Primer question from a newbie

[TomSawyerNW]

I'm trying to replicate reloads from someone I purchased a 6.5 Creedmoor from. His reloads shoot extremely well in this rifle.

He used Federal 200 large rifle primers, but I see Federal no longer manufactures that primer. I haven't been able to locate the recommended replacement made by Federal (I get no return calls from them).

Federal offers a 210 and 215 large rifle Gold Match. CCI has a 200 large rifle primer.

Any suggestions on primers?

 

[Thud]

double check if that's the correct primer he stated.

 

[Gary in MD]

Yea, I’m thinking the guys record keeping is off or something.
Pick either the ccl 200 or federal 210 and load them up.

 

[dhagerty40]

I'm trying to replicate reloads from someone I purchased a 6.5 Creedmoor from. His reloads shoot extremely well in this rifle.

He used Federal 200 large rifle primers, but I see Federal no longer manufactures that primer. I haven't been able to locate the recommended replacement made by Federal (I get no return calls from them).

Federal offers a 210 and 215 large rifle Gold Match. CCI has a 200 large rifle primer.

Any suggestions on primers?

Federal 200 primers are a small pistol magnum primer. always have been..

Federal 210 and 210M are the large rifle primers. Been using these for 30+ years with good luck.
Federal 215 and 215M are Large rifle Magnum primers.

CCI 200 are good primers.

only real difference I have seen between CCI and Federal is that the cups on CCI normally run thicker and can handle higher pressure.

you better check back with him and get the right info on the primer

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I get "BugHoles" from, my 6 XC and 6.5 Creed Rifles with, StaBall 65 Powder and F-210 M Primers !
AND,. they ARE Finally becoming,.. available, again at "Reasonable" Prices,.. IF,.. you Shop around

 

[Krogen]

6.5 mm Creedmoor cases can be had with either large or small primers. So maybe Fed 200 is correct. But it is a small primer, so Fed 200 "large" primer is self-contradictory.

 

[NF1E]

Depending on the brass I use either 205 M sr or 210 m lr in my 6.5 Creedmore loads. Whatta Hobby!

 

[RegionRat]

Double check with the seller and see if his loads were large primer or small primer brass.

He very likely meant Federal 210 Large Rifle, and you can find those and the 210M version as well.

And if it is any comfort at all, the difference in batch-to-batch tolerances in bullets, brass, powders, and primers, not to mention you are the one doing the prep this time... will more than account for the difference in a large rifle to large rifle primer swap if you can't nail this down.

Jumping to a MIL primer or some of the magnum primers can account for a little difference, but you will normally be able to manage this. Curious what powder he recommended?

In so many words, you may just load up per the recipe and have "good enough" performance with some substituted primer, but should that not happen, you will likely not be so far off such that loading a little above or below should show you what the gun wants.

There are never any guarantees with batch-to-batch changes, but some recipes are more reliable than others. With a good bbl and good quality components, your rig will likely do well even with a primer swap.

Good Luck and in for the range reports.

 

[dthomas]

The cci primers are a silver color. I have not used federal primers but if they are a brass color then it would be easy to tell. Just look at the old primers. I'm not sure what color federal primers are so someone else would have to answer that for you.

 

[Bill Norris]

(Stated) He used Federal 200 large rifle primers. If sticking with the 200 # then I would go with the CCI 200.

 

[Bill Norris]

The cci primers are a silver color. I have not used federal primers but if they are a brass color then it would be easy to tell. Just look at the old primers. I'm not sure what color federal primers are so someone else would have to answer that for you.

All of the Federal 210 primers I've seen are Silver as well.

 

[dthomas]

All of the Federal 210 primers I've seen are Silver as well.

I wasn't sure. I've seen some that were brass color but didn't know what brand.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Do you have any primers on hand that fit your fired brass?

 

[Doom]

FYI, the Federal 200 was used as a duel purpose small mag pistol and small rifle primer years ago before the higher pressure 22 caliber rounds came about.

 

[243winxb]

Federal 200 primers are a small pistol magnum primer. always have been..

Well, back in the 70s, they looked like this. Great way to pock mark 223 bolt faces. Want to see the bolt face? Here it is. Yes, was mine.

 

[TomSawyerNW]

Thank you, everyone, for providing me with the badly needed education on primers. I'll follow up with him on his notes on which primer he used. He might have misprinted the information.

Regardless, I appreciate the advice of other primers, and I'll start shopping around. Some prices are very high, especially when shipping and hazmat fees are included.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[divingin]

I wasn't sure. I've seen some that were brass color but didn't know what brand.

Winchester and Remington both use unplated brass cups (though I think Win is also available plated.) Some of the Eastern European primers are also unplated.

AFAIK, CCI and Federal are all plated.

 

[TomSawyerNW]

Double check with the seller and see if his loads were large primer or small primer brass.

He very likely meant Federal 210 Large Rifle, and you can find those and the 210M version as well.

And if it is any comfort at all, the difference in batch-to-batch tolerances in bullets, brass, powders, and primers, not to mention you are the one doing the prep this time... will more than account for the difference in a large rifle to large rifle primer swap if you can't nail this down.

Jumping to a MIL primer or some of the magnum primers can account for a little difference, but you will normally be able to manage this. Curious what powder he recommended?

In so many words, you may just load up per the recipe and have "good enough" performance with some substituted primer, but should that not happen, you will likely not be so far off such that loading a little above or below should show you what the gun wants.

There are never any guarantees with batch-to-batch changes, but some recipes are more reliable than others. With a good bbl and good quality components, your rig will likely do well even with a primer swap.

Good Luck and in for the range reports.

Thanks for that. And I'm thinking you and others might be correct, that the guy made an error in which primers he was using.

His recipe is
H4350 powder: 42.0 GR
Projectiles: Sierra 142 GR HPBT MK
Brass: Hornady

His reloads actually shoot very well in this gun which was custom built (the gunsmith apparently is no longer in business).

I was going to start with a little lighter load, perhaps around 41 GR, just to be sure I didn't begin too high. I have approximately 70 of his reloads on hand, and I wanted to make some direct comparisons with my reloads.

 

[TomSawyerNW]

I get "BugHoles" from, my 6 XC and 6.5 Creed Rifles with, StaBall 65 Powder and F-210 M Primers !
AND,. they ARE Finally becoming,.. available, again at "Reasonable" Prices,.. IF,.. you Shop around

Thanks, how much StaBall 65 powder are you using? The reloads I'm trying to replicate used 42.0 GR H4350.

Have you compared Staball and H4350?

 

[TomSawyerNW]

Do you have any primers on hand that fit your fired brass?

That's a good point that I didn't consider.

I have only small rifle primers (CCI 450) for Grendel 6.5 reloading. When I dropped one in the primer pocket of the Hornady cases, it was pretty clear that the small rifle primers are too small.

Thanks for that.