How Do You Prime?

slimjim · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 5:30 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

Azar, First, this is for my .270 Win only. For whatever reason, 6.8mm SPC brass isn't that consistent on neck thickness plus their primer pockets are typically gone after the 6th firing. For my .270, I have found concentricity issues become more prevalent as neck variation increases. I use Rem brass almost exclusively in my .270 Win as it seems to favor it accuracy-wise over Winchester most of the time. Rem brass usually starts out with 0.0015" in neck thickness variation. They are definitely tossed at 0.003" of variation and might be at 0.0025" if groups aren't doing well. The shooting buddy that has mentored me when I'm having issues (he always seems to be right) said turning the necks to get rid of variation isn't worth the effort because the thickness variation continues down into the body of the case which you can't get rid of. Because of that advise, I don't turn. I already spend too much time on brass prep and feel like I lost a child when I can't find one in the grass.

Azar · Member Joined: Jan 04, 2010 Posts: 275 Location: Utah

Thanks Slimjim.

I've read the same thing. Thickness variation in the neck probably means thickness variation throughout the case body. I've found 0.002" to be the limit in my 7mm Rem Mag. That's borderline. I might get decent run-out with 0.002" variation, or I might get 0.006"-0.007".

However, after measuring somewhere around 100 cases over the weekend I'd say 40% or so were above 0.002" neck thickness variation! That's just too large of a cull rate for my liking. I may attempt to neck turn those cases that don't stray too far above the 0.002" mark and see if those cases can be salvaged. I haven't decided yet.

OldSchoolRanger · Member Joined: Feb 15, 2017 Posts: 88

I use the RCBS hand priming tool when using a single stage press.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

OldSchoolRanger wrote:

I use the RCBS hand priming tool when using a single stage press.

Me too

-DallanC

PaulS · Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 1:56 am Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

me three!
RCBS hand primer x 2. 1 for large primers and one for small primers. I don't have to change the guts out.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

I got the RCBS "universal" (it's not) priming tool back in July '16 and like it. I'd been using a Lee but after it broke for the third time I decided to try something else.

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:00 am Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

I got the RCBS "universal" (it's not) priming tool back in July '16 and like it. I'd been using a Lee but after it broke for the third time I decided to try something else.

I have the same one, received as a gift. It works great, but it still isn't comfortable to use. Since I'm only priming rifle brass in small batches, it's NBD.

PaulS · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2017 1:25 am Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

I have two of the RCBS hand primers that use the shell holders from the press. I used to have the Lee hand primers but when they started giving me trouble I got the right stuff.

stovepipe · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

SS- LEE Ram Prime. LOVE the feel. Super fast.

Progressive- what comes with the shell plates on the ol' 1000 PRO.

Both have great feel. Only goofs on the progressive were created by the operator. Never had an issue with the Ram Prime.

SingleShotLover · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 10:56 am Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

Since my rifle cartridges all fall into two common primer/head sizes (large primers and common heads for 22-250, .280 and .30-06 and small primers and head for .17 Remington and .223), I just have two hand primers (a Lee for small and an RCBS Universal for large). The RCBS was chosen for additional leverage when seating primers in Nosler brass. I like hand priming because of the ability to feel the primer bottoming out and it gives an opportunity for a final check of the cases.

All my handgun cartridges are primed during loading on my Lee Pro 1000s (.38 Special) and Lee Load Master (.44 Magnum, .45 ACP and .45 Colt).

Elvis · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 2:45 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

SSL .....on nosler brass you could try running your case deburrer/chamfer tool lightly around mouth of primer pocket,I had to do this with batch of hornady brass and all my milserp 5.56 doesnt remove much just adds a nice taper to start primer in smoothly, its needed on milserp to remove crimp.

SingleShotLover · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:58 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

Thanks Elvis...worth a try!

Vince · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:24 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

This is a good post, and very informative. I am looking at purchasing a hand primer in the very near future (once I spend a heap on buying from Scotland a new chanter for my bagpipes, about $500 or so) and it is a toss up between the RCBS Universal and the Hornady Hand Priming Tool depending on price and availability.

Elvis wrote:

SSL .....on nosler brass you could try running your case deburrer/chamfer tool lightly around mouth of primer pocket,I had to do this with batch of hornady brass and all my milserp 5.56 doesnt remove much just adds a nice taper to start primer in smoothly, its needed on milserp to remove crimp.

It's not often that I reload milsurp brass as I have a heap of Winchester .223...however, there are a lot of once fired Winchester .223 floating around that have crimped primers (Police use etc). As a matter of course I run the primer pocket "deburrer" into them, and if that doesn't work (it is getting a little worn), I use a small drill bit by hand (easier if it is the drill chuck), just enough to break the edge and remove the crimp.

Elvis · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:10 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

Vince Mate have a gander at the newer lee hand primers they have a diamond shaped tray so primers feed really well into a little "lift" so primers are seen to go in one at a time...really impressed me as thats the one worry I have with the old one is you CAN poke a primer in on top of another if you "have a moment"

Vince · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:21 pm Post subject: Re: How Do You Prime?

Elvis wrote:

Vince Mate have a gander at the newer lee hand primers they have a diamond shaped tray so primers feed really well into a little "lift" so primers are seen to go in one at a time...really impressed me as thats the one worry I have with the old one is you CAN poke a primer in on top of another if you "have a moment"

Yep, I've looked at that mate, and it certainly is a good looking product. One of the points I am looking at is the ability to either not need to fit a shell holder or be able to use my existing shell holders. This would hopefully keep the cost down and would negate me having to buy proprietary shell holders, adding to the pile of 'odds and sods' I already have.