Major primer flow in lvsf 17 rem question

V

varminter .223

Well-known member
I have my new LVSF 17 Rem up and running. It is shooting sub .5" 3 shot groups with factory 20 Varmagedons but has a ridiculous amount of cratering but no other case head pressure signs. Primers are not flat and no sticky bolt lift. I loaded some 25 Hornady hps with 23.5 Varget and Rem 7.5s and had the same results. I am wanting to keep the throttle down some what since this is going to be a coyote load but I am guessing my firing pin hole must be sloppy and I am also guessing it might be a bad move to work up closer to 24 grains for fear of piercing a primer. I am convinced I got a shooter and hate to screw things up before I get started. They crater so bad the case sits sideways when stood on end with the spent primer still in. Do I send it off to be bushed before I go any farther?
 
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Is this a new rifle? That you haven't shot before? My son's Remington firing pin craters primers. The primers don't show any other signs of hot loads. I load mid range for his 223. Probably just the firing pin.
 
I'd go ahead and get it turned and bushed. It's a good mod. I have it done on any small bolt face 700 I'm building on just on GP.

- DAA
 
I am sure it is the firing pin hole. Not sure how urgent a bush job is? I am worried about loading up any hotter before having it done. I am curious how much this can lead to a pierced primer, It certainly can't be good I wouldn't think.
 
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When bench rest 'smiths started turning the firing pin tip and bushing the hole the intent was less concerned with cratering and more concerned with not blanking primers running hot loads.

Pretty simple, less area for pressure to act on, less total force acting to blank the primer. No slop for cratering to flow into is a nice bonus too.

- DAA
 
Okay apparently I am using the wrong terminology. I guess blanking is when the gas blows a hole in the primer and a pierce is when the pin punches through. With that said does severe cratering due to pin hole slop accelerate the point at which blanking begins? Just concerned with the safety of my melon and lookers:]
 
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I have the same rifle it did the same cratering. I did as DAA suggests and it is probaly my imagination but it shoots a tad better and of course no craters.
 
I have a rem my 7mm that craters bad from an over sized fp hole. I run my 7mm fairly hot and haven't had any problems with piercing primers.
 
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If you are running on a super tight budget, try CCI41 primers, they have a very thick cup.

Also, rem 7 1/2's have had some quality control issues from time to time. CCIBR-4's also have thick primer cups, but I have not mic'd any to see if they are thicker than the CCI 41's.

CCI 400's do not have thick cups along with FED 205, 205M, and Winchester small rifle.

Greg Tannel at gretan rifles does a fantastic job on Bushing firing pin holes.

Concerning large rifle primers cratering, it really takes a lot of pressure to blank a large rifle primer. I had a custom 257 Weatherby and every single primer had cratering, no issues because none of them ever blanked.
 
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