CFE 300 BLK first thoughts update 1/28/17

[Walkers Bay]

Great info. Thanks for posting

[dellet]

Another round today and almost there, ready for fine tuning.

Still at 50 yards, back to the original powder charge of 11.2 grains.

208 Amax
11.2 gr. CFE BLK
2.185" COL
Rem 7 1/2 primer
LC converted 1.350"

1067 fps
1047
1056
1064
1040
1049
1063
1059
1063
1038
1011
AVG 1050
56 ES
16 SD

11 shots, 1" dot, flyer was all me.


Original load, Hodgdon data.
208 Amax
11.2 CFE BLK
2.255" COL
Rem 7 1/2
LC converted 1.350"


892 fps
896
848
801
1007
AVG 888
ES 206

5 shots 1"dot (unmarked)


The powder is growing on me in a carbine gas system. I really think the answer seems to be 100-110% case fill to get reasonable spreads.

A little more tuning on this load and it will be time to stretch it out.

One other tidbit is my last shot has continued to be an anomaly. It is likely bolt speed and compressed powder moving the bullet forward due to moving faster on an empty mag.

[workky]

Hey dellet, how did you measure the powder charge? I'm just curious, did you weigh every charge? Or set it up on the powder drop and let it go.

[dellet]

I generally throw a charge a little light then trickle to finish on a RCBS 505 beam scale.

I will probably use a digital next time I run this load, just to eliminate error and see if I can tighten that spread. I would like to cut that ES in half.

The original post shows the variation I had using just the powder throw.

[workky]

The 2.185 loaks are looking very nice
I got 8lbs of CFE BLK, I gotta find a load that shoots 220's well

[dellet]

The 2.185 loaks are looking very nice
I got 8lbs of CFE BLK, I gotta find a load that shoots 220's well

There is data for a 220 SMK on Hodgdon's site.

If I were to work up that load, I would drop the powder charge .5 grain and seat the bullet resting on the powder, possibly compress it .015".

If that is not something you are comfortable with, start with the written data and work the bullet down .010" at a time and then reduce powder to drop your velocity. When your spreads get reasonable, your accuracy should also.

What bothers me the most about this powder is that it seems unstable with large gaps between the powder and bullet. When the velocity spreads between five shot groups is 200-300 fps there is some spiking going on.

Still working it out, but gaining understanding

[workky]

I had spreads in fps of over 150fps, it was aweful. But then I noticed these new bullets needed to be seated deeper. I did that and am testing tomorrow

[dellet]

I had spreads in fps of over 150fps, it was aweful. But then I noticed these new bullets needed to be seated deeper. I did that and am testing tomorrow

For me this powder was very expensive fertilizer until I started getting the bullet down into the powder.

What was your load that was so bad?

[workky]

11.5 grains all the way up to max , 220 sierra pro hunter round nose. I loaded them too long. 2.15.

Now I'm loading them at 2.05, to the cantelure. I have not tested these yet. But based on others findings, I'm hoping this will fix my issues

[dellet]

11.5 grains all the way up to max , 220 sierra pro hunter round nose. I loaded them too long. 2.15.

Now I'm loading them at 2.05, to the cantelure. I have not tested these yet. But based on others findings, I'm hoping this will fix my issues

It will be close. Don't be afraid to seat the bullet above the cannelure if needed and you have the room..

The Sierra round hunter is 1.305", Hornady Amax 1.490". So to get the same seating depth, it will be around 2.00" You just won't know until you try.

What may happen is that the velocity is too high, so I would not too many.

Just be aware that there really is no real world data for this powder. so what will happen is just a good guess.