CFE223 temperature sensitivity?

Merdit

Merdit

Active member
I've been doing a little looking around for info on CFE223 and what people's experiences with it have been. I ran a PM search and found some results. Some have had issues with temperature sensitivity, and some have not. I have worked up a load with it that I like, and want to know what to expect or look for. If you have experience or knowledge in this area, please chime in. Thanks.
 
CF&E 223 is all I use in my 223. Year round 20 below to 100 above I have not experienced any problems with it. I bought an 8 lb. jug. Others say they have temp sensitivity. All I shoot is Prairie dogs and coyotes etc. Maybe other are shooting bench rest matches. I love it! Rudy
 
I haven't noticed much of a change due to temp but in my AR it did shift my POI 3" to the right which was odd to me....I've always seem small shifts depending on powder but the CFE .223 powder was significant. It was enough of a shift I had to pull out some of my old TAC loads and shoot them to see if my scope had gotten whacked. Sure enough my TAC loads hit spot on, I shot another 5 CFE .223 loads after swabbing the barrel and still 3" to the right. That is the only powder I've ever seen anything like that with.

That being said I went back to TAC for 55gr or less bullets and Varget for over 55 gr...they both produced better groups for me.
 
My Savage drops 50fps. roughly from 55 deg. F to 20 Deg. F, with 50v-max & 53v-max, not a big sacrifice when their both clocking over 3900 fps. with temp. in the 50's. A great article I read from Black Hills Ammo co. stated that for every degree temp. change up or down you gain or lose 1.5 FPS. that is with temp. sensitive powders. Makes sense, in my above EG: 35 DEG. difference, x 1.5 = 52.5 fps. --- very close to what my chrono shows as per the above example, 50's @ 3990 and 53's at 3960 drop to 3950 and 3900 respectively.
 
Thanks for the replys, guys.

That's some good info, titegroup. I have mine where I want it at 30 degrees, but I built the original load at 70 degrees. I guess I need to set up the chrony and see what it says when I get a warm afternoon. Then try it again in a cold snap.
 


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