Hi guys,
When I was at a larger Toowoomba gunstore I saw a few brands of 308 brass with small rifle primer pockets. I'm not sure if I've asked this before but are there any benefits to these for me?
They seem to be on the more exxy side of the cost scale. Might just be because of the brands sold like this.
We discuss large and magnum primers, surely small rifle would be almost anaemic in a case that can hold 50 grains of powder?
With a flash coming concentrated through a smaller hole?
Are there any issues getting consistent velocities up the top end of the scale?
Just a bit of a disclaimer - I'm definately not after more velocity from the cartridge - I prefer to sit somewhere in the middle of any cartridges ability to avoid issues and if I want more speed will go to a larger cartridge where it's safe.
Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
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• Page 1 of 1
Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
by » 01 Oct 2026, 6:59 am
"The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing."
Aristotle.
Regards G,
AKA Dr. Doolittle
Aristotle.
Regards G,
AKA Dr. Doolittle
- Wapiti
- Major
- Posts: 2974
- Queensland
Re: Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
by » 01 Oct 2026, 9:15 am
Shooters have a great propensity to believe mythology and magic but especially so if it is delivered with an American accent..
Go back to the seventies when US benchresters discovered the 220 Russian case and turned it into a 22 PPC, thereby displacing the 222 case as king, and finding it ideal for benchrest accuracy. The problem then arose that the 220 Russian case was unobtainable so many benchresters turned to reforming readily available7.62x39 cases. However with these reformed cases durability problems arose due to the large primer and the resulting reduced amount of brass supporting the case web when indications suggested accuracy was improving with increased powder loads.
This was the progenitor of the "you too can get benchrest accuracy if you use SR primers" myth.
This gift to marketing is what allows case manufacturers to charge x3 or x4 over the price of standard brass for only a minuscule increase in material cost.
Go back to the seventies when US benchresters discovered the 220 Russian case and turned it into a 22 PPC, thereby displacing the 222 case as king, and finding it ideal for benchrest accuracy. The problem then arose that the 220 Russian case was unobtainable so many benchresters turned to reforming readily available7.62x39 cases. However with these reformed cases durability problems arose due to the large primer and the resulting reduced amount of brass supporting the case web when indications suggested accuracy was improving with increased powder loads.
This was the progenitor of the "you too can get benchrest accuracy if you use SR primers" myth.
This gift to marketing is what allows case manufacturers to charge x3 or x4 over the price of standard brass for only a minuscule increase in material cost.
"Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about."
"There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." Sir Joshua Reynolds
"There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." Sir Joshua Reynolds
- straightshooter
- Warrant Officer C1
- Posts: 1459
- New South Wales
Re: Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
by » 01 Oct 2026, 10:19 am
They'd be okay for subs I reckon.
- Damo300
- Lance Corporal
- Posts: 184
- Queensland
Re: Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
by » 01 Oct 2026, 10:54 am
Hardly worth bothering for .308 unless you were chasing F-class championships and convinced of some benefit besides more marterial in the base making it stronger.
My primer pockets don't seem to stretch anyway; too hot if that's happening.
I think the recommended primer is an SR Magnum, despite lots of sepo's claiming std SR primers are fine.
More unnecessary cost for the primers.
I did suspect my most accurate 6.5 F_gmoor load was the Lap SR primer cases with my std 41gr of 09.
Then I roll up next shoot, using Federal LR primer cases and shoot a couple of 5-shot single ragged groups.
Not saying I can shoot 1/2" all day, just a couple to make me feel I have achieved something in my shooting and loading.
When I shot longer-range groups, I used BR4 primers instead of Std LR primers for any advantage but couldn't prove anything concrete.
I used std LR primers in all other cals and hunting rifles, so not going through a huge number of more exy primers like BR4s or SR Magnum, so no big deal; just keep 1 spare 1,000-pack so I don't run out of personal stock.
My primer pockets don't seem to stretch anyway; too hot if that's happening.
I think the recommended primer is an SR Magnum, despite lots of sepo's claiming std SR primers are fine.
More unnecessary cost for the primers.
I did suspect my most accurate 6.5 F_gmoor load was the Lap SR primer cases with my std 41gr of 09.
Then I roll up next shoot, using Federal LR primer cases and shoot a couple of 5-shot single ragged groups.
Not saying I can shoot 1/2" all day, just a couple to make me feel I have achieved something in my shooting and loading.
When I shot longer-range groups, I used BR4 primers instead of Std LR primers for any advantage but couldn't prove anything concrete.
I used std LR primers in all other cals and hunting rifles, so not going through a huge number of more exy primers like BR4s or SR Magnum, so no big deal; just keep 1 spare 1,000-pack so I don't run out of personal stock.
- Fester
- Sergeant
- Posts: 629
- New South Wales
Re: Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
by » 01 Oct 2026, 10:56 am
Hardly worth bothering for .308 unless you were chasing F-class championships and convinced of some benefit besides more marterial in the base making it stronger.
My primer pockets don't seem to stretch anyway; too hot if that's happening.
I think the recommended primer is an SR Magnum, despite lots of sepo's claiming std SR primers are fine.
More unnecessary cost for the primers.
I did suspect my most accurate 6.5 F_gmoor load was the Lap SR primer cases with my std 41gr of 09.
Then I roll up next shoot, using Federal LR primer cases and shoot a couple of 5-shot single ragged groups.
Not saying I can shoot 1/2" all day, just a couple to make me feel I have achieved something in my shooting and loading.
When I shot longer-range groups, I used BR4 primers instead of Std LR primers for any advantage but couldn't prove anything concrete.
I used std LR primers in all other cals and hunting rifles, so not going through a huge number of more exy primers like BR4s or SR Magnum, so no big deal; just keep 1 spare 1,000-pack so I don't run out of personal stock.
My primer pockets don't seem to stretch anyway; too hot if that's happening.
I think the recommended primer is an SR Magnum, despite lots of sepo's claiming std SR primers are fine.
More unnecessary cost for the primers.
I did suspect my most accurate 6.5 F_gmoor load was the Lap SR primer cases with my std 41gr of 09.
Then I roll up next shoot, using Federal LR primer cases and shoot a couple of 5-shot single ragged groups.
Not saying I can shoot 1/2" all day, just a couple to make me feel I have achieved something in my shooting and loading.
When I shot longer-range groups, I used BR4 primers instead of Std LR primers for any advantage but couldn't prove anything concrete.
I used std LR primers in all other cals and hunting rifles, so not going through a huge number of more exy primers like BR4s or SR Magnum, so no big deal; just keep 1 spare 1,000-pack so I don't run out of personal stock.
- Fester
- Sergeant
- Posts: 629
- New South Wales
Re: Small rifle primers in 308 - benefits for hunting ammo?
by » 01 Oct 2026, 12:18 pm
People were grabbing them for fullbore when they couldn't get LR primers a couple years back.
-
mchughcb - Lieutenant
- Posts: 2383
- Victoria
6 posts
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