Ruger .204 relaoding

[dade]

Can anyone tell me what effects using a plain small rifle primer would have on a .204 reload? Ever book I have looked in calls for a small rifle magnum primer.
Will it hurt to load with plain small rifle primers?

[Dick284]

Make sure you are at least 5% off of any published maximum load, and then give it a try, and work things back up.

Remember sticky bolt lift, and flat primers are not good indicators of actual pressure, they often occur way over design pressures.

Get a chronograph, and watch your case life.

[Slash8]

I use Federal match grade 205M small rifle primers and have had good sucess with them and never had a problem, I do agree with Dick284 to back off 5 or even 10% and pay close attention to the brass. The load I have found that works best in my particular gun is well under the max load recipe any way how ever I have packed a few of them quite tight and never seen any problems.

[Faststeel]

I just checked my Nosler and hornady manuals and they both recommend small rifle primers. I used Win Small rifle primers in all of my 204 loads.
If you see something that says federal 205m, the M is for match, not magnum.FS

[gube]

When your loads get close to the maximum loads listed in calibers like the .17 Remington and the .204 Ruger, you need a primer that will take the extra pressure. An extra tenth of a grain of powder can really shoot the pressure up in a hurry in these small diameter calibers.
The CCI 400 and remington 6 1/2 primers only have a cup thickness of .0200 . The Federal 200 are only .019. For the 204 or 17 cal you should use a primer with the thickest cup available like the BR4s or some Rem 7½ or the CCI 450s. These last three all have a cup thickness of .0250", which makes them the primers with the thickest cups for small rifles.

Here is some interesting reading in regards to primers and pressure.

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/primers_and_pressure.php