Primer Questions

[ExtremeX]

I have started .223 loading with CCI #41 primers. To date its the only primer I have used...

I am looking for some cheaper primers for plinking and wanted to see what you guys have to say about Wolf and Tula primers for plinking ammo.


On another note: What do you guys recommend for 9mm and .45 ACP. For small pistol primers, can I use the same primer for both?

For .308 ammo for my bolt action rifle. Which primers do you recommend? Does it need magnum style primers or is that really dependent on the powder used?

I will be ordering online, and want to get some ideas of what to get...

[joelogic]

I have used many wolf and tula small rifle magnum(Just a harder cup, not any hotter) primers and they work well.

.45 is usually large pistol. Wolf small pistol primers do give me a fail to fire 1 in 100.

For my bolt gun I love Winchester primers. Magnum only when the recipe calls for.

[XDRoX]

I don't know how your RCBS press seats primers. If it feels like it's a strong system you won't have any problems with the Wolf/Tula. They are slightly harder to completely seat. I don't have a problem seating them on my Dillon.

The last few thousand I've loaded have been Wolf. No problems at all.

For 9mm and SPP 45, the same primers will work fine.

@Joe,
Is it possible you're not completely seating them? After a failure, do they fire on the second try? If so you're not completely seating them. A very common problem with Wolf/Tula.

[joelogic]

They could be high. I will have to pay more attention. Usually its during a match and I just rack it out. Next time it happens I will pick it up and try it again.

[bcrich]

Joe, I have the same problem using Tula small pistol primers in my g17, and they aren't seated high!!! Switched back to Winchester and all is good now! Other than that Tula/wolf aren't just for plinking they are good for match quality in my 308 bolt guns and gas guns plus they fit tighter in the pocket which gives me a few more reloads where Winchester primers would fit loose.

[Zeke003]

I had issues with high seated primers when I first used Wolf. After I figured that out I ran through 15k with one dead primer since. My batch of primers was a bit older though so maybe there are qc issues on newer batches?

[M27]

I like tula for true plinking ammo but I would not trust them for match or defense.

but for those times when playing around and just pulling the trigger as fast as you can tula all the way, I use tula for lead or plated while I use federal GM150M for jacketed.

[ExtremeX]

Asside from CCI for .223 / 308 rifle ammo... what else is worth considering?

Im guessing Federal / Winchester is a safe bet?

[joelogic]

Winchester was my favorite until the primer famine of 2008 when I switched to Wolf and I stocked up on wolf when wideners had them for $75 a case and free hazmat and shipping.

[Bill Steele]

Asside from CCI for .223 / 308 rifle ammo... what else is worth considering?

Im guessing Federal / Winchester is a safe bet?

I load mostly Winchester. I like them for a lot of reasons. Lately I have had an occasional QC issue, mainly in WLP and not a lot of them, I use a lot of them.

I don't like Federal for handgun. The cup is too soft for my taste and the packaging is laughable (but required for the design). If you are shooting a gun with light hammer/striker springs they are probably the cat's meow.

In my experience CCI are excellent, but the cup is on the harder side.

The Russian's have rejoined the bad guys club again, so I don't buy their products.

[ExtremeX]

This may help you help me in terms of primer selection.

Most of my .223 ammo will be using in the AR platform. Which is why I started with CCI #41; I do make a mix of plinking ammo and ammo with accuracy in mind. But I don’t take it all the way loading on a single stage and doing what the competition shooters do for brass prep…

.308 will be used only on my Remmy 700. I still run a factory chamber at this point in time, but I will be loading on a single stage trying to make match ammo only.

Pistol will be 9mm XD, and Sig 1911 .45 ACP; volume reloaded on a progressive strictly for plinking and HD practice.

I know a lot of load development has to be done, but if anyone of you have some pet favorite primers for these applications let me know. I really just want to buy some in bulk and be done with it.

[joelogic]

I load only tula/wolf. For me, the bullet has more to do with accuracy than primers.

AR, blasting and match. Small rifle magnum
savage 10, Socom, Fal, blasting and match. Large Rifle
glock, para, hk, blasting. Small/Large pistol

[Southpaw45]

Another Wolf/Tula primer fan here. Only had one dud and one missing the anval after using over 11K LP Wolf primers....

[Southpaw45]

Another Wolf/Tula primer fan here. Only had one dud and one missing the anval after using over 11K LP Wolf primers....

[Cowboy T]

I have started .223 loading with CCI #41 primers. To date its the only primer I have used...

I am looking for some cheaper primers for plinking and wanted to see what you guys have to say about Wolf and Tula primers for plinking ammo.


On another note: What do you guys recommend for 9mm and .45 ACP. For small pistol primers, can I use the same primer for both?

For .308 ammo for my bolt action rifle. Which primers do you recommend? Does it need magnum style primers or is that really dependent on the powder used?

I will be ordering online, and want to get some ideas of what to get...

I've tried several of the major brands--CCI, Federal, Magtech, Remington, Winchester, Wolf, and Tulammo. All go bang nicely.

For 9mm and .45 ACP, I'd suggest Tulammo SPP's and LPP's, respectively. Regular primers will work very well with any powder that is good in these rounds. Maybe there's someone running H110/W296 in 9mm and .45 ACP, but I haven't run across it yet. :-)

Now, let's get to your rifle rounds. Your powder choice will determine whether you get magnum primers or not. It has to do with how hard or easy a given powder is to light up. Temperature also is a factor; if you're shooting in the dead-of-winter in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Montana, you're probably going to want to use magnum primers. However, if you're in the blazing heat of an Arizona summer, regular rifle primers will work very well.

Whether or not you get the "military" primers depends on whether or not your firearm has a floating firing pin. This is really more an issue with certain semi-automatic rifles than with, say, bolt guns. Some AR's do. H&K G3's and CETME's do, though PTR-91's don't. I believe AK's do. For firearms with them, the thicker primer cup can prove helpful to prevent a slam-fire. Bolt- and lever-guns don't have this issue.

Personally, I'd go for the Tulammo primers, since they're inexpensive, and they work very well. They've always gone bang for me.