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Posted: 12/8/2016 2:01:53 PM EDT
I'm not talking precision loads, we're making blasting ammo in this thread.

Right now for what I load, I'm using:
.223 Rifle = H335 or BL-C2
9mm/.40S&W Pistol = Power Pistol

I'm now going to start loading 380ACP, .45ACP, .300BO and .308.

I've been looking at the CFE Pistol and CFE .223.  Will the CFE powders serve me well for all these calibers, or is there better options??
Link Posted: 12/8/2016 2:08:21 PM EDT
[#1]
I typically use TAC for .223 and .308 but I don't know how it would work for 300 supers.  I'm using TAC over CFE 223 simply due to cost and they seemed to perform the same for me, both in metering and shooting.

I use Titegroup for 9mm and .45 but don't load .380 or .40.

So not an entire answer but maybe a place to start.
Link Posted: 12/8/2016 2:26:52 PM EDT
[#2]
Link Posted: 12/8/2016 5:33:11 PM EDT
[#3]
300 BO is kind of funny compared to other rifle calibers. 1680, H110, and lil'gun are proven to work with 300BO. You may have to experiment to find what works in your gun.


Link Posted: 12/8/2016 5:49:25 PM EDT
[#4]
Link Posted: 12/9/2016 12:46:39 AM EDT
[#5]
I think you need a different powder for .380 in the fast range. AA#2 or Bullseye speed. AA#2 is the best powder by far in my tests. Unique will work for 9MM, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. AA#5 is another good powder for the 3. I do prefer Winchester Super Field for 40 S&W and use both Unique and AA#5 for 45 ACP. For 300 Blackout H110 is the go to powder for supersonic loads up to 150 grain bullets and Lil Gun is reported best for 150 grain or higher weight 30 caliber bullets. AA1680 is the most popular for sub-sonic heavy bullet loads. Don't load .308 myself. I think it's better to buy a pound of powder for .380 by itself and 3-3.8 grains of powder per round it'll last forever. I couldn't get good accuracy and had big velocity variations with slower pistol powder in 380. It's just as easy and costs not much more to use the best powder for each caliber as to buy one for all.
Link Posted: 12/10/2016 3:05:10 PM EDT
[#6]
OP, just my $.02 about pistol CFE.  I've loaded about 5k of 9mm with it and some .45ACP. It is a good metering powder and pretty forgiving as to OAL and powder throw swings.

Official loading data is not that great but there are good recipes out there.  FWIW, I do not see any real benefits of it over Power Pistol.  Around here CFE is a little more $$.  Buy a pound a see how it works for you.
Link Posted: 12/10/2016 5:26:50 PM EDT
[#7]
Throwing 300 BO in there made it kind of impossible.

The 300 BO can use the same powder as the pistols you listed with certain loads but they probably wouldn't work the action.

Link Posted: 12/10/2016 5:36:17 PM EDT
[#8]
To be honest, and I hated hearing it in the beginning, but the manuals are gold and are pretty spot on.

I would recommend that 99% of the time. If you insist on that 1% I would consider just using Google, not because I'm one of those people that answers "Google" on everything, but you will get LOADS of info from people asking this the past 10 years
Link Posted: 12/10/2016 6:26:48 PM EDT
[#9]
I will reiterate that you need at least 3 powders.

One for 223 & 308.

One for 300 blk.

One for the pistol calibers.

One pistol powder will not likely give the best performance for all those pistol calibers but for blasting ammo I might try HP38. I like it for 380, 9mm, and 45. I assume it will do well in 40 too.
Link Posted: 12/10/2016 6:27:16 PM EDT
[#10]
300 BLKO is the nut buster.    Too many variables, cast or jacketed, heavy or lite bullets , full velocity or sub sonic, Full rifle, short rifle or pistol length barrel, gas action or bolt action.

Most AR loadings are corrupted by seating requirement to allow feeding from the AR magazine. Once you are able to use a single feed and longer OAL than you can in an AR a whole new area of load options come into play.

For 223 and 308 I think your H335 is spot on.

For Pistol I would go with WW231 / HP38 (same) or maybe Bullseye

As mentioned above True Blue shows great potential, I just have not found it in stock when I have been shopping.
Link Posted: 12/11/2016 7:23:35 PM EDT
[#11]
I gave up on this line of thought a long time ago, however 90% of my rifle loads can use the same powders - Varget, RE-15, H4895, N140. Light weight bullets in .223 tend to prefer something faster like H322, AA-2015, RE-10X and even H4198.

WW-231 will cover all of your handgun loads. Bullseye, TiteGroup, and Unique are useable as well. I tend to use Power Pistol for 9mm and 40 S&W. TiteGroup, Bullseye or WW-231 for .45acp and .38 Special. I don't own a .380.
Link Posted: 12/12/2016 3:39:23 PM EDT
[#12]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
223 and 308 can use the same rifle powder.

300 blk uses slow burning pistol or fast burning rifle powder that is not useful in 223 or 308.

Pistol, True Blue

Read a reloading manual for more info.
View Quote



I use IMR4895 for my blackout subs.  I don't shoot supers (that's what my .308 is for) but it's usable in all three rifle calibers OP mentioned.  If he plans on shooting supers, then it may or may not work.  Can't personally say one way or the other.  But it absolutely works for 300blk subs, and 308 and 223 loads.

Whether it will provide marked accuracy over and above other powders, obviously is extremely subjective and has a lot of factors.  But I figured it wouldn't hurt to chime in that in fact there *ARE* powders that will work in all three rifle calibers he asked about.
Link Posted: 12/16/2016 12:30:15 AM EDT
[#13]
I know nothing of 300blk,but for the rest, CFE is a very good powder.  
Link Posted: 12/16/2016 11:52:10 AM EDT
[#14]
For the rifle IMR 4198,(found only one load for the 308)  for all the pistol calibers Win231/HP-38
Link Posted: 12/18/2016 12:51:56 AM EDT
[#15]
I have done similar lately.
my picks.
IMR 8208xbr for .223 and .308
Unique for 9mm, 38, 40, 45acp, and 45 colt (don't shoot .380 but like others have mentioned a faster powder would work better and if you really think about it a lb of powder would last roughly 2000 rounds so is it really that big of a deal to stock a powder for just .380? do you really shoot it that much?)

had a 300blk but sold it and re-invested it back into 5.56 (I would like to get a small frame .308 AR some day and sbr it) you will need a 3rd powder for 300 blackout, no getting around it, possibly two powders for just 300 if your running supers and subs. (I ran aa1680 for subs and lil gun for supers, also had h110 for my .357 and hot 45 colt loads)

I buy the first two by the keg now and keep a couple singles of pp2000mr (for my heavy .308 loads) and VVn310 for my wife's powder puff loads (plan to try n320 once my suppressor clears for 9mm)
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