.243 Primers???

B

bishop952000

New member
Evening. I have a questions regarding .243 primers and am going to give a little background so please bear with me. I'm new to reloading and and going to be using Sierra 55 grain pills. I've looked in my Laymen manual and they don't have a recipe for that light of a pill. I borrowed a co-workers Lee manual and it doesn't have a recipe either for the bullet I want to shoot. Sierra does have a recipe that calls for Federal brass, I'm going to use Winchester because that's what I have plenty of and it calls for Federal primers. The Lee manual doesn't recommend using Federal primers and one other. It does recommend using CCI and Winchester primers however. Since I'm new to reloading I was going to follow the recipe from Sierra as is, except for the brass. But after reading the Lee manual I'm now confused as to which primer to use. Do I use the Federal as it calls for or can I use one of the Lee recommend primers? Any help from you who have been reloading would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
As long as you start with Sierra's starting load, you can use any standard large rifle primer. Magnum primers are usually for the big boys. Same thing with brass. Actually switching primer brands is one way that most tune loads. For instance, you may find a load that switching to a different brand primer may tighten up your groups with the powder you are using. We are usually talking small changes, but sometimes you'll get lucky and see major improvement. Any time you make a component change you MUST start over back at the starting load.

Commercial brass can usually be interchanged on load data. Once again starting load. You can even find different weight and capacity coming out of the same factory from lot to lot. You must be careful when you use military brass as it can be different from commercial brass. No worries here, just always start with the starting powder charge and you will be fine.

Manuals are just guides. I like to look in several when picking a load. Don't be surprised if they are slightly different data. Sierra, Hodgdon and Nosler are my favorites. Much of their load data is on line and free.

Any questions? Never guess. Plenty of long time loaders here. Most will be glad to help.
 
I've loaded that bullet in the 243, mostly midlin loads with H4895. If it's the Blitzking bullet, it will be rather frangible, smallish critters up to coyote or so.

The Lee aversion to Federal primers is mostly because of 'potential' issues while using their priming tool. It's mentioned in the Lee manual. I wouldn't hesitate using Fed primers with your intended loads.

One can mix and match brass, for the most part. There can be differences with military brass or among a few types. It's hardly an issue when loads are kept reasonable. Once brass is fired and worked a few times, it can sorta morph into a 'make' of it's own.
 
I've loaded many rounds for the 243 over the past 40 years, and have never found any difference between primers. These days I'm using CCI large rifle primers, because I have a bunch on hand. Everybody has their own ideas about what makes accurate ammo, and if I were reloading ammo to use in a shooting match, perhaps I'd play closer attention to what primer I used. But, in loading ammo for hunting purposes, and that's what I do, I think the brand of primer doesn't really matter. Now, I'm sure you'll hear differently from some folks on here, as there are many differing opinions when it comes to reloading ammo.
 
Thanks all for the insight. All my brass is factory loaded rounds that I've shot out of my rifle. I was talking to my co-worker and he had the same opinion about primers, can be different from the recipe but start over loading from the minimum. I just wanted to get some other opinions and figured here would be a great place to start. Thanks all
 
Originally Posted By: ninehorsesAs long as you start with Sierra's starting load, you can use any standard large rifle primer. Magnum primers are usually for the big boys. Same thing with brass. Any time you make a component change you MUST start over back at the starting load.

Commercial brass can usually be interchanged on load data. Once again starting load. You must be careful when you use military brass as it can be different from commercial brass. No worries here, just always start with the starting powder charge and you will be fine.

Manuals are just guides. I like to look in several when picking a load. Don't be surprised if they are slightly different data.

Any questions? Never guess. Plenty of long time loaders here. Most will be glad to help.

9 Pretty well sums up the situation. GREAT advise. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I would only add to his post by giving the following: You are new to reloading, and you are going to use brass that was fired from your rifle. That's great. Now .... don't screw it up! Read this thread before you start resizing your brass:

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...209#Post2876209
 
Thanks Hidalgo, that's exactly what I need...to read more. 😳. This site is great and really do appreciate the knowledge others have. I'll read that whole thread about resizing when I have a bit more time today, momma has honey-dos before I can play today. Once again thanks all.
 
I shoot fed210 and fed 210m in all my 243's (5). There is no right or wrong primer as long as your using a large rifle primer. Just start and work your way up on your powder charge until you find your good accuracy node. In the past I personally would do all of that first, then mess with bullet seating depth, and then mess with primers for extremely fine tuning. My go to 243 coyote load is 44.5gr of varget and 58gr vmax loaded at sammi spec. That load should do decent with the 55gr Sierras to but start low and work your way up on powder. Good luck!
 
I use CCI250s in all of my 243 loads. Mostly because I don't have many 200s left and I use those in my saum loads. I know it seems backwards but it works for my rifles.
 


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