• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

Not strong enough for BR2s?

I have a new Bergara HMR Pro as well as a Seekins Havak chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I loaded 150 rounds all with BR2s using Hornady brass as well as Peterson brass, some once fired some brand new all causing the same issues. Out of the 150 rounds I would say 20 would not fire on the first shot and 7 that would not fire at all. Primers are from different lots and causing the same issues. I have tried CCI 200s as well as federal 210s all without issue.. Does a gun just not like the hardness of the BR2s?
If your BR2s are not working for you let us know and we we gladly exchage them for another primer.
Too bad we don't live close. BR2s and BR4s are ar best go to primers.
You need to check your bolt and firing spring. Just might be dirty. I have seen a lot of new factory bolts that have issues and then when cleaned properly shoot GREAT!!!!
Clean first!!!!!!
 
Full length resize bumped 2-3. Brass was shot previously in my other rifle. Could be part of the issue. All brass is Peterson that I am using and has now been once fired in the gun. Will try resizing it and see if the problem continues.

Start at the start with virgin brass and see what you have
 
Full length resize bumped 2-3. Brass was shot previously in my other rifle. Could be part of the issue. All brass is Peterson that I am using and has now been once fired in the gun. Will try resizing it and see if the problem continues.
By chance did you see if the brass would fit in the rifle before resizing? I think you probably pushed the shoulder back farther than needed. Greg from Primal Rights has a really good video on this topic on YouTube. You should check it out. It kind of opened my eyes to something I never really thought about
 
Yepper, a while back I had some primers not going bang in my Mt/308. I took it to my smith, he looked at my gun then my loads and found that I had been setting the shoulder back too far.....oops on my part
Ya. Every rifle varies. - It could be that the shoulder is set back too far, PLUS CCI is known to have harder primers!

Get a Wilson case gauge to check loads and fired brass (Before & After).
RCBS, Lee and Hornady make them too.


HOW TO USE A CASE GAUGE

IF the factory ammo and handload cartridges measure good in the case gauge (BUT THE FIRED CASE DOSEN'T), then you have other issues: chamber cut too long, bolt face cut too deep. And the way to verify that is with Go and No-go gauges that go into the chamber. If a bolt closes on a Field gauge - the chamber is dangerously too long!
('Happened with my old stock 700 30-06! - Now re-barreled with a new 24-inch SS take-off barrel from Numrich. 'Lucked-out. Safe, and the brass will last longer!)

Headspace and case gauges are good to check your 'Custom Gunsmith' too! :D

🎯 🙏😎
 
Last edited:
Maybe the striking is not adjusted as adequate for BR2s.
You might adjust your firing pin setting for optimum with a particular primer, or just pick the best primer as it is and stop changing things.
Does anyone know the spring tension difference between a REM 700 308 firing pin spring and a Military spring? I haven't found the answer yet 😵‍💫
 
I haven't seen anyone mention it here, so here goes:

Several years ago I was reloading for a 6 PPC for bench rest shooting. For the first time in my experience, I had several failure to fire cartridges.

Back to the loading bench to see if I was doing anything different. Decided my problem was using a Lee hand primer, and not seating the primers all the way into the pocket. Changed to an RCBS bench-top priming tool with a long lever. Problem solved.

I am now careful to seat primers to the bottom of the pockets. No more FTF experiences.
 
Having taken apart Bergara bolts part of me wants to say to clean it out and see if it's packed up with grease, but seems like the issue is most likely something else that's been touched on - sizing or primer seating.
 
I have a new Bergara HMR Pro as well as a Seekins Havak chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I loaded 150 rounds all with BR2s using Hornady brass as well as Peterson brass, some once fired some brand new all causing the same issues. Out of the 150 rounds I would say 20 would not fire on the first shot and 7 that would not fire at all. Primers are from different lots and causing the same issues. I have tried CCI 200s as well as federal 210s all without issue.. Does a gun just not like the hardness of the BR2s?
Ya. Every rifle varies. - It could be that the shoulder is set back too far, PLUS CCI is known to have harder primers!

Get a Wilson case gauge to check loads and fired brass (Before & After).
RCBS, Lee and Hornady make them too.


HOW TO USE A CASE GAUGE

IF the factory ammo and handload cartridges measure good in the case gauge (BUT THE FIRED CASE DOSEN'T), then you have other issues: chamber cut too long, bolt face cut too deep. And the way to verify that is with Go and No-go gauges that go into the chamber. If a bolt closes on a Field gauge - the chamber is dangerously too long!
('Happened with my old stock 700 30-06! - Now re-barreled with a new 24-inch SS take-off barrel from Numrich. 'Lucked-out. Safe, and the brass will last longer!)

Headspace and case gauges are good to check your 'Custom Gunsmith' too! :D

🎯 🙏😎
 
Last edited:
I have a new Bergara HMR Pro as well as a Seekins Havak chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I loaded 150 rounds all with BR2s using Hornady brass as well as Peterson brass, some once fired some brand new all causing the same issues. Out of the 150 rounds I would say 20 would not fire on the first shot and 7 that would not fire at all. Primers are from different lots and causing the same issues. I have tried CCI 200s as well as federal 210s all without issue.. Does a gun just not like the hardness of the BR2s?
primer cup on the br2s is a little shorter
 
Said you ran into two bricks of primers, were they from gun store, bought from someone else. What condition were the boxes. May not have been stored well! I recently bought a thousand Winchester LRP in white box. The primers are silver colored. They are at least twenty five years old. But box looked new. I tried some in empty cases and they went pop very loud. Loaded some with known recipe and they were twenty fps faster with ES of six for five rounds. Think they will work.
 
Last edited:
Top