Home Forums Reloading 16 Gauge Society Cheddite primers

Has anyone substituted Cheddite 209 primers for Rem or Fed 209's?

I know that you are not supposed to change any components for book loads, yet I do have a couple friends that have been using the same recipe as always, but substituting the available Cheddite primers for the unobtainium Rem or Fed primers.

I don't handload shot shells, but I've used Cheddite 209s in my muzzle loaders. They are hot primers and never fail to light a load. But they are easily pierced. My Traditions inline pierces them 100% of the time, and my Knight inline most of the time. Neither gun pierces Federal or Winchesters. And the Cheddites bulge, too. This seems to be a consistent concern with Cheddites not only among muzzle loaders but shotgun reloaders, too.

The left primers are Cheddites all hit with a firing pin. To prevent piercing, I had to install a musket cap pin that strikes more broadly and shallower.

There seems to be some problems with some Brownings and the cheddite primers piercing. I've shot several bricks of them in my 12 ga Beretta 391 and 686 Onyx as well as Dickinson 16 ga SxS with no trouble. There are some that compare them closely to the Winchester 209 for substitutions.

Original data for Cheddites were to decrease Winchester data by 0.5-1.0 grain of powder. My loads were all around 9000 psi so I made no other changes. If I were using Federal 209A data I wouldn't worry much, though that is me.

Cheddites play Hob with the lower barrel of Browning O/U shotguns due to the angle the firing pin extending a little further out. This causes pierced primers which then heat damage the firing pin causing it to break at some in opportune time. It doesn't seem to affect the upper barrel though.

Cheddites, like many other European primers, have less taper than American primers which can alter the primer pocket enough to hold an American primer tight. The primer can then fall out either in a shell pouch or pocket OT the primer will come out in the gun which can jam a pump or auto.

Thank you!

Years ago I called Alliant and asked a tech. They told me I could substitute them for Rem 209. Why not call your powder manufacturer and see? Also I have measured them and they do not change the pockets making American 209s to loose. I do remember some Italian primers years ago doing that but not Cheddite. Others may have different results.

I called hodgdon last year when the Cheddite 209’s started being available and they said Win209’s and the cheddites can be used interchangeably. Do with this information what you want