CFE 223 and 223 kinda disappointing

nastynatesfish

nastynatesfish

Active member
I got a pound of this to try in my remmy 700 varmint. I loaded a bunch of 5 shot groups up and took them out shooting. They groups from 27.5-28.5 shot really well. I loaded two more groups of 5 last night and took them out today. They shot pretty good both but I was running them over the chrony and was kinda disappointed in them. I knew they weren't as fast as the fiochi extrema I sighted with just because of how much higher they were hitting
This one is loaded at 29gr set at 2.280
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This was the group
C77878F1-1A46-4018-822E-95E7284938BA-25604-000012EF09753EE5.jpg

This was loaded at 28gr set at 2.280
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This was the group
83F52735-D352-4F6B-9D30-6FA3F4673C5A-25604-000012F149DA9F74.jpg

I just figured I should have been running faster. They are quit a bit lower than the book velocity which I'm fine with but just the inconsistency with the lower chared more accurate load I'm not real hot on. Any this is what I'm doing for the rest of the day I guess
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I have also tried quite a bit of cfe 223 but in 69 smks. 25 grains gets 2870 fps average when varget gets 2930 and viht 140 is over 3000. Thats all with 25 grains but cfe is really accurate. I have had a bunch of 5 shot groups under 3/8 of an inch but the velocity sucks.
 
Huh.....
Well I use it in the 243, and 308.
NOOO shortage of velocity in those buggers.

Given the difference in burning rate between CFE and Varget, barrel harmonics will be a bit different as well, don't discount that for the elevation shift.
 
I was surprised by the speeds as well. I tried CFE223, Benchmark, and Varget out of my 18" barrel from SD and the CFE was the slowest at 2950. Benchmark was in the middle but, Varget was the fastest at 2980. The CFE was so accurate it's gonna get the go ahead. Between that and if it really does help keep copper fouling down, I will be happy. I'm only running 27.5 grains of it so I could pump it up but why shorten my brass life when this load of 27.5 being so accurate. I might try some hotter loads and see if I can get it closer to 3100 fps. But I'm happy for now.
 
Originally Posted By: MPFDCFE was the slowest at 2950. Benchmark was in the middle but, Varget was the fastest at 2980.

30 fps.... Really?
Your ES & SD is probably about that... That isn't enough difference to care about, unless you are attempting to stay supersonic to a distance greater than what that gun was built for.
 
I'm sending my other stock off to get inletted for my cdi bottom metal tomorrow so I won't have it back till next Wednesday. I'm gonna try some varget again at 27.5 cause it shot decent. I'll have to wait till I get it back thou now.
 
Originally Posted By: DarkkerOriginally Posted By: MPFDCFE was the slowest at 2950. Benchmark was in the middle but, Varget was the fastest at 2980.

30 fps.... Really?
Your ES & SD is probably about that... That isn't enough difference to care about, unless you are attempting to stay supersonic to a distance greater than what that gun was built for.

I'm not complaining, I picked the CFE223. I'm just saying it was the first time Varget has given the most velocity in a 5.56 case in my experience. The CFE223 was the most consistent, that's why I picked it. I was just a little surprised cause this years copy of Hodgdon's reloading magazine showed it as the powder producing the most speed in every cartridge they tested it in...
 
Originally Posted By: MPFD

"I was just a little surprised cause this years copy of Hodgdon's reloading magazine showed it as the powder producing the most speed in every cartridge they tested it in... "



For me, that was the red light - no powder can have so many burning rates at the same time, so it was obvious that it was sales hype.


.
 
Varget was hyped the same way and it seems to me that when XBR8208 came out it was a top speed getter in quite a few as well. Of course they are all in that burn rate area that IS quite flexible with a large range of calibers as they are close to H4895 depending on whose burn rate chart you look at which is a do-it-all powder.
My experience with CFE223 has been for the most part positive. Top speed getter for me in 22-250 but one gun loved it the other it was so-so shooting around MOA at 100 yards.
On the other hand it did not show me much in the .204 Ruger that I could not do better with XBR8208.
 
Yeah I totally agree with you Venatic, Benchmark was the same way for me. It was the go to powder for some many people and I never had a gun that liked to burn it till I got my 12fv in .204 ruger. My new 5.56 AR seems to like anything that burns. I bet it would group well with a gasoline soaked napkin shoved down a .223 case.
 


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