They gave me Magnum primers...

[retrosub]

I just started reloading recently, and when I went to the gun store and asked for large rifle primers, they gave me Magnum primers instead. They made a mistake, and I just didn't see it. And since it's primers, they won't take them back or trade them.

I only noticed the mistake after loading about 50 rounds of ammo. All of the reloads are starting loads.

I'm reloading 30-06, the primers are CCI 250, the powder is IMR 4895.

Should I use these primers or get rid of them and buy CCI 200 primers? WWYD?

[bilmac]

Shoot em. Sometimes mag primers will give a bit better accuracy, but just remember that if you work up a load with one type it will probably not be exactly the same with the other.

[kitchawan kid]

save them for trading,many black powder shooters use only magnum primers.

[mdi]

If you use all the safety measures when reloading, magnum primers can be used w/o problems. I have used mag. primers instead of regular in large and small pistol sizes (because of availability), but I did not go to the upper end/max loads. No prob in my handguns...

[Catfish]

If I rember the old rule of thumb was to drop 1 1/2 gr. of powder when switching form standard primers to mag`s. A few years back I run some test on my own and found that in some rounds there was absolute no difference in velocity but in others there was alittle. In one round I even found I got higher velocities with standard primers. I would fire 1 round and check it wekk for presure signs. If you see none fire a 5 shot group, checking each case for presure signs as you go. If all is well I would use them, BUT, if you test in cold weather I would fire 1 round when it starts to warm up to make sure you are still not hot.

[Dances with Geoducks]

If you saw what I load my 06 rounds like (bolt gun), you might tremble and run for cover.

With IMR-4895 I can figure your using 150-165 gr bullets.

You can run the up to 52 grains, and still be under CUP. 47-49 is the avg, and your inside the safety zone.

I use Federal Match in the bolt, and CCI #34 in the gas, and both are rated as magnums

[retrosub]

Thanks everyone, I shall take your advice and use the magnum primers at reduced loads and see what happens. It'll take a long time for me to run through 1000 of them, so I'll work up an accurate load and stay with it.

[KansasPaul]

the last time I received the wrong primers at the gun shop I was given large pistol instead of small pistol primers... and I didn't have a pistol that used large pistol primers, so.... not wanting to waste perfectly good primers I somehow decided that it was a good time to go out and buy a 44 mag revolver because it only made sense that I could now reload 44 mag cartridges with the primers that I had managed to buy in error.

.... made perfect sense to me, not so much sense to my wife however....