Is there a big difference between CCI 250 and Federal 215 magnum primers?

I've been getting advice to use CCI 250 magnum primers in my 7x57 loads from friends but seeing as I have none of those but two boxes of Federal 215 primers I was wondering if there is a huge difference in their "sparking power."

Does it make sense to use magnum primers in non-magnum loads? My friends say I'll get more velocity with my H4350 powder.

FWIW...

http://www.castingstuff.com/pr...esting_reference.htm

http://www.shootingtimes.com/2..._st_mamotaip_200909/

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I've been getting advice to use CCI 250 magnum primers in my 7x57 loads from friends but seeing as I have none of those but two boxes of Federal 215 primers

What load in a 7x57 do you feel you need a magnum primer for?

According to the "over 80 grains-of-powder" big bore shooters AND Richard Lee of Lee Precision there is a bunch.
For me personally, I could never tell any difference except MAYBEEEEEE slightly lower speeds with the 215s. I used to use nothing but Fed. 215 for my 22-250, and 270 Winny until I got some new Win. Brass with some oversized primer pockets. The CCI primers are slightly larger in diameter and would fit the pockets snug. CCIs are about the only ones I try to use these days.
The only reason I ever used the Feds was because everyone bragged on them some years back.

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What load in a 7x57 do you feel you need a magnum primer for?

46 grains of H4350 behind a 175 grain Hornady Interlock round nose bullet.

Not my idea, it is advice from another shooter who says that is a moose-slayer.

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46 grains of H4350 behind a 175 grain Hornady Interlock round nose bullet.

While a magnum primer probably won't hurt. Can't see 46 gr of 4350 needing one. I light off 60-65grs of powder with a normal primer with excellent results.

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My friends say I'll get more velocity with my H4350 powder.

Maybe or maybe not. You would have to test the theory. I agree with Ramrod's post, use them if that's all you have but magnum primers are not needed for that load. I have used magnum primers in place of regular primers in smaller charges like yours with mixed results. Primers should only start an explosion, not contribute to the explosion's pressure anymore than the case manufacture.

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Originally posted by ramrod340:

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46 grains of H4350 behind a 175 grain Hornady Interlock round nose bullet.

While a magnum primer probably won't hurt. Can't see 46 gr of 4350 needing one. I light off 60-65grs of powder with a normal primer with excellent results.

I've lit off 74 grains with CCI 200s without any noticable difference. I've also sent 40 gr. of H-380 with Fed.215 down the tube and then switched to CCI 200s. Again, I couldn't notice any difference for better or worse. Not even on the velocity end. I do remember checking some Winchester LR Mag. primers over the chrony and they seemed to give about 25 fps. more than the Feds. did. That was some time back. I need to revisit my notes on that.

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Originally posted by Hublocker:
Is there a big difference between CCI 250 and Federal 215 magnum primers?

I've been getting advice to use CCI 250 magnum primers in my 7x57 loads from friends but seeing as I have none of those but two boxes of Federal 215 primers I was wondering if there is a huge difference in their "sparking power."

Does it make sense to use magnum primers in non-magnum loads? My friends say I'll get more velocity with my H4350 powder.

1. There is not a big difference in their "sparking power." I've many times used them both during load workup.

2. Most of the time magnum primers will not give you an accuracy advantage even in cartridges the size of a 7 mm Remington Magnum. There are some notable exceptions though. My 357 Herret shows a marked preference for CCI 250 primers for lighting IMR 4227. In a Handloader where extensive testing was done in a 308 Winchester using Varget and a variety of primers, CCI 250 primers did the best accuracy wise.

OP,
More or less, I believe primers to be the least important variable for hunting loads. Use what you have.
If the load performs poorly, 99.9% of the time the problem will be with something other than the primer choice.
Pretty much only benchresters and/or carefully shooting off a bench to determine any advantage, usually minor to a hunter whereas a fraction of an inch is monumental to a benchrest shooter.

With 4350 in 7x57, you may get more velocity with a magnum primer, but you will probably get better accuracy with a colder primer. I would use CCI 200's for this combination.

Just my opinion, but unless you do a lot of bench rest shooting and chronographing your various loads, under normal hunting/sighting in conditions as long as you are using a large rifle or large rifle magnum primer, you will not be able to discern any appreciable difference.

I agree with your post.

Another note of caution, Magnum primer should never be used as a replacement for standard manual load data. test ahve been done which show that Magnum prmers do increase pressure as the speed of powder ignition / combustion is greater. More powder gets ignited at the same time with magnum primers and this increases pressure.

In large case loads where standard primers do not light enough powder and the barrel has unburnt powder residue, a magnum primer will improve combustion and give regular velocityu at safe pressures.

I thing John Barsness did an article on tests with pressure reading on Handloader magazine a few years ago IIRC.

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Originally posted by MickinColo:

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My friends say I'll get more velocity with my H4350 powder.

Maybe or maybe not. You would have to test the theory. I agree with Ramrod's post, use them if that's all you have but magnum primers are not needed for that load. I have used magnum primers in place of regular primers in smaller charges like yours with mixed results. Primers should only start an explosion, not contribute to the explosion's pressure anymore than the case manufacture.

As long as you follow the prudent practice of starting low and working up, you can use magnum primers with standard load data for non-magnum primers. In my experience, in cartridges the size of the 7X57 Mauser, the most you'll have to reduce the load is 1.5 grains of powder if that.

As an aside, I once tried CCI 250 primers with H110 in 44 Remington Magnum cartridges. I only had to reduce the load by 1.5 grains.

Just a question.

If there is truly no difference between Magnum primers and standard primers, why would the manufacturers make them?

Did anyone say there was no difference between magnum and standard primers?

Not on this post per say. Some of the replies started me thinking about other posts I've seen over the years were people stated that they saw absolutely no difference between mag and standard primers.

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no difference between mag and standard primers.

I've had cases when I saw no difference between mag and std for a give load and/or case. That said I wouldn't say the primers are the same. I've seen other loads where a std left powder in the barrel the mag didn't.

Looking at the data in the link it would APPER that you might see more difference bepending on brand. The Rem for example look darn close std to mag. While the CCI have a good jump.

I don't think there's an advantage to using a mag primer with that load unless your powder is starting to degrade. Even then you probably wouldn't be able to see a usable difference in a hunting rifle.
I used to use CCI's but switched to Winchester primers for my bolt guns. The seem as consistant as the Fed Gold Match and more consistant than the CCI's. I do use a lot of CCI 200's though in the Mini-14's and AR's.

The only time I've noticed a big difference between those two primers was on a big lot (80lbs) of OLD military surplus powder that I bought many many years ago. It was in my (also old) 340 Wby and I was stringing vertically with the CCI 250. A friend of mine suggested switching to the Fed 215's and my groups went from 1/2" wide and 2 1/2"-3" tall to a nice tidy 1/2" to 5/8" total. I'm still using that load in my 340.

For your application, I wouldn't think you would need to use magnum primers. The way things are going now though, I'd use whatever I have if need be though!