Reloading: Question about primers?

[bearpaw]

I am wanting to use one large rifle primer for all cartridges that use large rifle primers.  Meaning .22 centerfires, 24, 25, 28, and 30 calibers.

Can I use the Federal 215 Magnum primers in the smaller calibers and cartridges and how much do I need to offset the powder weight when reloading with 215 magnum primers verses standard large rifle primers?

[h20hunter]

tagging this for reference....good question

[elkaholic123]

I am thinking 1 1/2 - 2 grains less 

[bobcat]

I'm a little confused by your question.

22 centerfire cartridges use small rifle primers.   

[Huntbear]

Bearpaw,

Whenever you change a component in your reloads.  You need to reduce your load by 10% then work back up.

As for .22 CF Bobcat is right. those are Small Rifle Primers.

However, anything that takes the Large Rifle Primers.. yes, those 215s are great primers to use.  Just be advised, magnum primers burn hotter, they are designed for large capacity cases, using them in smaller calibers you will most likely need to use slower burning powders, so as not to get pressure spikes.  I do use them in my .257 A.I.  However, I am using Ramshot Mag. powder as well.  Not the 4350 that is much faster burning.

[bearpaw]

I'm a little confused by your question.

22 centerfire cartridges use small rifle primers.   

.223 and .22 hornet and other smaller .22 centerfires use small rifle primers, but the larger .22 centerfires use large rifle primers.

[BLKBEARKLR]

I am wanting to use one large rifle primer for all cartridges that use large rifle primers.  Meaning .22 centerfires, 24, 25, 28, and 30 calibers.

Can I use the Federal 215 Magnum primers in the smaller calibers and cartridges and how much do I need to offset the powder weight when reloading with 215 magnum primers verses standard large rifle primers?

To answer the question, No you can not use the 215 primer in a 22 they require small primers. You should also think about actually using that magnum primer in those other rifles. They are designed for hotter loads, not saying they are unsafe or not. But that primer was designed mostly for the big weatherby magnums. I did some research on them and even from my 338 I am going to stick with the CCI's. I have taken years to get my setups where I want them and not had an issue.

If you do end up using them let us know how they work out. I am interested.

A good link to read.   http://www.reloadersnest.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5417

Joe

[bobcat]

I'm a little confused by your question.

22 centerfire cartridges use small rifle primers.   

.223 and .22 hornet and other smaller .22 centerfires use small rifle primers, but the larger .22 centerfires use large rifle primers.

OK. Never thought about that. Of the 22 centerfires, I've only loaded for the 222 Remington. So the 22-250 and I'm guessing the 220 Swift woud be the ones that would use the large primers?

[Hunterman]

I am wanting to use one large rifle primer for all cartridges that use large rifle primers.  Meaning .22 centerfires, 24, 25, 28, and 30 calibers.

Can I use the Federal 215 Magnum primers in the smaller calibers and cartridges and how much do I need to offset the powder weight when reloading with 215 magnum primers verses standard large rifle primers?

I use the CCI 250 Large Rifle Magnum Primers for all my reloading. .240 (6mm)  through .30 cal. I don't do any powder off set..

Hunterman(Tony)

[Huntbear]

I am wanting to use one large rifle primer for all cartridges that use large rifle primers.  Meaning .22 centerfires, 24, 25, 28, and 30 calibers.

Can I use the Federal 215 Magnum primers in the smaller calibers and cartridges and how much do I need to offset the powder weight when reloading with 215 magnum primers verses standard large rifle primers?

I use the CCI 250 Large Rifle Magnum Primers for all my reloading. .240 (6mm)  through .30 cal. I don't do any powder off set..

Hunterman(Tony)

But you also worked up your load from the beginning with those powders and that primer..

[bearpaw]

I found some data on using large rifle magnum primers.

22/250:  http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=22-250&Weight=40&type=rifle&Order=Powder&Source=
220 Swift:  http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=220%20Swift&Weight=50&type=rifle&Order=Powder&Source=
225 Winchester:  http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=225%20Winchester&Weight=52&type=rifle&Order=Powder&Source=

[Hunterman]

I am wanting to use one large rifle primer for all cartridges that use large rifle primers.  Meaning .22 centerfires, 24, 25, 28, and 30 calibers.

Can I use the Federal 215 Magnum primers in the smaller calibers and cartridges and how much do I need to offset the powder weight when reloading with 215 magnum primers verses standard large rifle primers?

I use the CCI 250 Large Rifle Magnum Primers for all my reloading. .240 (6mm)  through .30 cal. I don't do any powder off set..

Hunterman(Tony)

But you also worked up your load from the beginning with those powders and that primer..

So true Huntbear  It took some time to work-up my loads. Thats why I hunt everything with with my 150gr.'s out of my .30 cals

Hunterman(Tony)

[bearpaw]

I was hoping to hear from someone that had used the mag primers in the large.22's. The data I found will give me a baseline to get started.

I will have to look into it further to determine how much it affects how much powder is used. Also curious if accuracy will suffer, improve, or stay the same.

It's the 215 match primers that I am wanting to switch all my reloading over to.

[Huntbear]

Bearpaw...

In my .257 A.I.  I am actually getting better velocities, and my groups are about the size of a dime at 200 yds. 

[bearpaw]

Thanks for the posts everyone, BLKBEARKLR, your link helped provide the info I was looking for, here are a few of the comments from that link:
http://www.reloadersnest.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5417


Speer Manuals # 11 and # 12, list the CCI 250 primer for use with all ball powders. The # 11 manual shows for 8mm-06 a max charge of 59 grains of IMR 4831 and use of CCI 200 primer.
The # 11 manual shows for 300 H&H shows the use of the # 200 primer for all stick powders and the # 250 primer with all ball powders, regardless of bullet weight.
Personally, when ever I use a charge of 60 or more grains of any of the stick powders, I use a magnum primer, but reduce the charge weight by 2 grains and work up. For the ball powders, I use which ever primer is listed in the particular manual I am using.
Some of the people that I have discussed reloading with say that they use magnum primers exclusively, they reduce any starting load by the 2 grains and work up. They say that the use of the magnum primer reduces their powder usage enough to justify the use of the hotter primers.
All of the above information is for rifle cartridges only.


Curly, I don't know if there is a magic formula or not. I have tried both in my .300win and went with the most consistent for the load I was using. We don't get your Canadian temps here in the southeast so I shot standards for years. I'll agree with Woods. I switched to Fed GM215M a couple of years ago and found them to give the best groups and most consistent velocities in my current rifle..CR


FWIW I would just advise people to be careful when switching from standard to magnum primers with a given load. Last week I did the opposite and noticed a surprising drop in chronoed velocity (around 200fps as I recall -but don't have my notebooks with me).
That tends to suggest that doing the opposite could really increase pressures. And if you are working near max it could push you over the edge.
I recall being surprised that it made such a difference. This was the first time I had ever chronoed loads with different primers.
Ben