What is your favorite primer?

[iwerk2hard]

I'm partial to CCI primers.
My guns are capable of shooting better than I can, therefore I've never shot any competition, just recreational. I've not found primers that I can blame for lousy groups or missed game, although some loads do seem to perform better or worse with a single component change such as primer.
I've heard more than once that the CCI primers are less susceptible to gang explosion while using hand priming tools. That's enough to sway me right there. On top of that, they seem to feed better in my Lee hand priming tool.
Opinions will vary with need and past experience.
That's my 2 cents.

[R-WEST]

Winchester's WLR (and its progenitor, the old 81/2-120) has always produced the best results in MOST of my rifles. The occasional R91/2 and F210M pops up occasionally as the ignitor of some of the "best loads" in my load notes, but, the WLR is the overall leader by a long shot (pun).

Handguns seem to like CCI's, standard or magnum, depending on the respective caliber/load.

[razmuz]

Like many of you I've bought what the store had. I mostly use CCI 200's. For "ball" powders I use WLR's. When brass gets old WSR seem to load up a little loose and the CCI load up just fine. Could be that they are a little larger.

[browning2000]

I used to use WLR's in all my biggame reloads, I allways got good accuracy and good velocity, there was really nothing wrong with them so why change. Well when I got my 6PPC target gun the guy who helped me get started told me that as far as he was concerned Federal Gold Medal match primers were in a league of their own. Federal 205's work nice in my 6 and groups in the .1"s cant be wrong so when I ran out of WLR's I switched to Federal 210 Gold Medal Match primers. Low and behold I was able to shave an easy .1"-.2" off the groups of my big game rifles. I'm not saying they make a huge difference, but in my experience, good primers are an easy addition to the handloads we put so much time and effort into developing and they're an easy way to shave a tenth of an inch off Aggs and help turn a good load into a super load.

[Cal Sibley]

While I use mostly Federal and Remington I can't notice any difference between the various primers. I have quite a few loads with the same bullet, case type, powder and load. The only variable is the primer. Sometimes I get smaller groups with the Federal, sometimes the Remington. Misfires are few and far between. If there's a measureable difference you could never prove it by my loads. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[BLUEDOT 72]

Back in the 60's or early 70's I had a CCI fail to fire so I developed a paranoia about them, (but I have never had problems since) . Never have bought any since either (except Percussion Caps)
Federals have done me so good that those are about all I buy but Remingtons did me real well in the 70's when I was shooting a lot of Metalic Silhoutte (.280 Rem) . Also these worked real good for .2222 and .222 RemMag.

[Freebore]

Each rifle load is developed using different primer to see what gives the best accuracy with a given powder,bullet for a given cartridge w/ minimal deviations. I have Federal, CCI, WLR, Rem on my shelves. I mainly find that with ball powders in short cartridges (7mm-08) the WLR work well. The large belted cases the Federals. The custom .22's CCI BR's.
Never tried the Federal gold match. I think I'll try them w/ loads I have if they work that well. There is room for them too on the self.

[scooterman27006]

both small and large winchester primers work well enough for me without the added cost - i do however have one load for 223 that needs the cci br4 primer no doubt it does make a difference but as far as large i believe cci makes them worse - winchester i say only because i have never used anything for large except winchester or cci and none of the others listed

[Cobra]

Like the CCI BR's, never had any noticable problems with any others though. These seemed to be just a bit more consistant and are readily available. Tried some RWS that a friend gave me, very nice but hard to find, at least when I was needing to stock up.

[BAN]

I have found primers make all the diffrence in specific loads. When I first began handloading all I knew was large or small rifle and manufactuer made little diffrence to me. Now that I became an accuracy addict I have found sometimes that simply changing primers and leaving the rest as is can be all that is needed to go from good to great. In my custom 22/250, I knew I had the making of a good load and tried diffrent OAL, charges, powders,etc., and went back to the first load used a CCI BR-2 and now it shoots a one hole seven shot group under 1/4". When I get a load that is close but not quite what I want the next step for me is trying a diffrent primer. There are several brands and types on my bench and my favorite is which ever one my rifle digest will best.

[cemerson]

Precision Shooting magazine had an article covering the differences between the various primer manufacturers. I have the magazine somewhere, I never throw them away and if pressed, I'll find it. However, the most interesting thing featured was a series of photos that illustrated the fire that each primer produced when touched off. Each one had an intensity of it's own. Most throwing sparks. There were two primers that showed the most uniform flame. Both were Federals, #'s 210 & 215. Since then I have switched to Federals and have not looked back.

Chet.

[badgerrr]

My local primer supplier carries Winchester and CCI. After popping lots of both, I've resolved:

CCI for Rifles

Winchester for handguns (especially small handguns)

The CCI's are the most accurate in my rifles almost without exception.

But CCI's have given me misfires with small double action handguns, especially when fired double action. Had a CCI fail me double action, once, in 45 Long Colt . The Winchesters always go bang.

[scooterman27006]

i just reread my comments above and after doing a lot more shooting and finding some great loads - well i have to say i use whatever primer the gun/load shoots the best but out of the loads that are keepers so far all of them are using the federal match primers 205 and 210 but the 223 is going to keep the cci br primers - i say all this now with a couple thousand of the winchester small and large in my drawer lol

[dovehunter]

I have bought nothing but CCI primers for years. A while back my local gunshop ran out of CCI Large Pistol primers and said to get Winchester instead "as they should be about the same". I did and my usual (and long standing) .45 ACP load mysteriously started puncturing primers. I threw the rest away and waited for them to get in CCI.

[skeet]

Actually now days it is getting harder to tell. I have been told by some industry insiders that CCI is making a lot of Wichester primers these days. Do that possibly be true??