Is cfe223 powder sensitive to cold?

[Nitromike]

I am going to use cfe223 to make plinking rounds for my ar15 but have seen data for .308 also and was going to try some but, if it's too cold sensitive I don't want to waste it on 308's because I would be using them for hunting and it can be awfully cold during deer season.

 

[CaptnC]

I personally have never used it because it has a reputation for being temp sensitive.

Here in the Houston area I can make a range trip in 100+ degrees then three months later be below 32 degrees in the deer woods.

I had considered using in my Grendel's because there are guys who use in their AR Grendel.

IMO-there are several options that are just as good, if not better.

In both of my AR 6.5 Grendel's H335 has been the most consistent. I've also tired IMR 8208, but the SD and ES is not as good as it is with the H335.

 

[Mach 1]

I have used a lot of cfe 223 and I can't say it's overly sensitive to temp. It meters like a dream and doesn't foul as bad as other powders. Granted I don't use it for my accuracy loads. I use xbr and varget mainly for that. Load 6 rounds. Put 3 in the freezer and warm 3 up and shoot them. See if you notice a difference. I did that with h335 years ago and couldn't tell much of a difference.

 

[thatguyshm]

I noticed in my 22-250 I was getting about 3630 with a 60gr Vmax in 60-70 degree weather Frozen ammo in the winter was netting me 3580. Sure it swung but it was very consistent ,and I was not using a max load. I'd say let'er rip and see what happens. I just loaded up more yesterday for a new 22-250 and we won't see temps above freezing for months.

 

[Capt RB]

Not much will touch cfe223 with heavies in a 308. 2750 with 185 jug's in my rifle with more speed available. My barrel is fast with fggm 175's 2704-2723 in slow lots and 2741-2753 in the lot I'm using for classes now. Most students factory guns run 2580ish with this load.
MR2000 is said to be just a different pkg but I've never seen that powder to confirm/deny it. I haven't used it in warm weather to give you an answer on stability however hornady's 4dof has it in the library for firing solutions. Download that onto your phone and run the numbers. One thing with powder there is no magic pixie dust they put in to make it stable. The coatings shapes and sizes that best fit the purpose and pressure vessel will control how stable it is.

 

[okie man]

I've tried it in both 223 and 308. Neither showed great accuracy. My issue with it is such a narrow window of charge weights. To me that means very small differences in brass, charge weights and primers have bigger effects on es and sd. The manuals show it gives greater speeds but if you look close at pressures they usually run it higher than similar powders in the same cartridges.

 

[Capt RB]

I've tried it in both 223 and 308. Neither showed great accuracy. My issue with it is such a narrow window of charge weights. To me that means very small differences in brass, charge weights and primers have bigger effects on es and sd. The manuals show it gives greater speeds but if you look close at pressures they usually run it higher than similar powders in the same cartridges.

I had the velocities of 2745-2759 over 3 charges in .3 intervals for 185 jugs. The next .3 jumped 55fps. I won't post the velocities of the 175 tmk's but pretty much the same thing. I bought if for a 155 palma load but it won't shoot with the light bullets. 195tmk's which shouldn't shoot in my 12 twist showed 2 nodes with both over .6 of powder changed.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I don't believe it's advertised as temp stable and I haven't found it to be ridiculous is velocity swings with temp changes anymore than other ball powders in my 223's. I tend to like stick powders for accuracy and easy metering ball powder for plinking loads this is not a hard a fast rule as I have had some very accurate ball powder loads but not nearly as many as with stick powders.

 

[Old Rooster]

I have not hunted with Hammer's yet but I have worked up loads with CFE223 and Tac Powders.
My load was 46.8 gr CFE223 with a 152 gr Hammer Hunter.Great group but my chronograph was not and still isn't working so I don't know the speed.
I have seen others load to 51.0 gr CFE223.Approach with caution as my load was warm.I hit a good accuracy node and will stay there.
Also don't forget Ramshot's Tac powder at 45.0 gr Tac I hit a positive node and could go higher as I did not see pressure problems yet but was very accurate in my rifle.
Those two powders will allow way more powder than Varget.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I've tried Varget several times in 223 and just not been impressed I'm sure it's a great powder just not in 223. My favorites are IMR8208 for heavy bullets and Benchmark for light bullets for accuracy. Tac is good also for heavy bullets. CFE223 I use for Prairie dogs because it meters well when loading thousands of rounds. I've not noticed it being temp sensitive but don't really use it in the winter. I'm usually shooting something else that time of year.

 

[Zen Archery]

My dead hogs summer and winter haven't said if its felt any different... Tee... Hee... Hee....

 

[Seabeeken]

Temp Sensitivity for the most part has gotten blown out of whack IMO. If you are working with a load developed using ball powder near max at say <50 deg and go shoot at 100 deg, then you may get pressure. 1 fps per degree seems the norm for ball powder. The Ramshot line is some of the least temp sensitive ball powder I've used and is made by PB Clermont in europe. In the end, temp sens. may be important to the 1,000 yd shooter but not so much for the 400 yd hunter. The only way to know is to test it at the range in your rifle. I was doing 400 yd neck shots on WT deer long before this temp sensitivity thing ever started and no issues. I cant ever recall a misfire that I could say way caused by temp but I've only hunted down to about 5 deg

 

[xsn10s]

When working with temp sensitive powders I generally load them specific to the temperature I'll most likely be shooting at and the loads which give me the best performance. Now if you have wide temperature swings throughtout a hunting day then I'd use temp insensitive powders. H4895 has given me good loads for my AR15 and 308 Win. YMMV.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I found it to be sensitive enough to notice, but as mentioned, in normal hunting ranges for a cartridge you would use it in, not so much.

I would say if loading to the top end, be cautious during the warmer months, or develop when it is warm and you won't worry about it being over in the cooler temps.

I found it to be like RL 17 though. Developed the load when warm out and then it went to pot when it was cold. No patience for those types of behavior, I can deal velocity loss, but not the way it groups.