Autocomp or CFE powder?

[houser52]

As you all know powder is very scarce most places. I called a gun shop which is about 2 hours away and they just got in a limited amount of Autocomp and the new CFE.

I have never used either one but I'm thinking about making the drive and picking some up if it's still there tomorrow.

Between the two, which powder would you recommend for plinking? Accuracy?

Bullet- 9mm Bayou Round Nose, 124gr

Primer- CCI or Federal

Guns- Glock 34 and M&P Shield

PS- I'm an experienced reloader and will be using a Dillon 550B.

Thanks

[Hi-Power Jack]

Either is prob fine - the new CFE maybe a little better, and you use less of it for same PF.

For plinking you can save a few bucks with 115 grain bullets and probably as low

as 4.5 - 5.0 gr WAC.

[houser52]

Thanks for your opinion.

My favorite bullet when I was shooting IDPA was the 115 gr. RN MG using HS6 powder. MG has gone up in price and I can't find HS6 anywhere so I figured I'd try the new & lesser expensive coated bullets and use whatever powder I can find.

Even though I have other tried and true powders in my cabinet I figured I'd better save them and use what I can get for now.

[Sandbagger123]

i have tested some auto comp and found it to be very close to WSF. If i could find a 8# jug of either i would get it.

[okorpheus]

I haven't been able to find WSF and bought some CFE pistol. Let me know what you work up for it.

[houser52]

I haven't been able to find WSF and bought some CFE pistol. Let me know what you work up for it.

I sure will. I'm gong to call the gun shop again in the morning to make sure he still has some before I make the 2 hr trip. He said he got only 8# of CFE in that shipment so...

[RDA]

i have tested some auto comp and found it to be very close to WSF. If i could find a 8# jug of either i would get it.

If you are in NE Ohio, there was an 8# jug of Autocomp on the shelf of my LGS. PM if you need more information, local only, htey won't ship.

[rtp]

I haven't been able to find WSF and bought some CFE pistol. Let me know what you work up for it.

I found I needed just a bit more CFE-P for same bullet/barrel/OAL in 9mm vs WSF, generally .1-.2gr more CFE-P. Not done playing with this powder, but here's some data, anyways.

vs WSF:

[houser52]

I haven't been able to find WSF and bought some CFE pistol. Let me know what you work up for it.

I found I needed just a bit more CFE-P for same bullet/barrel/OAL in 9mm vs WSF, generally .1-.2gr more CFE-P. Not done playing with this powder, but here's some data, anyways.

vs WSF:

Thanks for the info. That will give me a good place to start.

By the time I made the trip to the GS they only had 1 can of CFE left and I quickly snatched it up when I went in. As an added bonus they had WSPP in stock so I picked a 1000 of those too.

The Bayou bullets that I have on order is due to arrive tomorrow.

[B45C22]

I watched a fellow shooter chrono the exact same loads with both AC and cfe and he got within 5 fps in ten shot strings. I would consider them interchangeable.

[houser52]

I spent the last couple of hours working with some 115 gr. Berry's that I had. Using the info in the new Hodgdon Annual Manual I started out at 4.9 grs. I was experiencing smokey cases but that cleared up once the charge was increased and got better the more I went up.

I stopped testing after the shade moved and the sun was overhead but I might stop at the load listed below. I still have to test for accuracy but so far it's looking pretty good.

5.6 grs.

Primer- WSP

OAL- 1.150

Crimp- .377

Velocity -

Avg. - 1046

ES- 34

SD- 10

The gun I was using is my carry gun, M&P Shield 9mm. Recoil was manageable and the cases were landing about 4' away and laying fairly close together.

I haven't checked the velocity in my G34 yet but should be better.

[evild]

I usually use WST for 9 and 40 but I have about a pound left so I;m getting what I can. I got a pound of autocomp and a pound of CFE P, hoping one of them is as soft shooting as WST.

[Howa4au]

I am going to try some CFE in 9mm to compare it to Solo. I have recently been working with CFE in 40 where I normally load WST. I have tried both powders with Xtreme plated 180's, 200', and BBI 180's all loaded to about 170 PF. Shooting them through as STI Edge I can hardly tell the difference.

[Parallax3D]

Either is prob fine - the new CFE maybe a little better, and you use less of it for same PF.

Not from the data I've seen. It takes more CFE to make the same PF as Autocomp. Not by much, but still more.

[rdinga]

My local dealer has 8 pound kegs of CFE on the shelf. I have been loading a long time with WST. Can anyone tell me how CFE compares to WST for loading 9mm Minor with either 124 Zero JHP or Bayou 147FP.

[rowdyb]

I just bought 8# of WAC to use for a minor 9mm load. I know it's not ideal, but we do what we gotta do in these times. Sadly my beloved TG does not grow on trees.

Talking to others, I am gonna start at 3.9 of WAC under my usual 147gr plated bullet and go from there with the chrono.

[gaijin]

My local dealer has 8 pound kegs of CFE on the shelf. I have been loading a long time with WST. Can anyone tell me how CFE compares to WST for loading 9mm Minor with either 124 Zero JHP or Bayou 147FP.

CFE is less than ideal for minor loads; it is at it's best in moderate to full power loads (similar to HS-6).

Burn rate is slower than HS-6.

A minor load may require a magnum primer.

[truborshooter]

For what it is worth

http://www.handgunsmag.com/competition/making-major-hodgdon-cfe-pistol-powder/

[9146gt]

4.8 gn WAC with a Zero 115 #135 bullet will shoot 1.5" groups@ 50 yds in a few of my 9mm guns. May need 5gn to 5.2 gn to make minor with a 4" barrel.

Tom

[tbarker13]

I've been looking at CFE Pistol as a possible replacement powder, since WST is so rare these days.

I've only gotten as far as working up a major load for .40 cal. And it definitely takes more powder - at least when compared to WST.

I use 4.8 gr of WST to hit 172 pf with 180gr SnS bullets.

It takes 5.7gr of CFE pistol to reach the same PF with the same bullets.

[RaylanGivens]

Been a while since this thread was originally posted...

 

Curious to see if any of you have started using CFE Pistol instead of AutoComp... 

 

I'm thinking that CFE being slower than AutoComp, might produce more gas and work the comp better...  ...and still fit inside a 9mm case...  Not sure if "slower" always means a powder produces more gas at the same powerfactor...

[MikieM]

I have heard that the burn rate is about the same.

If CFE were a little cleaner then that would be a plus.

[Bkreutz]

I use CFE pistol for 9 minor and Autocomp for 9 major. At minor load levels both powders chrono the same for the same weight of powder. I use Autocomp for 9 major because I prefer the way it feels in a comped gun but either one will work. There isn't much difference between the two powders.

[kneelingatlas]

10 hours ago, Bkreutz said:

I use CFE pistol for 9 minor and Autocomp for 9 major. At minor load levels both powders chrono the same for the same weight of powder. I use Autocomp for 9 major because I prefer the way it feels in a comped gun but either one will work. There isn't much difference between the two powders.

 

+1 if anything CFE is a touch harsher in my opinion.

[zzt]

I use Silhouette, Autocomp and HS-6 for Open loads.  Autocomp and Silhouette are virtually identical in weights required to make 172PF, and gas produces.  With the current lot of Silhouette, I have to add 0.1gr more to the Autocomp load to match.  With two 3/16" poppels and a Jim Hand type 4-chamber, 5-port comp I see no difference in dot rise between the two.  Silhouette burns much cleaner than Autocomp.

 

CFE is not slower than HS-6.