Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles CCI or Fed primers for .204 Ruger

Ive got a chance to really stock up on primers and have 2 choices

CCI 400 primers
Fed 205 primers

I would prefer match primers but I'll take what I can get cause the world is runnin out of primers. So what would you buy??

Cheers!!

For accuracy, I like federal.

However, I've had a lot of trouble lately with Remington rifles with the small bolt face having sloppy firing pin holes leading to piercing primers as the cup flows back into the hole around the firing pin, then "cuts off" and vents the pressure back through the bolt body. I've nuked 3 Jewell HVR triggers and every one made me say bad words.

Soooo ... just based on that and my own random choices, if you're shooting a cylindrical powder like Varget or H4895, I'd probably go with the Federal, but with spherical powders (where all my trouble has occurred) I'd go with the CCIs which seem to have a thicker cup.

I've switched to Remington 7-1/2s for all my H335 reloading and haven't pierced a primer since. Still using WW and Fed 205Ms with Varget.

Tom

In CCI I think it's the 450 that has the thick cup.

I too would go with the CCI primers. I don't know if they are thicker or tougher than other standard primers but I've never had a problem with them. I recently had a Fed 205 pierce in a 223 shooting ball powder, that has never given a problem before. May have been a small defect in that primer but it does make one a little leary.The Rem 71/2 and CCI 450 have reputations of being tougher than other primers with the CCI mil spec primers supposedly the toughest of all. Finally to be honest I would probably buy all the primers I could even if I had to get some of both.

I'll make it easy for you; buy some of each.

In my 204 Ruger, I've used CCI BR-4 (match primers) and Remington match primers. For me, the Remington primers give better accuracy so get them if you have the chance.

The standard CCI small rifle primers don't work well in my Contender in .204. They are just soft enough that they flow back just enough to make the gun difficult to open. This does not happen with BR4s or Federal small rifle primers.

Its a toss up, I have had excellent results with both..

skb2706,
Sounds like to me you need your firing pin bushed...It's not just the primer although your diagnoses is probably correct, the cause is because of the firing pin hole being a tad oversize..I am sure the guarentee will fix it or any good gunsmith can fix it.

Buy all you can of both.....
I wouldn't turn down any SR primers at this time, if the price is decent.

Use the softer primer ( thinner cup ) for moderate loads in your .204 ( low - mid 3k ) and match primers for the max loads.

Here's some good primer info:
http://www.jamescalhoon.com/primers_and_pressure.php

Scott_r: My gawd man - what world do you live on?
I have NOT seen a small Rifle primer on a store shelf in many months now - and that includes store shelves in 5 western (U.S.) states!
I have been loading Federal 205M primers in all 5 (five) of my 204 Ruger calibered Varminters for 5 years+ now and have as yet to pierce a single primer!
I have complete confidence in them.
Again if you should choose not to buy the Federal 205M primers PLEASE give me the co-ordinates on where to get them!
Best of luck with your choice and your 204!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

CCI 400 are too thin for near max loads. I got pierced primers using them in my 204. I would recommend the Feds instead. 400 CCI is ok if you run mild loads, but who wants to shoot a slow 204?

yeah right now, I didn't know many folks had the luxury to be picky...

I have plenty of small rifle primers but have been using small pistol primers in my 223 loads, just to conserve the small rifle primers, in case this Obama induced primer shortages is going to last longer than we all thought...

My dealer here in Saskatchewan has over 30 000 small rifle primers and the same in Large rifle magnum primers but zero Large Rifle (non magnum)