Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles CFE223 report

I was finally able to shoot the loads I made containing 27.8 grains of CFE223 in Lapua and PMC 223 cases. Wolf SR primers. 50 grain Hornady V Max
I fired 30 rounds through an AR15 and the bore looked clean. No unburned chunks of powder or any signs of copper fouling.
I was sighting in with a new scope at 40 yards but the accuracy seems very promising, I will be trying it in my 700 VLS 223. It has always been a very accurate rifle but I think the CFE223 may be an improvement.

Ernie

I have not noticed any significant difference in fouling but the accuracy seems to be very good in a couple of my 223's.

drover

I have reserved the use of CFE223 to my 22-250 at this point. I sold my .223 soon after I started trying CFE223. In my 22-250 accuracy is outstanding and there has been no copper fouling. Love the powder and hope to try it in the .243 and .257AI this summer.

Anyone willing to share their 22-250 load of CFE or better yet anyone have a CFE load for a Swift? Hodgdon lists loads for the 52 gr A-max in the 22-250. I want a 3750 fps load for my Swift and 53 gr. Vmax.

Easy!! Start middle of the 250 load and work up.

With that reasoning and using +1 grain for the larger Swift capacity that works out to 38.5. I'll start at 37 and using my chrono work up to the 3750. I know that's pretty slow for the Swift but I've had pressure problems in the past and suspect cooking a round in a hot chamber was the root cause. Better safe than paying for repairs.

Look at hodgdon under 220 Swift, 52 Sierra, BLC(2). They are almost identical twins.
I would start at 36 and work it up. 3700 -3750 isn't a bad place to be, barrel life seems to be better also.

I show 39 grains of CFE223 running 3872fps with a 52 grain Amax out of my Remington SPS Varmint rifle. Worked up from 37 grains. 38.5 grains gave me 3787 fps and the same POA/POI as my .45 grain sierra loads. I will say this was a small test group as I have only had this rifle for one season and not tested many loads. Found a couple that worked and started killing woodchucks!

BTW, I sent Hodgdon an email informing them CFE is flatten ball and not spherical as described in all their literature, they haven't responded. H380 is spherical, H335 is flatten ball.

WSM, thanks for the data point.

Boise,
Glad to be some help. I got lucky and hit some good loads right away in the 22-250. Should be working on 55 grain loads once it warms up and my shoulder heals. This 14 twist likes 45's and 50-52's but I have a bunch of different 55's from my 1-9 twist .223 I had.

Don

Probably moot now that Hodgdon controls most of the powder distribution - including St. Marks made, Winchester branded and Hodgdon distributed. Time was Hodgdon could never ever use the word ball in connection with anything but Winchester branded and labeled Ball powder

Thought I would bring this thread back up. How are folks doing with the CFE? I just had my first copper build up since I started shooting CFE in my .22-250. Cleaned up fast with Patch Out.

Working on some loads to use up all the 55 grain Varmageddons I have. They are shooting ok but not like the lighter bullets.