Remington 7 1/2 primers

M

MissedAgain

Guest
Is there a reason that these primers are hardly ever mentioned for top accuracy loads? It seems the CCI get good reviews for handling more pressure than the Federals, and both seem more "acceptable" as a starting components when one sets out to find the best load in whatever cartridge that uses the small rifle size, be it 6br, or 30br or even the ever popular 223.

If anyone has used them and stopped, or noticed a real reason that they are not desireable, would you explain what you found? I've got a couple of boxes on the shelf I just discovered. Looking back, I think I got brainwashed into switching to Federals BR's based on what the various forums were running. Was running them in a 223 for basic shooting and never tried them when I got my first 6br. Been running Federals with that chambering with no problems.

Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks!
 
Some of the most accurate ammo I have ever fired through various .223s were loaded with Rem 7 1/2 primers. I just picked up 2000 last weekend. I may order another 5000 before prices take off again.
 
Missed Again: I use Federal 205 M (match) primers in virtually all my small Rifle applications. Have done so for 2 decades now.
I have a BUNCH of Rifles that use small Rifle primers!
I am completely happy with them and have never experienced a failure with them to date.
Knock on wood!
The only exception is in one of my 17 Remington Varminters I use Remington 7 1/2 primers in its loading.
I have 600 Remington 7 1/2's left, to use up, then that 17 Remington Rifle will begin using Federal 205 M's like the rest of my small Rifle using guns do.
I have obtained and maintained very good accuracy with the Remington 7 1/2's in this one heavy and long barreled 17 Remington Rifle. I think the reason I decided to go with them is because I had someone "give/sell" me two cartons of them back in 2,002 when I first obtained this heavy barreled 17 Remington.
I have not RECENTLY done any testing of the "Federal BR's" and I am not sure it was brainwashing that convinced me to use them exclusively. I did some testing back about 20 years ago and I have not seen a reason to switch from them since.
The Federal 205 M's have handled all the pressure I have chosen to use them with! Again without failure one.
I know several Varminters that use Remington 7 1/2's and are quite happy with them.
I suggest sticking with the Federal 205 M's.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
 
Rem Primers

I have three SAKO's, a 17, 223 and a 6MM PPC and all of them have shot the best groups with Rem & 1/2 primers. I have tried Fed 205M primers and for accuracy at the range go back to Rem 71/2 every time.
Pete
 
The 7 and 1/2 primer was the only primer I ever used successfully with my hot 17's... it was the toughest... I never had primer failure with it, other small rifle primers would crater or leak... and a lot of records were set using it in Benchrest... this was in the 70's - 80's... I haven't had a 17 since.
 
Missed Again & Dennis Sorenson: I had occassion yesterday afternoon to take my "only" Rifle using Remington 7 1/2 primers to the range for sight in verification. The wind had inexplicably died out in the middle of the day here.
I am a bit low on loaded ammo for this Rifle and was hoping to just shoot a couple of shots to verify my point of impact.
I am glad I went to the range - as the Rifle was inexplicably shooting 1.75" to the left - proper height but way left there at 100 yards.
On my first shot I saw the tiny hole "way left" and decided it must have been the Break-Free in the barrel causing the weird P.O.I.!
After all this 17 Remington has a fiberglass stock and bedding block! This Rifle is a limited edition Remington all stainless steel Varmint model with heavy 26" barrel. It has not shifted P.O.I. prior to this incident yesterday. It was new back in 2,002.
Second shot nearly touched the first and the third shot made a tiny triangle measuring .241" widest center to center shots!
I was happy with the group but befuddled by the P.O.I. shift.
I checked the "zero" indicator on the windage adjustment dial and it was square on "0"!
No one had moved it.
I dialed in the proper windage and shot again. Aaaahhh right where it was supposed to be. Even though I was short on loaded ammo for this Rifle I had to fire a couple more.
I did, and I could tell this three shot group was a "doozey"! Once back at home that 3 shot group measured .196"!
Normally (always) I only shoot 5 shot groups at 100 yards for sight in verification and load testing but the ammo shortage for this rig changed that yesterday.
I am half tempted to go back and fire two more shots into that smaller group and see whats what! Checking my loading/shooting log entries for this Rifle it "normally" shoots in the 4's and 5's (5 shots at 100 yards) and that accuracy has been fine with me. So I guess I have been happy with all the loading components used in this Rifle - including the Remington 7 1/2 primers.
My point is the Remington 7 1/2's primers are fine for "my" type of accuracy needs.
I don't see many of them in use at BR type matches though.
And one of my main concerns for any loading component is "availability".
I can walk into 10 sport shops here abouts in the Rocky Mountains and find Federal 205 M's in 8 of them. Remington 7 1/2's are to be seen in just one or two of them!
One reason I know this to be true is my friend Ben uses Remington 7 1/2's in his 223's and I have standing orders to buy them when I see them on store shelves. He is aware of their "availability" status as well.
Over the years Big Green has made some excellent "accuracy" enhancing products including their "Match" bullets in 22 caliber and 6 mm.
Alas I am down to my last box of these fine bullets (circa 1970'ish).
Long live Big Green!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
 
I can walk into 10 sport shops here abouts in the Rocky Mountains and find Federal 205 M's in 8 of them. Remington 7 1/2's are to be seen in just one or two of them!
Click to expand...

Fed 205Ms are no where to be found here. Went to the largest gun show in Indiana - the Indy 1500 , none to be found. No gun shop that I have visited has them. Sinclair Int up in Ft. Wayne has not had them for a long time. I cannot even find them online. Evidently the availibilty varies by region.

Still, for most of my loads through my factory 700s - my old VLS .223 and my current LTR .223 - the loads with Rem 7 1/2 have delivered accuracy which has exceeded my expectations on more than a few occasions.

My newest 700 - SPS Varmint .223 has shown excellent accuracy all primers tried - Fed 205M , CCI BR-4 and Rem 7 1/2.
 
Seems like there's no reason at all to consider them "inferior" to any of the others. This putting them on the back shelf was somewhat early along on my trip into more performance than basic off the shelf shooting hardware. I am of the opinion that if its good enough for those that have spent much more time at this than me, there was no sense in trying to re-invent the wheel in this respect. Hence the switch to the Federals on the 6br.

I'll put the 7 1/2's back into the line with no more worries thanks to your responses.

Thanks, guys!
 
Uh, I see several thousand of the shinny little buggers siting on the shelf as we speak. I used them exclusively for loads that required maximum pressure handling ability. There was once a run of .308 brass designed with small primer pockets and thin walls designed to be formed to 7mm Rem BR or some such goofy cartridge. That brass just necked down and used full length, worked for the 7mm International, and with some H322 shot .5" to .75" groups at 100 yards - with an iron sighted Wichita bolt pistol!

The 71/2 Benchrest Primer worked so well I just kept using it for everything else. I also use them for the 6mm PPC and .223 - the cartridge they were designed for. IIRC the original 71/2 primers (no benchrest designation) were designed for 5.56 NATO ammo originally to prevent slam fires, pinholes and blanking in rapid fire weapons (I'm riding a caffeine high from too much Diet Coke, so I may be wrong).

I also use Remington's 21/2 pistol and 91/2 large rifle primers. Generally, I won't hesitate to use any Remington primer - but I also use Russian cheapo's too -so maybe my advise isn't so good.

Most folks can't tell tell the difference between primer performance anyway. See, if they don't have confidence in the a new primer (or powder, or anything else) the old subconscious creates little squiggles in their shooting that creates a self-fulfilling prophesy - and they blame the primer.
 
I've got a few 7 1/2's on my shelf from a batch that seems to have had a problem with the cups. They didn't crater or flatten, but I had a few of them blow small holes in the cup right where the curve. The loads gave no indications of excessive pressures, so the only thing I can assume is that the cups had flaws in the metal of some kind. Those primers were bought about 20 years ago, so....

Remington primers are hard to find around here, more expensive than anything but CCI BR's or Federal M's, and don't seem to work any better or worse otherwise. I tend to load at the top end for my live varmint rifles, and have worn out primer pockets in a few firings without primer problems with WSR's and CCI 400s.
 
Back in the 80s, I had a few Rem 71/2 primers blow small holes.
These came from military 5.56, that I resized trimmed and loaded for my 222 Rem. In each case that blew holes in the primer, The flash hole was off center in the case.
I laid the blame on this.
Jim
 
When I got interested in BR in the 80's I used Fed everyone was using them so just fell in line but I've always used rem 7 1/2 in my varmit rifles plus 205/205M and I've never had a problem with the Rem primers. I did use some Rem 9 1/2 in a 30x44 and 30x47 and the rifles shot real nice I couldn't tell the difference switching back to Fed. I've always had good luck with Rem and Fed primers equally.
 
7 1/2 Primers

I have a 20 Tactical that likes to run fast. It shoots best at 4300 FPS. To get that speed, I use IMI brass, H4198 and the only primer that will work is the 7 1/2. I have tried the rest and they flatten beyond immagination or crater something spooky or will even pierce. Using the 7 1/2, I've never had a problem.

I also have a 223 AI that I push to 4100 FPS with 40 grain VMax bullets. Again, I use 7 1/2 primers.

For my Benchrest rifles, (Vipers & Panda), I use 205M or WSR primers.
 
AVanGorder said:
I have a 20 Tactical that likes to run fast. ....... I use the 7 1/2. I have tried the rest and they flatten beyond immagination or crater something spooky or will even pierce. Using the 7 1/2, I've never had a problem......
Click to expand...


Yea, what's the deal with that! I run my 20Tac with Sierra 39's and 10X at 3,820FPS (not a real hot load) and have noticed the CCI BR4's will flatten and crater, while the Rem 7 1/2's look much better. Accuracy is 1/4"-3/8" either way, so I decided I might as well go with the Rem primers.
 
Primers

Where do you buy your Rem 7 1/2 primers? Thank You Frank
 
Frank,

Try Powder Valley in Winfield, KS. They have a website.

powdervalleyinc.com

Mike
 
Failed to fire

I bought a brick of 5000 7 1/2 small rifle Remington BR primers because I could not get CCIs.
Loaded them for my wife, she shoots FTR 223 Rem. She had usually 3 failures to fire them on average.
Never had failures with CCIs. Last month we went to shoot to Montana, I loaded her 200 rounds and about 35% FAILED to fire.
I am so disappointed. I think I will be throwing them out and just wait for CCIs.
 
warbird2006 said:
I bought a brick of 5000 7 1/2 small rifle Remington BR primers because I could not get CCIs.
Loaded them for my wife, she shoots FTR 223 Rem. She had usually 3 failures to fire them on average.
Never had failures with CCIs. Last month we went to shoot to Montana, I loaded her 200 rounds and about 35% FAILED to fire.
I am so disappointed. I think I will be throwing them out and just wait for CCIs.
Click to expand...

Where are you, I'll buy them if you can get them shipped or if you're ever around Vanc WA

al
 
Two points:

7 1/2s are hot, and there seems to be little point to using a hot primer in an application where one of the foundations of a cartridge's accuracy is a small primer and flash hole. That being said, go with what works the best for your rifle.

This is particularly important, if you are going to make comparisons. Some very good shooters think that for a particular rifle, bullet and powder, that accuracy may be strongly related to velocity. Just about every so called primer test that I have heard of held powder charge constant, rather than adjusting it to maintain a constant velocity. I think that this is a mistake.
 
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