Anyone use CFE Pistol for their 9mm loads?

Capt.Roll said:

I haven't used the CFE with 115gr bullets but I do use it for my 124gr RMR round nose full metal jacket loads.

4.85gr +/- .01 of CFE pistol
COL 1.105" +/- .005
Primer: CCI or WSP
Factory crimp die set for a minimal crimp.

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Quite similar to my initial 124gr Berry’s load. Out of the 3, I liked the 4.9gr the best, COL 1.15”. Now I’ll have to try your tweak, but I can only measure to .1gr, so I probably can’t get to 4.85gr with any sense of reliability. I could try doing a solid 4.9gr and tweak the measure down a smidge, but a pure guess. The COL shouldn’t be a challenge. Since my 9mm dies are Lee, I have the FCD. I always aim for the lightest crimp of all. In fact, I aim for the slightest possible expansion, and seat the bullet by hand until running it into the seating die. More effort, and slower, but I suck at crimping, so the least amount I have to do, the happier I am.

I dug out some notes and my best group (3 rounds at .512" with 2 flyers [low left!!])was with 5.0 gr CFE-P pushing RMR 115gr FMJ's using Speer cases and CCI 500 primers. I seated them to 1.147-1.150" OAL and crimped at .3775. I didn't chrono these as I was playing with the 115gr bullets. These were shot at 25 yards rested on my range bag with my PPQ. I moved to the RMR 124's when they came out and the PPQ worked best with that weight. Best performance with CFE-P dials in at the higher charges for me, too.

I've moved to BE-86 and have been much happier with performance, comfort, and accuracy.

Dudedog said:

Philly, have you tried WSF, I really like it in 9mm.

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I have tested WSF. On my phone at the moment but i can provide the full details later. WSF was sorta the opposite of CFE in that it didn't group well at 25 yards but was very soft shooting. If i remember correctly too i didn't like how it metered from the press

Granite i seem to have a quest in finding optimal mechanical performance at further distances then most would concern themselves with. Just about all ammo will do well under 10 yards but i really noticed how things stand out at 25.

Just as an example blazer brass which was my normal factory brand before i started reloading (9mm at least) was only able to group about 5.5" at the 25 yard line. My cfe fmj loads group at 0.9". For me atleast thats a big difference when im actually shooting without the rest

Oh well, just a thought, sorry WSF didn't work out for you.

Dudedog, I haven't been reloading very long, maybe two years now, and I started with 231/hp38 and liked it. But I tried wsf and I like it better, but I can't really say why. Just a feeling I guess. Can you tell me why you like it over others for 9mm. I need reinforcement. haha

off thread
but egd,
WSF shoots well for me, and I know it's just how I feel recoil but the "feel" of WSF with a 124 at about 1030 to me seems softer than with faster burning powders at the same velocity.
Works well for me from mid to high, not a much velocity on top as say BE86/CFE-P.
Worked well in my tests with 147s to but my 1911 just seems to like 124/124s better.
Otherwise, heck I just like it.

Yes, sorry to op.
That's pretty much my feelings about wsf also.

PhillySoldier said:

If interested Ill update my results later next week when I try under 5.0g for the HAP's.

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markr6754 said:

Please do...I don't like to give up on a powder...but I probably had the wrong combination. I shot 4.9gr under Berry's 124gr CPRN, and that felt much better, and quite accurate in my hands. 5.0gr and 5.1gr that I also tested go back into the NOPE column.

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I tested yesterday using charge weights from 4.5g to 4.9g across 3 projectile types of Hornady 115 FMJ's, HAP's and XTP's. Going lower in charge weight didnt provide any new optimal results. 5.0g remained the best for me across all three bullet types. Note though my testing was with 115's not 124's. I would think 124's would like a lower charge weight.

I never could get CFE to work for me.... couldn't get the cases to seal causing sooty cases completely black half to three quarters down the case...tried all kinds of loads hot and cold, with several OALs, cases just wouldn't seal. Tried it in 40 same thing but better, best I got though was soot one quarter down the case. Used half a pound around 700-800 rounds, the rest of the powder became garden fertilizer. Went back to powders that don't do that.

I was originally using Win 231 with Berry's 124gr HPFP plated rounds with a variety of cases and Rem SP 1 1/2 primers. Couldn't make power factor for IDPA while staying within max recommended charge.

Enter CFE-P. Found a sweet spot at 5.5 grains CFE-P with Blazer range brass, Rem SP 1 1/2 primers, Lee FCD crimp and 1.135 COAL. For the 50 round shakedown stats were: 1073 fps min, 1137 fps max, spread 64, avg 1111 fps, SD 14.4, 137 PF. These were shot out of a Beretta 92FS and experienced no failures. Groupings were consistent. Used them at last year's New Hampshire IDPA LForD match and have got to say they performed much better than I.

At 5.5 grains you'll get about 1270 charges per pound, which is fewer than Win 231 at 4.5 grains to yield ~1520/lb. (That's $0.020/charge for CFE-P versus $0.016/charge for 231, if economics are a factor, based on my average cost per pound in CT)

Ed

My son and I load together for his 92FS with some Berrys 115gr grain RN. After some amount of workup, he likes 5.4 grains of CFE Pistol for that bullet so that's what we load. Nothing against CFE Pistol but like Dudedog, old dad here likes WSF a bit better. I just haven't had a chance to go out to the shop to work up a load for that bullet with WSF while he isn't around ...

Must be they both work great!