Anyone using CFE pistol or BE86 in .38spl

[ddixie884]

Please share your loads for 150 to 170gr swc with these 2 powders.......

[tazman]

I have been using CFE Pistol in 38 special, 357 mag, 9mm, and 45ACP with good to excellent results. It is now my go-to powder for full power loads in my 38Special.
I am using the data from the Hodgdon data site. https://shop.hodgdon.com/landing
Some of the velocity data is a bit optimistic. Most comes close to actual performance for me in my guns.
I am not using it because of the suggested copper fouling reduction. I am using it because of the extra performance without causing extra pressure.
It gives good to great numbers and good to great groups with cast and jacketed both.
Muzzle blast/flash seems to be somewhat reduced for some reason. It also seems to perform more consistently when using the higher levels of load weight for a given cartridge. Deviation and spreads seem better at those levels.
Like any other new powder, start low and work your way up.

[Paul D. Heppner]

I use CFE Pistol in my 38 spl load with a 125 rnfp. It's my go to small game load, under an inch at 50 feet doing 950 fps. I use a 6 inch Model 14. I don't give out charge weights anymore. It is more than safe in my gun, don't know about yours.

[rintinglen]

I had an elderly friend give up on reloading and he sold me a box of powders, one of which was an almost empty bottle of CFE pistol. 5.0 grains of CFE pistol under a Lyman 358-311 works very well when crimped in the crimp groove. If I find it for sale some place I'll buy some more. It seems to be just about equal to Unique in the 38 special, albeit it is supposedly closer to WW Autocomp or HS-6 in burn rate.

[BMW Rider]

For BE-86 my notes say that for 158 commercial cast LSWC (GA Arms) at just above starting load was best for 38 pressures, starting load for 38+p was the most accurate overall, and just above starting load was best for 357 cases in my guns. The 38+p load obturated well leaving clean brass, the starting loads in 38 and 357 brass left a lot of soot blowback on my brass. Titegroup was more accurate for me in both 38 and 357 cases with 158 SWCs, and using ~20% less powder which made it my current powder of choice. All the caveats, etc...

[osteodoc08]

I’ve used both and both work well. Plenty of data out there from the manufacturer but I’ve found that they are cleaner burning towards the top end of book.

[mack1]

I use CFE Pistol for my cast 38 special also. Meters well in the Dillon and I picked up several lbs cheep when it first came out. As is posted earlier Hogdon data works well.

[ddixie884]

For BE-86 my notes say that for 158 commercial cast LSWC (GA Arms) at just above starting load was best for 38 pressures, starting load for 38+p was the most accurate overall, and just above starting load was best for 357 cases in my guns. The 38+p load obturated well leaving clean brass, the starting loads in 38 and 357 brass left a lot of soot blowback on my brass. Titegroup was more accurate for me in both 38 and 357 cases with 158 SWCs, and using ~20% less powder which made it my current powder of choice. All the caveats, etc...

Whoose data are you using? Hodgdon, other?

[BMW Rider]

Whoose data are you using? Hodgdon, other?

Online data from Alliant for BE-86, and from Hodgdon for titegroup.

[Forrest r]

Couple years back I tested 10 different bullets and 5 powders in a snubnosed 38spl p+ loads. The be-86 powder mirrored the fps/ unique loads. The unique & be-86 were within 10fps of each other for all 10 bullets.

[onelight]

Couple years back I tested 10 different bullets and 5 powders in a snubnosed 38spl p+ loads. The be-86 powder mirrored the fps/ unique loads. The unique & be-86 were within 10fps of each other for all 10 bullets.

That is what I have found also . It also works great in 380 , 9mm,40,45 auto and works good in a PM on a progressive I have 8lbs each of Unique & Be-86 , 2 very good powders in a variety of loads .
I have only used CFE in 9mm and 40 S&W and it gave some pretty amazing velocities from a 40 XDM 5.25 with Nossler 135 jhp bullets but I have not tested it enough with other cartridges to recommend it over BE-86.

[Hi-Speed]

I use 4.8 grs BE-86 with 158 gr Speer SWC and CCI500 primers for a good all purpose 38 Spl +P load in my 5 inch S&W Heavy Duty. Averages 915 fps in my revolver and duplicates statistically the velocity of Winchester’s 38 Spl +P 158 gr LHP in same 5 inch revolver. Good enough for me.

Note: Speer’s 38 Spl +P Max using a 158 gr jacketed bullet is 5.7 grs BE-86. Speer’s Max 38 Spl standard velocity load with 158 gr lead uses 4.6 grs BE-86.