BR-2 Primers

S

Stats Shooter

New member
Anyone have some field tests or range data using BR-2 primers vs CCI-200 or CCI-250?

Historically I have used CCI 250 or CCI 200 but was wondering if the BR-2 are worth the 20% price increase.
 
I can share this much. CCI 200 and CCI BR2 used in 308 Winchester LC 10 Brass, 150 grain Sierra Match King bullets, AA 2495 powder 44.0 grains, C.O.A.L. 2.775". The cases were all uniformly trimmed to 2.005". Shooting ten shot groups the average velocity with the CCI 200 was 2857 FPS and the Std. Deviation was 10 FPS. The CCI BR2 resulted in an average velocity of 2862 FPS with a Std. Deviation of 13 FPS. The test rifle was a custom Remington 700BDL Heavy Barrel 26".

The CCI 200 and the CCI BR2 are both standard large rifle primers and I saw no discernible difference in accuracy. There was no difference in velocity and more importantly standard deviation. When I did this I ran several ten shot groups of each primer and included Remington 9 1/2 as well as Federal 210. Hands down the CCI primers did yield the best standard deviations of the four I used for the testing. While I did not test CCI #34 I have had some very good groups using the CCI #41 small rifle in .223 Remington loads.

Years ago I used the BR primers quite a bit but my recent testing this summer really did not show any real difference using the BR 2 over the CCI 200. Your mileage may vary. :)

Should also point out that was with the powder I called out (AA 2495) and other powders requiring different ignition will likely also vary.

Ron
 
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Well, I picked up a couple hundred BR-2 primers the other day and I'm going to try them....if they perform like Ron says then I guess I'll just continue to use my 200's and 250's regardless of whether I'm making hunting or match ammo
 
Try them and see what they get for you. Not much to lose and if they perform well with your loads then it's a win. :)

Ron
 
I started loading for competition, advice I got was weigh every thing
Primers was a component I weighed
I tried many brands and types and found that with the regular primers
1 to 3 in 200 weighed different, lighter or heaver than the rest of them
but with the BR primers I found 1 out of 1,000 to 2,000 were different
( I discarded the odd weight primers )
( I do not know what was different, cup, anvil or compound )

I also found my groups were smaller with the BR primers
maybe 10 to 20% ( in competition that's a big big help )
and fliers were eliminated ( except the ones I caused )

I chose CCI BR 2 and BR 4 primers because they also have
a thicker cup, helping to avoid a Slam Fire in a Service Rifle
( the groups were about the same with the other brands
BR primers and expense was about the same )

I know this is not scientific but it is real world
Yes they cost more, but I think its worth the cost
just to avoid the -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- and the Auh S#!3s when observing my target
or Why In The S#&!! didn't I hit that dear where I aimed
any deviation from normal is my fault not the ammo
 
Yea,RC20
I am a cci fan....I started using them when i got into reloading and just stuck with them. i have never had a ftf using cci....never. Tens of thousands of reloads and not 1 FTF!!!
My dad and brother use remington, i have used wolf and federal when i couldnt get the cci i wanted.
im not saying they are better than the rest, just that i like them and get great results in both accuracy and reliability.
 
This is all good to know . I'm in the process of changing over to CCI primers from Winchester . I've used Win because they were the most available locally and after having many good loads using them I never felt like changing and starting over . How ever leading up to the election I was finding bulk CCI (5k) sales regularly . I wanted to be sure I was stocked up so I started buying them . Now it's time to start using them ;) .

I did not buy any BR primers although it is in the stars . I still have 1k-ish of the Fed LR match primers to use . When those get low I'll likely look to the BR primer but if the standard CCI primer preforms as well as the above post indicate . I may not see the need to spend the extra cash .

The funny thing about the cost of primers is that I'm the guy that laughs at guys crying that primers cost $50 per 1k . It's still just a fraction of your reloading cost . I can load high end match rounds for $.56 per round using standard primers . Why then is it an issue if it cost 2 more cents per round ? Seriously $.56 a round is good but $.58 a round is some how is just to much to pay ? :rolleyes: And yet there I was last month looking at the price of BR primers and thinking "I'm not spending that much on primers" lol . It seems like a lot but when adding up the cost per round it's really not that big a deal . :)
 
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Haven't ever noticed any difference either. Most shooters won't either. The Bench Rest guys might.
"...avoid a Slam Fire..." Done by seating 'em right.
 
. ..avoid a Slam Fire..." Done by seating 'em right
Click to expand...
Doesn't really pertain to my op but slam fires can happen with properly seated primers in guns with larger free floating firing pins if the individual uses softer match primers. I personally have never had one, but I use harder CCI primers in my semi's. My brother's SKS however did slam fire from time to time until he switched from Remington primers to CCI in that gun. It was because the firing pin would get a bit "gummy", for lack of a better word, after hundreds of rounds. But the harder CCI primers didn't.
 
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