I recently got interested in working up a good hunting load for my 7 mag. Of course, magnum primers (like other reloading supplies) seem to be extinct. I have plenty WLR primers and H4381 / H4350 / Varget. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Even if using different components, as long as the primers are standard large rifle and the powder is other than Retumbo or H1000 there is a chance I might be able to make it work. Thank you in advance for any advise or recommendations.

Yes, they will work. The main issue is having a large powder charge and not having enough primer to ignite it properly. The slower powders enhance this issue also. But a standard primer with about 60-65 grains will work for 4350 and 4831, even H1000. The new 6.5 PRC is spec'd with a Fed 210, and uses about 60 grains of powder.

Years ago I used CCI #250 primers for my 338 Lapua rounds. I began experiencing hang fires. You would pull the trigger and there would be a slight delay of about 1/10th to 1/3rd of a second delay before the round would go off. This will pucker you up. I spoke to the techs at ATK (the parent company of Federal, CCI, etc) and they informed me that the CCI #250 is an in between primer. Meaning the #250 is hotter than a standard rifle primer, but not as hot as a Federal 215 or Rem 9 1/2M (which are the 2 hottest magnum primers). It's listed as a magnum because it's hotter than a standard primer, but not as hot as other magnum primers.

Chad is the expert here, so I defer to his opinion, but I've always read that 60 grains is roughly the dividing line at which one should consider switching to to magnum primers. If I were you, I'd try to use a non ball powder with a charge as close to 60 grains as is reasonable. To be honest, if you're shooting deer at reasonable ranges, just about any load that will go bang out of a 7 mag should kill them plenty dead.

Thank you both for your input. Any other recommendations or thoughts on reloading 7 mag would be greatly appreciated. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

I don’t know where you are, but I have some LRM primers I’ll never use (Win or Rem, I’d have to look). I’ll swap if you wish. They are not new primers. Maybe 15 years old or so. I bought some reloading gear from a buddy years ago. and the primers were included.

When I reload for my 7RM's I use only WLR primers. Found they gave me more consistent results in uniform velocity. Can't explain it but they work.