antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
How do they work if you just prime an empty case and fire that? Otherwise instead of trying to make primer XYZ work just use the one that does work and don't concern yourself with what works best.
Testing primers
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How do they work if you just prime an empty case and fire that? Otherwise instead of trying to make primer XYZ work just use the one that does work and don't concern yourself with what works best.
Wachsmann
Well-Known Member
A long time ago there was a straight primer test and the list was from hottest or most flame to weakest. I cant remember but the federal match, and the cci's were the better and more consistent of the group with the best flames. I think the BR2 was the most consistent but was not preferred with magnum charges.
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
It stands to reason that match primers would be more carefully made so therefore more consistent. Magnum primers should be hotter for use with large powder charges or cold weather use. Primer cup hardness/thickness may also come into play. FWIW I usually replace the 24# firing pin spring with a 32# one.
couesaddict
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I use cci 250's in my 300 rum with 91 grains of Retumbo. Switched to them from 215's cause they gave me better Es and groups. Granted, it was slightly better but I was happy enough to switch just for the fact that they were easier to come by. I couldn't find 215's and was getting low. 250's were available so I gave them a whirl and never looked back.
Wedgy
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Sort of on the subject of primers...what is with the big box Federals come in ? The story I heard was the DOT or some agency that regulates shipping/hazmat was going to make them all change to the bigger "safer" box and Federal did it preemptively then the regulators decided against it but Federal had already changed and didn't want to change back. I can only dump 50 at a time in my tray.... PIA
what is ES mean
Wedgy
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ES =Extreme Spread, not the average but the high and low. Say you had 10 shots, one was 3,000 fps, 8 were 3,020 fps, and one was 3,060 fps your ES would be 60 fps
The average would be 3,022 fps.
In the long range game we are looking for a low ES, not so much SD as the difference in point of impact of the shot with the 3,000 fps is going to WAY different than the one that was 3,060 fps, not at 100 yards but it's a miss at longer range.
The average would be 3,022 fps.
In the long range game we are looking for a low ES, not so much SD as the difference in point of impact of the shot with the 3,000 fps is going to WAY different than the one that was 3,060 fps, not at 100 yards but it's a miss at longer range.
I have mostly used just Federal 215M for my magnums, but , for my loads that use LR primers I have been able to improve ES and/or accuracy with only minor changes in velocity by switching between Fed 210M's and CCIBR2's. With a recent 6.5x284 build I was able to reduce ES and improve accuracy switching to the BR's. My other two rifles preferred the 210M's. I run a minimum of 5 shots, preferably 10 when testing ES. The Lab Radar is great for this work since it doesn't effect harmonics.
The primers are going off in every case but causing delayed ignition, or what we call click-booms, or in the case of the failures to ignite, when you pull the bullet the powder is burnt, clumpy and has to be broken up to get it out of the case. The primer has ignited but is not hot enough to completely flash the powder. This is not caused by weak springs and the like or the primers would not be going off at all.
The first time it happened we thought it was from a weak batch of primers. That is why we went and got three other batches and tried them in the loads. Same result. Doesn't happen every single time, it gets far more common the colder the ambient temperature is, but more than often enough to convince me to use the Fed 215 or Win primers. Like I said before, if CCI 250 works good in your big boomers, fill your boots, but if you get delayed ignition or failure to fire at least you have heard it happens to others as well.
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
Practically speaking how does an ES of 60 fps translate to group size on the target? If that group was .75 MOA at 100 yds would an ES of 5 fps cut that by .2 inch? More? Less?
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
I replace the spring because it helps to reduce lock time. Don't know how much it matters, but IMO it can't hurt. Can't say that I've ever experienced the click boom.
Jeffrey Van Zandt
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Rhovee
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I haven't tested cci 250's in -10. But I use them in my edge (92.7 H1000) along with many other cartridges. Haven't had any issues. And get better ES and groups are small. I agree that fed 215's burn hotter and sometimes require powder tweaking. In my saum the 215's and 250's are a wash with H1000 speeds are the same and Es is the same. In my edge the cci 250's were an obvious winner.
Randy Tidwell
Well-Known Member
I understand the only difference between a standard primer and a match primer is the match primers go through one additional sorting process otherwise they are the same heat range and ignition capabilities. I have never had any luck shooting CCI primers or Remington primers my go-to primers are always Federal and Winchester. But I only drive Fords so it's just a matter of opinion and what works for you
