I'm getting into service rifle, but I'm not weighing each powder charge, not using Wolf or BR primers. I'm hand loading SMK 69 gr pills. I'm using range brass. I'm using mixed 223. Loaded all my 5.56 brass for my m4. So my question is, what brass are you using to compete? LC 5.56, Lapua, 223 Win? And why are people using wolf primers vs BR primers for matches? If Wolf primers are so great where ya getting it from?

I legged out with LC brass, Nosler 77s, Wolf SRM, and 23.2 grains of XBR-8208.

Why is everyone using wolf primers? I shoot magnums, or just Winchester small rifle. Are they that great? Figured military or BR primers would be the ticket for service rifle competitions.

Cause Wolf primer are cheap but as good as the higher priced primers

Lots of us got 5,000 at a time for $99 or less.

I like LC05 or RP brass. CCI 400 or Remington 7 ¹/₂ were my preferred primer, mostly because of local availability.



I had a bad batch of Winchester SR a couple years ago that soured me. (easily punctured and ruined a firing pin)





Mixed brass is fine for 200yds. It's probably worth matching headstamp for 300yds, and definitely for 600yds.

Where's that great source of supply for wolf primers?

All our local gunshows have someone selling at that price.

That is what I paid $99 for 5k from Powder Valley. Get the Magnum ones. These primers have the same compound as standard small rifle primers, they are not hotter or higher pressure. The difference is the magnum primer has a harder cup to prevent slam fires in AR 15 type rifles. The only difference between standard and magnum primers is the hardness of the primer cup.

a quick google turned up 5k for $130 plus a the hazmat fee at the ammunitionstore

Wolfs are supposed to have a lower SD than other primers, I use Tulas which are supposed to be the same thing.  Wolfs and Tulas are hard to find right now. I use all Winchester brass which was a LEO range pick up and I have Speer brass also from the same range.

I think you are better served using the same head stamp for your competition shooting and can keep track of how many times you have reloaded that brass.  Maybe mixed stuff for practice but that's just me.

I've used the same 2000 cases (minus loose pockets) 4 times.  I'll anneal and hopefully get another 4 reloads before I go to my next stash of Winchester.

Brass:  Many shooters use LC brass - it's pretty good quality brass.  I personally will run a flash hole deburring tool down the mount and into the flash hole, so that burrs don't cause non-uniform ignition.  And that's about it.  But I've also used IMI brass, RP brass, RORG brass.  I've watched someone win an XTC match using Wolf Primed brass.  

For primers, I'm not sure if it really makes that big difference.  I like CCI41's for 600 yardline, and use whatever for 200/300; S&B of late since those are most cost effective today.  I will never buy another Winchester primer again.  Their QC department lets things slip by, and they had a bad batch of brass sheet stock that ofter they formed into primers, it that created pierced primers.  A lot of vintage rifle shooters got to see their bolt faces on their 1903's and Garands get etched from that.  From what I can tell, none of their silver primers had this - just the gold.  You can tell if you got the junk quality sheet stock by the variable colors of the gold in your primer tray.

I've never gotten an benefit from using Bench Rest primers for anything.  But maybe I'm just not that good.

Thanks for the info guys!

Wolf primers have the softer flame common to European brand primers and are very consistent. The "m" marked kvb5,56m or kvb223m primers are the ones you want. They don't have more spark/pop than their standard primers but do have a thicker magnum "m" cup that withstands high pressures.

You will play hell trying to find any, they have been banned from import by the Obama administration in retaliation for Russia's actions in Ukraine. It makes perfect sense to the Democrats, reduce American citizen's ability to defend and arm themselves by punishing foreign nation's that don't act how we would like them to.

On top of that they are very, very consistent in their weight.

The consistent weight of the chemical compound insures consistent ignition.

Top shelf primer lots are bases on taking one group of cups with a known weight and the anvils are of a known weight.

This allows the proper amount of the ignition chemical to be put in and afterwards all of the primers weigh the same.

The truly top shooters weigh their primers on a sensitive scale and reject any that are either too heavy or too light.

Wolf primers are incredibly consistent for this reason.

Don't believe me?

When you go to Perry find an ammo tech and ask him.

For service rifle, you can pretty much get away with mixed brass of any brand and any primer for 200/300 yards.  For 600 yards, I just use LC brass, because it's plentiful and works good enough.  For primers, any will do, it doesn't really matter for service rifle.  I use cheapest available for 200/300 yards.  For 600, I use cci41, just because.  

I will say, an M4 with 69 gr is going to probably be a bit light for 600 yards.  But it's a start, so good luck!  Hope to see you out there.