223 & H335

[slammedsi]

Simply put my manual (speer #14) states the use of magnum primers. I have 16 lbs of H335 powder and 10,000 cci 400 sr primers. If im only loading the minamal charge of 24gr can I get away with not loading a magnum primer?

[ricklaut]

I do - CCI400s @ 25gr.

[highbrow]

Standard primers work well other than Wolf 223 primers which have a very mild flash and will occasionally get hangfires.

[chris in va]

I've never used magnum primers in 223, works fine.

[603Country]

I shoot a lot of 40 grain Nosler BT's in my 223, with H335 powder and CCI BR4 primers. No problems.

[Xfire68]

I have only shot a handful of 5.56 with Wolf SR magnum primers with 55g FMJ's and 24g's of H335. No issues.

I just loaded up some tracers with 844T, 62g tracers and Wolf SRM. The tracers were cheap and I have a good place to shoot the safely without the worry of fires. We will see the % that lights?

Those CCI primers you have will work fine.

[4runnerman]

CCI BR4 primers

Ditto-Over 11,000 rounds and never a issue- I load 60 gn V-Max

[big_genius29]

I get excellent results with 335, I've never used magnum primers for 223.

I wish I could land some 335, I'm down to a few pounds..

[rg1]

I get excellent results and low extreme spreads using Remington 7 1/2's with H335 and 55 fmj's and they aren't magnums and my load is 25 grains.

[chiefr]

Been reloading the 223 for over 30 years with H335. Used practically every type primer exept magnum primers with excellent results.

[slammedsi]

Gents, thanks for the help and quick replys. Loaded me up a 20 round batch for accuracy testing tomorrow. Thanks everyone.

[rebs]

I load 223 with H335 and have used CCI 400 and 41, didn't notice any difference.

[mohr308]

I load h335 with cci 41 primers and 65g SGK for use in my AR, works great.

[Dback22]

All I have ever used is WSR primers always eith H335, never had any proplems.

[rebs]

I get excellent results and low extreme spreads using Remington 7 1/2's with H335 and 55 fmj's and they aren't magnums and my load is 25 grains.

May I ask what OAL are you loading this round ?

[Bamashooter]

My rifles love 55gr.fmj with 25gr H-335 CCI-400 primers and a overall length of 2.25''

[rebs]

My rifles love 55gr.fmj with 25gr H-335 CCI-400 primers and a overall length of 2.25''

Are you shooting them in an ar ? what twist is your barrel ?

[Bamashooter]

Shooting them in a del-ton heavy barrel 16'' 1:9 twist.

Mini-14 thin profile barrel with accustrut 18.5'' barrel 1:9 twist.

Both of these guns shoot this load very well with the del-ton acheiving sub-moa and the mini getting around an inch and a half, sometimes slightly better.

[Unclenick]

Rg1,

When Charles Petty did his 2006 Handloader article comparing primers, the Remington 7½BR was the hottest one he tested. He ran a .223 load of 24 grains of Reloader 10X under 55 grain V-max bullets, IIRC, and it gave him 3300 fps, as compared to 3150 using Federal 205 primers at the low end. So, for all practical purposes, that is a magnum primer.


mohr308,

The CCI #41 is a magnum primer, also. Identical to a CCI 450 except the height of the anvil feet is shortened to provide the lower military sensitivity spec for slamfire resistance in floating firing pin designs like the AR.

Originally Posted by Slamedsi

If im only loading the minamal charge of 24gr can I get away with not loading a magnum primer?

Actually the minimum charge is when you are most likely to need a magnum primer. Part of its function is to make more gas than a standard primer. That is needed to provide adequate start pressure in a large magnum case, but it can also be useful for improving velocity SD in non-magnum cases when the powder charge is low, leaving you with more empty air space to pressurize than normal.

The use of magnum primers with H335, BL-C(2), H380 and other Hodgdon spherical propellants started with CCI. In 1989, CCI reformulated their magnum primer flame temperatures and duration specifically for those former military powders (WC844, WC846 and WC852 in their military bulk versions). This was helpful because those powder's deterrent coating chemistry needs the boost for most consistent ignition. That said, the added velocity consistency won't normally show up on paper at 100 yards unless you have a rig that throws groups into the low 1's consistently. It is at beyond 300 yards that there starts to be enough vertical stringing from velocity spread that you might be able to tell.

These days, you also have the alternative of using Ramshot TAC or some other modern spherical powder with a more modern deterrent chemistry. I had a talk with one of Western Powder's lab techs, and he told me they'd eliminated the ignition issues with that line so that CCI's magnum primers were truly not required with it.

You might want to read this article on primers.

[m&p45acp10+1]

I shoot lots of H335 loads out of a bolt action Savage using standard CCI small rifle primers. I shoot on the upper end of the load with 25.0 grains. With Hornady VMax I get sub quarter inch 5 shot groups that make one tiny hole if I do my part correctly.

[Rimfire5]

H335 and Remington 7 1/2 Benchrest primers produce the best accuracy in my CZ 527 .223 with bullets under 55 grains. Over 55 grains H4895 with the 7 1/2 primers does slightly better.

I never use magnum primers with any non-magnum rifle load with exception of long action .270 and .30-06 loads with IMR 4350. It appears to produce a bit more accuracy but the POI changes a bit.