What primers are you guys mostly using for your loads.

Myself I use CCI 250 for the magnums and Winchester LRP for the standard rounds...Just curious...

I have always used just one primer for all my loads. From .338 and down to the 7mm/08 and that is the CCI BR2 ( bench rest primer)

An old friend of mine who had forgotten more about loading that I will ever know and held three world records for long rifle explained the BR2 to me.

They are hand selected for uniformity...ie the height of the anvil in the primer cup , hence the couple of bucks more a pkg. But what they do is have a longer burning ignition flame or briecence (sp) What this does is ensure a more uniform ignition of the powder for a longer period of time, also ensuring that all of the powder ignites.

My .338 would not print a decent group, no matter what I tried, from bedding to free floating the barrel and many different powders. He suggested I try a BR2...the rest is history and I have never gone back to any other primers period. With the BR2 , I have never found a need for a magnum primer.

I no longer have my .338 ( obvious by my handle) but the BR2 has NEVER let me down, or failed to print a good group.

Have never used them myself but have spoke with people who have..All said roughly the same info about them as yourself.Really top notch primer..As for the magnums one fella Bruce uses them in his 300 Win..

Also have noticed those BR2 primers have quite a following with Alaska hunters..fwiw..Most I've had spoken with on hunting forums really like all the CCI primers but the BR2 seems to be their mainstay..

Thanks for your responce 35..

Regarding the 300 mag.

Yup....I have a friend that hunts elk with his 300 and he has never been really thrilled with the groups he has shot. They were OK, but not what a 300 is really capable of. I took him over a box of BR2 and he loaded up some of the same loads that he typically used, but just changed out the primer....he said it was a totally different gun....shoot the coconuts off of a gnat at a 100 paces now as he put it.........LOL

Lots of loaders disagree with me on not needing a magnum primer for the big magnums...but then I doubt they have really put the BR2 to the test.

I know this. They work for me, make VERY accurate loads at good velocities WITHOUT jumping up the pressures I used to get with magnum primers. My buddy explained that the BR2 produced a more progressive burn than the magnum primers. ie...instead of a really large hot flame to ignite the powder it was a longer burn that gave more even ignition over a longer period of time, thereby keeping initial pressures down.

I shoot a lot of Federal 210's and 215's . CCI make good primers would shoot them to and not think twice!

I use mainly CCI BR2 and Winchester large rifle primers both standard and magnum.

I used to use tons of Federal primers but they are damn near impossible to find here in Canada now.

__________________

“Beware the man with one rifle. He may not have enough interest in it to be competent.”
Mike Venturino


CSSA Member

Yup the only new Federal primers I've seen lately are in factory ammo.

I have used quite a number of different ones, but, my mainstay since I started loading in January, 1968, has been the CCI 250. As to accuracy, my spare pair of almost un-fired P-64 Mod. 70s in .338WM will and does shoot 1/2" and smaller groups with 250 NPs over 76-RE-22 using this primer, my Dakota 76-.338WM will do the same with 77 grs.

Sooooo, I see no major reason to change as most of my big game rifles will do under a m.o.a. with NPs and CCI 250s. I do not like Federal primers as well as they are "soft"and tend to show what many consider excess pressure signs long before a load reaches acceptable velocities.

My pair of P-64 Mod. 70 Fwt-.270s will do 2900 fps with Re-22 and 150 NPs; the Fed. 215s get flattened and the CCI 250s look just fine....and there is NOT enough pressure difference here to account for this, "know-it-all" gunwriter magazine bullschitt notwithstanding.

For hotter loads, the Winchester mag. primer has the "rep." of being the highest brissance available, but, this would only really benefit one in the Arctic or maybe shooting a .338 Lapua and one try with one of thoise wa enough for me.