Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Anyone Tried CFE Pistol by Hodgdon?

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    12th October 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    321
    Posts liked by others
    27

    Anyone Tried CFE Pistol by Hodgdon?

    I just got through loading up 50 rounds of 230 gn JHP with CFE Pistol. The CFE stands for copper fouling eraser. Haven't taken it to the range yet, but it is certainly the most consistent measuring powder I have ever used. Once I got the Lee Perfect Powder measure set up, it threw consistently for all 50 rounds. I check every 5 or 10 rounds, depending on powder, and usually have to adjust as the powder measure varies over time. But this time, it maintained the exact weight powder throughout the batch.

    I have used w231, AA #5, and Titegroup. All are good powders, but none as consistent as CFE Pistol. I went to the store to buy some Power Pistol. The guy at the store indicated that they get in PP once in a blue moon, but that everyone seemed to like this CFE Pistol.

    I will take these rounds to the range and let you all know how they shoot.

    Wade

  2. #2
    Join Date
    17th November 2016
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    1
    Posts liked by others
    2
    When I started reloading last year, I wanted to get PP, but they were out. Got the CFE, and have been using it all along. Measures fine for me. The cases come out pretty dirty (compared to factory), but seems to shoot and chrono fine. I use it for 9mm and .45 ACP in RN and FP, respectively. Was using Berry’s plated bullets, but now using Precision Bullets (coated lead bullets).
    Regards,

    PCM

  3. #3
    Join Date
    8th August 2010
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    1,836
    Posts liked by others
    33
    I haven't gone to CFE Pistol because of the disdain I have for CFE 223. Thousands of rounds with that stuff and can't seem to get consistent loads.
    Beauty is skin deep but ugly goes right to the bone.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    12th October 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    321
    Posts liked by others
    27
    ncviking, sorry to hear you have not had good luck. I will try to get to the range this weekend to see how it CFE Pistol shoots.

    Wade

  5. #5
    Join Date
    23rd February 2008
    Location
    Wabash IN
    Posts
    595
    Posts liked by others
    13
    I've not tried it because I shoot mostly cast and the CFE is more expensive. It's not worth it to me, and I also don't really understand why copper fouling is a huge deal in non-match barrels and guns.

    Josh

  6. #6
    Join Date
    12th October 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    321
    Posts liked by others
    27
    So I went to the range today to try out my CFEPistol loads for both 9mm Luger and for .45 Auto. Both loads worked very well. As I noted, it measures very accurately and performed quite tamely. I also believe that there was very little muzzle blast.

    Wade
    Likes (1) :
    ncviking (29th November 2017)


  7. #7
    Join Date
    25th September 2011
    Posts
    763
    Posts liked by others
    56
    Do you notice any difference in copper fouling?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    2nd June 2004
    Location
    Terra
    Posts
    22,286
    Posts liked by others
    906
    Quote Originally Posted by PolyKahr View Post
    So I went to the range today to try out my CFEPistol loads for both 9mm Luger and for .45 Auto. Both loads worked very well. As I noted, it measures very accurately and performed quite tamely. I also believe that there was very little muzzle blast.
    Do you have any specific numbers on accuracy and velocity? "Performed quite tamely" is largely a function of how much powder you used in each load. What most reloaders are concerned with is accuracy and consistent velocity, so we would welcome any chronograph results providing not just velocity, but also extreme spread and standard deviation for your loads.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  9. #9
    Join Date
    12th October 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    321
    Posts liked by others
    27
    Pyrean, no I did not notice any difference in copper fouling per se, but both pistols were easier to clean. In both cases, several swabs with a cloth were all that was needed. No need to scrub with the brush. Also, there was less powder scattered about the pistol.

    Hawkmoon, sorry to disappoint, but I do not have a chronograph, and while the my target looks subjectively more accurate, I don't have the typical pictures you see in gun reviews of five shot groups. By tamely, I mean that there can be either a snappy feel to the burn rate of the powder, or it can feel like more as a push. I believe part of this effect is the burn rate of a given powder. Whether this is true or not, I don't know. You and others would know a lot more than I do.

    Most of my shooting is defensive shooting, in which you burn through a lot of ammunition. As a result, I got into reloading to reduce the cost of the process. .45 Auto, as you well know, is fairly expensive. But I have noticed that I enjoy building a product that gives me more accuracy than I can deliver, out of a gun that shoots better than I do, at a cheaper price than I can purchase.

    I don't usually give out load data I use on these forums because while it may be working for me, it might not work for you. But, for .45 Auto out of a 5 inch barrel, I used 6.2 gns CFEPistol, with Winchester Large Pistol primers, at OAL of 1.234 inches. Bullet was Hornady 230 gn XTP. Hodgdon gives, for Hornady 230 gn FMJ the following data:

    .451 Bullet Dia, 1,200 OAL, Staring load: 6.0 gn 815 fps 16,000 CUP Ending Load: 6.8, 934 19,800.

    Hope this helps, but I fear I have left a giant hole in the knowledge base. Sorry for that,

    Wade

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.