Winchester 209 vs. Federal 209A?

[tick]

Has anyone else noticed that RW's "Most Accurate Loads" all use the Winchester 209 primer? Is this a better primer for accuracy than the Federal 209A's? I've always shot the Federal's but I'm thinking for tighter groups, the Winchester may be the way to go. He's set some tough standards to make the "Most Accurate Load" chart and I'm wondering if this can better be met with the Winchester 209 primers? I guess I'll pick up a box and try them for myself. Has anyone else noticed a difference in group size by changing just the primer?

 

[Anonymous]

Has anyone else noticed that RW's "Most Accurate Loads" all use the Winchester 209 primer?

I haven't. They have all been shot with Federal 209A's as well, with the same accuracy. :shock:

I certainly didn't mean to give that impression, and I've corrected it. If anything, the hotter Federals tend to give better accuracy-- not less. They do give you higher velocity as well.

Winchesters have done well; they fit most breechplugs-- Federals fit perhaps half of them, requiring touching up the BP with a reamer so they work best (the Federals have a bit larger OD than the Winchesters).

 

[tick]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Randy. I know you have posted some great looking targets and they were all shot with the Federal 209A's. I'll make the adjustments to my notes that show the Federal's were used for the "Most Accurate Loads" also. Sure had me confused, but that doesn't take much anymore!

 

[SW]

Tick,
Hope all is well with you. Your friends in AR( G&I) are well and happily retired and say "hi" to you. I long held to the thought that a gentler primer would likely give a little better accuracy. I notice no difference in accuracy between the brands but do notice slightly higher velocities with the hotter primers. So I see no detrimental effect with the use of hotter primers except the Fed 209As seem to foul the original Sav breechplug more than some other primers. I''ve settled with CCIm, Win 209, and Fed209As. Different guns have different fits. 2 of my Sav breechplugs do well with the 209As, 3 are better without them. The breechplug in my Pac Nor 45 is a little too tight for them also and I use the CCIm in it. RB works-up all loads with the hottest primers he can use in order to post the hottest that a given load will produce - for safety's sake. Hope something I said here will help.

 

[Anonymous]

RB works-up all loads with the hottest primers he can use in order to post the hottest that a given load will produce - for safety's sake.

If that is a safety issue at all-- you are running way too close to the wire. :shock:

 

[SW]

RB works-up all loads with the hottest primers he can use in order to post the hottest that a given load will produce - for safety's sake.

If that is a safety issue at all-- you are running way too close to the wire. :shock:

Agreed. He stated he wanted to post the highest possible velocity/pressure with a given load, so he used Fed209As. Granted, I overstated the case with "for safetys sake".