Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Chrono'd CFE223 & Big Game in 7mm-08 /260

Bought several 8lb jugs of powder last year that I'm just getting around to trying out. I was looking for some speed in an 18" stainless RAR 7mm-08 carbine and these two powders looked like good options. I got my data from Hodgdon and Nosler, as well as some additional insight from Pharmseller here on the forums. I was using the 120 NBT, W-W brass, and CCI 250 primers.

First, the rifle hated Big Game with any charge. 2MOA was the norm. Second, it shot CFE223 very well, being right around MOA with the upper-end charges of 48 and 49gr (Hodgdon lists 49.5gr max with that bullet). I loaded a handful of the 49gr load and came back with my chronograph. 3120fps was the result. That's cooking from an 18" carbine. I tried the same load in my 20" Remington bolt gun, which hates the 120NBT and got 3,160fps with poor accuracy. To double check the Pro Chrono, I shot my standard load through the Remington and got its usual 2,700fps. (47.2gr H4350 and 145 Speer). So the speeds are legit. Cases in neither rifle showed any pressure signs, and bolt lift was fine. It was 85-90 degrees both days I shot it.

I was rather disappointed in Big Game in the 7mm-08 but each rifle has a mind of its own. It did somewhat redeem itself in the 260. I've got one of the SPS 700 rifles with 1-8" twist and I had it cut down to 22" and put it in a Classic walnut handle. With the 100TTSX at 2.81 (.040 off), R-P cases, and CCI 250 primers, 47gr shot MOA and made 3,190fps. Groups tightened up as charges went up and Nosler shows a max of 47.5gr with 100's in their manual, so I'll check that load out, but it looks promising. This is a combo I just don't hear much about, but it should be a good little deer bullet at 3,200fps +. For what it's worth, 4064 gave roughly the same speeds when I stopped at a half grain below Nosler's max, and the accuracy was right there with Big Game. I just don't have much on the shelf and those lincoln-log powder kernels are not as fun to work with.


As an aside, I also shot some of my daughter's youth 7mm-08 loads while I had the chrono set up. 120 TTSX, CCI 200, R-P case, 31gr H4198 yielded 2,550-2,600fps from her 20" barrel. It's a pretty good killer for as easy as it shoots.

I don't remember the numbers exactly, but a couple of years ago a range acquaintance of mine was using CFE223 to post some pretty good speeds with a 20" barreled 308 and a Berger 168. It might get a little sporty if you shoot the load at higher temps than you developed it.

Thanks for the info - I have gotten some pretty high velocity readings with CFE-223 in a 7-08 and 7-08ai (22.4" and 24" barrels, resp), so I've backed down somewhat from those listed max loads. Hodgdon lists 3150 fps as max velocity with 120 gr bullets and 49.5 gr CFE in a 24" barrel.

Maybe we both got "hot" lots of the powder, but I'm at least one grain lower than that max while still getting that velocity. In both rifles. Nosler brass with the std 7-08, and WW brass with the ai. I don't mind going a little over that with the ai, but right now don't really see a reason to.

I'd heard about the "sporty" tendencies approaching max with this powder, so I figured working it up in summer weather was likely a good idea to be safe. But I got no ejector swipes or anything to indicate that I was overdoing it yet. I'd have been happy with 3,000fps from the Ruger and was surprised to see another 120fps. I stood behind and tot the side while my father shot a few rounds and it was a bit blasty, as you might expect. He's going to be the one hunting that rifle and will likely want to keep the 49gr load. If it were me, I'd drop a half grain, just to be safe, as 48gr shot well too.

I forget the charge, but a well below max load of CFE223 with a 168 gr bullet in 308 has provided superb grouping in several of my rifles. Think old school LC Match type ballistics. Super pleasant to shoot and plenty of deer killing power to 300 yards easy.

CFE223 is my go-to with 150 Hornadys in my .308s. Both shoot the bullet into 1/2 moa @2924 fps. It meters great and the CFE part seems to be legit, as far as I can see.

I used a lot of cfe 223 in a finnlite 7-08 with 120ttsx and with 48 gr I was getting 3200fps . It was devastating on deer which is all I shot with it . Don't tell me I was over pressured because I don't really care to hear it , gun functioned great and brass and is still being used in a ridgeline 7-08 and has been loaded 8 times now and is still as tight as it was the first time I loaded it.