Question on primers

[Sourdough]

Have been loading a pet load in my .223 for many years.  This load works well in all but one of my .223s.  It uses Winchester Small Rifle Primers.  Problem is I can no longer find those primers.  Could I use Remington, CCI, or Federal primers, without creating an unsafe load?

[LaOtto222]

You will not know until you try. You did not mention which powder you were using or which primer you wanted to go to. CCI makes 3 different primers for small rifle (BR4, 400 and 450), Remington (6 1/2 and 7 1/2) and Federal (205 and 205M) each make two. Some are hotter and some cooler. Some have a thicker primer cup. To be safe, drop your load by 10% and work back up. You may find that it takes more or less powder depending on the primer. Sorry I can't get you closer, but when changing any component, including primers you have to drop back and start over a little.

[Grumulkin]

Have been loading a pet load in my .223 for many years.  This load works well in all but one of my .223s.  It uses Winchester Small Rifle Primers.  Problem is I can no longer find those primers.  Could I use Remington, CCI, or Federal primers, without creating an unsafe load?

Yes.  As long as the bullet, powder type/charge and case brand hasn't changed.  I would use any of those primers interchangeably without worries.  Of the primers you mention, I've come to like the Remington small rifle bench rest primers very much.

[Savage]

Sourdough,
LaOtto gave you the standard answer. You'll never get into trouble following that path. I load .223 for ARs. My load is a full grain under max. I use mixed brass, which is probably more of a factor than primer brand. With MY LOAD, in MY RIFLES, I have not found changing the primers makes any real measurable difference, as long as I use standard small rifle primers. The chrono verifies this. Not to say, that it makes no difference, it might if you are a long range target shooter. Just no significant difference in my rifles for practical purposes.
Savage

[Sourdough]

I use Winchester WSR Primers, Winchester 748 powder, Winchester .223 Brass, and 50gr Nosler Ballistic Tips.  It's just no supplier in Fairbanks can get Winchester WSR primers.  The suppliers have some Federal and Remington primers, and lots of CCI primers.  I can get the CCIs by the 500 brick.  The others they don't want to sell in that quantity, since they are harder to get.  Sportsman's has ran out of that powder as well, so yesterday I bought all the local hardware store had, six 1 lb containers.  Today I am going to scour Fairbanks and North Pole to see if I can locate more.

Most of this ammo is shot through single shots, but some of it goes through two Mini-14s.

[LaOtto222]

Sourdough - I under stand your frustration with not getting your Winchester primers. I have used them to good effect in some lower pressure loads. I prefer the Remington 7 1/2 (bench rest) primers in my smaller .224 caliber guns over all. You can take a chance with CCI 400, Federal 205 or Remington 6 1/2 and not change a thing...take a chance, I said. Those are probably as close as you can get to the Winchester SR primers. Keep in mind that all three of them have a thinner cup so that your good load may pierce these primers, you could go with the CCI 450 or BR4 or Remington 71/2, they have thicker cups that the Winchester SR primers, but generally burn hotter. You can take a chance and maybe nothing changes, maybe it does. It is your decision to make. I can not give advice out that is not prudent with a clear conscious. I would feel awful if you had a primer blow and ruined your gun or you got hurt in any way. BTW - you have some of the best hunting stories on the 'net. I really enjoy every one of them. By the time I read about your upcoming spring bear hunt, there were so many people making comments about it, that I would be just a whistlin' in the wind. I was disappointed when the weather was not cooperative.

[PaulS]

I used to use WW primers but I had trouble getting them too - I don't think Winchester cares too much about reloading components or those that use them. I switched to Hodgdon powders and CCI primers and haven't looked back. I would suggest that you drop the charge of your load a half grain and then work it back up with the CCI primers. There should be no need to use the magnum primers but use what you want unless magnum primers are called for. If the load comes out the same then you haven't hurt anything and you know that you can probably exchange the CCI for the Winchester primers in all your loads for this gun.
PS: I am not a Winchester fan because I have had to work up new loads several times because they deleted powders and introduced their new powders or didn't replace the deleted powders at all. I have never had any problem with Hodgdon products and they rarely delete a powder and have powders for every application you could use.

[Old Syko]

I've found WW748 lit by CCI450 (magnum) primers to give the most consistent velocities of any combination available while using bullets in the 50 to 55gr. range.  Problem is, WW748 prices have just plain gotten out of line for someone who loads for ARs and burns the things by the thousands.  I'm presently using WC844 from Pat's Reloading in front of CCI 400 primers with better than satisfactory results.  844 at $95 per 8# is presently almost half the cost of 748.

Were I in your position I would switch to CCI 400s and never think twice about it, but if you go to CCI450s fall back and start over.  There IS a difference.