Changing primers in a recipe

smacdonald

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My local suplier has dropped federal primers and some of the loads I use list them in the manuals.

I know that the manuals say you should not interchange primers because they have different properties. Is it really that much of a difference or are they saying it to cover their legal buts.
 
You want to take the risk that it's not? Heed their advice. Drop back 10%, change primers, and work back up.

If a new primer is a little hotter, and ignites a lot more powder with the initial flame, pressures could skyrocket. I've never seen it, but seems like a plausable explanation to me
 
What are loaing, pistol, rifle, shot shells?
For both pistol and rifle you go back to the starting load(10% below max) and work your way up keeping a close eye for signs of high pressure.

If your reloading Steel shot or Heavy shot. Do not substitute components.
 
Well the only primers I can get "local" are either Federal or CCI Magnum small Pistol.... Which is recommanded for .40sw? Will probably use Titegroup.
 
For my 45 ACP loads I was using Winchester primers and ran out. Switching to Federal primers caused the velocity to drop something like 50 fps (don't have the recorded data in front of me). For IPSC it would have dropped me down to minor power factor (but a really hot minor!). If your shooting IPSC be sure to re test your loads if you change anything. Had to increase that load with the Federal primers by about 0.2 gr. of W231 to compensate.

When I have to time I will do some primer comparison testing for some of my handguns.


Fudd
 
primers

definitely reduce the load and work back up. i read an article and iirc win rifle primers could increase pressure up to 3000psi+:eek: compared to the same combination of components with another brand of primers.
cueball
 
10% is an awful lot

Id back off a grain or so though, from a proven load, if switching the primer, just like I would if I was switching lot #s of powder.
 
todbartell said:
10% is an awful lot

Id back off a grain or so though, from a proven load, if switching the primer, just like I would if I was switching lot #s of powder.

If you are using 4.0gr of powder (in a pistol) then a 10% drop is only 0.4gr. The starting load would be 3.6gr of the powder.

40.0gr of rifle powder would be a 4.0gr drop.

In either case that's not much.
 
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