Cfe pistol mild 44 mag

[Bobbysixkiller]

Ok. I've been using unique. I'm out. Can't find any. Bought some cfe pistol. 200 gr jhp. 44 special load max is 7.1. Magnum min is 12. Any body see problems downloading to 9.5 to 10 grains for a mid range load. Cfe seems to have good reviews. It's all I could find on my list of powders to look for.

[Freischütz]

I've used 10gr of CFE Pistol with Lyman 429421 and 429244 without problems.

I believe this powder is faster than Unique and don't go higher than 10 gr.

[BLUEDOT37]

I've used 10.2gr/CFE-P with Xtreme's 200gr P-RNFP, ~1175fps using Hodgdon's data w/8.275" bbl. (13.4gr max w/JHP)

11.0grs/CFE-P & Xtreme's 240gr P-RNFP was accurate in my 629-6 5" bbl. ~1235fps using Hodgdon's data w/8.275" bbl. ~30.5K psi

CFE-P is slower than Unique, per Hodgdon's Relative Burn Chart.

.

[BC38]

Never used CFE, but I have done pretty much the same thing with AA#2 - loaded almost 10% above the max for 44 special in 44 magnum cases. It's worked quite well for me.

A little more UMPH than 44 specials but much more pleasant to shoot than full boat magnums. YMMV

[Collo Rosso]

I've only done some 44 spl. loads so far and like it. I'm sure it will work well in reduced 44 magloads.

[Bobbysixkiller]

Thanks all. Greatly appreciated.

[johnnyflake]

For what it's worth, I recall reading an article from 7/8 years back or so, can't recall who wrote it, maybe Taffin, but I am not sure. Anyway, there was a suggestion for light loads, in the magnum calibers, .44, .357 and so on. The suggestion was to take whatever your preferred magnum load was and simply down size the powder charge by 20%. I have used that suggestion on .44 Mag & .454 Mag loads and it works very well.

Just my two cents!

[Bobbysixkiller]

That's about right then. 80 percent of 12 grains is 9.6. 10 should be fine then.

[8emem]

I have found that reducing loads below the minimum in slower powders like CFE Pistol (i.e. HS6, AutoComp) results in a lot of unburned powder when you use it in large cases like 44 magnum or 45 Colt. Yes, the bullet will exit the barrel with some level of recoil, but it can get messy to the point of affecting both revolver and semi-auto functioning.

If unburned powder is not bothersome to you, or you don't get any from your loads, hey, you're in business. I consistently have found it necessary to work up well into the middle of the range for clean loads. Your results may vary.

Good luck and good shooting.

[Nevada Ed]

per post 2 &3;

I do not trust burn rates.............they are all different.

In my 38, 357 and 9mm loads..........
CFE is like a 90% Unique in reaching maximum fps but it
did come close to matching w231 in fps in the 357 with the 125gr JHP.

Due to weight and fps, I would think it is faster than Unique but
a nice new powder to use that is clean and meters well. I really
like how well it does in medium loadings.

[SLT223]

Originally Posted by 8emem

I have found that reducing loads below the minimum in slower powders like CFE Pistol (i.e. HS6, AutoComp) results in a lot of unburned powder when you use it in large cases like 44 magnum or 45 Colt.

Good luck and good shooting.

Yeah, I actually tested that out with CFE Pistol using 4" and 6" 629-1. Bad burns started to show up south of 7 grains in 44 RM cases using Xtreme 200gr plated RN slugs. Everything north was fine.

Brass was Starline. Primers were CCI 300.

That being said, best accuracy showed up on the warmer side of the load data...like pretty much all mid-range powders.

[derek45auto]

11.5 CFE-P / 200gr SNS coated, got me 1277fps from a 5" SBH

This load shoots really well in my 4" 69 also.