Preference for primers or does it matter?

[ApacheHunter]

Okay, I'd like to get some Federal Gold Medal Match primers (large rifle) but does it really matter? It seems that as long as I am being consistent and starting my loads below max that any large rifle primers will work. I understand that the primer pocket must be cleaned and deburred. Usually, I've seen them listed by the few hundred so I'll be using the same thing for a while. So, is one truly better than the other?

[Gil Martin]

Over time you will probably develop some preferences for certain brands of primers. That is just fine. I prefer Winchester or CCI for no special reason. All the best...
Gil

[petey]

Sure does. I've had primers that wouldn't go off, more than one in a pack. Had to learn the hard way on that one. I never use that brand anymore. Of course that was in my earlier stages of reloading and a primer was a primer to me...just not the case.

Never handle your primers with your fingers, you could get oil on them. I used to prime my cases with the bench, but I use an RCBS hand primer tool now. It's much faster and you can "feel" what you are doing. My primers leave their package direclty into the feeder.

I'm a stickler about reloading, espically if you're shooting long range. I'm talking well beyond 500 yards. I've gone as far as even weighing my primers and sorting out the uneven ones, so everything matches! Believe it or not, even so small you do have variations. That's probably a bit anal, but I want no excuses other than the shooter. I weigh my bullets also and separate out the bad ones. Depending on the manufacturer, make and model I've had as little as 10 in a box of 50 that actually wieghed what they should have. Again, a bit excesive? Probably not, if you shoot those rounds through a cronograph. I've had high spikes in velocity when things were different. When everything is the same, it's always pretty darn close to the same velocity. Better groups, and it only makes sense.

I use nothing but Premium Benchrest primers now. I've never had a miss-fire. Once I found a brand that wouldn't fail, I stuck to it.

P.S. It wasn't the gun's fault either. Primer was fully indented. Plus I've tried the same miss-fired round in several different guns.

You can be a real stickler to acheive the maximum results, but you don't have to, to acheive better than factory load results. That Rem 700 is a good choice and it probably won't take you long to find many loads that are shooting sweet. Just how good is up to you. Cleaning is a key, and if you haven't shot it you can even as go as far as breaking in the barrel (even if it's factory). Clean it good after every shot for the first 20 rounds. Sounds like a pain, and maybe an old wive's tale but on all the guns I've broke in, they clean up easy and are darn accurate. Did the break in process accomplish this? No way to know!

[ApacheHunter]

I haven't shot it yet. I'm going to buy me some "cheap" shells and break it in with the box. I was planning on cleaning and cooling between each shot for the entire box. I'm also going to measure how much the case expands for each round and take the average for future uses.

I'm very anal by nature. Blame that on Uncle Sam, I guess. But, I was planning on weighing out each piece of brass, bullet, every shot of powder, but never thought of weighing the primers. I guess I can satisfy my OCD and do that also.

I'm getting stoked about starting the process. I plan on loading maybe five rounds a night. I'm going to shoot here on post at our range which goes out to 200+ meters logging as much "dope" as possible for each string of five. Anyways, thanks for the help so far, I'm sure I'll need more.

[Dan Morris]

Not being into tack driving, I've always been satisfied with CCI products. Standard large primers have done me fine. This is not
a final word, just mio dos centavos worth.
Dan


Oh BTW, a belated welcome!!!!

[Catfish]

As stated primers do make a differance. Fed. primers have a softer cup and for that reason have bee the choice for competation revolver shooters for years. Some are hotter than others and they will effect accuracy of your loads. You don`t want to use mag. primers in small cases. You can use standard primers in larger cases but when cases are full of a slow burning powder to will get alittle more velosity from mag. primers, and often better accuracy.
You would be waisting your time to go through what Petey doese though because you are useing a factory gun and his equipment is presion equipment capable of much better accuracy. Factory chambers are cut with larger dia. throughts and into lower quality barrels than his. I use mostly BR primers and go the extra mile in case prep, turn necks, do flash holes, and weigh cases, with some of my custom guns, but with factory chambers I trim to lenth and champfer the case mouthes. Right now I have Win., Federal, CCI and Rem. primers on hand and different guns get different primers. .222, .223, .17 Rem., .204 .22 BR and the others in this case size usually get Rem. 7 1/2 primers. .223 for the AR will get what ever primer I can get cheap as long as I can keep the groups below 1 moa. These rounds are for coyotes when hunting with dogs so shot will normally be off hand and at running targets and I can`t shoot any better than that.