Which Rifle Primers?
- Thread starter viking499
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243winxb
Member
Both good. CCI Br2 for accuracy. http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/primers/primer_chart.htm I like the Winchester for progressive loaders, they seem to have a taper to the leading edge of the primer so they set easyer.http://www.winchester.com/products/catalog/components/dataprimers.aspx
loadedround
Member
I agree 100% with the posting above. I have found that my Dillon 550B works much smoother with Winchester primers. The CCI's are much harder to seat and one hangs up every now and then. I do use the CCI Benchrest primers in my 308 competition loads however. JMHO 
I have used Winchester large and small rifle primers for decades. They were great. Then in 1999 they changed the color from nickel to brass, made the primers more sensitive, one change was that the new cups are thinner.
I did not have any pierced primer problems in my large rifle cartridges, but I had way too many pierced primers in my .223 AR's. So I don't use WSR anymore. What I am using is CCI small rifle and CCI#41's.
Because they made WLR "more sensitive" I don't recommend the "brass" finish primers for Garands or M1a's. These rifles have free floating firepins and what you want are primers that are "less sensitive". So I use CCI #34's in these.
(I was able to buy a bunch of #34's from Wiedners for $75.00/5000, so I will be shooting #34's for a long while)
If the WW primers at your local store are nickel colored, buy them all. Those were the best primers I ever used. Shot great, all they way out to 600 yards.
However if you are using a bolt rifle, the WLR are easier to seat and shoot just fine.
I did not have any pierced primer problems in my large rifle cartridges, but I had way too many pierced primers in my .223 AR's. So I don't use WSR anymore. What I am using is CCI small rifle and CCI#41's.
Because they made WLR "more sensitive" I don't recommend the "brass" finish primers for Garands or M1a's. These rifles have free floating firepins and what you want are primers that are "less sensitive". So I use CCI #34's in these.
(I was able to buy a bunch of #34's from Wiedners for $75.00/5000, so I will be shooting #34's for a long while)
If the WW primers at your local store are nickel colored, buy them all. Those were the best primers I ever used. Shot great, all they way out to 600 yards.
However if you are using a bolt rifle, the WLR are easier to seat and shoot just fine.
NCsmitty
Member
I've used nothing but CCI for over 40 years in everything but shotshells & muzzleloaders. They get Win. 209's.
NCsmitty
NCsmitty
cdrt
Member
I use Winchesters for my hunting rifles and CCI military primers for my M1 Garand.
Both do exactly what they're supposed to.
Both do exactly what they're supposed to.
nambu1
Member
I have used both and never had any problems.
scrat
Member
Winchester. i used to only use cci. But had problems with ftf. Some rounds i would have to fire twice for them to go off. What the heck. i checked all my set up and everything. Made sure they were firmly seated. But same thing. Then i switched to Winchester. now i have not used anything but Winchester. i have winchester, Small Pistol, Large Pistol, Shotgun, Large Rifle.
I wish i could get some #10 and #11 Winchester Caps for Black Powder. all i have is CCI. Too many problems toooooo many problems.
I wish i could get some #10 and #11 Winchester Caps for Black Powder. all i have is CCI. Too many problems toooooo many problems.
I've used both Win and CCI, and also Remington in rifles. I've never had primer issues in 40 years. I keep the loads reasonable and accurate for my rifles. Never had a problem.
Except where I try to seat a primer in an obviously overstretched pocket in range pickup brass, or where I try to seat in a crimped military pocket without reaming or swaging. But that is never the primer's fault.
Except where I try to seat a primer in an obviously overstretched pocket in range pickup brass, or where I try to seat in a crimped military pocket without reaming or swaging. But that is never the primer's fault.
Remo-99
Member
i kinda went off win primers since they stopped plating them, there fine if loads are shot soon after loading, but i've had some load batches that sat around for several months and the primers were dis-colored, probably still fine to fire off. but i use CCI for rifle loads now. My 686 357mag don't like CCI, it won't set them off 100%, it's more like about 90% due to a lightened mainspring. so i'll probably still use wsp in 357mag loads or Federal for target loads (as Fed. are too soft for full loads and crater around the firingpin, which has locked my cylinder on one occasion)
Remo-99
Member
spawn44 - The barrel is a little long for a carry gun, but 6 inches is just nice for target work and ok for a little hunting as well, the ONLY time it jammed was when i was using federal primers in full power loads (1 time in many thousands of rounds) Besides i didn't hear you complaining about it when you dropped a mountain goat on the spot, while it was on the run at 150 yards, with one single TARGET round. lol. That was one of the flukey-est shots i've ever seen.
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taliv, my friend. CCI started making primers as reloading components in 1951.
They made factory ammo as early as the 1960s. We used to shoot CCI MiniMag rimfire when I was in high school (trust me, that was a long time ago). CCI primers were available at GemCo in their California stores, back when California was just another state with no specific regulations (GemCo was a store like WalMart Supercenter, with groceries and everything, including gunpowder and bullets). I used CCI percussion caps in my first blackpowder pistol in the early 1970's (I think that was 1973, but it could have been 74). But I like the way you keep me honest by asking questions. We should do that more on these forums.
nitesite
Member
cbm1948
See post #6
See post #6
well, i wasn't trying to keep you honest, honestly. i only started reloading a decade ago or so and know next to nothing about how it was before that, and I just thought they were a relative newcomer. i guess compared to winchester/remington, they still are.
cliffy
member
.243 Magnum Primers
I use only two brands of Large Rifle Primers: CCI 250 Magnum, CCI 200, and MAGTECH 9 1/2 Magnum. Never had a misfire from either fine product. Both load smoothly and tightly in Lapua, Remington, and Hornady cases, which are all I use. Small rifle primers are different: CCI 400 primers are .020" thick and not meant for .223 Remington applications, while CCI 450 Magnum primers @
.025" work fine in potent .223 loads. All Large Rifle primers appear to be
.027" thick, so primer piercing never occurs in any of my .243 applications.
.222 Remington Magnums and .223 Remington require Small Rifle Magnum primers with hot loads. CCI 400 Small Rifle primers were designed for .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, and .219 Zipper loads is what I've learned the hard way. cliffy
I use only two brands of Large Rifle Primers: CCI 250 Magnum, CCI 200, and MAGTECH 9 1/2 Magnum. Never had a misfire from either fine product. Both load smoothly and tightly in Lapua, Remington, and Hornady cases, which are all I use. Small rifle primers are different: CCI 400 primers are .020" thick and not meant for .223 Remington applications, while CCI 450 Magnum primers @
.025" work fine in potent .223 loads. All Large Rifle primers appear to be
.027" thick, so primer piercing never occurs in any of my .243 applications.
.222 Remington Magnums and .223 Remington require Small Rifle Magnum primers with hot loads. CCI 400 Small Rifle primers were designed for .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, and .219 Zipper loads is what I've learned the hard way. cliffy
cliffy
member
Primers by Application
Small rifle primers come in two basic grades: .22 Hornet and .223 Remington loads. Hornets love CCI 400 primers, while the potent Remingtons require CCI 450 MAGNUM primers. Nuff said? If not, I've gunked-up my internal bolt-parts using .020" thick primer jackets due to primer piercing too often, until I learned that .025" thick primers were required for hot loads in .223 Remington applications. .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, and .219 Zipper loads love CCI 400s.
.222 Remington and .223 Remington need MAGNUM Primers to thrive. This is what I've learned the hard way. Cliffy
Small rifle primers come in two basic grades: .22 Hornet and .223 Remington loads. Hornets love CCI 400 primers, while the potent Remingtons require CCI 450 MAGNUM primers. Nuff said? If not, I've gunked-up my internal bolt-parts using .020" thick primer jackets due to primer piercing too often, until I learned that .025" thick primers were required for hot loads in .223 Remington applications. .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, and .219 Zipper loads love CCI 400s.
.222 Remington and .223 Remington need MAGNUM Primers to thrive. This is what I've learned the hard way. Cliffy
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