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Would it be appropriate to use a magnum primer (Rem or CCI) to ignite 47-48 grains of RE-15 in a 308 Win? I don't have any experience with a short case (308) & ball powder?? The other option is use a standard LR CCI 200 or Federal 210. I want to make sure I don't have a fouling problem, I picked up three pounds to RE-15 to use in a Ruger 308 & 150 grn bullets!! William
I don't know about RL-15 but Winchester ball powders call for Magnum primers
I use RL-15 and use standard primers-you can use mag but ya might have to decrease your grains,,RL-15 is my best load for 308
Last time I looked, Alliant RL-15 was an extruded (tubular) powder. Has something changed since I last bought a jug?
Reloader 15 is not a ball powder, and should not require mag primers unless in very cold weather or very large cases capacity cartridges.
Ball powders do require magnum primers, or at least Winchester wlr primers, which are supposedly designed to fire the Winchester ball powders.
I recently fire formed a bunch of .257 Ackley brass, and used 760 powder as it was on hand and something I do not normally use.
I used regular CCI primers and about 90 percent of the rounds had a small but noticable "hang fire" situation.
Sorry fellows, I purchased three pounds of this powder becaused it produced the highest velocity in 308Win. I assumed RE15 was a ball powder, it would have helped if I had opened the container and did a visual before posting this question. I have now opened one of the jugs and took a peek, RE15 is an extruded powder. Thanks for the input!! William
There are also probably some other powders that will getyou more velocity, should speed be all you are after.
John
I just read the RE 15 label, the powder even though in a stick configuration is actual a double base powder, Nitroglycerin & Nitrocellulose, a magnum primer would probably be needed to reliably ignite a 46-48 grain charge in a 308 with a 150 grn bullet especially if in a cold enviroment! William
It's not the double-base composition that makes some spherical powders difficult to ignite, it's the heavy deterrent coating needed to cause progressive burning without the inherent geometric progressivity of the tubular format. I suspect extruded double-base powders are actually a bit easier to ignite than single-base of similar form, thanks to the nitroglycerin content. RL15 certainly lights up well for me with normal-strength primers.
I use WC852f and it needs a magnum primer in cool weather. Tried regular CCI primers and had mny hang fires. Not so with magnum primers.
I've been shooting 6.5x55 in a 1899 Swedish M96B lately with 140gr Hornady bullets and a caseful of WCC860 in PMC brass. I worked up loads with both WLR and WLRM primers. The WCC860 is about as slow a powder as you can get. The Magnum primers definitely shot better groups.
CDD
I use lots of ball powder such as 748 and 760 in both 308 and 30-06 and get good results with non magnum primers like WLR and Federal 210. But if magnum primers make you feel better about shooting then go ahead and use them.
You can use magnum LR primers in .308/.30-06 cases. BUT you have to reduce your powder charge by two grains and 1 grain if your are using military cases also. I called Sierra Bullets and spoke with a tech about this.