Experience with Hodgdon CFE 223 ?

Use it in .223 and .308. Good speeds...narrow accuracy node usually found near max with very little forgiveness.
Meh...it's a ball powder (which I use lots of) and if the price is right I will shoot it along with w748, BLC2, TAC etc. for high volume needs.

If the goal is top accuracy and temp. stability I look eslewhere.
 
I use it in 223 and 22-250.
No complaints and I used it in a new 223 for about 500rnds with no copper build up. Was very impressed by that.
 
I use it in my Ruger American Ranch 5.56/223. With a 53gr Hornady VMAX and 28.3gr of CGE223, I get sub-MOA 5-shot groups. In my Remington 700 using 178gr Hornady HPBT and 44.5gr of CFE223, I get 5-round groups of 1MOA. So, yes I think it's a good powder for a number of calibers. I bought it because Varget and/or H4895 are almost impossible to get right now. The burning rate of CFE223 is nearly the same as BL-C2.
 
Hodgdon CFE 223 is an excellent powder for the 223 remington, right on par with BLC-2, which is a kissing cousin, that is so close, the loads are almost identical for every bullet weight, with CFE 223, maybe a half grain faster on maximum charges.

When it was first offered, some folks even commented it was BLC-2, only enhanced with copper fouling eliminators.

They may be right. Maybe Ganderite could chime in on this???
 
CFE223 is my current go-to for .223 since WC735 is no longer available. I have found it to be accurate at near top load velocities. It is also my current .308 hunting load powder for 150 grain or 165 grain bullets. Excellent accuracy from both with very good velocities.
 
I bought five lbs years ago, have used it in 223 and other cartridges. It never seems to give the best accuracy for me, I likely won't be replacing it when I am finally out of it. StaBALL Match is similar burn rate and works better for me
 
Francois_ said:
Anyone use Hodgdon CFE 223 in their 223 ? Feedback ?

Thanks !!
Click to expand...
I've had promising results starting load development in a new barrel pushing 69gr Barnes match burners. The first node was right around 2650 fps.
 

Attachments

  • 20250727_113153.jpg
    20250727_113153.jpg
    86.6 KB · Views: 7
55gr hornady SP varmint with 26.0 grains of CFE223, Winchester primers.

100m out of a Gen1 Ruger Ranch.

My groups actually opened up as I worked the load up.

Flyer was cold clean barrel. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

1000098882.jpg
 
I tried it when it seemed I couldn't settle varget with 75 gr tips.

It was quite a bit slower than varget and didn't give me much better results. Ended up trying a different primer with the varget, and bingo. .355" 5 round group at 100m from a 17" barrel. So now the cfe 223 sits on the shelf.
 
Anybody try it in a 30-30? Some forum from the US had a poster say it was close to Leverevolution powder. This was a few years ago now, likely before the communist covid scam. Old guy memory, sorry! :oops::D
 
One thing to consider is that CFE 223 is probably the most temperature sensitive powder available. If you're doing load development in the summer for a colder fall hunt, it could be a substantial change. It may have dramatically different accuracy at the lower velocity, not to mention your drops are going to be significantly different.
 
I've tried it in the 8x57, with 160 grain Barnes TTSX it is very accurate but much lower velocity than "the book".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom