The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Just my two pence worth I think you will find economic and re loading dont go to gether once you get into re loading it be comes a hobby on its own. I some times wonder wether I shoot to re load or re load to shoot.
Re loading is a great way to spend a couple of hours and a wonder full learning experience.

Alpha1 wrote:But I am sure other people will have there own favourites and reasons for using a particular brand as long as they go bang I am happy.

In some ways I agree with you, and if they go bang predictably then good enough.

I started off using Magtech which are rather soft so it looks like you are over pressure quite early on. So I moved to CCI - fine no problems, so I moved to CCI BR - people say BR primers are hand sorted (Yeah right!) I have had more primer failures with CCI BR than any other primer, but at least they work as did all the ones I had used before. So I moved to Fed210M for .308 - these give me higher pressures for like loads and I am going to either drop my load down slightly next time and hope it still gives good results.

...and all the Magtech's I had left over? I tried them in .303 one day and they work very nicely.

So find a primer that works and stop looking any further. CCI are OK in both .303 and .308

VV 140 is great but Accurate 2520 is excellent too and it meters better. Might be cheaper if you shop around.
I use both depending on availability.

Mike357 wrote:Thanks for all the info so far. What about primers? Federal primers shouldn't be used in my Auto prime so are all primers created equal?

Whenever the question of Federal primers in Lee auto-prime comes up there seem to be lots of people saying “I’ve used them for decades without problems”, and plenty who say “who’d be so stupid as to ignore the manufacturer’s instructions”, and the very occasional “I’ve actually had (or heard of) a problem”.

Just maybe Fed primers are slightly more likely to ignite, and just maybe they might be slightly more likely to chain react. But to say that using one brand is ‘safe’ and another is not seems ridiculous to me.

I do use Federal in a Lee auto-prime. I only load 10 at a time, use safety glasses, operate the tool at arm’s length and pointed in a safe direction, and after taking up ‘first pressure’ on the tool I tip the loose primers to the other side of the feed tray before proceeding with the seating operation.

That said, one cannot advocate using a reloading tool in contravention of the manufacturer’s instructions.

..

If you have the slightest doubt about any re loading product be it primers powders or whatever then you should not use them choose another manufactures product.
If you are nervous about using federal primers in a auto prime
DONT DO IT

I am another fan of vit 140 for my 308 and 303.
Went to a local gunshop 2 weeks ago and bought 2 tubs of 140 for £60 the pair!!! :lol: it had being ordered for some one 18 mounths ago and they never came back for it.the shop had it marked at £75.51 then reduced to £50 then 2 days before i went in they droped the price to £30 a Kg so bought the lot! funny thing was that the shop sells lots of Varget , reloader 15/19 and h4895 @around £40 a lb yet this vit powder was not snaped up months ago lucky for me though.

funny thing was that the shop sells lots of Varget , reloader 15/19 and h4895 @around £40 a lb yet this vit powder was not snaped up months ago lucky for me though.

It depends were you live I have tried to buy powders of other makes from dealers who tell me they will send them to any were in the UK.
But it never happened so I buy what I can get locally and that is Vitavouri.
I have tried on numerous ocasions to buy vectan powders from a dealer but they have never come up with the goods so I gave up.

One of the main reasons that I have converted over to almost exclusively using VV powders is consistency of supply. I was getting sick fed up of working up loads and then having to rework them because I couldn't get the same powder again.

I also think the choice of powder by manufacturer is greatly over rated nowadays, its the best burning rate and characteristics in you specific application that gives the most accurate loads.

In days gone by when the powder sellers product lines were nor so extensive then different manufactures would fill different characteristic niches. Nowadays they have so many different powders in their product lines that the make of powder is almost irrelevant. You could pick a powder supplier and get accuracy for any application from the powders in that line.

Most of the powder suppliers now source there wares from across the world and it is difficult to know who is actually making the powder in the tubs nowadays anyway.

So my advice is pick a brand that you know you will be able to get consistently and stick with them working up your loads with their powders and I'm sure that you won't be disadvantaged.

It is still difficult to resist the temptation of a "new" nicely packed super powder that is going to make all the difference on the paper or fur. Handloaders are experimenters by nature and the grass is always greener, but if you want an easy life the keep you powder measure filled with the reality of the situation and spend more time refining your loading and shooting skills. That will make more difference to your scores and the contents of your freezer than habitual powder swapping.

BTW have you seen that new Alliant Power Pro 4000-MR powder phwoaaarrrrr! :lol: