CFE BLK for 7.62x39

[Newtosavage]

This may have already been posted and if so, I apologize.

If you reload for the 7.62x39, you need to try this "new" powder. I've been using RL-7 for 7.62x39 for years now, and was very happy with it. A few days ago I was out of RL-7 and decided to give CFE BLK a try. I'm glad I did. I'm getting better case fill (IOW - not as much compression) as RL-7 with about 100 fps better velocity and accuracy is just as good or better.

125's are running up to 2500 fps. and 160 FTX bullets are 2250-2300 fps. with one-hole accuracy from my Savage bolt gun.

Don't think I'll be going back to RL-7 anymore.

 

[adcoch1]

Good to hear since I don't have any RL-7 and I was planning on trying cfe-blk in the blackout. Now I will try it in x39 too...

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

New To Savage I'm glad someone else has discovered CFE BLK for the x39. I've been mentioning it for months every time reloading for the x39 has come up.

My 16" barreled AR shoots 123 grainers easily over 2450 and 135 FTX's at 2280. Accuracy is excellent

 

[Newtosavage]

CFE BLK does it again. From a range session today, using 123 grain SST's.

 

[someguy2800]

Interesting. Is this saami pressure?

 

[bikemutt]

I had unimpressive results using it for what it was ostensibly designed for, 300 BLK. From what I learned it's a powder that needs to fill the case to really shine, maybe that's the case with 7.62x39. I'll give it another try.

 

[joneb]

Thanks for the report, I use Accurate 1680 and H-4198 for 7.62x39. I will look for this CFE BLK, is this a ball powder?

 

[Newtosavage]

Interesting. Is this saami pressure?

Don't have a way to measure pressure, but it's 0.7 grains below published max. with no detectable pressure signs.

This is from a bolt-action Savage model 10.

 

[Newtosavage]

I had unimpressive results using it for what it was ostensibly designed for, 300 BLK. From what I learned it's a powder that needs to fill the case to really shine, maybe that's the case with 7.62x39. I'll give it another try.

29 grains with a flat base 123-grain SST in the 7.62x39 gives me a very slightly compressed load in Lapua cases.

Hornady ballistics calculator shows this particular load to carry nearly 1000 ft. lbs. of energy out to 300 yards. I confirmed today that this is an accurate load at 300 yards.

 

[someguy2800]

Have you ever tried 1680? I would expect they would be pretty close in performance.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

I absolutely LOVE CFE BLK in my x39 AR-15. It is the best powder for velocity and accuracy for me. The 123 SST and VMax are very very accurate for me clock 2430fps from a 16" barrel.

My best load is a .308 diameter 135 grain Hornady FTX made for the 300blk. It's stupid accurate and consistent at 100 yards. And with 27.3 grains of CFE BLK it's at 2280fps. (USE WITH CAUTION).

I just bought some 123grain Speer Gold Dot (fusion) bullets from Midway and can't wait to see what they do. The federal Fusion factory load is 1 1/4" at 100 and bullet performance has been excellent in water jugs.

 

[<*(((><]

123gr going 2,650 fps with MOA or just sub-MOA is great. I'll have to try CFE BLK in reloading for my AR47, it's only a 16" but I expect based on your results it might be a good option for a hunting round.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

Thanks for the report, I use Accurate 1680 and H-4198 for 7.62x39. I will look for this CFE BLK, is this a ball powder?

Yes CFE BLK is a ball powder.

 

[Newtosavage]

CFE BLK is a TINY ball powder. The only think I don't like about it is it gets in the seams of my powder measure so I end up measuring each charge by hand (which I did for years before I got my powder measure, so it doesn't bother me that much).

Yes, a 123 SST going 2650 is going to very useful to me on deer and pigs. It still retains almost 1K ft. lbs. at 300 yards.

The other sub-MOA accuracy bullet I've shot is the 160 FTX, which is a .308 bullet. CarJunkie, I've been tempted to try those 135 FTX's but now that I've found this combination I may be done!

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

Try the 135's...I really want to get a deer with them. Hornady told me the expansion window on them is 2500-1500fps. Haven't seen much on them in regards to game performance, but what I've seen from the 300blk and on smaller hogs I'm positive I can knock the devil out of a deer with one.

 

[Newtosavage]

I'll give them a try eventually. I have shot a feral pig sow (fat one about 150#) at 100 yards with the 123-grain SST and got complete penetration and she went down pretty quickly (shot through the lungs).

 

[horsey300]

I'll give them a try eventually. I have shot a feral pig sow (fat one about 150#) at 100 yards with the 123-grain SST and got complete penetration and she went down pretty quickly (shot through the lungs).

In the name of science, did you get an exit? If not, did you recover the bullet (I.e. for some crowds, just under the far side hide qualifies as full penetration), if recovered, weight? Hit any bones? And estimated inches of penetration?
I do apologize for being nosey, but this is honestly the first time I've heard/seen the sst associated with full penetration (granted lower velocities) and that includes a .338 wm.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

In the name of science, did you get an exit? If not, did you recover the bullet (I.e. for some crowds, just under the far side hide qualifies as full penetration), if recovered, weight? Hit any bones? And estimated inches of penetration?
I do apologize for being nosey, but this is honestly the first time I've heard/seen the sst associated with full penetration (granted lower velocities) and that includes a .338 wm.

I'm interested in this as well...I can say that the SST at slower velocities seem to fully penetrate game animals. Shot a buck at 35 yards with a 123 SST from my Grendel goes 2450 at the muzzle. It was a perfect broadside shot and bled like a siv 3/4" exit hole. No problem at all following the trail. Buck ran ~75 yards in the woods, but was easy to recover. I have NO complaints about that SST performance. If the x39 SST performs like the Grendel SST then at closer ranges (100yds and in) the x39 will be a freezer filler.

 

[Newtosavage]

In the name of science, did you get an exit? If not, did you recover the bullet (I.e. for some crowds, just under the far side hide qualifies as full penetration), if recovered, weight? Hit any bones? And estimated inches of penetration?
I do apologize for being nosey, but this is honestly the first time I've heard/seen the sst associated with full penetration (granted lower velocities) and that includes a .338 wm.

Bullet went clean through with a quarter-sized exit hole. So no, no bullet recovered. I actually shot two sows that day and both were complete pass throughs. That was with the factory Hornady steel case ammo that uses the 123 SST's, which are only going about 2400 out of my rifle and not 2600 like these handloads. So I won't hesitate to use that SST for pigs or deer inside of 200 and maybe 250. I have a lot of doe tags and my Savage is a very accurate rifle, so I'll probably drop a doe or pig at 200+ this year and report back.

CarJunkie, my experience with SST's out of my 7mm-08 and .308's has been the same as yours. I never aim for shoulders if I can help it, and I always get two holes and a short, wide blood trail.

I actually went out of my way last year to find a box of 139 grain Interbonds, thinking I'd want the bonded bullet over the SST. I shot one very small doe with it and it barely expanded. She actually ran the farthest of all the deer I shot last year and those shot with the SST's ran the least. So those 139 Interbonds are being saved now for bigger critters (someday I hope).

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

For the 7mm I won't shoot anything else other than the 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip. For medium game it is hands down the most effective bullet on deer I've ever seen. Myself and 3 friends/co workers all load that bullet to ~2800fps and out of 26 deer 21 of them have been bang flop DRT.

I've betting tho that the 7.62x39 and the 123 fusion to 2400ish will be very effective and easy on my bum shoulder.

 

[bikemutt]

29 grains with a flat base 123-grain SST in the 7.62x39 gives me a very slightly compressed load in Lapua cases.

Hornady ballistics calculator shows this particular load to carry nearly 1000 ft. lbs. of energy out to 300 yards. I confirmed today that this is an accurate load at 300 yards.

Perfect, I just happen to have Lapua brass and SSTs on hand, I'll keep this recipe in mind when I start working with it.

As an aside, I also find CFE 223/BLK don't meter well, at least not as effortlessly as stick powders. How are you throwing your charges?

 

[Newtosavage]

I have a Lee "perfect" powder measure. Handles most ball powders really well, but CFE BLK seems a bit too small and gets stuck in the works.

 

[joneb]

I have a Lee "perfect" powder measure. Handles most ball powders really well, but CFE BLK seems a bit too small and gets stuck in the works.

What primer are you using?

 

[Newtosavage]

What primer are you using?

CCI 200's - Normal large rifle primers

 

[res45]

I have a lb. of CFE BLK but haven't tried any loads with it yet. I mainly bought it to see if it was a good replacement for AA-1680 which hasen't been around here for year with jacketed bullets in the 123 to 125 gr. range in my SKS rifles. I've mainly been shooting cast lead in those rifles so 2400 and Reloader #7 have been my go to powders and I want be getting rid of those powders as they preform so well but it's nice to have options.