209 magnum primers

[Richard Flanders]

A friend tried to give me 700 CCI 209 magnum shotshell primers today. Never heard of a magnum shotshell primer. Anyone know anything about them?

[J.B. Books]

I hope you took them. CCI 209M is how they are listed in the published reloading recipes. I don't know if they are still made. They were a hotter primer than standard CCI 209's and gave increased pressures with the same load as the standard primer. When I had some I used them in recipes that called for a Federal 209A which is also considered a magnum primer without issue.

[Richard Flanders]

I looked them up and learned that they're not quite as hot as a 209A but are a close second. I found some loads on a forum that showed 1-1/8oz loads that produced a bit over 10,000psi, which is more than double my 1-oz PB target loads I feed my light damascus guns. It sounds like you could sub them for 209's by reducing the powder charge and/or the shot load some and I'm sure they would work better in extreme cold if that were a factor. I'll search my manuals for suitable loads for duck hunting perhaps. I didn't accept them but will take at least some of them. I don't load heavy loads for anything, but my friend wants some 00-buck loads for his bear shotgun so I'll make him up some stout shells for that with them if I can find some high-brass hulls. I have lots of RIO hulls but they take the European primers. He also gave me a mostly full 1# bottle of Clays powder, which I can use somehow. He has a 1-man scrap metal business. Folks bring him mostly copper but somehow he also ends up with milk crates full of ancient ammo and 5-gal buckets full of mostly, but not all, range brass - .50BMG, .45acp, .308, 5.56, .357mag, 38special, 300Win mag, 300WSM, you name it. He also gets lots of brand new brass in the original bags and new or reloaded ammo. He has a bunch of boxes of mostly hvly corroded and cob webbed but still boxed vintage .405Winchester, most of it useless except for salvaging the nice old original jacketed SP bullets. I saw a good clean box of that go for $110 at a Denver gun show last year. I get first pick out of all that he takes in, and for free, unless he needs it. I return the favor by reloading ammo for some of his guns and helping him with permitting his recently acquired and very rich placer gold mine. Sure wish I had gotten the bulk box of 1000 new 230 gr .45acp Winchester FMJ ball ammo that some woman whose husband died sold him, along with boxes of other brass and ammo.

[6pt-Sika]

I first used 209M’s in my Knight Disc Rifle muzzleloaders . I’ve always kept some of them around . Now they get used in some of my heavier loads .

[Paul Harm]

Just go down one or one and a half grains and you'll be good. I wouldn't not take em. Primers may be real hard to come by in the future.

[Richard Flanders]

Agreed Paul. I think that would work. I already have primers stacked high in my basement and have more than I can ever use and wish I could ship these to someone who needs them. I can get them to Denver, but not until next fall. My friend wants some 00-buck loads in return for giving the primers to me, which might be a good use for them. I found a ziploc full of high brass Winchester hulls in my collection that would be good for those loads. 9 pellets weigh out to 1.28oz on my scale and there are recipes in my manuals for those hulls.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Richard Flanders

My friend wants some 00-buck loads in return for giving the primers to me, which might be a good use for them. I found a ziploc full of high brass Winchester hulls in my collection that would be good for those loads. 9 pellets weigh out to 1.28oz on my scale and there are recipes in my manuals for those hulls.

I load buckshot and slugs in the 12-16-20 and 28 using AA or STS hulls . In the 16 they’re the old smooth WIN red upland/expert hulls that were loosely called AA style . And I’ve never had issue with any of them .