Magnum primer for BLC2 in 308?

[Ray P]

Going through the different loadbooks for .308 with 150 gr bt fmjs, I noticed Sierra, Speer and Hodgdon showed BL-C(2) as a powder for this cartridge & projo weight. But only Speer (12th Ed) recommends magnum primers for this powder. Hornady's load book (8th Ed)does not list a BL-C(2) load for 150gr .308.

Has anyone tried the magnum primer route for this powder in .308?

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Negative. None of the manuals I have read recommend magnum primers. I load lots of 7.62mm rounds for my M1A using BLC-2 and regular primers, and the rifle works great.

 

[Ray P]

Thank you for the info, Magnum primers seemed out of step with the other load books. Think I'll save that avenue for later, and just focus for now on finding a good load for my Rem 760 using regular LRPs.

 

[DanTheFarmer]

Some folks and/or manuals (Speer included) recommend magnum primers for all spherical rifle powders. They often use a phrase like "magnum primers are good for hard to ignite ball powder in low temperatures". Well, I've never had a spherical powder fail to ignite and I haven't tried below about 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps others can shed real world experience on this but the recommendation to use magnum primers seems unfounded to me.

I use regular primers with BL-C(2) in my 30TC, 7mm-08, and 257 Roberts with no problems at all.

I tried one 7mm-08 load out of a Speer manual using H414 (also spherical) and didn't notice anything pro or con about the magnum primers. This isn't a strictly scientific test since I didn't load two otherwise identical rounds, one with magnum and one with standard, but it was enough for me feel comfortable using only standard primers with spherical powders.

Good Luck,
Dan

 

[Ray P]

Thank you for the background, DanTheFarmer; makes a bit more sense now why Speer was making that recommendation. Must admit, all my .223 with BL-C(2) went bang when appropriate, and I got some nice MOA groups out of that load work. But then, that's here in sunny New Mexico.

 

[Shmackey]

Someone needs to tell all my ball powders that they're hard to ignite.

 

[elwoodm]

happy to see that it did not happen to you but has happened to me 2 times. the first was BLC 2 in 7.62x54r case the last one was 303 British. it's not a great feeling to only hear the primer go off and hold on for dear life wondering what will happen next. after a minute or so open the bolt to see powder everywhere and the bullet stuck half way down the barrel. temps in the 70s never had a problem with cci primers with other loads but will work up loads with mag primers as a rule with these types of powders in large cases from now on.

 

[jwrowland77]

I haven't with that powder but I do use magnum primers in my .308 for every load I do. I just started low and worked up. The reason I did this, was because I use magnum in my 7mm RM, and just figured I'd use one primer for both.

I have had great results with my .308 loads.

 

[NCsmitty]

Here's some interesting insight on using Magnum primers with older designed ball powders like BLC2, Win 748, Win 760/H414 and H335. I recommend Mag primers myself with these powders when working up from start loads.

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=42&t=337717


NCsmitty

 

[GooseGestapo]

It depends on who's primers you're using.
If Winchester or Federal, a STANDARD is ok. Hodgdon specifies they used Federal 210M primers with THEIR data. (2012 "Annual Manual"; .308win and BLC2).

Speer used THEIR primers for THEIR data. They're actually suggesting something about THEIR primers... They're good primers, but quite different from the Federal and Winchester primers...

"They are NOT all the same".... (primers...).

For example; I was recently working up a load for my .300RemUltMag (.300RUM), using 200gr Sierra GameKings. One manual I consulted recommended a max load of 96.0gr of Retumbo for a max, with velocity of ~3,080fps. They listed Rem. #9.5Magnum primers. (Remington brass).

My rifle/chronograph showed 3,335fps and the primer fell out of the case when extracted..... I was using Federal 215's.....
I get 3,100 with 92.5gr of Retumbo with the Federal 215's....for my "working" load. Which is the "starting" load in said manual.
Enough said...

 

[Lloyd Smale]

when im loading ball powder in a centerfire rilfe i usually try a couple standards and a couple differnt mags. Alot of it has to do with pressure. Pressure helps powder burning. Lower pressures and ball powders with standard primers arent a good mix.