223 small rifle primers or magnum primers?

[Allen Roberts]

What’s the benefit of using small rifle magnum primers especially in long range shooting in my 223’s or 22-250.

 

[Thud]

My belief is more consistent ignition, pure and simple. But mark my word there will be some long worded
explanations the say the same thing.

 

[CJ6]

Thicker cups.

 

[Evlshnngns]

Talking small rifle, Mags/br4 hold more pressure(thicker cup). I wont use a cci400 on anything above a middle charge weight. Peirced them in 223 and 6.5cm.

I only use large magnums on my magnum cartridges using ball powder. Never had a primer issue on my 22-250.

 

[markm87]

You really just have to tune the load to see if the primer/bullet/powder/barrel combo is a winner.

"Magnum" primer designation doesn't always mean a hotter primer. WOLF SRMs for example are designated "magnum", but are a very mild primer. They just have the thicker cup like CJ6 mentioned above.

 

[ELR LVR]

What’s the benefit of using small rifle magnum primers especially in long range shooting in my 223’s or 22-250.

So you don't pierce them.
The cups are thicker on the magnums
Like Rem 7-1/2 vs 6-1/2
You might get pierced primers screwing up the works with 6-1/2's even though they pop just fine

 

[Svashtar]

Thicker cups.

Yes, .005” thicker IIRC, so less likely to slam fire, not that I’ve ever experienced that. I think I only have a partial box of CCI 400 left for bolt action .223, but everything for AR is either CCI 450 or #41’s.

 

[Steve Donlon]

If it's a Savage you will get cratered primers and think you have pressure signs if you don't use thicker primers. Plus like has been stated, they may be more accurate, maybe not. Depends on your powder. Need to try them out and see what your rifle likes. Nothing wrong with #400's if they work for you. I have a Savage 223 and it shoots best with FED AR-M primers !

 

[Just Say Moe]

I have loaded 223 50/grain with max loads with standard primers with no issues. Reloading data sources list what primer they tested with - more often than not, they are standard.

 

[C.E.Smith043]

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[Frankm]

Spark duration/heat (or not), thicker cups to not pierce, cold temperature ignition benefits and ball powder ignition to name most of the reasons suggested for using…. Bottomline you just need to check your own rifle and loads needs/likes and what environmentals you might use them in.

Good luck.

 

[Chestnut]

I bought 5 different SR primers to run a rest on my AR. Between Win Rem Fed and CCI the ES and SDs were no different than using all the same primer over 5 shots.

I picked the smallest ES in my test to load develop with. A2230 liked CCI450s and V133 liked rem 7_1/2. Could be a fluke as i don't know that i shot enough to get statistically relevant data.

 

[vonb]

I started with CCI 400s in .223 before the Internet lore of needing a thicker cup. I've shot thousands of them with book max loads of benchmark, 8208, etc. I've never had a pierced primer. There's always a first time I assume. YMMV

 

[KMW 1954]

If it's a Savage you will get cratered primers and think you have pressure signs if you don't use thicker primers.

Same experience. Load with CCI 400 creators and blanked primers, some load same gun only switching primers and the issue goes away.

 

[ELR LVR]

If I screw up and use Rem 6-1/2's vs 7-1/2's in a 22BR
I get pierced primers with the 6-1/2's and a non functional firing pin afterward.
Might work in 223 but I now use the 6-1/2's for pistol only
They work just fine for 9mm
----------------------------------
Yes you can use Small Rifle in a Pistol
Just not the reverse

 

[Kracken McGraw]

If I screw up and use Rem 6-1/2's vs 7-1/2's in a 22BR
I get pierced primers with the 6-1/2's and a non functional firing pin afterward.
Might work in 223 but I now use the 6-1/2's for pistol only
They work just fine for 9mm
----------------------------------
Yes you can use Small Rifle in a Pistol
Just not the reverse

When I first started out they sold me some 6 1/2’s for a .222 Remington and I got by with them.

 

[dellet]

I’m pretty sure that if you look at the warning on the back of the box of Remington 6 1/2 primers, it will have the same type of warning that the 1 1/2 pistol primers have. Indicating low pressure cartridges only and listing multiple 222 and 223 based cartridges that should be avoided.

Been a while since I bought any.

 

[MGYSGT]

I only use Mags. Why have both on the bench. Started using them when I tried 1,000 yard with my .223 and 80 grain A Max (such a good bullet, so sad it's gone). With CCI 400 I would pierce primers so I went to Mags. Problem Solved.

 

[spaniel]

I'm going to burn up my CCI 400s on the bulk 223 midrange loads I use across multiple ARs. For loads I really care about, 450s all the way due to the thicker cup. No other reason. Tired of pierced 400s when the temp goes up a tad.

 

[Catfur]

What’s the benefit of using small rifle magnum primers especially in long range shooting in my 223’s or 22-250.

Thicker cups.

IIRC, the .222 (direct parent of the .223) is the very reason for the existence of small rifle magnum primers in the first place, since they ended up piercing the thinner/softer regular small rifle primers a ton back when the cartridge was first being developed.