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View Full Version : Experience with Federal GM205MAR primers ??



Kirbydoc
09-02-2014, 04:05 AM
Do any of you have much experience with the Federal GM205MAR (AR Match) primers?
296
What were your experiences like? Consistent, inconsistent, hot, cold, how was seating etc.

Kirbydoc
09-06-2014, 05:04 PM
Nobody at all? OK I guess it's a new item.

Hellrazor
09-06-2014, 08:50 PM
Not me said I.....

versifier
09-07-2014, 04:38 AM
I have never tried them. Usually I use CCI's when I can find them (usually these days), Winchesters when I can't.

But your question does bring up the never ending debate about the relative merits of different primers. We all know there is a clear difference in power between different brands, sometimes between magnum and regular, but what practical difference is there between regular and match primers of the same brand for a hunter as opposed to a benchrest shooter?

I do know that (at least in theory) match primers are made by those production workers proven to be the most consistent on average. I have never had a rifle that I believe is accurate enough (.25MOA or so) to show a difference between regular and match primers of the same brand. I do not know from my own experience if there really is a statistical difference between them or if the whole idea of "match primers" is nothing more than a marketing scam.

I have always had my doubts but since I build hunting rifles, not benchresters, one could argue that I do not have the practical experience on which to base an informed opinion. The most accurate rifle I have ever built (a .308win) will do .5MOA consistently with its favorite load and the most accurate one I own (a .22-250) will do .33MOA, but neither was enough to show me any difference between 1000 CCI LR's and 1000 LR Match primers. Both were hunting, not BR rifles, but I would have thought I should have been able to measure at least a small average difference over 2000rds and I really did not.

Two rifles are not enough to base any kind of a statistical sampling on, nor just one brand of primer either, but my bottom line is that I assume that if there is an actual measurable difference then it would take a more accurate rifle than either of mine to see it. Maybe I need to do much more extensive testing of different primers, but I am much more motivated at this point to be testing bullets instead and sticking pretty much with one brand of primers for consistency.

So has anyone noticed a real difference between any brand of regular and match primers? How accurate a rifle did it take to show it and how much of an average difference was measured over how many rounds? I don't know if we have any BR shooters here, but some feedback from that direction would be interesting, too.

Kirbydoc
09-13-2014, 02:18 PM
These primers were a better deal than any of the regulars and my buddy and I were looking for them so hey why not?
I didn't phrase my Question very well (good?) anyway. How many of you have used Federal primers and have you noticed any difference in them compared to other brands? Same things as above, seating, hot, moderate, consistency.