Ball powder and mag primers

[charles p]

I noticed a few years ago that many manuals suggest mag primers with ball powders in 308.  I often load 7-08 and 308 with ball powders and have never used mag primers.  My results have been excellent on paper and on whitetails.  Am I missing something?  What type of problems can I expect?  Accuracy has been excellent - in fact of the 10 or so calibers I load for, these are the two most accurate cases I load.  I use 748 and Varget.  I think these are balls, but I'm not at the bench.  Maybe 414 and another.
Inquiring minds want to know?
 

[keith44]

The current issue of Handloader magazine has a discussion about the over use of Magnum primers.  In some instances the magnum primers will prematurely raise the pressure and limit the velocity of a bullet due to the sharp pressure spike not allowing any more powder to be safely added.  Where as if using standard primers the pressure spike at ignition stays in the safe range with more powder and that allows more gasses to be built up to push the bullet with a more sustained pressure instead of just a bump. 


Read the article they explain it better than I can, but I have had bad experiences with accuracy when using magnum primers, so I always try to use standard primers

[Lloyd Smale]

usually with ball powders in large cases i try it both ways. A 308 or 708 has a relitively small case and there certianly not nessisary but for grins id probably give them a try.

[BBF]

I've used them in Ball Powders and slow stick powders and I have used Standard Primers in the above situations as well and never noticed a difference for hunting loads. That may very well not be the case for target shooters.
 
In large capacity cases particularly if used in cold to very cold weather I would go to Magnum primers regardless of the powder style.

[anachronism]

Follow the powder manufacturers recommendations. If you have questions, call them.