Are magnum primers necessary?

[BT99]

Was going to load some 357 mag cases. Not a small pistol magnum in the house. Have 10,000 small pistol. Are magnum primers necessary with
H-110. What are the results if loaded with standard primers?

 

[Neumann]

Use the primer specified in your loading tables. For example, the Lyman book recommends small pistol magnum primers for all listed .357 magnum loads. The same manual varies for .44 magnum, with magnum primers only for slow powders like W296, but not somewhat faster powders like 2400.

Using a magnum primer with a load tested with standard primers may result in excessive pressure. In the other situation, you may get unburned powder and/or variable pressure (velocity).

 

[kennyb]

as always...follow the recipe exactly

 

[Rule3]

For H110/ Win 296, Yes. That's why the load data says so. You will not correct performance/burn with regular primers and that powder. So either get some correct primers or use a different powder.

2400 powder no, it does not require mag primers.

 

[mtime7]

well I guess I have been screwing up, I use what ever I have on hand

 

[Rule3]

well I guess I have been screwing up, I use what ever I have on hand

Well I guess you have been.

 

[dirty gary]

Absolutely use magnum promers when data calls for it - and especially with H110/W296. Great powder with topnotch performance, but ignition is something you must be aware of.

 

[geddylee10002000]

http://www.loaddata.com/articles/PDF/PrimersMagnumHandguns.pdf

In the Handloader Oct/Nov 2011 there is a similar article which referenced the above link. Interesting reading.

 

[alwslate]

In my April 2012 Handloader magazine #277 there is an article on the
.41 mag byJohn Haviland. On page 60 he shows a small table of primer
comparisons. With a 210 gr cast SWC, 21.0 grs W296 and CCI 300 primer velocity is 1257 fps. Same load with CCI 350 primer = 1382 fps.
Magnum primers are recommended for 296 and I use them.

 

[andyo5]

When I switched from H110 to 2400, I noticed that although most published 2400 data called for magnum primers, I got better performance and accuracy from standard primers. Several other members of this forum reported the same thing.
However, I always used magnum primers with H110. If you are going to try using standard primers with H110, load only a small number as a test against others loaded with magnum primers.

 

[427mach1]

I, too, have heard that 296 requires magnum primers. However, if you go to Hodgdon's reloading data center, their loads for the 41 magnum indicate "large pistol" primers for all of their loads and this includes 296. Why do they, the powder manufacturer, not specify magnum primers for 296???

I plan to load some light loads with 296 using both CCI 350 magnum pistol primers and Federal 150 large pistol primers. I'll post my results when I get them in a few weeks.

 

[wildcatter]

well I guess I have been screwing up, I use what ever I have on hand

Maybe LUCKY is better word if you haven't seen a difference?? I have loaded H-110/296 and 2400 for years, I have noticed in extreme cold the H-110 and 296 will have a great deal of deviation from one round to the next with standard primers, much more consistent with mag primers, both on the chronograph and the target. I have seen little change with 2400 and standard or mag primers. I have never had a misfire but I have proven to myself that H110/296 needs mag primers to ignite properly 100% of the time, mainly in cold weather. As always, once you work up a load don't deviate from it without reducing and working back up. I have found some loads work better with standard primers with 2400, but some are more accurate and consistent with mag primers. I have always had better luck with standard primers when using ww-231, unique and other powders close to these burn rates. Anytime in doubt don't take much for granted and follow the data you are referring to. There are many man variables in reloading.

 

[wildcatter]

well I guess I have been screwing up, I use what ever I have on hand

Maybe LUCKY is better word if you haven't seen a difference?? I have loaded H-110/296 and 2400 for years, I have noticed in extreme cold the H-110 and 296 will have a great deal of deviation from one round to the next with standard primers, much more consistent with mag primers, both on the chronograph and the target. I have seen little change with 2400 and standard or mag primers. I have never had a misfire but I have proven to myself that H110/296 needs mag primers to ignite properly 100% of the time, mainly in cold weather. As always, once you work up a load don't deviate from it without reducing and working back up. I have found some loads work better with standard primers with 2400, but some are more accurate and consistent with mag primers. I have always had better luck with standard primers when using ww-231, unique and other powders close to these burn rates. Anytime in doubt don't take much for granted and follow the data you are referring to. There are many man variables in reloading.

 

[nody]

No one has mentioned the "ball powder" issue. While 2400 looks kind of like a ball, it isn't. WW291/H110 certainly are. Ball powders are harder to ignite. That old article from 1982 seems to be out of date. The Speer Manual #14 ONLY lists Mag primers on .357 for WW296/H110 and HS-6 & 7. 2400 and all the rest are Std primers.

 

[TSQUARED]

Was going to load some 357 mag cases. Not a small pistol magnum in the house. Have 10,000 small pistol. Are magnum primers necessary with
H-110. What are the results if loaded with standard primers?

If you were loading very light loads in 357 Magnum cases using a fast powder such as Trail Boss or American Selct then standard pistol primers appear to perform satisfactorilly. With full power loads using the slow burning powders I would recommend using the magnum primer for consistent ignition.

 

[all357mag]

Hey BT99. When I started reloading, I only looked at FPS velocity. The faster the better. Do yourself a favor and try Alliant 2400. You won't need mag primers, you'll use less powder, and your guns may prefer it. Mine do.

 

[Model19man]

I like 2400 a lot for magnum loads. My experience with WW 296 is that you get unburned flakes and lousy accuracy with standard primers.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It's not the caliber but the powder that dictates if you use a magnum primer or not. Slow hard to ignite ball powders like HS-6, HS-7 and especially W296/H110 work much better when used along with a magnum primer.

With standard primers you will get inconsistent ignition, unburnt powder and a wide variation on ES and SD numbers. Under the worst conditions like very cold weather and powder forward you might even get a squib load. (although very rare it's possible)

As for what the books say, unfortunately they are not always correct. For some reason most books are using standard primers for all standard loads and magnum primers for all magnum loads, even with powders that are known for not needing magnum primers.

For example, HS-6 in a .38 Special is listed with a standard prime while the same HS-6 is listed with a magnum primer in a .357 Magnum load. A magnum primer should be used with both loads. Same with W231 which is well known for using a standard primer. W231 should be listed with a standard primer in the .357 Magnum listing but it's not. It seems they are getting lazy and using only 1 primer type for a caliber to make things easy on themselves. It's not correct but they are doing it...