357 maximum primers ?

[tc scout]

About to start reloading 357 max, but it seems there is much discrepancy in primer selection. I know it calls for a small rifle primer. I plan on using H110 for hunting loads.  When I reloaded 44 mag with H110 I always used mag primers. Question is, are small rifle primers hot enough or do i need to use small rifle mag primers. In the TC contender loadbooks some loads use standard primers and some specify mag primers for H110. Anyone with experience in this caliber? Thanks, Ken

[LaOtto222]

My preferred primer for all small rifle applications are the Remington 7 1/2. I have used other primers, but I keep coming back to the Remington. The 7 1/2 is considered a bench rest primer, but it has a thick cup to enable it to stand up to high pressures and I have found it to cleanly ignite every powder I have used it with, including WW296 (H110's twin). If you are shooting a revolver, the thick cup may cause misfires due to light hammer strikes, but I have not had a problem with them in T/C Contenders, Handis and the various bolt guns I have. Good Luck and Good Shooting

[irold]

Evening T/C Scout......I reload for the Max , and also use 296 with a 180 grain XTP.......have been using CCI 400 (small rifle primers)  in the Max., never had a problem, shoots well.  My thoughts are if its nor broke why fix it ??   Good luck

[tc scout]

Thanks irold & LaOtto222, Having no experience with rifle primers, I just wasn't sure if standard primers would work with H110. I have always used CCI 350 primers with H110 in my 44 mag. I know some disagree as to the use of mag primers for that powder, but I  think the majority of manuals call for mag primers. Didn't know how rifle primers compare to pistol primers. If I understand this correctly, loading the 357 max is like loading a straight walled rifle cartridge, hence the standard rifle primer.  Thanks again, Ken

[PaulS]

As IROLD said, the standard small rifle primers work fine in the maximum.
I use a Speer 180 grain flat nose rifle bullet and find it is universally accurate in every maximum I have tried it in.
It is too long to use in the one revolver that my brother and I have but it shoots well in our two carbines and TC pistols.

[lakota]

When I had my T/C .357 Max I used the R-P 7.5 primers. That is a fairly big dose of powder to be touching off with a standard small pistol primer!

Anyone seen the photo comparisions of the sparks various primers throw?   http://www.6mmbr.com/PrimerPix.html

Those R-P 7.5s really throw a good spark!