Criticalness of primers ?

[Hammer1]

Understand the importance of not changing any components in shotshell loading -- pressures and limits being more sensitive than handgun and rifle loads and shotguns not made to withstand pressures common for metallic cartridges.

But one can call and email all day for several days every component dealer and manufacturer in the country and still come up empty on any shotshell primers.  When one finds a few primers, even if not "their recipe", it is very tempting to buy what one can find.

I'm shooting 1-1/8 ounce trap loads at a quoted 1,145 fps -- not a maximum load at all.

How large is the risk in switching from one 209 primer to the next in this scenario ?

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[rickyp]

If you change a component you do so at your own risk.
Changing something like a primer can change the pressure and the way a round works to what extend we do not know.

That being said I can only find CCI primers around me so that is what I use. I personally have not had an issue but I am also using strong guns. like  the Musberg 835  and the T/C encore both with 2-3/4" shells and contender and encore 45/410 barrels with the 2-1/2" 410 shells. 

Do not mix magnum primers for standard primers.

[hillbill]

i load a load about like what your talking about and have used about 3 different primers in it.again its prob nowhere near a max load and have had no problems with it.as previous poster said im useing strong modern guns as well.

[Graybeard]

In the Lyman Shotshell Manual I believe there is a discussion on this and it shows the order of strength of each brand in rough order. When you get to max loads in 28 gauge and more especially so in .410 it can matter. You can rise pressures up to 2500 LUP going from the mildest to the hottest I think. With the .410 that's generally going to be the difference between safe and not safe. With most 12 and 20 gauge loads it's less likely to do so.

Personally I pretty much use them indescriminately but I also do not tend to load to max levels either and when I do then I use precisely what is called for or make sure the primer used is milder than called for not hotter based on the chart. Most times the change is more on the order of 750-850 LUP which mostly isn't that bad except in .410 loads that are already pushing safe limits.

[james25889]

the only gauge ive loaded for is 12 ga and never loaded a max load and interchanged primers before without problems

[bilmac]

I am pretty sloppy when loading lead shells, I stay with the basic plan, but don't worry much about substituting primers or changing the wad column a bit. But when you start loading steel, the whole picture changes. You better pay attention to the details then.

[Maritime Storm]

Having already mentioned that it is never recommended to substitute components due to unforseen results. If you are going to switch primers, make sure you go milder not hotter. Better to run the risk of snap, crackle and pop then the alternative. Also should be mentioned, when manufacturers publish load data, the recipes they publish are known to be reliable/safe loads with the components called for. What they cannot take into account is local availability. Take my area for instance, the local supplier(walkin to visit, not mailorder) always has Aliant powders, Winchester wads, Winchester 209 and CCI 209 primers, usually has IMR 700-X, & PB. However if you like to Fed 209A, 800-X or Hodgson's Shotshell Powders, it's hit and miss, forget Federal Wads except 12S4. I use Federal Hulls, Green Dot and 700-X(on occasion), Win 209 or CCI 209 primers, and WAA12 or WAA12SL wads because I can reliably get them when needed, leaves alot to be desired in published data sometimes wouldn't you say? So I stick with load data using Fed 209A(the hottest I can get here on occasion) with a rated chamber pressure no higher than 9500PSI, then substitute to Win 209 or CCI 209. On real cold days in January I may get an off sounding shot on occasion, with Green Dot, I know the load is slightly slower then the original data at a slightly lower chamber pressure, but the Grouse, Hare or clay bird rarely notices the difference.

[Val]

Typically the powder manufacturere show load data on their web sites. Typically you can find a recipe using a different primer. Check for that and follow their recipe if the powder charge is different