Do I NEED magnum primers for 44 mag?

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Stopsign32v

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Well I'm pretty sure the powder I will be using will be between W296 (mainly), followed with Unique, Blue DOT, and maybe Trail Boss for medium loads. But during my searching I read a lot of people use just regular large pistol primers and can't tell the difference. I also plan to load 44 special so if this is possible to only buy one type of primers that would be great!
 
296/H110 recommends Magnum primers. Unique/ Universal etc. standard primers would be fine.
 
Only the chronograph will tell you for sure. My "opinion" is that I don't need them. I use Federal 150s and the chronograph says my 296 loads are more consistent with them than with Winchester and CCI magnum primers. That's all I can say for sure. :)
 
It is totally dependant on the powder and load that you are using.

A few powders are harder to ignite. Your loading manual will clearly list if the load was assembled with a magnum primer or not. Follow their lead and you will be just fine.

However as shottist points out this is a non issue with Winchester Large Pistol primers. The Winchesters are what I use as well.
 
After all you did say 44 "Magnum" right? :-)

I never use magnum primers when I load them, 41's and 44's all shoot closer than I can hold them.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
Thanks guys! Just added the winchester primers and federal 150 to the shopping list.
 
Ross Sefried wrote in an article many years ago that on a visit to Elmer Keith's house for an extended time, he noticed 2 things. Every closet was stacked with long guns like cord wood, and that Elmer did not own a single magnum primer. He did not use them.
 
Lee's Landing Billy said:
Ross Sefried wrote in an article many years ago that on a visit to Elmer Keith's house for an extended time, he noticed 2 things. Every closet was stacked with long guns like cord wood, and that Elmer did not own a single magnum primer. He did not use them.
Click to expand...
Elmer left us 32 1/2 years ago.

How does what Elmer did back then have any relation with Modern Hand Loading and the powders that are currently available to us?

I bet Elmer never used a plated bullet either. Or how about a Powder Coated one. That is not a valid reason to ignore these things.

Elmer would be astonished (and thrilled) at the power levels we have achieved in Modern Handgun Shooting with the advancements in the decades since his passing.
 
Elmer had absolutely no use for gas checked cast bullets so I'm quite sure he would of not had any use for plated bullets either . His argument was simple , " gas checks wear out your barrel " . He was , in fact very very adamant about them . That is today not considered a valid reason .
Hercules 2400 powder , his favorite magnum powder whether in 357 mag, 41 mag or the 44 magnum and did not then nor does it now require magnum primers . So it does not surprise me he did not have any magnum primers .
My experience with powder coated bullets has been very " lacking " to say the least . Accuracy was bad compared to my cast bullets , sized and lubed appropriately , both fired from the same gun on the same day with the same powder charge . I use only Winchester primers , for all needs . YMMV
 
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I don't load any "full power" 44 mag loads, or 41 mag for that matter either. I just don't see the point, for me anyway.
I couldn't tell you the last time I loaded up a mag primer. I do use Winchester primers sometimes though. I have a few hundred mag pistol primers. Bet they've been on the shelf for 20 years !!
 
colt_saa said:
Elmer left us 32 1/2 years ago.

How does what Elmer did back then have any relation with Modern Hand Loading and the powders that are currently available to us?

I bet Elmer never used a plated bullet either. Or how about a Powder Coated one. That is not a valid reason to ignore these things.

Elmer would be astonished (and thrilled) at the power levels we have achieved in Modern Handgun Shooting with the advancements in the decades since his passing.
Click to expand...
Cool down. Nothing you said changes the Sefried story. It wasn't meant to mean anything other than the post.
 
Winchester makes one large pistol primer that's all I use in everything. It might be a tad hotter so don't try max loads right away work your loads up slowly.
 
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Since I can't see the purpose of handloading "magnum" handgun ammo when all I might shoot in a year of hunting is a half-dozen or so rounds, I use factory loads for that. For target shooting, I load 240-grain lead semi-wadcutters over 10.0 grains of the discontinued SR4756 (I have 11 pounds of it on hand) and don't have a need for magnum primers. Conveniently, those target loads shoot to the same 25-yard POI as the Hornady 240-grain XTP hunting loads.

I will say that I use magnum rifle primers in some rifle cartridges that normally wouldn't require them. In the 6.5-284 Norma, for example, I get more consistent muzzle velocities and groups sizes with magnum primers igniting IMR4007SSC, a powder for which magnum primers are never recommended. Yes, it is also discontinued and I have lots of it, too. The primer I use is Federal's Gold Medal 215M magnum match primer.

Ed
 
I gave up W296/H110 several years ago for my .44 Magnum loads. So, I think I may have some magnum primers around somewhere, but even with WC820, I have no need...
 
Generally slow powders yes, fast powders no.
 
Lee's Landing Billy said:
Ross Sefried wrote in an article many years ago that on a visit to Elmer Keith's house for an extended time, he noticed 2 things. Every closet was stacked with long guns like cord wood, and that Elmer did not own a single magnum primer. He did not use them.
Click to expand...

2400 normally doesn't require mag primers.But the loading manuals recommend Mag primers for H110/W296.And that's what I use.
Qc
 
Look carefully at the load data you are using.
Some powders are harder to ignite and benefit from magnum primers, these loads will be marked as having been developed with magnum primers.
Other powders are easily ignited and do not require the extra oomph of a magnum primer.
Until you get a little more experience , read the data and go with whatever primer type was used with that powder, safe loading is good.

The one thing I disagree with Mr. Keith on is the gas check....I like them and find them useful .

Gary
 
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Some reloading books don't say what was used. I've used both and see no difference in 44 mag. I never use the hottest load in the book, not sure if that affects my experience.
 
I have been reloading for almost 40 years. Early on I tried some loads of H110 and kept getting squibs. It would push the bullet just out of the cylinder. I was using standard CCI primers. I went to magnum primers with either H110 or W296 and never had another squib. That was enough of a lesson for me. To each his own. Barry
 
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