223 and magnum primers?

droesse4

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I have been loading my 223 using win small rifle primers and 26.4g of Varget and have been happy with the results, but recently had someone mention to me that they only use small rifle magnum primers with Varget. What do you guys do, Magnum or standard primers and why? Just wondering.
 
I use BR4 and Magnum primers in my .223 and 6BR, I haven't chrony'd it, but I have not seen an appreciable difference in accuracy from one to the other.
 
I had difficulty loading heavy bullets in my rifle; getting 2" groups - tight clusters, ruined by flyers. I tried 4 or 5 different powders, and dozens of charge weights. Switching to CCI magnum primers was pure magic. No more flyers, and a couple of the 'least bad' loads before now became honest 1/2 MOA groups. Varget WAS one of the powders I'd tried.

I do use Varget in plenty of other cartridges, and had good success using standard primers
 
Federal 205M, M being match primer not magnum.


HMMMMM thats funny , My federal 205M say MAGNUM right on the package?
I beleive the Match primers are just that "magnum" , I think on the new packages they just dont say magnum on there anymore.........


DSC01770.jpg


DSC01771.jpg
 
Has anyone done a side by side comparison with the same load but just different primers and shot over a chronograph? Sounds like the magnums were the hot ticket for prosper.
 
Federal Gold Medal GM205M small rifle primers come in both standard and magnum flavours - they are both sold as "match" grade primers. Same is true of the GM210M large rifle primers (standard and magnum).
 
Federal Gold Medal GM205M small rifle primers come in both standard and magnum flavours - they are both sold as "match" grade primers. Same is true of the GM210M large rifle primers (standard and magnum).

Not according to Federal ,the GM205M are a Small Rifle Match primer. Federal dose not curently list a "magnum" primer in Small Rifle.

The GM210M are Large Rifle Match and the GM215M are Large Magnum Rifle Match

There standerd non "match" primers are:
205 Small Rifle
210 Large Rifle
215 Large Magnum Rifle
 
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I used CCI 450's when the temp got cold as I found the BR4 to become irratic. With the 450's I drop my loads to get the same accuracy/velocity. Varget is my powder in Win brass.

This is a great thing with the long 75/80gr Amax I am using. Keeps from having a compressed load. Accuracy has been really good too.

The 450's are less money. I am stocking up on the 450's so I only need one primer all year long.

Jerry
 
Now I'm confused.........

Ok, I'm confused now - maybe someone can straighen me out on this. I was led to believe that the Federal 200's was the regular non-magnum small rifle primer (also could double as small pistol magnum). The Federal 205's were considered the magnum primer for small rifle applications (I read in a reputable source that these were also good for .22 centre fire because they had a thicker battery cup to withstand the pressures). Now, as my picture shows the new ones don't say 'magnum' so I was under the impression that the newer produced ones that don't say 'magnum' was just Federal's way of morphing their packaging.
So, could somebody tell me in this picture are these the same item?

Feb2008_a.jpg


Thanks
Doug
 
I agree; if yuopu work up your loads with Magnum primers, there is absolutely no problem.

a little history; magnum primers were originally developed to fill a request by the U.S. military for a COLD WEATHER primer. The flash characteristic is more intense and longer, but again, not a huge amount.

Match primers are different only in that they receive two additional VISUAL inspections when they are being collated and packaged. Same compound, same components, same production line. They have the same variability as "non"-match primers; except you are less likely to get a dud due to a production machine error nmaking it through inspection at the (hand) packaging stage of the line.
 
OK, so I had to go check and see what the carton of primers I have on hand reads on the box.
Carton and each package reads GM205M, Small Rifle Match Primers.

Federal's web page w ww.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/Components.aspx
should clear this up.

All the pictures that are posted here are old stock primers The red carton being the oldest, then the white packages. The new stock primers are in the multi-colour packages.
 
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