Primers for H110 or IMR 4227

[jpaudet]

I'm loading 357 Magnum bullets for the first time and have seen load data using both standard and magnum small pistol primers. Whats best and why?
TIA

 

[john traveler]

Magnum primers are specified for harder-to-ignite (ball type) powders or larger case (magnum) size powder charges. The assure more complete combustion of the powder charge and more uniform velocities.

H110, WW296 and a few others are in this category.

WW large pistol primers are considered magnum types, and WW factory ammunition uses them.

 

[Snowbandit]

Large charges of slow burning powders, especially in cold weather, sometimes ignite a bit better with magnum primers. Few people could tell the difference in .357 without a chronograph because there just isn't that much powder to light in the first place. A chronograph might show a little less variation in velocity with magnums. I've never noticed enough difference to matter in .357.

 

[Paul5388]

It's always best to use what the data specifies. Pressures will change with primer changes, so just load what the manual says, just to be safe.

 

[n4zov]

At one time WW listed magnum primers as necessary for WW296 powder in magnum loads. Not sure if they still have that requirement or not, but I always use them regardless.

 

[J. W.]

I've always used Winchester Small Pistol Magnum primers for my .357 loads.

 

[Rule3]

Hodgdon Powder (H110 and Win 296) specifies Small Pistol Magnum primers for the 357 using those powders. These are full house barn burning magnum loads.

Regular primers will certainly ignite the powder but might not get a compete burn and obtain maximum pressure and velocity as tested, as others have stated.

That being said they also state to use Mag primers with HP 38 and 231 which I don't. For lower plinking or target loads I just use regular primers.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I never saw any reason to mess with success. H 110 has worked so well in the .44 Magnum for me, ignited with magnum primers, that there's no reason to bother with standard large pistol primers. I like IMR 4227 too though it almost seems too slow for most applications. It surely benefits from magnum primers.

I've just now begun playing with .41 Magnum and H 110 is looking like the trick powder for that round as well. Took a batch so loaded to the range last week.

 

[Mark in GA]

That being said they also state to use Mag primers with HP 38 and 231 which I don't. For lower plinking or target loads I just use regular primers.

I asked Hodgdon about this one time and was told their mgmt had them shoot everything for a given cartridge with the same primer for simplicity sake. Since the slow powders in the magnums (like H110, Lil'Gun, etc) mandate the magnum primer, everything gets the magnum primer. HP-38/231 certainly don't need one.

Mark in GA

 

[buck460XVR]

It's always best to use what the data specifies. Pressures will change with primer changes, so just load what the manual says, just to be safe.

.....best answer.

 

[falrifles]

I have sitting on my reloading bench, a box of .357 magnum handloads consisting of 16.3 grains of H110 on top of a Speer 148 grain half jacket HP, loaded with CCI standard small pistol primers. I fired exactly ONE round in a 6" S&W Mod. 66 last summer here in Missouri. Air temp about 90 degrees. I heard a strange poof.....

Gun powder was all over the cylinder/barrel gap area and inside barrel. Bullet was lodged half way up barrel. At first I thought my powder or primers may have gone bad, however they were stored properly. Then I suspected what I learned here, that I may have needed a magnum small pistol primer. I now have to pull all these loads down and re-prime them with the magnum primers. I'm sure the loading manuals had this information and I did not take note of it.

 

[Littledragon777]

I use WLP primers for my 44 mag loads using w296. I have shot thousands of these rounds in all sorts of weather without a single problem. I don't think I need to use a magnum primer when using 23.5 grains even whenii am whitetail hunting in the sometimes very cold mornings here in Missouri.