CFE223 anyone using with good results ?

[Willoughby]

CFE223 anyone using with good results ?
my go to powder for 223 and 308 is Varget but during the recent powder shortage I bought some cfe 223 - so for Im not finding the accuracy I was used to with Varget

 

[wildfowler]

What bullet in 308 are you using?

CFE223 is my preferred powder for 308 and another 277 wildcat caliber. Both of my rifles are AR's and are set up for hunting so this may not be what you're looking for.

For 308 I am using 165 grain hunting bullets in an LR-308 DPMS rifle.

47.5 grains tested for me to be right in the middle of a node for my 20" barrel, very accurate and high velocity with both Hornady SST and Barnes TSX (non tip) bullets.

A couple of friends that I shoot with gave me half containers of remaining CFE powder they were trying to use with their 223 bolt action rifle's and were not happy with it. (For whatever that's worth)

 

[JLT]

26.1 gr. of CFE223 behind a 69gr SMK, lit by a Russian primer in Lapua brass is one of my go-to accuracy loads for both my AR and my bolt action. Half-minute out of the AR and bug holes out of the bolt action are the norm. This load clocks a tick more than 3,100 fps out of my 26" bolt action and just under 3,000 fps out of my 20" .223 Wylde AR barrel. This load happens to be above published maximum, but it has proven safe in my rifles. Work up responsibly if you choose to try . . .

I've not yet tried CFE in the .308 but I was talking to one of my customers a short while ago and he was very happy with his CFE load development in his .308. I may just have to give it a try . . .

 

[mac86951]

I found cfe decent in 223 with 77s. Around 24gr

-Mac

 

[rockable]

I had decent results in my CZ 527 .223 but it was dirty. I prefer Varget. YMMV.

 

[X-Caveman]

It works ok in .223 gas gun with 77gr pills. Velocity numbers suck, but it's a thrown charge. Just tried it in 6.5x47L last weekend and it didn't work. Went from not sealing the chamber to showing pressure suddenly as i worked up in charge wt. Also had occasional hang fire. Maybe it's the small primer, but i was using 450s. Too bad. I really wanted it to work because it meters so well.

 

[Laurie]

It works ok in .223 gas gun with 77gr pills. Velocity numbers suck, but it's a thrown charge. Just tried it in 6.5x47L last weekend and it didn't work. Went from not sealing the chamber to showing pressure suddenly as i worked up in charge wt. Also had occasional hang fire. Maybe it's the small primer, but i was using 450s. Too bad. I really wanted it to work because it meters so well.

I suspect that 6.5X47L has just too heavy a powder charge for the small primer to work with this powder. It certainly doesn't suit the small primer Lapua 'Palma' 308 Win case with hangfires and a couple of complete misfires. No problems with standard large primer 308 and with high MVs and fairly promising results.

 

[boltman13]

I had a 1# bottle of CFE223 hanging around I had not opened. I decided to use it to break in my new Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor. I paired it with some Lapua 108 gr Scenars and Rem 9 1/2 Primers. I used Nosler new brass. Using a Lyman GenII I put 41.0 gr in. The copper fowling was nonexistent and barrel clean up was a snap. After 5 single shots with cleaning I fired a 3 shot group and got a single hole. A second one followed after cleaning. I then went for a 5 shot group and got a 0.787". WOW! My thoughts: This rifle is very accurate with this load, This load will work for hunting yotes. The copper erasing claim is true. If I can get a 140 gr hunting bullet, say a Nosler 140 gr AcubondLR to shoot anywhere near this good with any powder I'm gona love this rifle for deer and antelope.

 

[CharlieNC]

With my 223 I've shot 80.5 Berbers well in 300yd Ftr. In a different rifle using 70vld going to 1000yd was excellent on steel to 750 before the wind made longer distances more challenging. Trickles great!

 

[sbhooper]

I load 50.5 grains under 150 Interlocks for two .308s. It is a half-minute shooter in both rifles at 2900 fps.

 

[Shynloco]

CFE223 anyone using with good results ?
my go to powder for 223 and 308 is Varget but during the recent powder shortage I bought some cfe 223 - so for Im not finding the accuracy I was used to with Varget

Good powder to use for loading 55gr bullets in an AR15 for plinking/recreational purposes. Decent groups but nothing you'd use in serious attempt at accuracy. Its what I use to load in my son's AR15 and he chews up rounds like there no tomorrow and he just turned 40. Yeah I know...no hope but he and his buddies enjoy themselves nonetheless out in the Arizona desert.

Alex

 

[dantiff2]

I bought a pound to try from a 20" AR. I played around with several combinations but soon discovered that it had to be lit with a magnum primer for best results. All tests were best with a CCI450. Velocity was junk across a whole range of bullet weights (55- 75bthp). Much slower then my Varget loads and some CFE loads showed pressure too early. ES numbers were too high also. All of this with one exception. When I tried a load with 55gr Midway dogtown bullets that I use for plinking, it was the best load I had ever found with this gun. Consistent under half moa from both weighted and thrown powder charges. I believe the load was 28 or 28.5 gr under the 55gr. Cant remember the fps off the top of my head but the Varget was still faster.

Dan

 

[Fotheringill]

Dirtier than Varget???

 

[Shynloco]

Dirtier than Varget???

Not in my experiences. In fact, gotta search long and hard to find a powder that shoots dirtier than Varget. CFE223 shoots cleaner than many others that I've used in a variety of calibers.

Alex

 

[strut64]

I have used CFE223 in a 204 ruger with good results. Load near the top of hodgdons table, 39 Gr sierras, 450 primers and Hornady brass

 

[Gappmast]

I have used in an AR and shot .269" five shot group. In a bolt gun five shots around .200". These groups were shot with Bart's bullets. Don't condem the powder until you try it with match bullets.

 

[Deleted old_dood]

pretty happy with 26.1grains shooting 75g Amax. Savage LRPV, Pacnor 223ai chambered. Off a bipod, 5 groups of 5 avg. .407 MOA at 200 yards. once I got my groove on, the last three groups were .747", .697", and .491".

 

[Mozella]

..... snip........ I really wanted it to work because it meters so well.

When I first saw CFE-223 I thought the same thing. It pours like water, so I figured it MUST meter great, right? Well, it doesn't.

In fact my careful metering tests show that CFE-223 doesn't meter as accurately as short stick powder like Vihtavuori N-140 or IMR 8208 XBR. The test results with my Lock-N-Load case activated manual powder dispenser and my RCBS Chargemaster (automatic trickler/scale) are the same; i.e. not as accurate as one might hope when it comes to consistent charge weights.

I have had good accuracy results in my 6mm BR and as a matter of fact the best 5-shot group of .160 was made with CFE-223. But it is not as consistent as IMR 4895, so that's what I use for my competition ammo.

In my .223 using either regular or magnum primers, I get quite a few click/bang type hang fires. Accuracy is OK sometimes, but less consistent than Vihtavuori N-140 so that's what I use for F/TR competition ammo.

I don't find it dirty and I have no copper fouling problems.

Bottom line: It's pretty good, but in my guns other powders are generally more accurate so I don't use CFE-223 for competition. Of course, your results may be different.

 

[Deleted old_dood]

When I first saw CFE-223 I thought the same thing. It pours like water, so I figured it MUST meter great, right? Well, it doesn't.

In fact my careful metering tests show that CFE-223 doesn't meter as accurately as short stick powder like Vihtavuori N-140 or IMR 8208 XBR. The test results with my Lock-N-Load case activated manual powder dispenser and my RCBS Chargemaster (automatic trickler/scale) are the same; i.e. not as accurate as one might hope when it comes to consistent charge weights.

I have had good accuracy results in my 6mm BR and as a matter of fact the best 5-shot group of .160 was made with CFE-223. But it is not as consistent as IMR 4895, so that's what I use for my competition ammo.

In my .223 using either regular or magnum primers, I get quite a few click/bang type hang fires. Accuracy is OK sometimes, but less consistent than Vihtavuori N-140 so that's what I use for F/TR competition ammo.

I don't find it dirty and I have no copper fouling problems.

Bottom line: It's pretty good, but in my guns other powders are generally more accurate so I don't use CFE-223 for competition. Of course, your results may be different.

just loaded 25 direct from the measure into the case using Redding BR30 measure. I measured the drop every 5 on my FX201 and the five measured were within .06gr. I love the stuff.

 

[Alaska Bush Man]

I bought a pound to try from a 20" AR. I played around with several combinations but soon discovered that it had to be lit with a magnum primer for best results. All tests were best with a CCI450. Velocity was junk across a whole range of bullet weights (55- 75bthp). Much slower then my Varget loads and some CFE loads showed pressure too early. ES numbers were too high also. All of this with one exception. When I tried a load with 55gr Midway dogtown bullets that I use for plinking, it was the best load I had ever found with this gun. Consistent under half moa from both weighted and thrown powder charges. I believe the load was 28 or 28.5 gr under the 55gr. Cant remember the fps off the top of my head but the Varget was still faster.

Dan

Go to the mildest primer you can get Rem 7.5 BR........your magnum primer is the problem with this slow burning powder