My reloading buddy and I tried a run of ten thousand CCI primers through a Dillon xl650. We found them to be a tad on the large size and irregularly shaped leading to enough problems in the priming stage for us to look for an alternative…switched to winchester and have had far less problems than in the previous then thousand.
Another suggestion is Wolf primers. Tim and I have run thousands of them in classes, training, competition (him) and practice without issue and the price is right as well.
RE: Magnum primers
There are several differences between regular and magnum primers besides brisance (explosive energy). Magnum primers are designed to ignite a large amount of slow burning power and (allegedly) have different cup properties to keep the magnum powder charge from rupturing the primer, which would allow superheated gases to escape (they sure look the damn same to me though). Generally speaking if you switch from regular to magnum primers you should work up a new load. CCI says to drop 5% and go from there.
I have two different Varget loads for .223 that I use, 24.5gr with a magnum primer and 26gr with a standard primer and its worked really well and allows me to load a fairly comparable load depending on which primers I can find.
Translation: I don’t really have any facts to back this up but I am going to say it anyway.
In this frenzy that has been created by gossip and “what-if’s”, please don’t add fuel to the fire.
Good information. I just picked up some magnum primers to try and your post confirmed my thoughts.
I think the cup just may be a little harder. I loaded a handful of Wolf Magnum Rifle primers in some 9mm to try out, and I had one primer out of the 30 rounds I was testing that had got dimpled without igniting. It wouldn’t fire on subsequent attempts.
Other than that round the rifle primers in pistol ammo seemed to work fine. I dont’ know if I’ll continue to load them, but in a bind it does work.
I ordered CCI 41 and 34 on 3/12 from Powder Valley. They accepted the backorder and the brown truck showed up at my house on 3/18. I would gladly do business with MidwayUSA and Powder Valley again. I have not ordered from Wideners yet but I have heard nothing but good things about them.
For sure don’t take my opinion as authoritative. I haven’t reloaded a single round yet. Just got started. Had to do a lot of reading and asking first.
Good luck on finding primers anywhere. My Dad and I have been buying whatever we can find (usually CCI). We have a several thousand at this point, but there out of stock almost everywhere. They’re even getting hard to find at gun shows and for the area where I live…that’s bad.