I am new to this forum but I have been watching,reading and learning. Tho I have been putting cartrages together for 40 years I never realized how much more there is to learn about reloading. All I can do now is ask questions and say thanks.
Can pistol primers be used safely in reduced loads or any loads in a rifle cartrage, such as blue dot in a .223 Rem. I have never tried it but a local gun shop owner told me to try and see what happens. I don't really want to find out by the trial and error method. So I am just looking for answers or ideas.
Thanks

Why mess around with that. Go by what the reloading manuals tell you to do. I would not want my firearm to get damaged over it, there to expensive to come by. Just my two cents worth.

Pistol primers have a thiner metal in the cup to insure the weaker hammer fall of some handguns will set them off. The pressures in a rifle round, even a reduced load may be too much for the primers design. Most handgun cartridges run at or below ~30000psi. I`d stay with the proper primer for the cartridge.

No...

Thats just what I thought....
Thank you

Funny nobody agreed with your gun shop, but I do. I prefer pistol primers for my cast bullet loads (all under 2200 fps). With greatly reduced loads, pistol primers have been recommended to reduce shoulder setback.

I use pistol primers with my 06 cast loads. You won't want to run high pressures with them though.

The Blue dot loads are reduced in velocity, NOT pressure.

In the lage size , pistol primers are shorter, but will still ignite just fine.

I would only use pistol primers in reduced PRESSURE loads.

Travis F.