How important are your primers when reloading

[zuke]

I've been known to mix in a couple pistol primer's as well. It all goes bang.

 

[tjhaile]

The only primers I would not use are the PMC lead-free ones. The ones I tried gave poor accuracy and the occasional dud. Otherwise, I buy whatever is available at the best price.

 

[Chuckbuster]

I like them all, no matter what color or shine.
My criteria in buying primers is to get the lowest priced ones in the store I happen to be at.

This is pretty much the same criteria by which I buy primers.

 

[Ganderite]

I’m new to reloading! It seems the common opinion for most of you guys is that the ignition source is relatively the same across the board, regardless of brand? I dont care how shiny, I just want to KNOW my primer is going to work 100%of the time!!

If I was only going to use one primer, and wanted to be sure it would go bang, I would buy 50,000 Winchester. They are quite hot and will ignite ball and slow powders better than other primers.

 

[Nate.308]

If I was only going to use one primer, and wanted to be sure it would go bang, I would buy 50,000 Winchester. They are quite hot and will ignite ball and slow powders better than other primers.

Thanks for the tip! I have used Winchester and CCI's thus far

I remember a few years back when the great primer shortage of 2011 hit southern Ontario, at this point I buy whats available and I usually empty the shelf!

 

[Eagleye]

I lean toward Winchester Primers, and still have about 20,000 LR and 10,000 LRM of the nickel plated variety on hand.
Bought a large quantity just before they quit plating them.

However,also in my primer stores are: New style unplated Winchester, CCI, RWS, C.I.L., Federal, Remington, Wolf, S&B and a few old Alcans.
I do use Large Pistol Primers in some 30-30 loads, and they work fine, despite being slightly shorter in depth.

Primers DO make a difference in certain loads/chamberings [my 222 and my 6BR for example]

However, for most hunting applications, not enough to really matter.
I always use a magnum primer with spherical powders.

FWIW, I have not had a "dud" primer in at least 35 years.
However, I have caught a couple without anvils in them before I seated them.

Regards, Dave.

 

[cr5]

Primers are very important, without them you get no PEW.

I just try to stick to the same brand and type once I have a load worked up.

 

[Ltbull01]

Some primers will just give better performance with a given powder bullet combination. It doesn't hurt to try other primers. I have 3 x 260 loads and they etiher use Fed 210 or Rem 9 1/2. But I experimented with different types (WLR, CCI, Fed, Rem) to determine which primer seemed more consistent. I develop a load and then try it with different primers. Sometimes the accuracy improves, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Nate.308]

What part of the primer in the anvil.......or the primer IS the anvil?

I lean toward Winchester Primers, and still have about 20,000 LR and 10,000 LRM of the nickel plated variety on hand.
Bought a large quantity just before they quit plating them.

However,also in my primer stores are: New style unplated Winchester, CCI, RWS, C.I.L., Federal, Remington, Wolf, S&B and a few old Alcans.
I do use Large Pistol Primers in some 30-30 loads, and they work fine, despite being slightly shorter in depth.

Primers DO make a difference in certain loads/chamberings [my 222 and my 6BR for example]

However, for most hunting applications, not enough to really matter.
I always use a magnum primer with spherical powders.

FWIW, I have not had a "dud" primer in at least 35 years.
However, I have caught a couple without anvils in them before I seated them.

Regards, Dave.