CFE Pistol and .44 Mag.

I

IKE

New member
I bought some of the new CFE Pistol powder when getting low on powder and none of my old favorites were available (old favorites now replinished +) and thought I'd give it a try with my 5.5" stainless Ruger Redhawk in .44 Mag under some 180 gr. XTP's I had sitting around.......it turned out to be an excellent combo.

The Hodgdon site shows a min. of 12.6 grs. at 1466 fps and a max of 14.0 grs. at 1595 fps for CFE and 180's.

I tested five loads last week and did my sight adjustment (several 'up' clicks and a few right) after each load at 15 yds.

Determining what my pet load was last week I made up fifty and went back to the range this morning and moved out another 10 yds.......at twenty five yards off bags, using 13.6 grs., slow firing twelve rounds single action I completely ate the center out of a orange target with a 2" white bull with no fliers outside the bull.

I'll try the load at longer distances when time permits but so far I'm pleased, I'd never loaded anything but 240 gr. jacketed bullets before for .44 mag and had never before used CFE Pistol in anything.
 
I wondered about big case magnums, I'm watching you guys before I jump off into another new powder!

Sounds like you are cooking right down the tracks just fine!
 
Not that it matters much, but you aren't getting the same velocities as Hodgdon. They tested with an 8.275" barrel. Eating the centre out of any target is way more important than speed anyway.
 
Glad the 180's worked for you. I've never had any real luck with anything lighter than a 240gr in my 629. How does that CFE meter? Its one of those I'm curious about but not about to go out of my way to look for it since I've got a couple lbs of 4227.
 
T. O'Heir.....I know the data was done using a longer barrel but I just thought I'd post the Hodgdon data for those that might be interested. I've been pondering getting a chrony for thirty years, if you were to take a educated guess about how fast do you think the 180's are moving from my 5.5" barrel ?

Mxsailor803....the powder meters real well through my Uniflow and powder trickler and the grains are small and flatish, it sort of looks like HP-38.

There is no doubt that the load shoots well but now that I'm pretty well restocked again with my old favorite pistol powders I doubt if I buy another pound or two. I do have the current partial container of CFE marked, "use in .44 mag with Hornady 180's only".
 
I hope I can get just as good results out of my S&W Stealth Hunter! I loaded up a few 180gr. XTP's with CFE Pistol earlier today, when it stops raining I am looking forward to giving them a try.
 
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