I've noticed in my Lyman manual that they have RL-25 listed as a faster burn rate than RL-22. For each cartridge/bullet combo, they list the powders by burn rate and RL-22 always comes before RL-25 making this look like RL-22 is faster than RL-25. Was this a typo in the burn rate chart or am I just looking into things too much since I feel like I should be saving my ammo instead of shooting it right now. This whole hoarding thing is getting old!!!!!1

Next question...I accidently bought a box of small magnum rifle primers a while back and can't find anyone locally that wants to trade for regular small rifle primers. Can I use these up by using a starting charge? I'll just shoot them out of my AR at gophers or something, I just wanted to make sure it would be safe at a starting charge weight since these are magnum instead of regular small rifle primers.

Thanks in advance

I've been using cci mag primers in 223rem for a while now. I bought them because I couldn't find any regular SR primers. Getting some flattening, but no other signs of pressure near max published loads.

edit: rl25 is slower than rl22

RL22 is faster than RL25

Brad,
You can safely use magnum primers in your 223, just adjust your normal load down a grain or two and work back up. If there are no signs of over-pressure, then go ahead and use 'em up.
You might even find they tighten your groups somewhat.
416RigbyHunter.

Thanks guys. I always thought 22 was faster than 25, but in the back of my book, there's a burnrate chart and 25 is listed as faster than 22. Not that it really matters, I shoot overbored rifles and use both powders.

I figured I could use the primers I just was curious how much I should back off the powder charge. I only have 100 so I figured I'd just burn them up. It would be nice if it tighten up the groups, but I'm definitely not complaining now as it shoots 1/2 moa day in day out. I can't get over how a semi-auto can shoot like that.

Thanks again

Your answer has to do with case capacity/ bullet length, powder acts different with a different case capacity, it's not always the same, just as i see H322 above benchmark and sometimes vice versa, depends on brass, primer, and bullet length

Any book that shows RL22 slower than RL25 needs to be thrown in the trash or taken with a grain of salt. If they made that obvious of a mistake in one place then where else did they drop the ball?

I use a lot of both and RL25 is about 2 grains slower than RL22 in my rifles.

The book is Lymans 48th Edition. On page 402, the "Relative Burn Rate Chart" is where I noticed it.

That burn rate chart is not always accurate... there are to many variables

RL-25 is only marginally slower than RL-22, but it is slower. Maybe they should have called it "RL-23" .

Load and shoot your "magnum" primers as you wish. They may or may not have an effect on chamber pressure, which may go up or down, but it will not do so in any material or dangerous way.

Thanks guys