Primers. All the same?

[jeffersonv]

Is there one brand or type of primer that gives the most consistent results?

Or do they all have equal potential?

For example: You have brands Federal, CCI, Winchester, etc.
You also have types 210, 210M, BR2, etc.

Thanks.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Primers. All the same?

Federal and CCI are both owned by Blount. That's the same conglomeration that now owns Sierra and RCBS. The quality of Federal dropped about 4 or 5 years ago when that happened. The tests I did under controlled conditions with a benchrest rifle turned me toward Winchester.

 

[jeffersonv]

Re: Primers. All the same?

That's news to me. Thanks Victor.
I hardly ever see Winchester mentioned for posted loads here on the hide.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Primers. All the same?

If you have MS Word and a regular email address I'll send you a copy of the paper I wrote on it.

 

[desertHK]

Re: Primers. All the same?

wouldn't mind if you can send one my way too for night reading...LOL

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Primers. All the same?

Send me an email: [email protected] I'll respond with the paper.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Primers. All the same?

The only one I still have is the small rifle primer tests. The large rifle tests were not saved to disk when the old computer crashed. They showed much the same results from brand X , brand Y and brand Z as was in the small rifle tests. The large rifle tests were shot with a 308 tight neck chamber benchrest rifle from the 1980s with a new barrel / chamber.

 

[Hunt]

Re: Primers. All the same?

With regards to tightness of fit, here is how they fit from loose to tight:

- Winchester
- CCI
- Federal
- Wolf

 

[jeffersonv]

Re: Primers. All the same?

Seems like just about every new post has new info to me.

I guess I have a lot to learn about primers.

Email inbound to Victor.

 

[BCP]

Re: Primers. All the same?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: inode</div><div class="ubbcode-body">With regards to tightness of fit, here is how they fit from loose to tight:

- Winchester
- CCI
- Federal
- Wolf </div></div>

This is exactly the question I was going to ask, thanks a bunch.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Primers. All the same?

"Is there one brand or type of primer that gives the most consistent results?"

IF it were that simple the "best" would dominate the market. They are all good; how "good" any one is, in any given load for any given rifle, varies according to how the rifle responds to the load characteristics. Primers matter but they are often the least significant component in the search for accuracy.

How "tight" any batch of primers may seat is determined by the range of manufactoring tolerances, not just the brand. One lot from any maker may run small and the next may be large but they are all within the narrow plus/minus tolerances suggested by SAAMI. And primer pockets also vary by the same standard tolerances.

Things simply aren't as cut and dried as some believe.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Primers. All the same?

Wise response.

 

[Grump]

Re: Primers. All the same?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor N TN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Federal and CCI are both owned by Blount. That's the same conglomeration that now owns Sierra and RCBS. The quality of Federal dropped about 4 or 5 years ago when that happened. The tests I did under controlled conditions with a benchrest rifle turned me toward Winchester. </div></div>
Old info, Victor.

Blount sold them off a few years ago. ATK (Alliant TechSystems) owns them now.

http://www.atk.com/corporateoverview/corpover_securitysporting.asp

ATK continues to let Federal and CCI run themselves as completely separate divisions, AFIK. Makes good business sense from several perspectives.

Where I circulate, it was pretty much been CCI and Winchester for years. Federals are available now almost as often.

It all depends. IMO it's more a factor of some powder/bullet combinations than of different rifles. That's the joy and agony of load development. Primers are not like the nearly-universal smallbore rifle truism of the 1980s of nothing made my Remington can shoot tighter than 2 MOA.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Primers. All the same?

I've been out of the "active" competition rolls for just over 3 years. You loose contacts when you don't see them every other week. Thanks for the updated info.

 

[jeffersonv]

Re: Primers. All the same?

I know primers are just another variable in the combination of components that can add up to an accurate cartridge.

The reason I ask is it seems to me when I see loads listed here that the Federal 210M seems very popular.

While on the subject, would a 210M really be more consistent than a 210? I just can't see it in a production line environment.

Thanks.