Primer crush…does it matter?

[Mike Matteson]

A lot of people can't hit the broadside of a barn door. If I can get my ES, & ED down to 1 I would be jumping for joy. I know of people that are happy with hitting a pie plate @ 100yds with 10" group on a 12" plate. Good luck at 500Yds. 1000yds forget it. So don't beat the guy up because he wants perfection out of his reloads. Otherwise just go to the store and buy ammo already loaded. There a bunch of us that want more than just hitting a pie plate.

 

[Pdvdh]

I want more than that pie plate. At the same time, prefer not wasting time on tedious procedures of dubious value to improved precision.

If measured control of primer seating depth was ever going to provide a significant benefit, seems that benefit would be realized in benchrest competition. Haven't read where this is a standard operating procedure / practice in the benchrest winners circle.

Could be it's just a well kept secret.

 

[Justice1327]

"Haven't read where this is a standard operating procedure / practice in the benchrest winners circle."

^^This^^^
I know several BR shooters, a few retired and some still in the game, and all have experimented with primer seating and their results were all the same: be consistent, but don't crush the snot out of it either.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I want more than that pie plate. At the same time, prefer not wasting time on tedious procedures of dubious value to improved precision.

If measured control of primer seating depth was ever going to provide a significant benefit, seems that benefit would be realized in benchrest competition. Haven't read where this is a standard operating procedure / practice in the benchrest winners circle.

Could be it's just a well kept secret.

If you have the equipment it's not that bad.

 

[dehof72]

Interesting take on primer seating depth .
Thoughts?

I've followed LRH for a while and haven't ever replied to a post before. But because I've manufactured primers working with an R&D company, I do have some knowledge on this topic. Crushing the primers in the primer pocket can cause detonation of the primer. It can also crack the ignition charge material inside the primer pocket causing a non-firing round.

 

[Old Rooster]

* deleted. *

I'm sick of arguing. Believe what you want.

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I hope you read this orkan as I watched your video's on youtube on proper primer crush and it was an eye opening event.
While I can get pretty good groups I fight getting consistant good groups and feel that .002 crush might be the difference.
I'll look into the tool needed to measure pocket depth and will measure my primers from now on.
Thanks for your help.
Old Rooster

 

[Parkerized]

Or you could get closer to your target...

 

[Mike Matteson]

Or you could get closer to your target...

That's remines me of a young hunter that was having a hard time getting his first buck. Long story made short. He was talking to an old hunter about it. He was seeing deer all over the place but couldn't get one. So the older went out with him to see what was going on. Well they spotted one. The young kid took off in a run after the deer. The deer got away as usual. When the young got back, the old hunter ask him why? The young hunter said that he had to tag the deer first before shooting it. That's kind of like getting closer to your target.

 

[Carolinadx]

Interesting take on primer seating depth .
Thoughts?

I have a
" monumental reloading bench ", but it's not full 0F monuments to my reloading mistakes.....

 

[Carolinadx]

That's remines me of a young hunter that was having a hard time getting his first buck. Long story made short. He was talking to an old hunter about it. He was seeing deer all over the place but couldn't get one. So the older went out with him to see what was going on. Well they spotted one. The young kid took off in a run after the deer. The deer got away as usual. When the young got back, the old hunter ask him why? The young hunter said that he had to tag the deer first before shooting it. That's kind of like getting closer to your target.

Ouch

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

For hunting, NO... benchresting, maybe..provided you've eliminated the other 100 questions..

 

[Mike Matteson]

It's all in putting a load together. It's what you want. It doesn't have to be what the other person wants.

 

[QuietTexan]

Or you could get closer to your target...

If we're throwing around silly ideas, then why don't you just shoot better to be able to hit from where I can?

 

[spladi]

I do prepare my primer pockets with a primer pocket uniforming tool. I'm pretty anal with my reloading procedures.

But I'm not gonna measure seating depths below case head face. Not unless, and until, there's irrefutable evidence that it will measurably improve the precision of my ammo. That I'll be rewarded with better precision for taking the time and effort to go thru that additional process.

I'm not convinced the benefit is there for my LRH needs. Said another way, when the majority of top level benchrest competitors are measuring primer seating depths, maybe then... but even then the improvement in precision may still not be significant enough, or necessary, for acheiving my goal of 1/2 moa precision.

If top performing benchrest competitors currently measure primer seating depth to 0.0005" as a standard operating procedure, I'd like to be aware of that. Maybe it's classified "top secret". The secret weapon to placing in the top 10.

None that I know of do such critical measuring but most check with the finger test to see that they all feel about the same small amount below flush with the base plane of the case.