Best Primer Brands For Consistency and Reliability

[3MTA3]

I was having my standard fantasy about being wealthy and having packs of beautiful women following me around when I thought, "hey, it's a fantasy, so I can go for broke, like primers are available again and less than 20 Biden Bucks a piece". Now, in my imagination I can buy any I want, but what should I buy?

In your real world experience are any of the brands more consist ant, reliable? Any have mechanical issues like too loose, tight, etc? What would you use for hunting? How about defense? Precision?

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[2506]

Most Accurate Rifle Primers for Precision Reloading

What is the best primer? This is a perennial question for handloaders pursuing optimal accuracy, wh...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[Pepe-lepew]

CCI or Federal>Remington>Winchester

Winchester is at the bottom because they had a bunch of defective primers that would pierce at the edge of the cup. It would pit bolts and they did nothing to recall them. I can't trust a company that has a history like that. If you have to use Winchester avoid any old stock.

Remington is middle of the pack because they are not plated. Remington hold up good with over pressure loads.

 

[dangerranger60]

The only problems I ever had were with Com Bloc country's making primers for the American market. Other than that I have had very few problems. DR

 

[Stomper]

CCI or Federal>Remington>Winchester

Winchester is at the bottom because they had a bunch of defective primers that would pierce at the edge of the cup. It would pit bolts and they did nothing to recall them. I can't trust a company that has a history like that. If you have to use Winchester avoid any old stock.

Remington is middle of the pack because they are not plated. Remington hold up good with over pressure loads.

You'll never cry using CCI….

 

[2ndtimer]

I got surprisingly good results with Wolf and Sellier & Bellot small rifle primers. Remington 7 1/2's are my current favorite. These days, whatever is available and affordable.
Federal 210 for large rifle, CCI-500 and 550 for small pistol and magnu small pistol.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Most Accurate Rifle Primers for Precision Reloading

What is the best primer? This is a perennial question for handloaders pursuing optimal accuracy, wh...

precisionrifleblog.com

There's a bunch of benchrest shooters that prefer Russian primers, like Tulamo, yada.

 

[3MTA3]

CCI or Federal>Remington>Winchester

Winchester is at the bottom because they had a bunch of defective primers that would pierce at the edge of the cup. It would pit bolts and they did nothing to recall them. I can't trust a company that has a history like that. If you have to use Winchester avoid any old stock.

Remington is middle of the pack because they are not plated. Remington hold up good with over pressure loads.

I bought a lot of new Winchester brass a while back and within a year it started turning green. Remington and Norma brass I bought at the same time stayed shiny for a very long time. I've been suspicious of all Winchester ammo and components since.

 

[pharmseller]

Here's the bad news, primer choice is way, way down the list of variables that contribute to accuracy.




P

 

[ageingstudent]

I was having my standard fantasy about being wealthy and having packs of beautiful women following me around when I thought, "hey, it's a fantasy, so I can go for broke, like primers are available again and less than 20 Biden Bucks a piece". Now, in my imagination I can buy any I want, but what should I buy?

In your real world experience are any of the brands more consist ant, reliable? Any have mechanical issues like too loose, tight, etc? What would you use for hunting? How about defense? Precision?

The only real issue I have had with primers is S&B SP fitting into new S&B .38 cases or Starline. Go figure? S&B cases are tight when new. I just switched to Remington small pistol primers and they fit perfect. After four or five firings they will fit just fine. Never had a problem with any of them not going Bang. One odd misfire here and there over 40 years but nothing that would indicate a pattern in any brand.

 

[Stomper]

There's a bunch of benchrest shooters that prefer Russian primers, like Tulamo, yada.

Yeahbut they're shooting at kettles of borscht and vats of vodka, so…..

 

[Katonk]

There was a recall on Winchester Large Rifle primers a few years back....who knows how many are still out there in someones stash

Winchester Primer Recall | Single-Actions

Probably should have put this in the reloading section but I figured it will get seen more here. Anyone heard anything about a Winchester primer recall ? Is this something old,new,true, or inte

singleactions.proboards.com

 

[Pepe-lepew]

There was a recall on Winchester Large Rifle primers a few years back....who knows how many are still out there in someones stash

Winchester Primer Recall | Single-Actions

Probably should have put this in the reloading section but I figured it will get seen more here. Anyone heard anything about a Winchester primer recall ? Is this something old,new,true, or inte

singleactions.proboards.com

If you read the forum you linked you will see they mentioned there was no recall. They replaced primers if people complained. Little good that does after bad primers pit a bolt face. They did not replace damaged bolt faces.

 

[Katonk]

Yep...I read it and should have been more clear regarding it wasn't actually a "recall".....my bad........thanks for pointing that out......I just wanted to make a point during all this panic buying of primers that folks should be aware that there could "potentially" be some suspect Winchester primers still out there

 

[ron]

Smqall Rifle Primers 7 1/2 Remington for the win.

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Not sure if this link works?

 

[orygun]

You'll never cry using CCI….

Maybe not, but... I damn near did when this one didn't ignite. (CCI250 Magnum) Missed a shot at what would have been the best buck of my life.

Later the opinion was that I may have crushed it when seating. It lit off on the second strike. Still, it is the only primer failure I've ever had and it is a CCI primer.
I've used Winchester, Federal, CCI and Remington primers in handgun and rifle loads with nary a problem. Before this last fall I never tested one vs. the other for consistency or puissance. (Fancy word I learned from Garry James ) Sometimes I'd forgotten what primer I'd used and inadvertently switched from one to the other.
I concocted a dual ladder test with a 30-06 Ackley Improved. I use right about 62 grains of powder and that's right at the "cut off" or start zone for switching from standard to magnum primers.
I used Winchester Large Rifle and CCI250 Magnum primers with RL22 and here's what I found.
60gr. CCI slightly faster velocity (12fps)
60.5gr Winchester slightly faster (8fps)
61gr Winchester slightly faster (9fps)
Basically a tie, but the 61gr load with Winchester started putting bullets into a tiny group. That's where my testing ended and hunting season started.

I was surprised that the Magnum primer was slower with the larger powder charges. I was also surprised that the most accurate loading group was not the one with the lowest SD and ES.

I would prefer WLR primers, but I'm not getting rid of the CCI's. There was almost no real world difference between the two.

I have a large selection of Magnum small pistol primers and we're going to be shooting a bunch of 38 Special. I'll be doing a velocity test again comparing small pistol regular vs. magnum primers later.

 

[Cerberus Group]

The last 3 years every primer I've used, works as designed.

CCI, Remington, Winchester, Federal, Ginex, Murom, and CamPro

 

[pharmseller]

Before this last fall I never tested one vs. the other for consistency or puissance. (Fancy word I learned from Garry James )

Brisance.

Unless you're talking about horse jumping or great power.




P

 

[nammac]

CCI, Winchester and Federal primer guy here, never an issue, even with Winchester primers that we're old enough to get their own drivers license…. Always fit, always have gone bang. All have been seated with either a Lee or Lyman hand primer. I'm OCD and ole school on priming, I want to feel the primer seat properly…

 

[Certaindeaf]

Maybe not, but... I damn near did when this one didn't ignite. (CCI250 Magnum) Missed a shot at what would have been the best buck of my life.
View attachment 1093868
Later the opinion was that I may have crushed it when seating. It lit off on the second strike. Still, it is the only primer failure I've ever had and it is a CCI primer.
I've used Winchester, Federal, CCI and Remington primers in handgun and rifle loads with nary a problem. Before this last fall I never tested one vs. the other for consistency or puissance. (Fancy word I learned from Garry James ) Sometimes I'd forgotten what primer I'd used and inadvertently switched from one to the other.
I concocted a dual ladder test with a 30-06 Ackley Improved. I use right about 62 grains of powder and that's right at the "cut off" or start zone for switching from standard to magnum primers.
I used Winchester Large Rifle and CCI250 Magnum primers with RL22 and here's what I found.
60gr. CCI slightly faster velocity (12fps)
60.5gr Winchester slightly faster (8fps)
61gr Winchester slightly faster (9fps)
Basically a tie, but the 61gr load with Winchester started putting bullets into a tiny group. That's where my testing ended and hunting season started.

I was surprised that the Magnum primer was slower with the larger powder charges. I was also surprised that the most accurate loading group was not the one with the lowest SD and ES.

I would prefer WLR primers, but I'm not getting rid of the CCI's. There was almost no real world difference between the two.

I have a large selection of Magnum small pistol primers and we're going to be shooting a bunch of 38 Special. I'll be doing a velocity test again comparing small pistol regular vs. magnum primers later.

I don't think you compromised it by "crushing" it. If anything I'd suspect not seated hard enough.
Back in the old days I had some 30-06 brass that I didn't remove the crimp from all the way. I said screw it and seated them anyway so that before firing the primer was completely flat, looking like it had already fired a 3x proof load.
They all lit off perfectly so I never worry about seating primers firmly but properly.. not squished. Lol