SmallCaliberCentral

Ok, so as the title says, I loaded up 6 and a half remington primers with my usual load of 25 grains of benchmark with 40 grain Vmax bullets. I usually use 7.5 but bought 6.5 by accident and just realized this now.... Will this work ok?, or do I have to chuck them out?, will it hang fire on me?.

I doubt you would get a hangfire. You might find that the primer, being a thinner cup, will pierce. It should hurt nothing to fire a couple of rounds, with your load, see how it groups and if the primer holds. If you do not want to check that out, see if someone in your area will buy them or use them in one of your other lower intensity cartridges. Bill K

due to the 6.5 having a thin cup I would be more concerned about piercing a primer due to pressure levels in the 204. I think you are best off removing the 6.5 primers and replacing them with 7 1/2 or comparable primers. Just my 2 cents.

Ok, thanks guys, I will do that. The firing pin on my Savage 12 FLV hits the primers a little too hard so I have rings around my primers so I think I'm gonna dump the shells loaded with the 6.5's. Can't wait to go this weekend and shoot more Pdogs with some .204's soo much fun!.

I've been using Rem. 6 1/2 primers im my .204 with no problem. Used with 32 gr. Varmageddons and 39 gr. Speer both and 30 gr. BLC(2). The 32 gr. Varmageddon is super accurate with one three shot going into .168. As I said, I've had no problems with the 6 1/2's and think I'll continue using them.

While it may be possible to use Rem 6 1/2 primers with the 204 it is not recommended by the manufacturer or any of the reloading manuals. The Remington 6 1/2 primers were originally designed for the 22 Hornet as well as other low pressure type cartridges. A few months back i was reloading a 17 Hornady Hornet with 6 1/2 primers, even with the charge well off max the primers were piercing. The 17 HH operates at pressures well under that of the 204 ruger.

Do NOT use Rem 6.5 primers in high pressure rounds (17 Rem and above). These are manufactured for low pressure rounds like 22 Hornet, etc.

You WILL experience a blown primer. You WILL have metal particles exiting the vent in the side of your action. Your firing pin and bolt face will be torched by the hot gas exiting the blown primer.

acloco wrote:Do NOT use Rem 6.5 primers in high pressure rounds (17 Rem and above). These are manufactured for low pressure rounds like 22 Hornet, etc.

You WILL experience a blown primer. You WILL have metal particles exiting the vent in the side of your action. Your firing pin and bolt face will be torched by the hot gas exiting the blown primer.

This!