Which primer for 2400 in 357 mag caliber?

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Hole Shooter

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I just recieved my Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition. On page 356 for the 357 magnum caliber it shows the primer used as a CCI 550 which is a small pistol Magnum primer. If I understand this correctly, the Handbook is saying to use this magnum primer for all powders shown, including Alliant 2400. I thought i had always heard to NOT use a magnum primer with 2400.

I have never loaded 2400 but i just bought some at the gun show and thats why i ordered the Lyman Reloading Handbook from Midway. Now I have doubts about the manual's integrity based on the primer listed for 357 magnum while loading 2400 powder.

What am i missing here??? Please help me see it.
HS
 

Rusty W

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Just my own experiance, but I've never used a magnum primer with 2400 in any caliber. I load for .357 mag, .44 mag, and .45 colt. I've not had any problems and get good accuracy. It's a little dirtier than some other powders but I don't mind, it hit's where I look. At near max loads, it seems to be a little cleaner burning.
 

StanMemTn

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I'm a reloading newby and got the Lyman manual as well. I plan on loading for .38 and .357 and picked up some Unique to get started.
I noted the same thing about the magnum primers for the .357 loads and was a bit surprised as well. I'll be interested to see what everybody has to say here.

-Stephen
 

J Miller

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Not in IL anymore ... :)
I think some people believe that magnum cartridges need magnum primers. Taint so. I've loading .357 mags for lotsa years and very rarely used SPM primers. When I did I did not see any improvement in accuracy, cleanliness, or performance.
So I use standard SP primers in all my .357 loads. Even those with 2400 powder.

Joe
 

revhigh

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Hole Shooter":o3qmrarh said:
If I understand this correctly, the Handbook is saying to use this magnum primer for all powders shown, including Alliant 2400. I thought i had always heard to NOT use a magnum primer with 2400.

I've loaded full bore (and then some) 2400 loads in 357 Mag for well over 20 years, and I've never NOT used a SPM primer. I use all Winchester primers, primarily because they're easy to get, are a little cheaper, and the LP primers are for STANDARD and MAGNUM loads. One less primer type to have around. My stock is at it's lowest in recent years ... I think I only have around 12,000 primers in stock at the moment. :D

Nothing to worry about using SPM primers with 2400.

REV
 

pps

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The only powder I'm using small pistol magnum primers with are with H110. Even with H110 and the 185gr beartooth bullet, Marshall Stanton recomends the Winchester NON-magnum primers...no problems with hangfires, even on cold days.
 

bearing01

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I too have the Lyman manual that suggests SPM primers with 2400. I loaded up 125gr JHP with 2400 and with SPM primers. I started with 15.7gr and stepped it up to 17.3gr with 5 steps. Big boom even for the starting load.. stronger than factory. People at the range thought I was shooting 44 magnum.

Anyways, most people recommend 17gr of 2400 with a 125gr bullet. Using the SPM primer I decided that 16.0 gr of powder was plenty. Even 15.7gr would feel more powerful than factory.

Also note that with 17gr of 2400 you're getting into having a compressed charge.

So I'll probably continue to use SPM primers with 2400, as suggested in Lyman. Likely because the primer is harder and can handle the higher pressure. However, Alliant doesn't recommend SPM primers in its loading manual and my guess is that you don't need them.
 

Kanook

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I'm willing to bet that they weren't sitting around a campfire drinking beer and writing that manual. If the manual says that is what they found works best, Im thinking that's what works best.

Why not write them a letter or email them and get the answer from them on why they did it that way.
 

Ruber

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Kanook":nkho92hz said:
I'm willing to bet that they weren't sitting around a campfire drinking beer and writing that manual. If the manual says that is what they found works best, Im thinking that's what works best.
+1, I have always done well by following the manuals...

Also, the folks that write the manuals will have connections to certain brands (i.e. Speer and CCI). Just because one brand labels primers "magnum", it does not necessarily mean they are hotter than another brands standard primers. In my experience, CCI and Winchester are a prime example. If I get incomplete combustion with a CCI primer, I'll move to a Winchester primer. I happen to get similar performance with Winchester standard primers as I do with CCI magnum primers. (However, with switching components, you still need to be careful and watch what you're doing and work up your loads)

And yes, with 2400 I have had incomplete combustion with CCI standard primers in a short barreled Taurus Tracker (those loads worked fine in my 4" GP100), I now use only Winchester primers.

PS. There have been some interesting comparisons done, I'll try to find a couple an post them. Here is a good Chuck Hawks article:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/primers.htm
 

Pal Val

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The only reason I would see for a magnum primer with 2400 is that it can be loaded for pretty high pressures and magnum primers have a thicker cup. This is pretty much a belt-and-suspenders approach, but in this age of frivolous lawsuits, the people writing these manuals seem to be taking it more often than not.

I have loaded 2400 with both magnum and standard primers in .357 and .44 mag and both have been OK.
 

CraigC

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Lab tests have shown that 2400 is more consistent with standard primers. If it was good enough for Elmer Keith, it's good enough for me.
 

Ruber

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CraigC":xp1e1j67 said:
Lab tests have shown that 2400 is more consistent with standard primers. If it was good enough for Elmer Keith, it's good enough for me.
Craig, do you know which brand(s) they tested?
 

ra

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A discussion about primers is about the same as a discussion about oil, filters and change intervals between a group of guys, 50 people will have 50 different opinions, and most will work OK.
Myself I use regular primers with standard loads and Magnum primers with Magnum loads. I have always perfered W-W primers when I could get them, don't know why I just do.

ra
 

Hole Shooter

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Thanks to everyone for the excellent replies to my post! I gained a lot of valuable information. Sounds like both the small pistol and the small pistol magnum primers are used with the majority of you using small pistol primers.

As someone above said, this is sorta like a belt vs suspenders question. Anyways, thanks a lot for your reply. I really appreciate it.
HS
 

Shoot44

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I use what the manual tells me to use for THAT particular set of loads and powder. The Speer Manual specifically says that its loads were developed with NORMAL primers, and to NOT use magnum primers with 2400 loads that they publish.
Quote: "Do not use Magnum primers with the 2400 or Viht. N110 loads shown here or high pressures will result." (This is from P 526 of Speer manual 13, in which the data on 357 magnum, lists 17.5 grains of 2400 as the max under a 125 grain jacketed bullet.)

In the 44 mag section this manual says: "For this manual, we developed new loads with Alliant 2400 using standard instead of Magnum primers. This significantly improved performance with this powder. Do not use Magnum primers with these 2400 loads as high pressures will result."

I use CCI primers exclusively, (except for a spell when I couldn't get them), and have never had a FTF or blown primer in any load. FWIW, my load for 357 125 gr jacketed is 17.0 grains of 2400. It is quite accurate from my Ruger Anniv BH, has no signs of overpressure, and is lots of fun to shoot as well.
 

Rclark

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I have loaded 2400 with both magnum and standard primers in .357 and .44 mag and both have been OK.
My experience as well.

Ya buys what they have in stock! Or do without.
That's what I do now :) . If they have magnum primers in stock... that's what I buy! Can't be to 'picky' right now.
 
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