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  • lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    thank you, take it TAC is probably the budget stuff?
    I can't think of any powders I'd call "budget". TAC works great. It just happens to be cheaper.

    The CFE stuff is all "copper fouling eliminator". I can't really speak to much difference in copper buildup between it and other powders. I guess it is somewhat less. All of the CFE (pistol, black, 223) work extremely well for me. For a ball powder, generally very accurate, and you can get near top velocities for the rifle cartridges it is good for. For CFE pistol it is more of a medium powder, so not top velocities, but most loadings you can squeeze a few dozen fps over the faster powders and when loaded warm, burns pretty clean. And the pressure builds a lot slower on it, so you are a lot safer pushing things hard.

    Anyway, I love me my CFE223, but it isn't always the best tool for the job. I have not personally used TAC, but reading plenty of reviews and looking at load data, it generally works well.

    For me, personally, it is about time saved. And picking up a new powder that I need to work up loads for is not worth it unless I am picking up a lot of it. I suppose if I was just picking it up for plinking ammo that would be fine. Still sometime to work up a load, but that is probably one ladder and range session to know I have a safe load and something that shoots decent in my gun(s) I am loading for and then load a bunch. Hunting and match loads, it is often 2-4 range sessions and ladders because I am dialing it in for the best combination of charge weight and COAL, and possibly primer too.

    I love to shoot, but if I have to use up 40-80 rounds of powder, bullets, and primers, and 4-8hrs of loading and range sessions to get a load dialed in, that is a lot of time and expense if I was getting, say, 2 pounds of powder. Now if my range was out my backdoor...

    Or again, just something plinking where you are talking 20 rounds and maybe an hour and a half or two hours to load it up and take it to the range to test...

    Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter. I am not so hard up that $30 price difference on a jug of 8# is a deciding factor for me when I'd be shooting more than $30 worth of components just to dial in a new load (let alone loads plural). Now if that is what I have a hankering for, then the cost isn't a factor. I do like picking up new powders sometimes just to expand my options that I have load data in my personal reloading book for.
     

    Cool_Moo5e

    Active Member
    Sep 4, 2023
    503
    Harford
    I can't think of any powders I'd call "budget". TAC works great. It just happens to be cheaper.

    The CFE stuff is all "copper fouling eliminator". I can't really speak to much difference in copper buildup between it and other powders. I guess it is somewhat less. All of the CFE (pistol, black, 223) work extremely well for me. For a ball powder, generally very accurate, and you can get near top velocities for the rifle cartridges it is good for. For CFE pistol it is more of a medium powder, so not top velocities, but most loadings you can squeeze a few dozen fps over the faster powders and when loaded warm, burns pretty clean. And the pressure builds a lot slower on it, so you are a lot safer pushing things hard.

    Anyway, I love me my CFE223, but it isn't always the best tool for the job. I have not personally used TAC, but reading plenty of reviews and looking at load data, it generally works well.

    For me, personally, it is about time saved. And picking up a new powder that I need to work up loads for is not worth it unless I am picking up a lot of it. I suppose if I was just picking it up for plinking ammo that would be fine. Still sometime to work up a load, but that is probably one ladder and range session to know I have a safe load and something that shoots decent in my gun(s) I am loading for and then load a bunch. Hunting and match loads, it is often 2-4 range sessions and ladders because I am dialing it in for the best combination of charge weight and COAL, and possibly primer too.

    I love to shoot, but if I have to use up 40-80 rounds of powder, bullets, and primers, and 4-8hrs of loading and range sessions to get a load dialed in, that is a lot of time and expense if I was getting, say, 2 pounds of powder. Now if my range was out my backdoor...

    Or again, just something plinking where you are talking 20 rounds and maybe an hour and a half or two hours to load it up and take it to the range to test...

    Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter. I am not so hard up that $30 price difference on a jug of 8# is a deciding factor for me when I'd be shooting more than $30 worth of components just to dial in a new load (let alone loads plural). Now if that is what I have a hankering for, then the cost isn't a factor. I do like picking up new powders sometimes just to expand my options that I have load data in my personal reloading book for.
    so far I like the CFE223 powder I reloaded 20 rounds to the 3200FPS mark they hit where my red dot was so I will stick with my 26.6-27 grain load for that with my 55gr FMJ now just looking for a cheaper reload for taking care of problem animals with my 40gr HPBTs which if my books right I can just use 24.3 gr of powder and that will get me above the velocity I already have set up for my FMJs but then again I also have to take 20 rounds of it and make sure my gun agrees.
     

    85MikeTPI

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 19, 2014
    2,699
    Ceciltucky
    Shydas listing 8# jugs of Varget and Retumbo in stock. $310 + 6% PA tax and your fuel. (I believe they are charging 3-4% credit card fee now also, so bring cash)
     

    KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    Hodgdon H4895 AVAILABLE NOW directly from Hodgdon website!!!
    Limit 5 x 1# containers. Total cost with high hazmat and MD tax ~$56/#.
     
    For the Grendel fanboys, Midsouth has 8208XBR in stock. This stuff has been unobtanium since Covid started...
     

    dannyp

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 30, 2018
    1,464
    just got the email , hodgdon has free hazmat this weekend , use code VETERANSDAY2023 .
     

    Cool_Moo5e

    Active Member
    Sep 4, 2023
    503
    Harford
    looks like its time to try out other powders, bought some IMR3031, H335, and BL-C(2)

    Edit: powders in UPS hands now
     
    Last edited:

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,666
    Not Far Enough from the City
    Alliant Unique in stock at Midsouth. 1 and 8 pound containers available. Been a challenge to find for awhile now.

     

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