Primer issues with blc2 powder

[Murph]

I use blc2 powder for all my loads in 223 . I find it to be a very accurate powder through my gun. I normally use cci br4 primers for my shooting but recently I could not source it and ended up getting cci 400s. These primers don't seem to work at all with my powder choice. I made up a few empty cases and seated the primers in them without bullet or powder and fired them through my gun to see if they were even igniting which they were. I just want to know has anybody had any issues with this combination?

[garyw]

Murph-im sure they are the same primer only difference is the BR4 has a thicker cup.dont know why they shouldnt ignite the powder though.

if LAURIE sees this post he will put it straight.

[Andrew]

If by "work" you mean deliver accuracy, it is just a fact that certain loads do not tolerate a change in priming. I have seen this many times. The most pronounced was in my 500M comp loads back in the eighties. Sub half MOA with Rem 9.5's and just under 1 MOA with anything else. ~Andrew

[Laurie]

Murph,

 

my experience of the BR4 is that it's a 'hot' little beggar - it gave substantially higher MVs (and larger groups) than either the CCI-450 or PMC (Russian) SR Magnums in my 90gn loads with Re15. It may be that BL-C(2) needs the BR's hotter flame to get it really going, especially if you're using it in cold weather. (Do we have anything else these days?)

 

I always advise people to avoid standard SR primers in 223 unless they're used in rifles whose actions have small dia. firing pins that are a close fit in the bolt-face. As Gary points out they have thinner cups (20 v 25 thou' brass) than magnum or BR versions, so usually crater badly with standard pressure 223 loads in your typical Remington 700 or similar.

 

I've never tried BL-C(2) in 223 or that size cartridge. Years back I used it a lot in 308 Win (which it was originally designed for) with good results with standard CCI-200 primers and tried it once in .303. The recipe said use magnum (LR of course) primers and I got some really weird pressure effects writing off expensive Norma brass that had given me loads of frings without trouble using more conventional loads. This led me to the conclusion that this powder is pretty charge weight / fill-ratio / pressure / primer sensitive.

 

If you're stuck with standard primers, it might be worth your while switching to Viht powders that ignite easily in 223R. If you're loading 40-53gn bullets, I'd suggest N133, and N135 for 55-70gn.

[garyw]

Murph,

 

my experience of the BR4 is that it's a 'hot' little beggar - it gave substantially higher MVs (and larger groups) than either the CCI-450 or PMC (Russian) SR Magnums in my 90gn loads with Re15. It may be that BL-C(2) needs the BR's hotter flame to get it really going, especially if you're using it in cold weather. (Do we have anything else these days?)

 

I always advise people to avoid standard SR primers in 223 unless they're used in rifles whose actions have small dia. firing pins that are a close fit in the bolt-face. As Gary points out they have thinner cups (20 v 25 thou' brass) than magnum or BR versions, so usually crater badly with standard pressure 223 loads in your typical Remington 700 or similar.

 

I've never tried BL-C(2) in 223 or that size cartridge. Years back I used it a lot in 308 Win (which it was originally designed for) with good results with standard CCI-200 primers and tried it once in .303. The recipe said use magnum (LR of course) primers and I got some really weird pressure effects writing off expensive Norma brass that had given me loads of frings without trouble using more conventional loads. This led me to the conclusion that this powder is pretty charge weight / fill-ratio / pressure / primer sensitive.

 

If you're stuck with standard primers, it might be worth your while switching to Viht powders that ignite easily in 223R. If you're loading 40-53gn bullets, I'd suggest N133, and N135 for 55-70gn.

Told you he would set it right

[gunnery]

good lad our Laurie Gary with intellegence like that he must come from wigan

[gunnery]

good lad our Laurie Gary with intellegence like that he must come from wigan

[baldie]

Nah, he hasn,t got a pie in his gob......

[garyw]

good lad our Laurie Gary with intellegence like that he must come from wigan

NO- hes a honory Yorkshire man,we had to take a few [scots]as part of a E.U. directive it was either that or a load of pie munchers.

[Murph]

If by "work" you mean deliver accuracy, it is just a fact that certain loads do not tolerate a change in priming. I have seen this many times. The most pronounced was in my 500M comp loads back in the eighties. Sub half MOA with Rem 9.5's and just under 1 MOA with anything else. ~Andrew

 

 

 

Sorry so late getting back. By work I meant they wouldn't even fire! . The firing pin hit them and they wouldn't go off. Thanks for the advice Laurie- as always a source of good information. I use the blc2 because I got a bit of advice from a fellow shooter who loved the stuff through his 222 and I'd heard very good things about cci br4s over on 6mmbr. I can sub half moa with this combination so I want to stick with it. Thanks for all the advice guys- murph

[kent]

Some data for .223 with this powder states magnum primer used