CFE 223

[DLH_]

Just purchased some of the powder mentioned in the title. Have any of you had any experience using this powder with 53 V-Max in .223 Rem? Is so could you share some loads and some results.

Thanks DLH_

 

[Toolbreaker]

I'm using CFE223 with the 53 V-Max in my Savage bolt rifle. Seated long at 2.440", which gives me a .020" jump. LC brass and Wolf SR primers. Velocity follows Hodgdon's data pretty close, with my best load being 28.5 grains at 3400 fps (please start low & work up). Primers start flattening excessively at 29.0. Groups average ~.4 MOA for 5 shots. Interesting notes about this powder:

1) It really does keep coppering to a minimum, even with the railroad-track rifling in this factory barrel.
2) It leaves a very fine soot fouling. I've taken to pushing a dry patch through the bore before using Hoppes, just to clear the majority of it.
3) This powder burns "hot" for lack of better terminology. Compared to H4895, a 5-shot string leaves the barrel much hotter 5"-6" in front of the chamber.

A few others on here have used it with that bullet, also.

 

[SteveOak]

You might find CFE223 to be a bit on the slow side for a 53 gr bullet in a 223. Evidence of this is in incrementing to a load that fills the case but not finding one that performs well.

I am trying to find a good load for CFE223 and a 68 gr Hornady in 5.56, presently using TAC which is working really well. Hoping that I can get more velocity with the CFE223. If not the TAC load is fine. SD 9, ES 25.

 

[Linko]

I find it very dirty and usually available. Shells look like they came out of chimney

 

[DLH_]

Not too bothered about the velocity as long as it's above 3,000fts. I'm just looking for an acurate varmiting load with the possibility of the odd 300yrd+ shot. Hence the 53grainers, with the very high BC.

 

[waldo1979]

I find it very dirty and usually available.

^^ terribly dirty even. Carbon Fouling Everyround more like it. I have 3 lbs that have been shelved for a couple years.

 

[searcher]

I bought a few jugs of CFE when it came out with high hopes for my varmint rifles (mainly .223's). I have been quite disappointed as I ran it though 9 rifles with a myriad of bullets and, while it does "o,k," with a lot of loads, it performs terribly with an equal amount and does nothing better over my other favorite powders with those .223's- yet it DOES really excel in my 6.5 Grendel. I now use it (until it is gone) in my "blasting ammo" for high round-count sessions on the steel. It surely does minimize copper and i envy those who have rifles that it shoots well out of.

 

[DLH_]

Have you ever encountered misfires or hang fires with a maximum load? Would you recommend using a magnum primer?

 

[SteveOak]

I have not used CFE 223 much but have neither experienced misfires nor hang fires and have not heard of anyone else having these issues.

I use CCI 450 Magnum primers with ball powder. There is little air space between granules which might inhibit propagation of the primer flame front. I am looking to ignite as much powder as possible in the chamber and push a little as possible into the barrel.

I also tend to load toward the higher end of the pressure range and the magnum primers are less likely to rupture.

 

[rogn]

I got it to use in 223 but instead wound up using it in a 308 w/ 165gr hunting bullet. Excellent accuracy in a bolt gun. Only complaint is the fireball at dusk. No problem with dirty burn and suspect its too slow when its dirty.

 

[DLH_]

So i take it I will be fine with using Remington 7 1/2 and federal match primers as I would normally?

 

[jonbearman]

If your shells look like a chimney I would suspect to low of a pressure band to seal the breech causing blowback.

 

[Mozella]

I bought some CFE 223 for my .223, 24",1:9 twist bolt gun and it didn't perform well at all (compared with other faster burning powders) with bullets in the 52gr to 69gr range.

I tried some in my 6mm BR with SMK 107s simply because it was the slowest burning powder I had on hand. To my surprise, it shoots great in this 1:8 twist, 28" barrel. Average MOA @100 yards for the last ten 5 shot groups is .302 with a best 5 shot group of .160; plenty good enough for F Class at 600 yards.

Had I only tested one of these recipes I could have said CFE 223 is crappy or I might have said it's great. The point is that you MUST test hand loads for yourself even if you run across a recipe developed by someone else with the exact same bullet, brass, barrel, primer, and matching multi-colored-Mohawk-haircut as you (might) have. The best you can hope for on the Internet is a hint and that's why most hand-loaders have accumulated a shelf full of powders which they've tested, but which are unlikely to be used in the future.

 

[BULLET 05]

I am using H335 and a 50 gr v-max in my Cz 223 with pretty good results.

 

[Rimfiremike]

I use a lot of CFE223 in my AR15 (.3 to .5 inch groups), .223 bolt gun (.25 to .5 inch groups) with 50 & 55gr Nosler balllistic tips. I also use it as my favorite powder for a 20 Practical consistently shooting groups in the teens up to .25 inches. With three guns that really like it, I make sure to keep a good supply of it.

I don't find it to be dirty... certainly no worse than any other .223 type powder. I really like how well it meters through my Dillon powder measures.

With how well it has worked in everything I have tried it in, I am actually a bit surprised to see how many others are not having favorable results. If shipping powder wasn't almost impossible/costly, I would offer to buy the unwanted CFE223 from those that haven't been able to get it to work well for them.

I know I am lucky to have one powder that is a favorite for three different rifles... will also have to try it in 6mm BR like someone posted, maybe the count will go up to four!

 

[Brians356]

I've used CFE 223 in 223 Rem behind 50-gr TNT in my stock R-700 with very good results. (29.1 grs, 3500 fps, 1/3" class accuracy, still tweaking it.)

Look at Hodgdon's data - CFE hits its stride at 50-gr bullets and up, and provides top velocity behind 50 to 69-grain bullets, alongside Varget. In fact for virtually every cartridge with CFE data listed, it produces top velocity in a wide range of bullet weights, often by a wide margin.

My shooting buddy (now deceased) tried CFE in his AR-15 behind bullets in 40-55 weights, and got excellent accuracy and minimal carbon fouling of his cases. We both tended to run hot loads, and I suspect dirty case necks are related to lower pressure loads. It does leave "soot" in the bore, but I'll deal with that any day rather than copper buildup, thanks.

 

[DLH_]

I'm looking forward to testing the powder. I just shows how fickle rifles can be! Same powder and same bullet in a differnt rifle gives entirely different results. I hope it shoots as well in my R-700 as it does in yours! Brians356

 

[cocopuff]

I have several powders in my 223 with sierra 69 gr bullets
and always go back to the cfe223..Best powder i have found.
At 300 yards f class,i am getting 10 shot groups of 1 1/4 or
less...I do not see where it is dirty any more than others,And
I dont clean all summer...

 

[amlevin]

I load CFE223 for my AR's. 55 gr bullets with cannelure and a good crimp. Also load near max.

Don't seem to have any more soot than any other military type powder but I do find that it "sweeps out" fairly easy.

Copper Fouling is negligible even though i may have gone through a few hundred rounds entertaining my grandkids (and myself) out in the country.

Does pretty good with 69 gr + bullets in my bolt action as well but burns cleaner with more neck tension.


Also works great in my .308

 

[Brians356]

I'm looking forward to testing the powder. I just shows how fickle rifles can be! Same powder and same bullet in a differnt rifle gives entirely different results. I hope it shoots as well in my R-700 as it does in yours! Brians356

Just to be clear, I'm not saying it is the ultimate powder for accuracy in 223 Rem. Behind certain bullets old standbys like H322 and H335 have both produced superb accuracy for me. However, I wanted the copper fouling elimination. So far I am getting good accuracy, with more tuning to come, and the velocity is great. This is a varmint gun, so my definition of "accurate" may differ from yours. I haven't yet reached "single ragged hole" consistently with it, but I have only worked with the one bullet and primer so far. I suspect CFE is not going to dominate benchrest shooting any time soon. But it could the prairie dog blitzkrieg game. There are now the IMR Enduron powders as well.