hot loads

[josebd]

if a load is to hot what will it do to the primer,.223?

[bigdaddytacp]

if a load is to hot what will it do to the primer,.223?

.........Other things can cause the same things to show up but often the primer can split up the side, the firing pin mark can be cratered where the round indentation of the firing pin will have rough raised edges to the round mark where the primer was pushed back aganist the pin and the brass flowed because of the pressure......the primer can be very flatened in the pocket and the rounded edge of a normal load primer will be flat and will flow into the very edge of the primer pocket level with the base of the case.......the bottom of the case will also show marks from the ejector slot and similar marks on the bolt face........the firing pin strike can burn-blow out and cause a hole  at the firing pin strike location that lets hot gas under pressure flow into the action .........again these things can be caused by other things besides a hot load in a worn-misfitted action.firing pin and chamber problems and they are indicators of high pressure but some high pressure hot loads won't show a thing untill the pressure is extremely high......and dangerous....good luck and good shooting!!

[josebd]

this is in a h&r .223, i think some of the primers are flat ,but i reduced the load at it still kinda looks the same. no flowing or anything like that, with it being a single shot would that make a difference?

[BruceP]

josebd, since you asked this same basic question in another post and then again here because no one really answered the first time and from a few other things that have been in your posts. I am going to make an assumption that you probably have stated the answer to elsewhere and I just don’t remember. The first is that you are somewhat new to reloading. (I know I had a lot of the same questions when I was new anyway) The second is that you do not have a reloading manual. (I made the first assumption to get to the second) If this is true please buy you at least one and even better, two good reloading manuals and read all the information in the front of them. I say this not because you are not asking good questions and not because I or anyone else would not want to help you. I say this because there is a lot of great information there that we all need to read and then later have access to be safe in our hobby. I still go back and reread parts of mine all the time. Some of the manuals will have photos of problems with primers, split or cracked necks and many other things that may be hard for us to explain with words alone. Having two or more manuals also lets you cross check the load data for the powder, bullet  combination that you want to try. Speer, Hornaday, Hodgdons, Sierra and several others company manuals would be very good to start out with.
If I have in any way came off as condescending or if I have just totally missed the mark here then I am sorry and that was not my intent. I just strongly believe that a good manual is the very best place to start for safe reloading.
BruceP

[5Redman8]

In break open single shots, flattened primers are not always a sign of pressure, it is more of the norm.  Every load I have used, factory or handload will produce a flattened primer in new brass.  If you yake the time to properly headspace your loadings the subsequent times, the flattening is less.  I have perfected this in my Encore but am still working on it in my recentley boguht H&R.  Best way to watch your loads is by using a chronograph.  If you are getting more fps than the manuals, you will want to figure out why and it may be the load is too hot.

Kyle

[jamie]

I had a Rem 700 that seemed to always flaten primers , yes even factory rounds.  Maybe it was headspace issues, I never checked because it shot .3" groups.

[bigdaddytacp]

this is in a h&r .223, i think some of the primers are flat ,but i reduced the load at it still kinda looks the same. no flowing or anything like that, with it being a single shot would that make a difference?

........as the others have noted the single shot break open guns are bad about flattening primers and are more likely to need careful taylored sizing of the cases to get a good chamber fit......I also agree that you need some different powder loading manuals.....many are available for download from powder and bullet web sites........also ...get some factory ammo and see if they flatten the primer similar to your handloads? and try the sizing die backed off the shell holder a turn and try to fit the shell into the chamber and shut the gun......back off the die untill the case won't chamber and then go back down a 1/2 turn and try again....when the case fits and the gun closes then load that case and see if the primer looks better? good luck and good shooting-loading with nice safe loads!!

[New Hampshire]

My Varget loads show the primers flattening a bit, and Varget is a rather low pressure powder for the .223 (comparatively that is.)  As someone said, primers flatening are not actually a very good way to determine pressure signs.  A better way to tell is in extraction.  If case extraction is rough then you load is a bit high.  Plus a chrony can help, but is not necessary.
Brian M.

[josebd]

thanks everybody for the info,the h&r still shows a little flattening even reducing loads,tried one in my remington 700 bdl, no problem,even with a hot load.went down to 25.8 in the h&r, shot a 26.3 in the 700 bdl.