Just some input please. I'm reloading mainly 45 ACP LPP on a Dillon xl650.

My only brand so far is Winchester but I'm running low. Do different brands really matter? Say Winchester vs Federal vs CCI? Not looking to go low end or cut cost, just about using what's available.

I typically tend to use the cheapest primers I can find. I've loaded thousands of various brands and have yet to find issues with any of them. My preference is for Tula based on price.

The only thing to be aware of is cup hardness, if your reloads are intended to be used in any sort of "tuned" firearm. IIRC, the Russian derived primers have fairly hard cups. The softest cup is Federal, which is why some progressive press manufacturers warn against using them.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

I use Win, cci, federal and tula LPP and they all work fine for me. 

I'm a Tula primer fan myself for target practice can't beat them, now hunting I tend to use the better stuff if I roll my own self defense hollow points I use the better primer

Thanks all. I've been told the xl650 doesn't agree w soft primers. Maybe I'll give cci a try.

Thanks all. I've been told the xl650 doesn't agree w soft primers. Maybe I'll give cci a try.

I load nothing but cci -- never had a failure in over 20 years

 

Do you have a source for cci  large pistol primers?

Nothing steady. Cheyenne has them sporadically but $$$.

The only primer I can recommend against are Vihtavuori, they are exceedingly odd. On the bright side, they are almost never available, anywhere. The ones I tried I bought off the shelf in a gun shop simply for the WTF'ness of it, as I didn't even know VV made such a thing.

I load nothing but cci -- never had a failure in over 20 years

 

Do you have a source for cci large pistol primers?

Natchez has them

Winchester, federal, Tula, wolf but mostly cci.

Natchez has them

 

And the total cost for 2000 shipped to my door is $115.38 --  2000 is all they will let you buy at 1 time

 

I'm just not ready to spend $57+ on a box of primers -- I'll just run out my supply and stop shooting if this is what it's come to

And the total cost for 2000 shipped to my door is $115.38 -- 2000 is all they will let you buy at 1 time

 

I'm just not ready to spend $57+ on a box of primers -- I'll just run out my supply and stop shooting if this is what it's come to

Primers are still a small fraction of the cost of a round compared to the actual bullet. 3.5c vs 5.7c isn't a huge nominal difference. Yes it sucks that the prices have gone up but I still enjoy shooting and reloaded ammo is still by far cheaper and better.

And the total cost for 2000 shipped to my door is $115.38 --  2000 is all they will let you buy at 1 time

 

I'm just not ready to spend $57+ on a box of primers -- I'll just run out my supply and stop shooting if this is what it's come to

That's just nuts. Midway still has cci and winchester spp in stock, 5k limit on each. Comes to just over 300 for 10k shipped.

I usually try to get together with a couple other guys and we put in one order together to split up the hazmat and shipping, provided we need different things if there's limits.

The only primer I can recommend against are Vihtavuori, they are exceedingly odd. On the bright side, they are almost never available, anywhere. The ones I tried I bought off the shelf in a gun shop simply for the WTF'ness of it, as I didn't even know VV made such a thing.

Never knew they made primers either!

QC seems to vary a lot on the tula and wolf pistol primers. 

 

In general, there's only three things to vary. Compound sensitivity, stiffness of the primer cup, and velocity change. 

 

I use mostly federal and winchester. For the same powder charge, I'd rank them in order of muzzle velocity of the finished round as federal SP, winchester SP, federal SPM, winchester SPM. There's over 50fps muzzle velocity difference between the federal SP and winchester SPM. 

 

CCI are quality, but they are a bit harder and a bit flared at the open end. They can take a bit more oomph to seat, and don't play nicely with my vibraprime. 

Excellent raz-0

I'll keep an eye out for federal and cci. I use WLP exclusively right now but am getting low.