Tale of Two Hornady Bushmasters (brass)

[MEHavey]

Interesting surprise today as I was preparing to load some cast for my Ruger/American/22"/Predator

450 Bushmaster
245gr SP

450 Bushmaster
250gr FTX

.... hmmmmm

.

 

[reddog81]

Are some cases for large primers?

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Cutting corners and saving coin...........?

Another one bites the dust.

 

[NuJudge]

You appear to be shedding primers during the ejection process. The primers in the lower box appear to be smaller. I see two very different primers, which might indicate one is factory and one is handholds. Is there any indication that the brass is soft, or the load is too hot (I do not see any such on any of the fired cases or the one fired primer)? The primers that are still in their cases, are they loose? Is there a flame cut circle on the bolt face, of the sort that comes from loose primer pockets before firing?

 

[MEHavey]

appear to be shedding primers during the ejection

It might appear that way (since I showed de-primed cases), but the real issue was Hornady producing two near-equal loadings
in cartridges/bullet-weight/velocity -- but with different primer sizes.

`Discovered this when going to reload the the large pocket cases with small rifle.

Bummer....

.

 

[troy fairweather]

Wonder if it's because even hornady can't get rifle primers,

 

[mcb]

Ooohhh larger rifle primers in 450 Bushmaster! I bet they changed that given the powder they are using. 450 BM started out as a small primer cartridge. Most of factory 450 Bushmaster is loaded with H110/W296 and very similar powders that only the big boys get to play with. Those propellants work best with good hot ignition (hence H110/W296 recommending Magnum primers in many pistol loads) and a larger rifle primer would help that a lot. I have a heap of brass but all mine is small rifle. I think I would rather use larger rifle if I had the choice.

 

[NuJudge]

If you are loading on a progressive press, two different size primers can cause huge problems. People who like the traditional large primers in .45 acp get really upset when a small primered case sneaks onto their machine, and they get either a tied-up machine or a "bang!" as the machine tries to stuff a large primer into the small hole.

I actually prefer the small primered versions on a progressive, since I don't have to change the priming equipment for .45.

Some long range accuracy shooters actually like cases such as .308 Winchester cut for small rifle primer, claiming it gives them greater accuracy.