I asked this elsewhere and haven't gotten a definite answer.
Will CCI 200 primers be reliable with full loads of either IMR4350 or Big Game behind 300 grain projectiles?
Having a hard time sourcing CCI250's
Going on a Buff hunt in Moz and need to hear from someone who knows for sure, not guessing.
thanks for your help

Unless the weather is very cold and the ammo was not in a warm location, you should be fine.

Has nothing to do with the weather.

Cases larger than a 30-06, WILL, at some point, with some powders, give you hangfire.

I have tried this test in 7mm Remington Magnum and larger cases.

Worst results were in the 300 RUM.

Why I have no idea.

Could be the effect of the firing pin in that rifle.

Using ANY magnum primer is advisable in larger cases.

Saeed,

This sounds like the kind of thing you have done testing on. Can you elaborate on "some powders"? I can certainly understand the need for Magnum primers in any of the RUMs or even Weatherby Mags, but with a relatively fast powder like I use in my 300 Win Mag load, H4350, and a modest charge of 66.5 grains, are you still concerned about the possibility of a hangfire?

Thanks Saeed. Since I'll be using it on DG, I can't afford to hope. I need some Mag primers for sure.

Here's a link to a primer brisance test chart which maybe of some help.
Note the CCI200 primer is third from the bottom of the list whereas the CCI250 is third highest. Others such as WLRM and WLR are much closer in performance to each other.
CCI seems to be one brand you would not want to trade down to a standard primer from a magnum.

https://castingstuff.com/primer_testing_reference.htm

I've had hangfires in 300 win mag before don't remember the load, but it can happen with bigger cases, magnum primers are insurance,and in a dangerous game situation, likely cheap insurance.

I read somewhere long ago, long before Al Gore created the Internet, that THE Primer for a 375 H&H was the Federal 215 Magnum Primer. I have only used the Fed 215 in my 375 H&H for years.

I think it was in a reloading manual or some type of outdoor book, not a magazine. I have looked for that article a few times over the years. It also listed IMR 4064 as one of the best powders for the 375 H&H. I use 70 grains for 260 grain Nosler Partitions and 66.5 grains for all my 300 grain loads.

I bought a 1000 of those for my 500 Jeffery still have 600 left.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinNY:
Saeed,

This sounds like the kind of thing you have done testing on. Can you elaborate on "some powders"? I can certainly understand the need for Magnum primers in any of the RUMs or even Weatherby Mags, but with a relatively fast powder like I use in my 300 Win Mag load, H4350, and a modest charge of 66.5 grains, are you still concerned about the possibility of a hangfire?

I am sorry I can’t remember.

I use Federal 215 almost exclusively for my own loads, as I have a bunch of them.

I have tested Federal 215, Winchester Magnum, RWS Magnum and CCI 250 for both accuracy and velocity in a 300 Winchester Magnum.

Couldn’t tell the difference.

I have CCI 250, Winchester Magnum and RWS Magnum.

I use these for loads for other peoples rifles and all work great.

Good info, thanks to all. Brian

Don't overlook CCI Large Rifle 7.62mm NATO-Spec Military Primers #34. These are LR magnum primers.
Looks like MidwayUSA has them instock.

I beg to differ with Saeed.

It is typically not just the volume of the case, but also the nature of the powder which indicates whether a "standard" or "magnum" primer is best.

Some powders are harder to ignite than others, with slower-burning and larger-grained powders being more difficult (along with some earlier spherical powders with thick coatings of retardant). Generally if the case is as large or larger than .30-06 and the powder is as slow or slower than H4831, then I tend to use a "magnum" primer.

But be aware that some "standard" primers have about as much energy as some "magnum" primers -- unfortunately the difference between the two is sometimes in the label, and always in the price.

Bottom line: If standard primers fire consistently in load development, the velocity spreads are reasonable, and the temperatures where you are hunting are similar to those where you did your load development, then why would you bother to change primers simply to get the word "magnum" behind the brand and number of the primer on your load data record?

I had already primed a bunch of new brass with CCI200
primers, so I gave it a shot. The Big Game powder ignited properly in all the work-up loads behind a 300g TSX from 75-to a max load of 78gr of Big Game.
From now on I'll use the Rem 9-1/2M primers I bought.
I think the max loa of BG will suffice as it was 2630FPS and looked pretty accurate. One more range trip will show for sure then its practice time off the sticks!