Primer question

[gregintenn]

In digging through some of my junk last night, I found a thousand CCI Benchrest Large Rifle Primers I bought for a song a few years ago when a local gun store went out of business. I was hoping someone here could tell me the difference between these and the standard CCI 200 Large Rifle Primers. Can they be used interchangeably? Thanks in advance.

 

[gregintenn]

In digging through some of my junk last night, I found a thousand CCI Benchrest Large Rifle Primers I bought for a song a few years ago when a local gun store went out of business. I was hoping someone here could tell me the difference between these and the standard CCI 200 Large Rifle Primers. Can they be used interchangeably? Thanks in advance.

 

[OKFC05]

Sure.

 

[John R]

The only real differnce between bench rest primers and regular primers that I could tell, was cost.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The Benchrest primers are supposed to be better than the "regular" primers but I highly doubt it. I read somewhere in a magazine what the manufacturer does is put their most experienced workers on the Benchrest line. Since they feel those workers are better at what they do the primers will be more uniform so they can call them "Benchrest" primers. I don't know if that's true or not but it does sound like it's possible. Who know??

Personally I wouldn't pay more for them and you can use them in place of the "regular" primers without adjusting your charges since they are supposed to be "better", not hotter like Magnum primers are. At the price you got them for I would have bought them too....

 

[H Richard]

There have been many studies on this, and the fact that manufacturers still make them is fact that they are better. Actually more consistent. I use Fed. 210M primers in my 22-250 and .243 prairie dog loads. These are for shooting at 300 to 700 yards. Try this,(if you have a rifle capable of shooting less than a 1/2" @ 100 yards), load 10 rounds of your favorite load with a regular primer, then make 10 more of that load with a Benchrest primer. Off of a solid benchrest, and using a sandbag rest, shoot a 10 round group of each at 300 yards, all the regular primed loads in one group and all the Benchrest primed loads in the other group and the usual estimate is that the Benchrest primed group will be at least 10% smaller.

 

[2sigs]

All posts above are correct in that they are used with same starting data and the results are for the most part the same. I have also been told that the manufactures take steps to have their best most experienced workers make match primers. My understanding is that match primers are done one at a time by hand placing the compound in the cup. The cup and other components of the primer are to tighter tolerance and built to be match initially, then as I say placed by hand with care and precision and high Q.C.

I know there has been at least one well written report on primer burn temp, cup hardness and dimension of cup, should find it with a good search of the web.

I believe that generally match primers are a bit cooler and more consistent of characteristics. However I'm not sure that a person could really tell the difference unless building match ammo with all necessary steps of case prep and bullet selection, powder weight etc. done.

You will pay much more for them and I've never found the need to use them more than just checking them a few times over the years during load developments,
But I don't shoot benchrest either

-2sigs