7mm Rem Mag Primers

[milldozer]

Curious what primers others are having good results with. I’m shooting primarily 160 grain accubonds and 150 grain TTSX, both with H1000. Ive only tried Fed 215 primers. I’m right at 1 MOA with my Tikka, but wondering if another primer might tighten things up.

[Crunchy]

I use the same primers.  I dont think primers effect accuracy as much as they might have an impact on your standard deviation consistency.  Once you have your load ironed out, shoot over a chrono and see if you get decent SD and ES.  If not, try a diff  primer and hope there isn't an effect on your load accuracy.  How many grains of powder you using? 

I started my load workup at 69 grains, and went up in .3 grain increments to 74 grains.  Best node was from 71.7 to 72.3.  Went with 72 and started adjusting seating depth.  Got .49 MOA at 200 yards, but next time out I could not repeat that tight of a group.  So either bad shooting day, or something changed.  I think I have it figured out now.  Just one more trip to verify 

[jasnt]

Cci 200’s or 250’s for everything

[b23]

I use the same primers.  I dont think primers effect accuracy as much as they might have an impact on your standard deviation consistency.

 

There are always exceptions, but for the most part, the only thing I've ever seen change was a little velocity, one way or the other, and better/worse ES and SD.  I predominately use Fed. 205M/210M/215M primers and they've worked well for me, but I have friends that swear by CCI's. 

[hogslayer]

In loading for 6 rifles using H1000, I have never experienced 215’s beating CCI 250’s for both accuracy and ES. 

[yorketransport]

I've used a couple thousand CCI 250s with excellent results in just about anything that could take a large rifle primer. I switched over to Fed 215s a few years ago after finding a good deal on 10,000 of them back when they were impossible to find. I haven't seen a real big difference with most powders or cases but they do work better than the CCI 250s if I'm using US869. It might be worth trying a couple loads with the CCI 250s just to see how they work.

[hunter399]

Also cci +1 for everything

[huntandjeep]

Cci 200’s or 250’s for everything

250's in my 7mm , 200's in the 6.5x284

[milldozer]

Thanks for all the replies.  Anyone have some CCI's they'd want to trade for 215's?

Crunchy, out of curiosity what bullet/powder are you shooting with 72 grains?  Do you know what the velocity is?

[Crunchy]

Thanks for all the replies.  Anyone have some CCI's they'd want to trade for 215's?

Crunchy, out of curiosity what bullet/powder are you shooting with 72 grains?  Do you know what the velocity is?

H1000, Norma brass, and 168 VLD hunters, and 3187 fps. 
Not sure how it is possible, but I had my action trued, and new # 5 Benchmark barrel installed.  Before that was done, 69 grains would have been upper end of a hot load for the factory barrel.  Now I am getting no signs of excessive pressure at 72 grains.  Even at 74 grains, no sticky bolt or primer cratering.  There was a node at 74 also at 3205 fps but I was getting some ejector marks on the case head so I backed it down to the next node.

[Stein]

I did a primer test on 30-06, kept the cases, loads, etc all the same except the primers were different.  I observed results that were pretty shocking to me as I expected little to no difference.  I observed significant difference in measured velocity, SD and actual groups.  Here is a quick summary, all data are 5 shot averages from the Magnetospeed with 2 minute rest between shots and an 8 string shot at the beginning (not included in the data below) to warm up the barrel:

CCI 200             2,704 fps  31.9 SD
Rem 9 1/2         2,750        16.0
Win WLR           2,735         6.3
CCI BR-2           2,715         4.2
Fed Mag Match   2,754         13.4
CCI 250 Mag      2,724         24.3
Rem 9 1/2 Mag   2,739        6.9

Those were all the primers I could get my hand on for loading that day, I may try others as they become available.  In short, my experience in my situation shows primers do matter significantly, I have no idea if the above results would hold true for 7mm, your gun, your load, but it is certainly worth testing.

I was mainly shooting for velocity data but did take notes on groups as well.  The fed Mag Match gave me the best group I have probably ever shot (under 1/2"), Rem 9 1/2s were about 1" for the normal and over an inch for mags, CCI mags were about 1", Win a bit under an inch, CCI BR-2 had 3 touching and two flyers, about 1" overall and the 200s were off paper (scope needed adjustment).  This is decent info to have but obviously very reliant on the the guy pulling the trigger, wind, etc.  I am loading up the BR-2s for future work but also going to keep the Fed Mag Match in the study to see if that group was a fluke or something special.  I'm still of the opinion that SD matters a bunch, but testing with an open mind and able to change it when given a good reason.

[milldozer]

H1000, Norma brass, and 168 VLD hunters, and 3187 fps. 
Not sure how it is possible, but I had my action trued, and new # 5 Benchmark barrel installed.  Before that was done, 69 grains would have been upper end of a hot load for the factory barrel.  Now I am getting no signs of excessive pressure at 72 grains.  Even at 74 grains, no sticky bolt or primer cratering.  There was a node at 74 also at 3205 fps but I was getting some ejector marks on the case head so I backed it down to the next node.
[/quote]

Dang, those are cookin.  With those 150 gr barnes TTSX my accuracy seems to go to *censored* as I approach 2900 ft/s.  64-65 grains of H1000 seems to be the sweet spot for accuracy, around 2850 ft/s. 

[Crunchy]

H1000, Norma brass, and 168 VLD hunters, and 3187 fps. 
Not sure how it is possible, but I had my action trued, and new # 5 Benchmark barrel installed.  Before that was done, 69 grains would have been upper end of a hot load for the factory barrel.  Now I am getting no signs of excessive pressure at 72 grains.  Even at 74 grains, no sticky bolt or primer cratering.  There was a node at 74 also at 3205 fps but I was getting some ejector marks on the case head so I backed it down to the next node.

Dang, those are cookin.  With those 150 gr barnes TTSX my accuracy seems to go to *censored* as I approach 2900 ft/s.  64-65 grains of H1000 seems to be the sweet spot for accuracy, around 2850 ft/s. 
[/quote]

Yeah it must have something to do with the barrel either heavier contour or that it is 3 inches longer than factory 24 inch.

[hogslayer]

It’s possible because benchmark most likely put the correct amount of freebore in the chambering for the bullet.  Some guys run 3100 with 180’s in a 7 rem mag.  My factory 24” barrel shot the 168 Bergers best at 2920-2950 between two different factory rifles with the same load.

[h20hunter]

About 3050 avg with my 7 mag, 180 gr berger vld, cci primers, nosler brass, rl26