Primer gamble? Best all around LR and LRM primers?

After hunting season's over, I plan to restock components in bulk (2K primers minimum).

Question is, what's the safest "gamble" on good primers for large rifle and magnum large rifle.

I'll be loading for 300 WM, 308, 30-06, 270, and potentially 264 WM. I've been using Federal 210M for all of the above, with good results, but if the 264WM enters the stable, I'd be willing to plunk down for a wad of magnum primers.

What do you think? I've been indoctrinated into believing the Federal GMM primers are the bee's knees (my experience doesn't argue either), but am open to suggestions.

If you are not using mag primers for the .300WM, why change for a smaller case capacity round?

But, Fed GM215M or CCI250.

lancetkenyon said:

If you are not using mag primers for the .300WM, why change for a smaller case capacity round?

But, Fed GM215M or CCI250.

Click to expand...

IYO, is the 215M as well behaved as the 210M? Ever tried them side by side to see what it means to your recipe?

For magnums, I find Winchester magnum primers print smaller groups on average, followed by Federal.
Will not try Remington primers again, my 17 Rem hated them.

Standard primers for me are equal between Winchester and Federal for accuracy.

Winchester primers are hotter and have harder cups in my experience.

Cheers.

I like Federal 210M and 215M primers. They seem to work well and are consistent in everything I've tried them in. I've also used plenty of Winchester standard large rifle primers and they seem to be pretty good too. The Winchester large rifle mag primers weren't very consistent at all in my .308 Norma though. So that's when I started using the Federals and haven't had a problem since.

I use cci for everything. The BR large primer has given good results with 7RM, 7WSM, 338 WM, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.5 Addiction. SDs for final loads are always in the single digits. I've shot below freezing, but not below 0. For small rifle I use the cci mil primer (41 or 34 can't remember), same results in 6.5x47, 6.5 Creedmoor, 223, and 308 (palma brass).

I guess 2k is bulk for some people

For magnum primers I would get fed 215 and CCI 250, i use both which ever is the most accurate in the rifle I'm loading for.

215M, for me, have been very consistent lot to lot over 10k+. Good ES/SD, and accurate. I use them in bigger cases like some 6.5SS, 6.5 SAUM, .300SAUM, 7RM, .300WM, 28 Nosler, .300RUM, Etc.

I have tried the 215M vs 210M in certain cases like 6.5SS and have found no difference in accuracy or ES/SD, but did get slightly higher velocities with the same powder charge by about 15fps. The CC250 seemed to give even slightly higher speeds by another 15+/- fps.

I use cci 250's for just about all my rifles.

entoptics said:

IYO, is the 215M as well behaved as the 210M? Ever tried them side by side to see what it means to your recipe?

Click to expand...

If your at the top with a 210m, you'll need to back off about .5gr in any of your listed cartridges when going to a 215m, but should back off a full grain and work back up. You will see more pressure with the 215 and the same powder charge.

For me there is no such thing. I start with the hottest primer to work up to pressure and get sighted in and check over all length. Then I load up five of each primer I have; which may be more than half dozen. Usually one is better than the others. I redo this to verify and because I like to shoot. Usually the one is still better.

@Rich Coyle
I believe you nailed it. Except for defects, pretty well all primers are good. Just what works best for you in your gun with your load. Normally when I get passed 55 grs powder then I start looking for mag primers or when ball powders are used. JMO

For standard case CCI BR2, for mag Fed 215M