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small rifle primer compatability

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:57 am
by Greenleaf4902
I use CCI 400 small rifle primers for the 25/20 and have been given many boxes of federal 200 small rifle primers. Are they compatable? I mean like the CCI 200 and the CCI 250 and the Remington 9-1/2 and the federal 210 ?????

Re: small rifle primer compatability

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:12 pm
by evan price
Should be fine, but, as always.... "whenever you change a component start with a reduced charge and work back up."

Re: small rifle primer compatability

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:33 pm
by Sevens
Absolutely and completely compatible. When selecting primers, you are first looking for two things -- physical size fit and max pressure ability. Both are important. Physical size matters so that the loaded round will chamber and the typical hammer fall will ignite the primer. The ability to handle the pressure means an awful lot so that when the round is doing as designed, the primer is not a weak link that leads to leaked pressure.

If your load data is showing examples with a small rifle primer... then you are fine to use ANY small rifle primer, keeping in mind precisely what Evan Price said above. Each/any load can or will act differently with a change of primer.

It's a myth in handloading that published data is a strict line-by-line recipe. It is NOT. Published load data is an example with published test results. If you use every little nuance of published data, you might "expect" similar results. But to be clear, you REALLY have to follow that data! You can't simply use the same primer, powder, bullet, etc etc. If you truly wish to copy their results, you will also need their barrel length, their ambient temperature, their position above sea level, etc etc.

The point is that it's not a strict recipe. They are publishing their test results and you look at those test results and they guide you toward developing your loads. So you pick the primer (as long as it's appropriate) and you start with a lower charge weight than published max and you get to work on load development.