Calvin45
Well-Known Member
asking specifically about federal 215 vs 215match primers...I have the match ones so it's not that I have a decision to make, im just curious if there's actually a difference.
Match vs standard primers...any difference?
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ar10ar15man
Well-Known Member
according to "sources", level of inspection is the difference.
for the most part i buy the base fed and weight sort/insp myself.
in sr lots of br shooters say they cannot tell the diff.
for the most part i buy the base fed and weight sort/insp myself.
in sr lots of br shooters say they cannot tell the diff.
I bought a few thousand match feds.....havent noticed any significant difference in fps, pressure or accuracy....i know the fps and pressure are of value to us as reloaders..but obviously accuracy comes down to th shooter and rifle......
Value of better components is probably most important...if you find it you better buy it.....it won't be there very long....
Value of better components is probably most important...if you find it you better buy it.....it won't be there very long....
ShtrRdy
Well-Known Member
You're just going to have to try them in your application and see if you can tell a difference.
Rich Coyle
Well-Known Member
To me they offer one more primer for tuning a load. Nothing more.
Tried them for the first time two weeks ago. I didn't try them for match competition shooting but for hunting loads! They opened up what was sub moa (3/4 inch consistent groups) to about 2+ inches .....scary....this was with 300 Weatherby. Exact same powder loads as always. I'm not interested in changing what works or trying to work up a new load for a primer that costs 4 cents more. Once again....just one person's opinion
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
I used the 215M primers exclusively for many years in my magnum cases. When the Match primers became unobtainable for some time I was just happy to get some regular 215s. Switching to the regular 215s in every cartridge made no change that I could detect.
Reportedly, all Match primers made by Fed and CCI are only distinguished by the fact that they are produced/overseen by the company's most experienced personnel.
Now that Fed Match primers are available again, I switched back. However, my groups are no smaller. Shooters far more knowledgeable then I have told me that they don't even waste their money on Match primers because they see no difference on paper.
Reportedly, all Match primers made by Fed and CCI are only distinguished by the fact that they are produced/overseen by the company's most experienced personnel.
Now that Fed Match primers are available again, I switched back. However, my groups are no smaller. Shooters far more knowledgeable then I have told me that they don't even waste their money on Match primers because they see no difference on paper.
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
What about Remington primers vs. Federal ? Any comments ?
Rich Coyle
Well-Known Member
Savage 26" heavy barrel .223
Here are some loads with Varget and JLK 65 grain VLD's and different primers.
The powder charge of 27.5 grains usually produced velocities in the low 3200s in this 26" heavy barrel Savage .223. The primers used are as follows: Federal 205 and 205 M, Remington 7 1/2 Bench Rests, CCI BR 4 and 450 magnum and Winchester WSR. All groups used five shots at 100 yards.
Federal's 205 made three groups. They measured .519" @ 3220 fps, .962" @ 3224 and 1.216" @ 3210". The 1.216" group had a couple of fliers. They averaged .899" @ 3218 fps.
The 205 M from Federal is a match primer. There are records for four groups. They show groups of .709" @ 3224 fps, .726" @ 3224 fps, .644" @ 3224 fps, .757" @ 3227 fps. Their four group average was .709" @ 3225 fps. This primer produced the most consistent velocities that I have seen in any firearm.
Consistent velocities did not translate into the best accuracy, though.
The four Remington 7 1/2 Bench Rest primer's groups measured .744" @ 3211 fps, .682" @ 3211 fps, .676" @ 3224 fps and .682" 3223 fps and averaged .696" @ 3217 fps.
Winchester's WSR primers worked as follows: .582" @ 3220 fps, .399" @ 3249 fps, .830" @ 3219 fps and .812" @ 3219 fps. The average for WSR is .656" @ 3227 fps. All of the WSR primers were pierced by the firing pin.
The next primer is the CCI 450 magnum. It produced .684" @ 3200 fps, .546" @ 3207 fps, .711" @ 3234 fps, .544" @ 3219 fps, .806" @ 3191 fps and .525" @ 3218 fps. The average for the magnum primer was .636" @ 3211 fps.
The last one tried was another bench rest primer. It is the BR 4. We saved the best for last. The groups measured .492" @ 3245 fps, .477" @ 3250 fps, .441" @ 3245 fps, .452" @ 3232 and .460" @ 3229 fps. Its phenomenal five groups average is .464" @ 3240 fps. It also produced the highest velocities.
With the same rifle using the same powder firing the same bullets groups with the "best" primer are half the size of the worst groups.
When I tried the 52 grain JLK's I tried only two primers: the Remington match and the standard CCI. After eight groups of five shots with each primer the standard primer's groups were about 3/16" smaller on the average than the match primers.
Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
No difference for me.
SilverbulletMAG
Well-Known Member
Somethings not right. A primer switch alone (from one quality primer to another)shouldn't take a sub MOA group to 2+MOA if all other variables are the same.
Rich Coyle
Well-Known Member
No such thing as a "quality primer" in my experience. You work up you load with the hottest primer and then you are good to try the rest. I saw groups with a .218 fire several 2" groups with every primer. That is until I tried the Winchester primer when the groups went to 3/4". So I tried all of them again. Same thing happened.
