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204Shooter Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2007 Posts: 68 Location: Diana, TX
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:00 am Post subject: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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Recently, I have been developing some loads for my Savage 12FV in 204 Ruger. These loads have ranged from light to near max. I am using once fired Hornady brass, CCI 400 primers, RL15 and BL(C)2, and 40 grain Hornady V-MAX bullets. I have found a load that my gun likes. This past weekend, I reloaded this same brass again. I notice that the primer pockets looked "different." By different, I mean I can see the three legs of the primer anvil indented on the inside of the primer pocket of the brass. I don't ever remember seeing this indentation before. I have no idea if this indentation is bad or not. Maybe it has been there before without me ever noticing it. I also reload for my 30-06 but I haven't see this indentation on those cartridges before. On the next batch of shells, I have changed the primer to Remington 7 1/2s. Has anyone else seen this condition before?
204shooter
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skb2706 Member
Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 269
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:06 am Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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No expert here but if the anvil legs are indenting the inside of the primer pocket it is likely you are seating them with too much force or the pockets are too shallow.
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Bushmaster Super Member
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 11391 Location: Ava, Missouri
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:51 am Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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No...Absolutely not...Keep seating them as you were. More then likely the anvil marks are caused by the fired primer being slamed back into the primer pocket. I have seen these three marks on a lot of my warm to hot loads in both handgun and rifle. Not a problem at all. If you try to seat your primers lighter you may end up with misfires caused by the pin strike seating the primer for you. If this occurs, try to fire them again and I would bet they would fire. I say again. Not a problem. Seat your primers as you have been.
_________________ I have one nerve left and yer standin' on it...
DEMOCRACY Two wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for lunch...
LIBERTY A well armed sheep contesting the outcome of the vote... |
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skb2706 Member
Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 269
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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Bushmaster wrote: |
No...Absolutely not...Keep seating them as you were. More then likely the anvil marks are caused by the fired primer being slamed back into the primer pocket. I have seen these three marks on a lot of my warm to hot loads in both handgun and rifle. Not a problem at all. If you try to seat your primers lighter you may end up with misfires caused by the pin strike seating the primer for you. If this occurs, try to fire them again and I would bet they would fire. I say again. Not a problem. Seat your primers as you have been. |
That not only doesn't make sense ...it is wrong. You have no way to know how hard he is seating the primers. If you do it must be magic.
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Bushmaster Super Member
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 11391 Location: Ava, Missouri
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1895ss Super Member
Joined: Jul 21, 2005 Posts: 2612 Location: Not Here...!!
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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My .02 would be that if there were no miss fires then more then likely the primers were seated far enough. I have never been able to crush a primer to the point that it would not work. I don't know if it's possible to even jamb it in that hard.
Come to think of it.......... I've never in my 25 or more years of reloading had a primer go bang while priming cases.
_________________ A cruel truth is much more desirable than a really nice lie.
'Tis far better to walk alone than to follow a crowd or an a**hole going the wrong way.
Last edited by 1895ss on Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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popgun Member
Joined: Jan 26, 2005 Posts: 735 Location: Mitchell, GA, U.S.A. (2007 pop. 191)
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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Get a hand primer then you can feel when the primer is seated to the bottom of the pocket without deforming the primer as when priming with a reloading press.
With hand priming you will get consistent ignition of your rounds and consistant accuracy. This is basic reloading and those that disagree need to spend some reading room time reading about primer seating. The subject is covered in most reloading manuals.
_________________ Safe shooting,
Chris Young, aka: popgun, Moderator
I don't know everything but I have made most of the mistakes already and lived through many of them. |
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1895ss Super Member
Joined: Jul 21, 2005 Posts: 2612 Location: Not Here...!!
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204Shooter Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2007 Posts: 68 Location: Diana, TX
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:01 pm Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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Well lots of ideas out there. I use a hand primer but I have to admit, I use two thumbs to seat the primers. I want them below or at least even with the head. I don't like to see any sticking out. I am a big guy and maybe I need to use a little less force? BTW, several of loads I have described were pretty accurate. One load with 5 shots gave .910 inch with 4 of the holes covered by a dime and of course one a little out. Another of the loads gave a 5 shot group of .790 inch again with 4 covered by a dime. None of the loads were at max or what I would call hot - just a good load at ~3750 ft/sec for 40 grain bullets. I really like the 40 grain Hornady V-MAX bullets and I just bought some Hornady 45 grain SP to try out. I have loaded some new brass to see if the Remington primers make any difference. I'll let you guys know. Also Bushy, I haven't had any misfires.
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Bushmaster Super Member
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 11391 Location: Ava, Missouri
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:06 am Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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I also use a Lee single stage press and a Lee Auto Prime II to prime my cases. I have no problem being able to feel when the primers are seated using this system that, by the way, is pictured on the "Hand priming verses Press priming" string.
204Shooter...Didn't say you had any misfires. Said you could have misfires if you lightened up too much when you seated primers.
Primers, by the way, are tough little suckers. They can survive water soakings, WD-40 soakings and all kinds of other solutions to try to kill them. Let dry for a couple of days and they will be able to be set off again. Not all, but a large portion of them. The only way to kill a primer and be sure it is dead is to hit it with a firing pin. So press away...
_________________ I have one nerve left and yer standin' on it...
DEMOCRACY Two wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for lunch...
LIBERTY A well armed sheep contesting the outcome of the vote... |
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sniper Super Member
Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Posts: 735 Location: Utah
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:45 am Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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I have never noted any indentations of the anvil legs in the primer pocket.
I also use a hand tool; actually, two. RCBS for rifle, and Lee for pistol. I have seen burned residue in the pocket, and clean spots where the anvil legs protect the brass.
How do the primers look? Do they still have a radius on them, or have they flattened and expanded to fill the primer pocket from side to side? That is one indication of a very hot load, and regardless of what the manual says, in your rifle, it is max or overmax.
Do you have "sticky" extraction, hard bolt lift, or pierced primers? If not, then proceed with shooting your loads.
But, dropping whatever load you choose by .5 gr. , if it gives acceptable accuracy, won't hurt a thing, because the varmint will never know the difference. Good luck with your search!
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moose2 Super Member
Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Posts: 707 Location: North Idaho
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204Shooter Member
Joined: Jan 28, 2007 Posts: 68 Location: Diana, TX
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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Sniper, I have dropped the load back some because the best accuracy was not the fastest load. I have not experienced sticky extraction or a hard bolt lift and never any pierced primers. My primers are "rounded" and protruding slightly from the head after firing. I have checked some of my commercial fired cartridges and they have similar looking primers after firing. If the condition is due to a hot load then I had several hot loads (which is possible). The anvil leg marks were showing up on almost every piece of brass even though some of the loads were near the minimum recommended by Hornady. I have verified my balance beam scale to ensure it is accurate since I weighed each load. I wish I had kept the brass segregated after firing. That would help me to determine if the loads were too hot. I could of matched anvil leg marks with each load and determined if the hotter loads were worse. My next test is to change brass (Remington) and primers (also Remington) and hone my best accuracy load in. I am going to keep the brass segregated and then see if I have the same problem.
_________________ Life is a series of choices. It is how we manage those choices that counts. |
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1895ss Super Member
Joined: Jul 21, 2005 Posts: 2612 Location: Not Here...!!
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 6:16 pm Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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I don't know if I would be overly concerned about the three primer leg indentations in the brass as long as your load, using current reload data, is not over the pressure limit as per usual indications and you are sure you have seated primers to the fullest depth. I think Bushy's, right if you're not getting high pressure signs, no missfires and the load is accurate, so what...........!
_________________ A cruel truth is much more desirable than a really nice lie.
'Tis far better to walk alone than to follow a crowd or an a**hole going the wrong way. |
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PaulS Super Member
Joined: Feb 18, 2006 Posts: 4330 Location: South-Eastern Washington - the State
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:06 am Post subject: Re: Primer/Brass question for the experts on here |
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I have had the three marks on my 06 brass when using a Lee hand primer, the RCBS hand primer, the priming tool on the Rockchucker press and when seated with the old Lee $9 reloading set in a box. The brass at the rear of your case is soft - it happens to new brass more than old brass. It has never presented a problem for me in ignition or accuracy. As long as you are maintaining your accuracy then keep on doing what you were doing. The brass anvil in the primer is harder than the brass in your case and it is leaving its signature. After a short time your cases will harden up and it won't be an issue. I use the CCI primers too - Don't give it a thought. Keep your eye on the accuracy ang ignition. if you don't notice anything going bad then let it be.
Between Bushmaster and me we have a hundred or so years of experience throwing bullets down range. If you can't trust old loaders who can you trust?
_________________ Paul
__________________
Speer, Lyman, Hodgdon, Sierra, and Hornady = reliable loading data
So and So's pages on the internet = NOT reliable loading data
Always check data against manuals
NEVER exceed maximum listed loads |
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