How to Make Super Accurate Ammo ~ Part V Priming 

No matter how much I thought I already knew about firearms and ammo, I always finish your videos realizing how little I actually knew when they begin.

You're not kidding about the velocity change between batches of primer. Running out of the lot I had on hand I pulled out an older (yellow color) box of CCI 200's and continued the same batch I was reloading. CCI 200's (40636C vs 40636D manufacturers number) Had a Labradar running and part way through a shot string velocity went up from 3626 to 3683!@! 8.5 SD/ 23 ES for the 5 round string before this so there were none out of parameter. Took a break for a while until I could figure out what had happened for such a velocity spike between reloads and then remembered I had switched to that old box of primers part way through the batch. Would never have though swapping primers, especially to a different batch (granted much older) in the same brand could have an almost 60 FPS result!. Sure enough because I had boxed them as I loaded them, it was easy to tell exactly where I had made the swap. Thanks for the great content!

Back before everything went to crap, when I would do load development, I would start by finding the node with the powder charge, then change the o.a.l , then try different primers to really fine tune the load.

I have the same model Lee Auto-Prime, I pretty much wore it out, yes, it's possible, thousands of rounds. I acquired the new square shaped model, hate it. Maybe the newest triangular shaped one is better. I now use a Dillon 650XL and oddly enough, it has a tactile feel for the primer insertion, admittedly, it's a developed sensitivity but it's there. As other comments have stated, heed this man's teaching, he is giving information that will save you from mistakes. I started loading in the early eighties, I learned from guys like him back then, now I am one.

Thanks for imparting us with your knowledge. You inspired me to take up reloading which is super rewarding, and also just picked up a 457Royal with a Leopold 3-7 to work on my marksmanship at a more steady, fundamental, cost effective level. Since I discovered your content, I have gained so much more admiration and respect of the old hunting rifles/shotguns inherited down from my family, so a big thanks again for all you do for the community. You are a natural teacher.

I have that same exactly framing tool. I'm 58 years old. Been doing it since I've been 28 years old and that's the two of my brother told me to get cuz that's what he had and he's 13 years older than I is. Tell just another heads up. I had an issue with my RCBS rock chucker press. I'm back in the '70s early '80s. Send it in RCBS said it needed a new RAM which was 4 to 6 weeks out or send me a new one so they're sending me a new one. No cost to me whatsoever. That's pretty good service. This is February 10th I believe is when they called me about that. Still waiting for it to come

What I also do is run my thumb over the seated primer so I can check the primer is just below the base of the case. You don't want them to be proud of the base!

IMR-4320 was discontinued around 2018. I need to work up new loads for my Enfield and SOCOM. Picked up 8 pounds of BL-C(2) for $33.25 delivered.

You know, I still use the exact same Lee hand priming tool. I could have moved on to a more precision tool costing ten times more but this basic Lee priming tool has worked for me since about 1970 or maybe the late 60's? I stock every primer made but the one I use the most is the Federal 210match. One step I use is with my primer pocket uniforming tool and the depth is precise, primers are just below flush, it's a positive feel with the priming tool. I do like to use Remington primers with certain loads simply because they are easily identifiable due to the brass color, all the rest being silver. Example: I use 85 gr. Sierra Spitzers on coyotes and hunt deer with the 100 grain Spitzer. They look the same but the 100 grain bullets have a brass 9 1/2 primer, a simple identifying feature.... other than switching brass. I use The Federal 210M in 90% of all my rifle cartridges except 300WinMag. uses Winchester primers.Yeah, another primer would work, but I'll stick with my original load. I know that your reasoning on spending more than necessary is valid, but at this level, handloading is not about economy.

I could listen to you talk all day. Love your videos.

Gunblue490, I believe your smock may become your legendary trademark.

One Press that does give you a Feel for Bottoming the Primer is the "Dillon" 550b, The primer seating is on the Upstroke of the Handle and for me it is a Much Lighter feel for doing so.Always such Great Series GunBlue490! Thank You

Thanks for another informative video! I continue to learn from your experience! Well worth the Patreon support!!!

I have been hearing about all the first time gun owners I wondering how many first time reloader we have gained the last three years. I’m 60 years old and I am one of them. Thank you G Blue for sharing your knowledge

Really nice job on your primer cutaway drawing. Really helped to actually see that. Thanks.

I used a Lee Auto-Prime for years until arthritis made me set it aside. Now, I use an RCBS bench mounted priming tool.

I really enjoy listening to all of your talks. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

Always good info. Thank you

The priming compound is also made in extremely small batches because of how shock sensitive it is. And I agree with primer pocket cleaning lol it's a waste of time, I seat my primers on my single stage press and press them to a hair past bring flush with the casing lip, I also recycle my spent small pistol primers by taking out the anvil and taking the dent out with a punch, refilling and packing them with some priming compound from 22 reloader, it's corrosive but I use them with my 1851 colt navy reproduction black powder 36 caliber revolver. They fit just right over the nipple on the pistol chamber and are tighter fitting than my pistol cap making die

Great presentation!👍 I hope the folks new reloading follow your lead. Would sure save them lots of grief. Started loading with my great uncle monitoring my progress as a young lad in1958. We were using his Ideal 310 tong tool for 45Colt. I still use my 310 at times. However, the old Lee Auto Prime such as yours is, has been with me for ages. Both provides that all important "feel" that these newfangled progressive presses lack.

I've been using this exact same Lee priming tool for decades and all of mine are yellowed as well. I agree it is simple, fast, and the best method for allowing me to feel the primer seating properly. When I first started reloading in college I could only afford a simple $10 all-in-one Lee loader kit. I had to hammer each primer in and about one in ten went off. Then I discovered the Lee hand priming tool. The early ones had no feed tray, but they were still a godsend. When the round feed tray version came out I thought I had entered reloading Heaven.

Thank you for your instruction with no nonsense.

Cant wait to start off with such great insight, thanks for lowering the barrier to entry and learning curve!

The value of " feel" can't be overstated. The human body is a very accurate Guage of press fit, plug fit, slip fit, running fit situations. With experience, of course. I rebuild antique motorcycle engines. I can't recall the last time I measured a valve ti guide fit, for example.

got my popcorn, and my drink...settling down to watch another episode in the series :D

Love this series to its fullest…the shooting community is better and bless by your teachings. Been shooting for 45 plus years and always learn something new. You sir are a wonderful teacher, God bless. 👍

I love my lee hand priming tool as well. It’s the best priming tool ever made and most convenient in use.

The probable reason why you had a primer discharge is you had a primer seated and another one closely followed and ended up the the primer channel causing a double stack. When you pressed down you in essence are pressing on two primers at once. If it doesn’t feel correct stop and have a look.

Thank you so much for your Knowledge and your time we are so grateful for you to Share your wisdom with us. Thanks again

I feel like I have to mention that you kinda glossed over the primer that you might want to select. I too have been reloading for decades. When I started I bought a selection of loading manuals from both bullet as well as powder manufacturers. I update them periodically. It’s not uncommon for powder manufacturers to require magnum primers for a non magnum cartridge. Hodgden is a great example. Many of the spherical powders “require” magnum primers. Speer loading manuals confirm this in cross referencing. I recently started loading for the 300 Hamr which requires magnum primers for all their loads. I’ve also found that some load manual only use Federal 210M primers for all their load data on particular cartridges. A lot of considerations to take into account when choosing a primer. Now finding them is another matter!!!

I fell hard for the RCBS Ram Prime press-top unit and It's consistent for me. I can feel it if my fingers are loose I believe. I just use my finger to feel the primer is seated sufficiently and rarely have I set it up wrong and flattened the cup a bit. I have the RCBS hand prime and I've just not liked it as well. To each their own I guess. GREAT INFO !!!

Nifty as hell!

The only thing I’ll add to this is with free floating firing pins in semi autos….. it’s very rare, but I had an AR that would slam fire CCI 400’s took me forever to figure out what was happening. Ended up switching to CCI 41’s which is a problem the military had and why we have the white box CCI primers… I’ve heard of it happening with older 1911’s as well but never seen it. If you chamber a round in an AR with the full force of the buffer spring and then pull that round from the chamber you will see a small dent in the primer….. it can be dangerous in some firearms.

When it comes to primers, my main concern comes from unknown foreign brands, because there are still places that make corrosive primers. And that’s my biggest concern, using corrosive primers without realizing it.

I also had to buy CCI BR-2's because they were the only large rifle primers I could find. I still have yet to find more. They were 169 dollars and 215 dollars shipped. This was also the first box of primers I bought being a new reloader so I didn't know what they cost 2 years ago if I had at the time, I don't know that I would of bought them, I'm waiting to catch some in stock locally but that's kind of a wet dream also.

My Frankford Arsenal priming tool has a small wheel that adjusts the stroke length of the ram that seats the primer. I was taught to seat the primer below the case just enough to catch your fingernail on the edge of the brass. I think that worked out to be around 0.005".

I bought 500,000 (half million) CCI military grade primers a few years ago when a European ammo manufacturer went pits up. Practically free, they were, but you had to buy 50,000 minimums.

Thanks Blue for yet another informative presentation. I use the same Lee priming tool purchased in 1981 (if memory serves). I do recall at the time that Lee advised against the use of Federal primers in this tool, but I don't know if that still applies. The only argument I've ever heard for cleaning primer pockets is to prevent buildup of residue that might cause a primer to sit proud of the case. Evidently the dust produced by pocket cleaning is some pretty nasty stuff. Thanks again and looking forward to the next installment!

Very informative, as usual. I have shied away from certain primers only because Im not familiar with the name or number. I guess that if they indicate large rifle I’m OK..

The cost and availability of primers since covid has made reloading uneconomical for many cartridges. It’s mostly worth it for match quality rifle rounds.

I had an experience with my Mini 14. every night I take it out of the safe, open the action, put the safety on and drop the bolt. I the morning I remove the magazine, eject the cartridge and put it back in the magazine. One morning as I replaced the cartridge I noticed an indentation on the primer. I discovered the the firing pin makes a very small impression on the primer from inertia when the bolt drops. This evidently had a cumulative effect to the point the primer looked like it had been fired. I wonder if I had not caught that when I did would the rifle eventually have fired when the bolt dropped. I now close the bolt manually and that does not happen.

Thanks for the as always great info. I started reloading last year following your previous videos and I have been able to tighten the groups on my 37 year old Ruger .270. I have a question about the primer seating. I use a single stage RCBS press for everything and occasionally I get a primer that will not go in far enough to even seat flush with bottom of the case. Putting case back in press and running the ram home again doesn't help. The primer doesn't stick out much (I haven't thought to measure it) and I only noticed because I checking the 1st lot I loaded with a straight edge. I'm using Hornady brass that has been shot once and neck sized. I haven't noticed a significant difference in where these group. Should I be concerned? Any ideas on why this is happening? THANKS!!

Good evening

I love your content sir, I’m fairly new to reloading and you have answered many questions I’ve had. I did watch your other video on primers and I do still have some questions…. Do large pistol magnum primers have the same amount of compound as large rifle, or large rifle magnum? I have done a small amount of testing using a lpmp in place of a LRP and here was really no appreciable difference, but I only tested it in one particular cartridge using one powder. I did note that the average fps was only about 20fps faster with the magnums, but that average was increased because of a single round that was fired registered almost 100 fps faster than the others in the magnum test group. That could have been my mistake in loading….or the primer. The others in the magnum test group were very close in fps to the standard LRP’s. I’d love to see a deep dive into this on a video. With the rarity of LRP’s, I grabbed the LPMP’s as a substitute

How did the primer go off?

Now you just need to find primers for sale.

You listed Remington 6 1/2 Primers for .22 Hornet, which is what my research pointed me to. Which primers would you use for .17 Hornet? The pressure is higher for the 17. CCI 400's are what I have access to. There is no complete consensus, some even use small pistol primers! Thanks for your videos.

The question now is where do you find primers

I assume that you don’t measure the seating depth of the primers. I read that the SAMMI specifically recommends 7-9 thousands seating depth. Do you think that would cause any issues with headspace?

👍👍👍

Them br4 primers are $19.99 a 100 at my local shop…the 400s are 12.99

Am I the only one that used the RCBS single stage press for priming while I de prime and size it?

I was reading that the small pistol magnum primers are identical to small rifle primers. Would you agree with that?

Why did you dump 25 primers in lee primer tool when all you had was 20 cases

Would like to help your work but I would prefer a one time payment. Can that be accomplished thru Patreon?

jIm learning how many things ive been doing wrong,,,,and why.

PLEASE replace unsafe old lee auto prime tool. PLEASE see website for information.

While primming I tell people . If doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t right. Stop and have a look. The top primming tool out there is the Lee as you illustrated. Unfortunately they don’t make this tool anymore. It was replaced with a real horror show plastic over engineered piece of crap. After 53 years of loading these tools will fatigue out. I’ve worn a few out. You are correct on match vrs standard .l have tried them all and there is no difference in performance even match rifles shoot the same.

Yeah they're well over 100 now but so are all the rest of them with hazmat fees and shipping