Thread: Hot vs Cold Primers, Load Data

Hi all. Just a thought. If load data for any given caliber has a cold primer like fed210 listed but only hot primers like winlr are on hand, does that mean the listed starting charge could be lower with hot primers? And vice versa. A staring charge being higher for load using cold primers where hot primers were listed.

unless you are hotrodding the load..it SHOULDNT make a hell of a lot of difference...if you are right up on edge of pressure or using a very small volume case however...all bets are off.

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

Hi all. Just a thought. If load data for any given caliber has a cold primer like fed210 listed but only hot primers like winlr are on hand, does that mean the listed starting charge could be lower with hot primers? And vice versa. A staring charge being higher for load using cold primers where hot primers were listed.

Makes no difference unless you are a benchrest shooter. Hotter magnum primers are needed to
Get better burn with ball powders only

Magnum primers for larger powder charges, and or ball powders. By large I say ~70+ grains.

However ball powders in 08 and 06 size cases can often shoot well without using magnum primers.


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Ive used win LRM in the wee 7.62x39mm case with no issues...cause I had them on hand and no std ones.... it is after all the spark plug in the equasion....as long as you have enough spark to make things ignite..all is good...just watch out if at either end of things pressure wise....in theory you should drop down and rework load...I havent done that yet...

The listed start load for any cartridge powder bullet combo will be safe with either type of primer,
Only need to back off when making changes to an exisiting load
Even changing primer brand I would re work the powder charge to get the optimum performance if using a it for Match shooting.

Thanks all. While on the topic of primers. Does the heat of a primer affect reduced rifle loads using powders like Unique or AP70N without a filler?

as i said...thats the bottom end of things....so maybe...it does make difference if trying to go subsonic..a magnum primer was worth close to 2 grns of trail boss EG load would crack unless dropped 2 more grains of powder....
ap70 LOAD IS BULKY so shouldnt need a filler UNIQUE is in same boat....in a big case,maybe an issue,maybe not.std primers worked well for me with the lighter loads,but magnum still went bang....

as i said...thats the bottom end of things....so maybe...it does make difference if trying to go subsonic..a magnum primer was worth close to 2 grns of trail boss EG load would crack unless dropped 2 more grains of powder....
ap70 LOAD IS BULKY so shouldnt need a filler UNIQUE is in same boat....in a big case,maybe an issue,maybe not.std primers worked well for me with the lighter loads,but magnum still went bang....
why not ask the question you are dancing around and be done with it??????
will primer X be ok in XYZ load in QRST case????

I see 70fps difference for the same powder charge in the same cartridge between fed 210 and fed 215 as found out during the week after mixing primers up

Originally Posted by Kelton

I see 70fps difference for the same powder charge in the same cartridge between fed 210 and fed 215 as found out during the week after mixing primers up

Now that is not recommended, 70 fps is about 1 to 2 grains of powder and can have quite an effect on pressure at the top end of the powder charge range.
If all you can get is Magnum primers start the load development form scratch ,
When I bought my .44 Magnum all I could get was Magnum primers, I have load all the ammo for it with them, I have use powder from 700x to RL2400
with no problem, Just work up the loads as normal, As the wise men say start at the beginning when changing any component in a load.

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

Thanks all. While on the topic of primers. Does the heat of a primer affect reduced rifle loads using powders like Unique or AP70N without a filler?

Yes. Assume it's going to make some form of difference. You'll for need to test it to see if it's for better, for worse, or even noticeable.

Originally Posted by shooternz

Now that is not recommended, 70 fps is about 1 to 2 grains of powder and can have quite an effect on pressure at the top end of the powder charge range.
If all you can get is Magnum primers start the load development form scratch ,
When I bought my .44 Magnum all I could get was Magnum primers, I have load all the ammo for it with them, I have use powder from 700x to RL2400
with no problem, Just work up the loads as normal, As the wise men say start at the beginning when changing any component in a load.

As I said mixed up primers . Once I refilled the hand primer I clicked hang on those first primers were purple these are red and memory served me correctly purple is 215 but my mate I was loading with was sure he didn’t have any 215s and maybe the red had discoloured neither of us have used 215s for years . Carried on and shot over the 800 gong multiple times so we put the cronie on and Whyalla their way faster i then reached for the other end of my ammo box to the last loads and speed came back down My 210 load is far from hot and by share luck neither was the 215 load both very conservative

aha well youve just answered a question for me...as I found a purple primer amoung the normal red ones

good to see the 2 grns powder difference is the same at full noise as it is down low...thats the difference it made for me subsonic..... as said right at start of thread...unless your at top or bottom of pressure or shooting looong range/match it wont matter much.

So mag primers are like adding up to 2 grains of powder? Thats a lot when trying to produce subsonic rifle loads with powders like AP70N.