I just had my first run in with a bench rest shooter who basically told me (without knowing anything about me) that I know nothing about reloading. Although I am by no means an expert I have done my fair share of it with good results. But with the buying frenzy on handloading gear I was only able to pick up some magnum primers. I seated them in 220 swift cartridges thinking that it wont make to big a difference. Anyways upon talking to the bench rest guy he says to remove the magnum primers because they are only made for magnum cartridges and they could potentially blow my gun apart. So my question is should I go ahead and use the magnum primers or take the expert bench rest shooters advice and decap them?
magnum primers in 220 swift?
- Thread starter schepherd
- Start date
varmint_sniper24
New member
if it were me id take his advice he is a b.r.shooter and should know his stuff id rather be safe than sry or seriously hurt just my 0.2 ....will
Ive reloaded the .220 Swift since the mid 70s and have used magnum primers when I had no others and have had 0 issues ever with them. No primer flattening, no high pressure signs, no case splits. My loads stayed the same, but them again I never loaded past 3600 fps.
A pal that has 2 swifts loads hot all the time and we do see a difference when he uses them without dropping his charge, but when he backs of by 3-5 grs they settle back to normal looking.
His loads push 4000 fps, but if he has to use LRMP he drops his charge.
A pal that has 2 swifts loads hot all the time and we do see a difference when he uses them without dropping his charge, but when he backs of by 3-5 grs they settle back to normal looking.
His loads push 4000 fps, but if he has to use LRMP he drops his charge.
Magnum primers are made about 5% hotter than standard primers. So goes the theory to reduce loads 5% when using them. I always use magnum primers, large or small when working with compressed powder charges or otherwise heavier amounts of slow burning powder or when I know the mercury will be in the negatives. The extra charge in the magnum primer helps to insure complete ignition on heavier, slower charges of powder. This is why all larger "magnum" cartriges use the magnum primer, larger amounts of slower burning powder that need a little extra kick to light them off. Remember that they make magnum small rifle primers as well, and about the only "magnum" label there is the .222 magnum that is almost indistinguishable from the .223. Hope this helps.
IDBob
New member
Over the last 25 plus years I've used magnum primers in everything I shoot that takes a large rifle primer. Started out just to cut costs stocking so many primers. Use them for the 22-250, 220 Swift, 243, 280 Remington, 06, and the 308 along with the 7mm Rem mag, 7mm STW, 300 win mag, 300 Rem Ultra mag, 8mm Rem mag and the 338 win mag.
Never had a problem, but do work all loads up when you change any component.
Never had a problem, but do work all loads up when you change any component.
CatShooter
New member
Quote:
I just had my first run in with a bench rest shooter who basically told me (without knowing anything about me) that I know nothing about reloading. Although I am by no means an expert I have done my fair share of it with good results. But with the buying frenzy on handloading gear I was only able to pick up some magnum primers. I seated them in 220 swift cartridges thinking that it wont make to big a difference. Anyways upon talking to the bench rest guy he says to remove the magnum primers because they are only made for magnum cartridges and they could potentially blow my gun apart. So my question is should I go ahead and use the magnum primers or take the expert bench rest shooters advice and decap them?
Your bench rest friend knows nothing of what he speaks.
Magnum primers are NOT more powerful - it is a wives tale.
Magnum primers have ingredients in them to keep the temperature high longer to ignite heavily coated powders - some magnum primers will actually give lower velocities than standard primers, but will ignite heavily coated powders better.
They will not blow up anything.
-
Quote:
if it were me id take his advice he is a b.r.shooter and should know his stuff id rather be safe than sry or seriously hurt just my 0.2
Wrong - BR shooters are no more knowledgeably than any other group of shooters... and often are not as well informed as a general handloader. But their pompous attitude makes you think they are "superior" to all shooters
-
Quote:
Magnum primers are made about 5% hotter than standard primers. So goes the theory to reduce loads 5% when using them. I always use magnum primers, large or small when working with compressed powder charges or otherwise heavier amounts of slow burning powder or when I know the mercury will be in the negatives. The extra charge in the magnum primer helps to insure complete ignition on heavier, slower charges of powder. This is why all larger "magnum" cartriges use the magnum primer, larger amounts of slower burning powder that need a little extra kick to light them off. Remember that they make magnum small rifle primers as well, and about the only "magnum" label there is the .222 magnum that is almost indistinguishable from the .223. Hope this helps.
Not true... Magnum primers are not 5% hotter. It is always wise to drop the load and check when changing ANY component if your loads are at max, but the magnum primer may actually need a bit more powder to equal the old velocities.
Large "magnum" cartridges use standard primers, or magnum primers, depending on the type of powder - I use standard primers in my .264WM, 300WM and 375 H&H, because the powder I use is easy to light. I have no problems in low temperatures.
-
I just had my first run in with a bench rest shooter who basically told me (without knowing anything about me) that I know nothing about reloading. Although I am by no means an expert I have done my fair share of it with good results. But with the buying frenzy on handloading gear I was only able to pick up some magnum primers. I seated them in 220 swift cartridges thinking that it wont make to big a difference. Anyways upon talking to the bench rest guy he says to remove the magnum primers because they are only made for magnum cartridges and they could potentially blow my gun apart. So my question is should I go ahead and use the magnum primers or take the expert bench rest shooters advice and decap them?
Your bench rest friend knows nothing of what he speaks.
Magnum primers are NOT more powerful - it is a wives tale.
Magnum primers have ingredients in them to keep the temperature high longer to ignite heavily coated powders - some magnum primers will actually give lower velocities than standard primers, but will ignite heavily coated powders better.
They will not blow up anything.
-
Quote:
if it were me id take his advice he is a b.r.shooter and should know his stuff id rather be safe than sry or seriously hurt just my 0.2
Wrong - BR shooters are no more knowledgeably than any other group of shooters... and often are not as well informed as a general handloader. But their pompous attitude makes you think they are "superior" to all shooters
-
Quote:
Magnum primers are made about 5% hotter than standard primers. So goes the theory to reduce loads 5% when using them. I always use magnum primers, large or small when working with compressed powder charges or otherwise heavier amounts of slow burning powder or when I know the mercury will be in the negatives. The extra charge in the magnum primer helps to insure complete ignition on heavier, slower charges of powder. This is why all larger "magnum" cartriges use the magnum primer, larger amounts of slower burning powder that need a little extra kick to light them off. Remember that they make magnum small rifle primers as well, and about the only "magnum" label there is the .222 magnum that is almost indistinguishable from the .223. Hope this helps.
Not true... Magnum primers are not 5% hotter. It is always wise to drop the load and check when changing ANY component if your loads are at max, but the magnum primer may actually need a bit more powder to equal the old velocities.
Large "magnum" cartridges use standard primers, or magnum primers, depending on the type of powder - I use standard primers in my .264WM, 300WM and 375 H&H, because the powder I use is easy to light. I have no problems in low temperatures.
-
Helipilotm
New member
I agreee with cat and bob. I use them in my 22-250 with H-380 and they work great. I would load some up and go shoot.
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
CatShooter nailed this one.
Jack
Jack
I suspected it woulnt make a big diff, I will go ahead and shoot the magnum primers up since I have a bunch of them. As for the BR guy he kinda PMO I didnt care for his holier than though attitude, I think he was just trying to sell his reloading expertise to get me to pay his wayyyyyyyyy overpriced components. Thanks for the input! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Martyn4802
New member
I just bought a couple of thousand Large Rifle Magnum primers and plan on using them in place of standard Large Rifle Primers. I could only find the Mag primers, so I'll use them. But I will back off the powder charges a few grains to begin with.
The benchrest shooter is full of himself.
Martyn
The benchrest shooter is full of himself.
Martyn
Quote:
Being from Northern MN originally, I use Mag primers in everything except my Hornet and Bee. Mag pimers give reliable ignition even at -30 especially if your using ball powders.
Just work up loads again with the Mag primers.
AWS
+1
A friend of mine used CCI magnum primers in his Swift when using H380 powder. It was an extremely accurate combination for him. We used them in our .22-250's with H380. You just have to "adjust" your powder charge to insure that there has not been a bump up in pressures. In the case of our .22-250's, we had to drop the powder charge 1/2 grain.
And, some "magnum" primers will produce lower pressures and velocities than other "regular" primers with some loads. That's why you always want to rework your loads whenever you change primers, bullets, cases, seating depths, etc. ....... even powder lots, at least to verify there are no undesirable consequences from the component substitution.
Being from Northern MN originally, I use Mag primers in everything except my Hornet and Bee. Mag pimers give reliable ignition even at -30 especially if your using ball powders.
Just work up loads again with the Mag primers.
AWS
+1
A friend of mine used CCI magnum primers in his Swift when using H380 powder. It was an extremely accurate combination for him. We used them in our .22-250's with H380. You just have to "adjust" your powder charge to insure that there has not been a bump up in pressures. In the case of our .22-250's, we had to drop the powder charge 1/2 grain.
And, some "magnum" primers will produce lower pressures and velocities than other "regular" primers with some loads. That's why you always want to rework your loads whenever you change primers, bullets, cases, seating depths, etc. ....... even powder lots, at least to verify there are no undesirable consequences from the component substitution.