Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Leverevolution and CFE223

Anybody ever seen how the data is so close along with speeds for the two to of them are? I have been loading a bunch of 223, 6 ARC and similar and the data looks so close I can't really see much difference. Charges always seem to be quite close together along with listed speeds, especially taking into account differing lots of the powders.

I just wish I could find some of them for sale…

You want close? Try identical loads of BLC-2 and CFE223, see what your chrono says about that. You want close, see what identical loads of H380 and Leverevolution do across the screens. Barsness says I'm full of schidt (some truth there) but what he doesn't explain are the chronograph readings.

I’m following this - I’ve just begun loading for a 6.5 Grendel and grabbed some LVR - curious about it’s relationship to CFE 223 but the loads do look nearly identical.

The only powder I have compared to CFE223 is LVR and that in a 30-30. The LVR was best in velocity and accuracy, but the CFE223 was second best.

I have had the same results in the 30-30, except my Marlin preferred CFE-223 in accuracy except the Speer 130 grain bullet shined on Hodgdon "LVR".

A lot of folks are surprised at the similarities of some powders. A burn rate chart is your friend. Especially when certain powders are hard to find. If they are close friends on the chart, chances are they will work about the same. Hasbeen

I was talking to a friend recently that was telling me that he and his benchrest buddies are using a lot of Leverevolution and they are really impressed. He said that it’s used interchangeably with powders in the Varget burn rate. I bought an 8# jug but haven’t opened it yet.

Ol stick maintained that lvr and 75 bthp(hornady) was the load, you won't find it in a hodgdon manual but he was right shoots fine in my tighter twist ar's and pretty stout in my 223 1 in 8 twist Tikka t3x. I shot a lot of 60 gr Hornady sp's with blC-2 with fine results....mb

I think Leverevolution is far more versatile than the manuals give it credit for. I’d be interested seeing a reloading savant give it a thorough testing in “off label” calibers…ie non-lever action cartridges.

Aces,
Here is a small sample. Rifle Tikka light weight 223 1 in 8 twist Each load average of five shots Hornady 75 gr. VLD.
25 gr. CFE 223 2783 Fps.
25 gr Varget 2839 Fps.
25 gr Rl 15 2820 Fps
25 gr Lever 2850 Fps
Accuracy was poor for all loads as I was to close to rifling . My present lot of CFE seems to be a little slower than previous lots.
Dave

Dave, Thanks for sharing that. There doesn’t seem to be much difference between those powders, at least practically speaking.

What is interesting is that accuracy can differ so much with those powders, from rifle to rifle. I have a 223 that strongly prefers RL 15 from that list. A 6 ARC that clearly favors LVR. A 308 that favors Varget over RL 15. Why? No idea.

Hodgdon hat Leverevolution as “available” on their website this afternoon.

Just got 5 lbs of IMR 4350 off Hodgdons site. No 8 lb. Jugs available. Only 1 lb. Canisters. IDC I’ll take it. I use that stuff in everything.
I use a lot of other stuff , but IMR 4350 is always my go to. It’s kinda like the 30-06 of powders for me.

Among many powders I've tested that resulted in the same average velocity, within a few fps, were the "new" version of Accurate 4350 (not the old Accurate Arms version) and a particular lot of new "long-cut" H4831, made in Australia. And the A4350 was NOT made in Australia....

Just because two powders of similar appearance produce the same velocity with the same cartridge/bullet combo does not mean they're the same powder. Which is why I expressed doubt about flintlocke's opinion.

Been using Lever in the 6.5 Grendel with 120 grain bullets for a while.

Get good accuracy and speed a little better than other powders.

Hodgden has it listed for the .338 Federal. Without grabbing the manual, I recall it producing better velocity than the other powders listed.

I have never heard anyone admit they were the same before. Why would Hodgdon have two powders in their line with two different names but the same powders? There is no reason to do that. Usually when powders are the same with different names they are under different company labels.

As for the powders being close in the burn rate charts, the charts will tell you which is relatively faster or slower but not how much faster or slower.

Good stuff. I’m sure they’re different in some way but I just don’t see any difference between them in my world other than one bunch of a lot being a little faster or slower than another.