25-06- Loose Primer Pockets

[gunaddict]

I am reloading a Remington 25-06 Sendero, using RL 22- 54 to 58gr's, 100gr NBT's. Winchester Large primers. Pact Chrono ( 3437 to 3448 for 58grs) for velocity, half inch groups at 100 yds. I started at 54grs and worked up to 58grs. When I am putting in new primers they go in with no resistance. There is no signs of pressure, no extractor mark, no flatten primers. Could I have gotten a bad batch of brass? I threw away the brass. Should I try Fed 215 primers? Thanks Todd

 

[jeffro]

Running your loads on the hot side will cause primer pockets to get loose faster than normal. How many reloads are you getting on your brass.

 

[gunaddict]

Brass is new. I worked up from 54gr to 58gr of RL 22. All brass had loose primers pockets. Sorry I did not put all information in my first post.

 

[gunaddict]

Post edited

 

[goose]

I bought some federal factory ammo for .270 and after firing them the first time the primers actually fell out of the pocket after priming them. Several were loose, some fell right out, and 2 or 3 felt "normal" when seating them. Did you mention what kind of brass?, maybe there was a bad batch.

 

[gunaddict]

Remington brass.

 

[jeffro]

I would call remington and let them know whats going on. I have never had a bad dealing with any firearm company.

 

[Gene]

Agree this should not happen with new brass. I would call Remington; they will want the lot number, keep the box. You might try Russian made Wolf primers, which I am currently using. They work well, and seat with more pressure, as they are about .0005 larger than US primers. Here is the Powder Valley site:

Powder Valley, Inc.

 

[BillR]

I really doubt that the primer was the cause and will change things much by changing the primer. One step is to back off the loading and another is to back off your bullets from the lands if your seating into the lands. You could be getting pressure spikes. Pressure is whats causing it and in 40 years I have never ran into a batch of brass that opened up the primer pockets from a load that was in the ball field for pressure. One other thing that could do it but with it being new brass I might just check it and that is overall case length. It could be jamming the case into the throat if its too long.

 

[royinidaho]

Interesting thread. Remmy brass is the softer of Rem and Win brass. Rem cases also way more than Win offerings. Thus case capacity is less increasing pressure for the same powder weight. I'd give W-W a try. I'm confident it will improve things.

I don't shoot a 25-06 but 58.4 grains of RL-22 behind a 140 gr bullet in our 270 Win is the limit if primer pocket expansion and extraction friction are to be avoided. The bullet is pushed at about 3200 MV.

My experience indicates that Nosler brass is even softer than the Remmy stuff. I have no experience with Federal brass.

One of these days I'm going to get around to getting some '06 Lapua brass and neck them down. If any rifle with an '06 based case were my go to gun I would have done it a long time ago. For just hunting the W-W brass lasted 30 years (20 shots per case). Lapua would last a couple of generations.

 

[gunaddict]

At 54grs primers were loose as 58gr . Stoney Point OAL Guage with modified case 3.749. Stoney Point bullet comparator length of loaded round 3.720. Going to send Remington the rest of the new brass and see what they say. Thanks Todd

 

[royinidaho]

I'd do the same.

Also, I misstated in my post. I was thinking Norma but said Lapua...

 

[Tikkamike]

When I was working up the load for my 25-06 I had the same problem everything looked good but my primer pockets were loosening up on me. but to have that happen with new unfired brass in unacceptable I have developed a number I use to see if my primer pockets are too loose before wasting a primer only to find out its too loose. .2085 is the biggest a primer pocket can be before my federal 210 primers seat too easily. maybe measure you primer pockets if you still have some unfired brass.

 

[MagnumManiac]

You didn't mention what brand of primer you're using.

I have experienced similar in a few cases when using Winchester primers, either mag or standard. When they went to brass coloured primers a while back, I noticed very easy seating in all manners of calibres, which I thought was a loading problem. I switched to Federal 210 and 215, and guess what, they seated with normal 'feel'. In fact some were very tight to seat and were nothing like what the Winchester primers seated like.

Try switching primer brands and see if they seat differently after shooting the same loads.

BTW, I found that 56gr of RE22 was at the upper limit in my 25-06 with 100gr BT's.