Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

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Taylor300
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Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by Taylor300 »

I picked up several pounds of CFE BLK. Looking over the board it seems this wasn't the best move on my part. I have some new brass from Starline. I have hundreds of .308 bullets - Hornady 180, Sierra 180, Hornady 165, Hornday 150, Hornday 135, Hornady 110. I'm using a RAR, and an Aero 8" upper. I wasn't looking for sub moa, just plinking steel at 50 - 100 yards. I've been loading 19.1 grains with the 150. Everything functions fine in both guns, suppressed and not. This last weekend I loaded some 220 Sierra Matchking with 11.8 grains. Those ran fine suppressed and not. Again, accuracy isn't there, but I was just shooting steel at 50 yards with those.

I'm at the point I would like to maybe get a little more accuracy. Maybe at least 2 moa? Is that possible with what I have on hand? Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK? Looking at what I have, where would you start experimenting for a more accurate load? Without changing powders at the moment. Or is it just six of one, half a dozen of the other with this powder?

Thanks for any help,

Taylor
07Kingpin
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by 07Kingpin »

Just started loading for the 300 myself, 16" 1:7 Savage bolt so I will be watching this with interest.

FWIW I had absolutely no luck with 125s using H110, IMR4227 or CFEBLK but with 150s I'm seeing about 1MOA with CFE, need to fine tune.
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dellet
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by dellet »

I’ll refrain from my first thought, give you my second, which is feed the rose bushes with it, then try and actually help you out.

If you’re going to shoot that powder, the best thing you can do is compress it. That is pretty easy with supers, but problematic with subs. Just seat the bullet as deep as you can. It is terrible for vertical stringing due to high ES numbers. The higher the load density, the tighter the ES numbers become.

This will likely be helpful
https://www.300blktalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100097

I never was able to get serious pressure signs, no matter how hot I loaded, don’t be afraid to push it a bit. It’s a small ball powder, so when you to a point, it will be like trying to compress cement. Makes it real easy to damage a bullet. Please don’t take it as a challenge trying to stuff more and more powder under the bullet, but it is hard to get in trouble with.

As for 125’s and poor accuracy, there is no reason for that. It’s a well known go to combination.

Take a fired case with spent primer still in the case. Dump your powder charge in the case, set you bullet on the powder and establish that as your base COL. add .010” to that number and do a ladder of 3 charge weights .2 grains apart. If. If you add powder, add to the col, if you drop powder, subtract. But keep the bullet touching the powder, +/- .010”.

Might surprise you how fast you dial in. H110/296 with 110-135 grain bullets are some of the easiest loads to work with.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
Taylor300
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by Taylor300 »

dellet - Thanks for the info,

I’ll try that spent case measure tonight. I’m only using 19.1 grains with the 150s, so I think I will experiment with getting those loads to a compressed level. Hodgdon lists the 150 as 20.5C for maximum load, so I’ve got a lot of loadings I can try. Sounds like it would take a lot to get in trouble with high pressures and this powder.

07Kingpin - I’d be extremely happy with 1MOA using the 150s! What is your load if you don’t mind me asking? Is it a compressed load?

Thanks,

Taylor
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dellet
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by dellet »

Speer 150 gold dot. Around 2100 fps, 12” barrel. Model 7 Remington.
Powder was 11FS, would have to look up the load details. No reason to settle for just MOA. Just keep working at it.
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07Kingpin
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by 07Kingpin »

Load was a 150gr Hornady over 20gr of CFEBLK, CCI400 primer and seated out at 2.215" Hornady spec'd 2.220.

Hope to fine tune and also try some Speers this wknd.
Taylor300
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by Taylor300 »

So last night I was able to get 19.5 grains of CFEBLK into the spent case and have the 150 grain bullet sit where I normally load it. I loaded up a few to test. I will also try 20, and 20.5. Does that seem like a lot of compassion? Going from 19.5 to 20.5? I was seating to the cannelure which made it around 2.166. Hodgdon lists 2.235. So I guess I can back off a little.

That 11FS powder looks like it works well with 300BO!

Taylor
07Kingpin
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by 07Kingpin »

Image

150gr Speer over 21gr CFEBLK @ 200 yards. Needs some fine tuning but not terrible. Around here CFEBLK is actually available and does well enough to work with for now.
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dellet
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by dellet »

07Kingpin wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 10:45 am Image

150gr Speer over 21gr CFEBLK @ 200 yards. Needs some fine tuning but not terrible. Around here CFEBLK is actually available and does well enough to work with for now.
It can be very accurate with supers, just a bit slow. All that does is limit distance for hunting.

The bigger problem is subs, what it was in theory designed for, the ES Numbers without compression are unmanageable. Flipside is that it is one of the go to powders as a super in the 300 H’mmr.

I’m sure you’ll close that group up some.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
07Kingpin
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Re: Is there a sweet spot for CFE BLK?

Post by 07Kingpin »

Yeah velocity wasn't anything to write home about but then no load so far has been.

With every bullet weight speeds have been lower than anticipated. Whether with IMR4227, H110, or CFEBLK the velocity hasn't matched corresponding published data- even with a 16" barrel and a bolt action. Guess it's a slow barrel- not going to worry too much as long as I can get an accurate, stable load dialed in.
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