Hodgdon CFE Pistol

[Miracle Man]

Just had a little trigger time with my new Tisas 1911 and old Springfield 1911.

Was shooting a fairly stout load of CFE and 230 gr. XTP's getting an average of 938.5 FPS from Tisas and basically same thing from Springfield, couple feet per second less. The deviation was small. Less than 30 FPS.

I didn't save targets a buddy plowed some more holes in them but they shot really nice 25 yard groups from bench.

I found some 200 gr. lead HP's- coated I'm going to try with CFE pistol. I'd guess it's gonna be a nice load for 45acp.

 

[alwslate]

If CFE proves to be unobtainable or a bit too expensive Winchester Autocomp is said to be the same powder without the cleaner and loads with the same data.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

These are hot loads, read the warnings

I've loaded both CFE-P & A-C but never tested them head-to-head.

This article did & found A-C out-performed CFE-P:

"CFE produced less velocity than AC for the same charge weight, an average of 32 feet-per-second (fps) less in the 9mm and 38 fps less in the .38 Super."

They said they were similar but nothing about the same minus any additives. Maybe they missed a memo somewhere? Duh no.

Making Major with Hodgdon CFE Pistol Powder - Handguns

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[cadmike]

I have found cfe to be excellent in .44 mag for mid range loads. My idea of mid range is a 240 gr slug at 1100-1200 fps. I had no trouble working cfe up to 1200, could have gone further, but ended up backing off and settling on about 1150 fps. A fantastic loading in my 629 with 6 1/2 inch barrel.

Regarding autocomp, I also experimented with a pound of that in .44 mag a few years ago and worked up some very good loads with that powder also. I had never heard it was supposed to be similar to cfe, but in looking back at my data the charge weights and velocities are pretty close.

 

[rosewood]

I've loaded both CFE-P & A-C but never tested them head-to-head.

This article did & found A-C out-performed CFE-P:

"CFE produced less velocity than AC for the same charge weight, an average of 32 feet-per-second (fps) less in the 9mm and 38 fps less in the .38 Super."

They said they were similar but nothing about the same minus any additives. Maybe they missed a memo somewhere? Duh no.

Making Major with Hodgdon CFE Pistol Powder - Handguns

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32 FPS could be lot to lot variation. And unless they compare pressures, their chart really doesn't tell the full story. A couple of tenths might get the CFE up to the AC with the same pressure.

Rosewood

 

[Miracle Man]

I've loaded both CFE-P & A-C but never tested them head-to-head.

This article did & found A-C out-performed CFE-P:

"CFE produced less velocity than AC for the same charge weight, an average of 32 feet-per-second (fps) less in the 9mm and 38 fps less in the .38 Super."

They said they were similar but nothing about the same minus any additives. Maybe they missed a memo somewhere? Duh no.

Making Major with Hodgdon CFE Pistol Powder - Handguns

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I'm not saying anything they or you say is incorrect, however. Those listed charge weights for the 115 gr 9mm are A LOT heavier than what I've been testing. And what's on the Hodgdon website.

 

[Miracle Man]

I shot a 10-round group at 25 yards/sand bagged rest with my SA 10mm yesterday using a medium load of CFE pistol and WOW!! 155 grain XTP and CCI LP primer.

The Springfield has a new HEX dragonfly R.D. on it, and you could have covered 6 or 7 of those rounds with a 50-cent piece. The entire 10 shots was about 2.5 inches outside diameter with one flyer a bit high and left or it would have been excellent - for me.

This is going to be my 10mm powder. It's not too pricey and it's available.

 

[.38SuperMan]

I started using CFE-P inn38super major loads a few years ago. I'd been using old 540/HS-6 but sold my comp gun and had 1000 hot loads to shoot through a pistol without a comp. When shooting without a comp the flash was fierce on the order of a hot 44mag. So after shooting all of my stock (shoot hot loads in a fully supported chamber only) I started looking around and CFE-P ticked all the boxes.

I'm not shooting those hot loads now but find CFE-P really good in moderate loads in 44specisl, 44 mag, 38 super, 45 LC, 45 acp and 357mag. I've not tried 38 special but suspect it would be fine there. I'm especially fond of it in larger cases and 35 super.

I used to be a dedicated user of 231 but havebfound powders like CFE-P to really shine where I was using 231.

 

[Skeet 028]

Tried CFE-P as I said. Doesn't do a lot more than my old favorites and different older powders. I've got 3 kilos of Alcan 5 about the same Alcan 8...they still work for specialty loads. And I continue buying old cans of Hercules/Alliant powders. They never go bad and most sell cheap...because they are old. There are some younger reloaders that know nothing about older powders i.e. Unique, Herco even Red Dot. They got started on newer powders and calibers

 

[Nevada Ed]

CFE-P will work in a +P+ load with the correct pistol and barrel for the higher pressures.

For those of us shooting "Stock" 9mm pistols, I treat it like W231.
Both powder do great with laight to medium target loads and will get factory loads out of a 4" barrel, if there is a good fit.

Trying to get a +P load out of a 124 gr bullet be it FMJ or a Speer Gold Dot,
with a OAL of 1.12" needs a chrony, work up, to see how the fps and ejections work out
to see if your pistol can swallow a +P load with these powders.

I found that the CFE-p powder spikes at the top end of my data and the
target groups, start to open up., to where I needed to go to a slower burning powder
to get groups that I liked.

I find CFE-p powder very accurate for light target to factory, loadings,
in my 3, 3.5 & 5" 9mm pistols.

 

[Miracle Man]

Tried CFE-P as I said. Doesn't do a lot more than my old favorites and different older powders. I've got 3 kilos of Alcan 5 about the same Alcan 8...they still work for specialty loads. And I continue buying old cans of Hercules/Alliant powders. They never go bad and most sell cheap...because they are old. There are some younger reloaders that know nothing about older powders i.e. Unique, Herco even Red Dot. They got started on newer powders and calibers

Oh I agree totally. If I had a bunch of unique or whatever I wouldn't change. However, if you're like me and don't have a stock of old stuff it seems to be a good powder to stock up on while you can.

 

[sniper]

Like probably many of us, I have several powders, gotten as they became available. Problem is, I have too many. My favorite, UNIQUE, I have the most of, but in attempting to find a replacement, probably one more won't hurt or matter.
I shoot mostly .38 Spl +P level loads in 357 magnum brass, because I don't care for the drama of "full snort" 357s.
It looks like a true toss up between CFE-P and BE 86...if and when they are stocked at any of the LGS. Any choice between them?
For years, my go-to load has been 5.5 gr. Unique...860 fps chrono'ed from a 4" barrel, standard primer. Thinking of increasing that to 6.0 gr., for no higher than 1,000 fps Jacketed and plated/cast I wonder if BE 86 or CFE-P will be good for that level of velocity, providing I can't find any Unique?

 

[venomballistics]

Like probably many of us, I have several powders, gotten as they became available. Problem is, I have too many. My favorite, UNIQUE, I have the most of, but in attempting to find a replacement, probably one more won't hurt or matter.
I shoot mostly .38 Spl +P level loads in 357 magnum brass, because I don't care for the drama of "full snort" 357s.
It looks like a true toss up between CFE-P and BE 86...if and when they are stocked at any of the LGS. Any choice between them?
For years, my go-to load has been 5.5 gr. Unique...860 fps chrono'ed from a 4" barrel, standard primer. Thinking of increasing that to 6.0 gr., for no higher than 1,000 fps Jacketed and plated/cast I wonder if BE 86 or CFE-P will be good for that level of velocity, providing I can't find any Unique?

I'm finding plenty of the Hodgdon powders out there and they are not a vista outdoors company ... that im aware of.
So ... I'd opt for CFE for those political reasons.
Otherwise, the two powders are brothers from another mother.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Like probably many of us, I have several powders, gotten as they became available. Problem is, I have too many. My favorite, UNIQUE, I have the most of, but in attempting to find a replacement, probably one more won't hurt or matter.
I shoot mostly .38 Spl +P level loads in 357 magnum brass, because I don't care for the drama of "full snort" 357s.
It looks like a true toss up between CFE-P and BE 86...if and when they are stocked at any of the LGS. Any choice between them?
For years, my go-to load has been 5.5 gr. Unique...860 fps chrono'ed from a 4" barrel, standard primer. Thinking of increasing that to 6.0 gr., for no higher than 1,000 fps Jacketed and plated/cast I wonder if BE 86 or CFE-P will be good for that level of velocity, providing I can't find any Unique?

BE-86 in my 9mm pistols will beat Unique powder in fps with a heavy 147 gr plated bullet

only because the "Fat" flakes of Unique fill the short 9mm case
more than the fine grained BE-86 powder.

CFE load data is too "Safe" to let it beat out these two other powders in fps. However it does a good job with a lighter 124 gr, plated bullet, in getting top fps, in or near +P.

 

[Chuck Edwards]

Like probably many of us, I have several powders, gotten as they became available. Problem is, I have too many. My favorite, UNIQUE, I have the most of, but in attempting to find a replacement, probably one more won't hurt or matter.
I shoot mostly .38 Spl +P level loads in 357 magnum brass, because I don't care for the drama of "full snort" 357s.
It looks like a true toss up between CFE-P and BE 86...if and when they are stocked at any of the LGS. Any choice between them?
For years, my go-to load has been 5.5 gr. Unique...860 fps chrono'ed from a 4" barrel, standard primer. Thinking of increasing that to 6.0 gr., for no higher than 1,000 fps Jacketed and plated/cast I wonder if BE 86 or CFE-P will be good for that level of velocity, providing I can't find any Unique?

My practice load for .38 Special is five grains of BE-86 under a 158-grain Rainier plated RN. This is halfway between Alliant's max standard pressure load and their max +P load, and I chose it because it effectively matches my .38 Special carry load, the R-P version of the FBI load which runs ~830 fps from my 3" M10-7. Hitting 1000 fps using .357 brass would be no problem, and is well within Alliant's .357 data.

My sole experience with CFE-P is with .40 S&W using coated 180-grain LTCs in my M&P40 1.0. Using 5.8 grains, which is .1 grain less than Hodgdon's starting load, it was one fps off Federal's 180-grain HST (979 fps vs. 980). It's a good load.

I've settled on BE-86 as my "one powder to rule them all". But if I got a better deal on CFE-P, I'd be comfortable going with it.