.hornady.com
I had an issue with some of the newer lots of the Hornady 308 168 gr. "TAP" ammunition in my SR-25. This was around 2005-2006. The new lots were blowing primers pretty consistently. I got ahold of Hornady's L/E division and explained the issue and sent them back some of the ammo. They did their testing and after a few months, sent me some newest ammo. The new ammo worked fine. I don't know what the issue was, they didn't tell me.
As far as the slam fire issue, there are a lot of factors that can be the cause. Some years ago White Oak recommended Remington 7 1/2 and Federal primers for reloading and recommended not to use Winchester SRP. I had a slam fire in an AR-15 in the 1970's by fooling around reloading and used a small pistil primer instead of a rifle primer. Rifle went off as soon as the bolt went into battery. I didn't do that again.
Many thanks for the response.
