Temperature stability of CFE223

[grayfox]

ps welcome back myrifle/A5!! long time no hear.

[myrifle]

ps welcome back myrifle/A5!! long time no hear.

Thanks gray. Been working on some life issues, dealing with the loss of freinds and loved ones and work life.

Things are going back my way again. Slowly but they are moving lol.

[grayfox]

10-4, guns are nice but people are important.

[Cal]

Powder charge first, seating depth second.

Find the charge that's safe and gives the sd/es numbers and average velocity your looking for and then try diffrent seating depths to time the bullets travel and exit so it's not traveling or exiting with the harmonics (wave) down the barrel.

Gotcha, thanks for the advice, with everyone's help I may get this thing to hit a called shot.

[Cal]

Do you have the modified case kit? that way you can measure each bullet to the lands.
The Hornady word on sst's is they do well at about 2.245-2.250, they don't seem to mind the jump which can be up to 100 thou.

Fo an AR style rifle the mag length usually is the limiting factor as to how far out you can go. With some mags you can get out to 2.290 give or take, but knowing that measure where it hits the lands is crucial.
Accurate shooter has some interesting articles on bullet jump, and for most bullets they suggest that somewhere 60-90 or so jump is maybe not the "sweetest" spot but it is the one where you don't have to continually adjust COAL to follow your lands over time.
But the only way you find out what your tube will like is to shoot and experiment with it.
ps, for BCA and typical rack grade barrels, it may take ~100 rounds before the barrel starts to settle in... plus you might get ~50 extra fps at that point (meaning for a given MV you might also need to re-adjust your powder charge up or down a tad).
It's all good and part of the journey.

I don't have the modified case kit but I can duplicate what I used to find my max length. For the 123SST it was 2.280 inches COAL (for the sample bullet I used). When I did my check I didn't have the comparator kit.
I've put about 300rds of factory ammo through this pipe and have about 100rds left. Even though it doesn't put a "Nice" group down range (yet), I do enjoy shooting it so it has been difficult not taking it to the range while waiting to get supplies and equipment together.

Thanks Gray and myrifle/A5

[Cal]

Okay, the Lord smiled, the planets aligned and a blind hog found an acorn!
What does this mean? Work didn't need me after all this weekend and I went to the range!
After all, even a bad day at the range is better than any good day at work...right?
Lessons learned, I need to work on shooting AR's. My bud outshot me with my own rifle.
So, results from my rifle.

123gr Amer. Gunner. COAL: 2.250 Avg Vel: 2473 sd: 6 es: 17 Advertised Velocity 2590

Hrndy Black 123 ELD-M, COAL 2.250 Avg Vel: 2494 no other data due to operator error. Advertised Velocity 2590

Hrndy 123gr SST, COAL: 2.260, 29.0gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2384 SD: 8 ES: 17
29.3gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2400 SD: 5 ES: 14
29.6gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2425 SD: 14 ES: 32
29.9gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2480 SD: 16 ES: 34
30.2gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2473 SD: 9 ES: 26
30.5gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2545 SD: 23 ES: 52
30.8gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2541 SD: 17 ES: 43

On the reloads, all primers were well rounded with no cratering, had no indication of pressure signs with reloads.
Ironically, the Hornady Black, 123gr ELD-M's showed flattening of the primers and a faint ejector smear on one or two brass.
While I didn't get to Hornady's advertised velocity I was able surpass their velocity in my rifle.

My thought is to load up one or two more groups with CFE223 in the same increments and then maybe try another powder.
What I have? Some Varget, H4350, H4831SC, LT-32.

Of what I have, does anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Cal

[myrifle]

Okay, the Lord smiled, the planets aligned and a blind hog found an acorn!
What does this mean? Work didn't need me after all this weekend and I went to the range!
After all, even a bad day at the range is better than any good day at work...right?
Lessons learned, I need to work on shooting AR's. My bud outshot me with my own rifle.
So, results from my rifle.

123gr Amer. Gunner. COAL: 2.250 Avg Vel: 2473 sd: 6 es: 17 Advertised Velocity 2590

Hrndy Black 123 ELD-M, COAL 2.250 Avg Vel: 2494 no other data due to operator error. Advertised Velocity 2590

Hrndy 123gr SST, COAL: 2.260, 29.0gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2384 SD: 8 ES: 17
29.3gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2400 SD: 5 ES: 14
29.6gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2425 SD: 14 ES: 32
29.9gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2480 SD: 16 ES: 34
30.2gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2473 SD: 9 ES: 26
30.5gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2545 SD: 23 ES: 52
30.8gs CFE223 Avg Vel: 2541 SD: 17 ES: 43

On the reloads, all primers were well rounded with no cratering, had no indication of pressure signs with reloads.
Ironically, the Hornady Black, 123gr ELD-M's showed flattening of the primers and a faint ejector smear on one or two brass.
While I didn't get to Hornady's advertised velocity I was able surpass their velocity in my rifle.

My thought is to load up one or two more groups with CFE223 in the same increments and then maybe try another powder.
What I have? Some Varget, H4350, H4831SC, LT-32.

Of what I have, does anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Cal

Non of your listed powders other cfe223 is going to work.

If you can find it get some ar-comp or xbr8208. I prefer the ar-comp because it's not as funky over 28 grains as xbr8208.

[StoneHendge]

OP, what is your intended use? Loading SSTs implies hunting, but we all shoot what we can get our hands on these days. I use plenty of cheap hunting/varmint bullets for targets. Also, what was the temp for the above results?

[Cal]

Stone,
Intended use is primarily target work with some hunting thrown in. I'm also looking for which bullet/bullets and powder combo will give me best results for consistant velocity and accuracy.
Temp at time of loading was 40 degrees, at time of data was 64 degrees. By weather app on the phone. I'll get a thermometer as well.
I have 65 of the SST's left and 100, 123grn Lapua Scenar coming.
Like you said, right now I'm working with what I can get.
Thank you for the temp question. That was also part of the whole temp stability question.

[Cal]

Myrifle,
Will try and get AR Comp and 8208XBR.

[grayfox]

powder valley has 8208, according to discord...

[Happy2Shoot]

Lessons learned, I need to work on shooting AR's. My bud outshot me with my own rifle.
So, results from my rifle.

This is a bitter pill to swallow. If you are shooting 3 moa, and your bud is shooting better than you; you should pause your reloading quest for the most accurate load.

I think you are chasing your tail. If you do find a good load you may not be able to see it, if you can't shoot to that level of accuracy (right?).

You should be able to shoot Hornady factory ammo to about 1.5 moa on a 5 shoot group. From here, continue your quest.

I may be wrong, of course.

[Cal]

This is a bitter pill to swallow. If you are shooting 3 moa, and your bud is shooting better than you; you should pause your reloading quest for the most accurate load.

I think you are chasing your tail. If you do find a good load you may not be able to see it, if you can't shoot to that level of accuracy (right?).

You should be able to shoot Hornady factory ammo to about 1.5 moa on a 5 shoot group. From here, continue your quest.

I may be wrong, of course.

Happy,
Fortunately I'm not trying to competition shoot, and while I wasn't shooting for groups I thought I was paying better attention to the basics than I apparently was.
I actually view my bud out shooting me as a good thing. This means...sob, sob, sob,...I have to spend more time at the range. OH THE PAIN!!!
It also means that the "Trash upper" I picked up for cheap may not be so bad after all.

The other best part is...I think I've got him hooked on Grendel also.
He had quit shooting some years ago because the smallest caliber he had, at the time, was a 30-30 and was no longer fun.
I introduced him to the nasty, evil, black rifle. (I know, I'm a terrible person.)
Now we go to the range every chance we get, and give each other crap about group size.