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I just can't get CFE223 to shoot in my gun!

So....I've been tinkering with my .223 for the last month...shooting every bullet and most powder combinations I can afford to try....and the only one that keeps bugging me, because i can't get it to shoot, is CFE223! The BEST i can get at 100yds is a little over 0.5" (measuring CTC or the extreme holes)....but the groups just open up from there! I've tried:
50gr vmax
52gr amax
53gr HP-M
55gr FBHP

The best shooting combination, so far, has been 27.1gr with 52gr A-max @ 1.897", followed fairly close by 27.4gr with a 52gr A-max @ 1.900" (ogive). I've shot on the lands (1.900); 0.003, 0.002, 0.005 off the lands, and 0.001 into the lands. I've shot powder combinations from 26.8 to 27.7 on the A-max...

So, is this the point at which you just give up on a powder and give it to a buddy, or do you keep going and just try smaller and smaller increments...hoping something finally gives?

I mean, i've got my WC844 and Benchmark loads that keep me happy out to 400yds....and I've got some RL15 and Varget stuff i'm working on that's showing promise....so I know it's not my reloading or shooting skills......
 
Tried some while making hand loads for a friend, compared to other powders, I was not impressed
 
Barrels.... they can be as pickey as a high maintance girlfriend. I would say move onto another powder.

Unlike the other posters so far I have two loads that shoot sub .5 MOA out to 300 yards with 87gr VLD's in the 6mm Fat Rat and .382" with the 105gr Hybrid. CCI 450 primers and CFE223 powder. Like you I have been disapointed with a certain bullet or powder combo that you may have had your hart set on shooting at the begining of a project only to find out that barrel doesnt like what you had in mind.... just the way it goes sometimes.

RussT
 
Wish I'd known all this before I just spent some of my extremely limited reloading budget on CFE 223 to try in my AR carbine! The store I bought it at, the largest local gun shop, did not have one single small rifle magnum primer, either.

Speaking of primers, I can order them online, pay shipping and HAZMAT, and not pay significantly more for them than what they cost at this place, plus sales tax...
 
GSRswapandslow said:
So....I've been tinkering with my .223 for the last month...shooting every bullet and most powder combinations I can afford to try........so I know it's not my reloading or shooting skills......

Did you try mixing Viagra with the CFE 223.................. to stiffen up the barrel?

308mode7.gif
 
since its a gas gun you can't really try .020 into the lands but maybe try .020-30 off. just a few thousanths off might not change anything. try a big jump just to see.
 
And the firearms manufacturing "trend" is for longer throats so people won't kill themselves shooting military M855 5.56 ammunition that is loaded 3,000 cup higher and develops 60,000 cup in a rifle with a short throat.

556natochamberversus223remingtonchamber02.jpg


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Did you try jambing your bullets.

May2011-a.jpg
 
The 2012 edition of Hodgdons reloading magazine has a long article and cover shot of CFE 223. This in itself means nothing but good groups were achieved with a light charge of CFE 223 and a 52 grain bullet in a bull barrel AR-15 (.425)
 
gun powder does real good in feeding the rose bushes in the front yard.......

don't get upset, just recycle...remember...we are in a green phase....
 
I just tried it in my RRA 16" barrel with the 55g nbt and I got great results. I was just testing to see if that combo was worth working with and I got great results. My best group was with 26.5g. It was a three shot group at 65 yards that was one hole. I am still working on the load but I also got good results with 27.4 which is what I want for the velocity. But if I don't get it I will be more than happy with the 26.5 load. And no I haven't ran it across my chrono yet. So I don't have any velocity numbers yet but when I run them again I will.
 
IMO, for what it's worth, CFE is too slow for lighter bullets.

Some years back when I had a lot of time on my hands I did a lot of load testing in .223 with a 700 VS-SF. Over 700 loads with bullets from 40 to 55 gr, primers from Win, CCI, Fed, and pretty much every suitable powder.

Most accurate load was a 40 gr Nosler with IMR 4198 (old original IMR) at 3600 fps. This approximates a .222 bench rest load from when the .222 ruled bench rest. H4198 was close and being slightly slower than IMR worked well with 50 gr bullets, especially V-max. Surprisingly H335 worked well with everything and being a ball powder metered extremely well.

In general the faster powders (for bullet weight) proved more accurate. And the little 40 gr Nosler BT? Given the velocity, at 300 yards and in other heavier higher BC bullets do not match it's performance for drop or windage. Additionally velocity will be higher in a short barrel rifle with a 40 gr bullet.
 
So....I've been tinkering with my .223 for the last month...shooting every bullet and most powder combinations I can afford to try....and the only one that keeps bugging me, because i can't get it to shoot, is CFE223! The BEST i can get at 100yds is a little over 0.5" (measuring CTC or the extreme holes)....but the groups just open up from there! I've tried:
50gr vmax
52gr amax
53gr HP-M
55gr FBHP

The best shooting combination, so far, has been 27.1gr with 52gr A-max @ 1.897", followed fairly close by 27.4gr with a 52gr A-max @ 1.900" (ogive). I've shot on the lands (1.900); 0.003, 0.002, 0.005 off the lands, and 0.001 into the lands. I've shot powder combinations from 26.8 to 27.7 on the A-max...

So, is this the point at which you just give up on a powder and give it to a buddy, or do you keep going and just try smaller and smaller increments...hoping something finally gives?

I mean, i've got my WC844 and Benchmark loads that keep me happy out to 400yds....and I've got some RL15 and Varget stuff i'm working on that's showing promise....so I know it's not my reloading or shooting skills......
I have two suggestion's / questions, #1 - have you loaded cfe223 up to max ? #2- 60 grain - 69 grain bullet's could really bring it to tiny groups. I looked at hogdon load data and I'm thinking you might benefit from pushing the envelope/ max charges. Most of my best accuracy is at max , sometimes slightly over.
 

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