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Thread: .300 Blackout; Anyone tried CFE BLK?

  1. #1
    Member Rich@CCC's Avatar
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    .300 Blackout; Anyone tried CFE BLK?

    I finally finished my .300 pistol so I loaded some trial .300blk rounds yesterday. I went with CFE BLK powder based on a local shop's loading SME recommendation.

    This load is a shot in the dark guesstimate as there was no published data for the bullets that I could find.

    modified LC 5.56 brass
    CCI small rifle primer
    Lapua 185gn Spitzer
    13.4gn CFE BLK
    OAL 2.2"

    The powder charge is about 80% of the minimum charge listed by Hodgdon for a 180 GR. SPR SP. The Lapua pills are pulled bullets I picked up years ago at a gun show. My .308 didn't like them so they've been sitting on the shelf with no purpose till now.

    I will be casting 230gn bullets with a Lee mold for subsonic loads ASAP
    http://www.titanreloading.com/molds/...d-tl309-230-5r

    So has anyone used this powder?

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    TANSTAAFL

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  2. #2
    Member Rich@CCC's Avatar
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    So, I finally got to the range to test this load. The cheap, chi com flip ups are bore sighted at 30' and this group was fired off hand, no sling from 35yds. The group was better than I expected but nothing to write home about. I was primarily interested in whether the load would cycle the action reliably.

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    The problem I ran into was odd. None of the seven test rounds would go into battery from bolt lock. I finally gave the forward assist a tap(I know, shut up. I know!) and pulled the trigger. Bang! The case ejected and the next round fed but did not lock into battery. I tapped the FA again and Bang! same story. Every round fired and ejected. Every round fed but would not go into battery without assistance. The last round locked the bolt open on ejection. All of these cartridges measured well within spec.

    When I got back to the shop, I measured the fired cases and they were still within spec. Actually they were under spec in all aspects. I tried to chamber an expended case and it did the same thing. I had to tap the FA to get the bolt to lock in battery. Then I had to mortar the stick to eject the empty case.

    I then loaded the same seven cases again. Same exact set up, no adjustments. I loaded all seven into a magazine, inserted the magazine, hit the bolt release and it slammed home and locked into battery. I cycled the action manually through all seven rounds and every one of them ejected easily and the next loaded and locked.

    Go figure. I'll try to hit the range again tomorrow.
    TANSTAAFL

    Managing Partner, Custom Carry Concepts, LLC

  3. #3
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    I had the same problem with some of the brass I made from 5.56 brass. I use a Sheridan case gauge now and test the brass after sizing and after loading. Anything that doesn't easily drop in and out I save for plinking in a handi rifle. You fire formed your cases to you chamber- that's why the second loading went better.

  4. #4
    Member Rich@CCC's Avatar
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    I see what your saying, but; these all measured below spec. Everyone of them should have dropped into a case gauge, no problem. I thought it possible that my chamber might be out of spec(and that may still be the case) but I think it more likely that I had some kind of blockage in the chamber that worked loose and the problem self repaired. If I'd spent a little time cleaning the bore and chamber before test firing, I'd have probably not had any problems at all.
    Last edited by Rich@CCC; 03-12-2017 at 10:11 PM.
    TANSTAAFL

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  5. #5
    Rich,

    Try seating the bullets deeper into the case. As long as you are not at max charge/max pressure. Your loaded rounds could be engaging the rifling before the round is fully chambered.

    I seat mine deeper so the bullets do not bear on the ribs inside the magazine, as seen in your photo above. 2.050-2.100"

  6. #6
    Member GuanoLoco's Avatar
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    Not an expert, but:


    LC brass should be good from a case neck thickness perspective.
    Use a Lancer Mag vs. a PMag.
    Load shorter.
    Consider a Sheridan slotted case gauge: https://ballistictools.com/store/she...-slotted-gauge
    Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Doodie Project?

  7. #7
    Member Rich@CCC's Avatar
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    I thought I might have feeding issues because of the way the bullets were riding the mag ribs but that did not seem to be an issue.

    I really have no way of knowing for sure what my pressures are as there is no published data on these components. I don't think I'm compressing at this length and my charge should be on the lower end by my calculations.

    It does not look like the bullet is hitting the rifling but I'll check the lead just to be sure.

    Like I said, the seven I just loaded seat and lock manually just fine. I'm going to hit it with a chamber brush and scrub the bore before I shoot it again. Just in case.
    TANSTAAFL

    Managing Partner, Custom Carry Concepts, LLC

  8. #8
    Magpul has designed a modified version of their PMAG specifically for 300BLK. I think I recall the press release addressing changes to the interior ribs to allow full-length rounds (2.25") to load better.

    This becomes a safety issue as well. Normally one cannot load a 300BLK into a 5.56 chamber if they are both loaded to 2.25" But by loading 300BLK so short that it stacks properly into a magazine, it becomes possible to mistakenly chamber 300BLK into a 5.56 rifle and fire it. Which destroys to rifle and causes injury. So don't reduce your OAL so much that this becomes possible. And buy some of Magpul's new magazines when available.

  9. #9
    Member GuanoLoco's Avatar
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    I have a 300BLK pistol that will chamber some of my reloads just fine and a 300BLK rifle that chokes and really doesn't want to go into battery on the same loads. Chambers vary.

    Also, I use Pmags for 223 & Lancer mags for 300BLK. Keeps things simpler.
    Last edited by GuanoLoco; 03-13-2017 at 04:45 PM.
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  10. #10
    Site Supporter JM Campbell's Avatar
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    .300 Blackout; Anyone tried CFE BLK?

    Quote Originally Posted by GuanoLoco View Post
    I have a 300BLK pistol that will chamber some of my reloads just fine and a 300BLK rifle that chokes and really doesn't want to go into battery on the same loads. Chambers vary.

    Also, I use Pmags for 223 & Lancer mags for 300BLK. Keeps things simpler.
    I've found the lancer mags to be more forgiving on oal. Sample of 6. Wilson combat does have modified lancers 7.62x40 for their proprietary round that works very well with long loads.
    ETA
    Lancer modified mags
    http://shopwilsoncombat.com/mobile/M.../products/416/

    DH modified mags
    http://shopwilsoncombat.com/mobile/A...AG30%2D300BLK/

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    Last edited by JM Campbell; 03-13-2017 at 05:10 PM.
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