Does Primer Brand Effect Velocity?

[Quick Draw McGraw]

I swotched over to Federal recebtly due to some light strikes. But I think my velocities have dropped compared to the CCI primers I was using. Same type, just different brands. Have you fellas experienced this?

[webber]

Two different lots of the same primer wont give the same velocity most of the time. If one ever does any chronographing the same load with different lots of the same primer one will find that out. Two lots of the same powder wont give the same velocities most of the time with everything else being the same chronographed back to back.
I have a chronograph and have tested this.

[seminolewind]

I chrono a lot and there is definitely a difference in primers. Sometimes as much as 100 fps in handgun loads. This difference can make a difference on a target, but I'm not sure you could tell a difference with bullet performance on game.

[Quick Draw McGraw]

I appreciate the input. When I reload, I alwats chrony. If I'm wothin 100 fps of my target, I generally call it good. But some of these loadings jave been off by as much as 350 fps. I'm trying to uncover what the cause is.

[bula]

Powder and cartridge ? Some say CCI's 300 LP is "hotter" than other brands of LP. It's been said it's hotter than Winchesters LP that says it's for regular or magnum loadings. Sooo.. everything and anything can make a difference. 

[sixshot]

I've been out of the competition loop for a few years now so I can't remember for sure but I'll take a "shot" at it. It's either Winchester small pistol magnums or Winchester small rifle magnums, maybe Stan will jump in. One was designed especially for the USPSA shooters using 38 Super race guns to ignite the heavy powder charges they were shooting in their specially built, fully supported $4,000 & up race guns. Using a standard primer & then switching to one of these hotter primers could get you a pressure spike in a real hurry, I just can't remember which one it was. Also, David Bradshaw might know. I think SPM's.

Dick

*****

Reasons for selecting a brand
* Availability.
* Consistent ignition.
* Accuracy.

Velocity is a function of PROPELLANT, not primer. A primer’s job is to furnish uniform ignition. Power is not an abstraction in handgun silhouette. Among the handgun combat games, power may be measured by mathematics----not the target. To meet an arbitrary theashhold, a small caliber relies on more bullet weight, or more velocity, or both. This entails a rise in CHAMBER PRESSURE. Pressure is required to make a muzzle brake work. The muzzle brake (to hell with the semantics of brake vs compensator), retards recoil, and then reduces recoil. Reducing recoil puts you on target faster.

The combat games may represent the drag racing of handgun competition, riding the wire edge of cartridge performance. Were I to play these games, I would take an analytical approach to performance. In silhouette, success requires attention to specific details: accuracy, consistency through all weather conditions, durability & repeatability. I do not look for consistency in silhouette on the WIRE EDGE.

Federal developed the 215 Large Rifle primer to ignition voluminous charges of slow powder in Roy Weatrherby’s cartridges. The closest a bandleader may come to a lab is his or her chronograph. Between target & chronograph, while reading ammunition & gun, consistent handholds are developed.
David Bradshaw