I use both and I believe that HP-38 / W 231 covers more of a variety of bullet loads.

 

I have used both, been loading for over 4 years. This pandemic and component supply shortage was my first and hopefully my last. It's great that you now have another powder to use/ substitute for load development. Never considered pressure while loading for 38 special, usually best load was mid recipe at most. Just started checking pressures when loading for 357magnum. Oddly it was CFE with a lesser pressure than Titegroup for the published load I was working on, lower pressure round also had better results.

 

I find the CFE to be clean, yes, really!
Never loaded .38 with HP-38, use that for .45 ACP...Use a lot of CFE with plated bullets in .38.
It's more of pushing recoil, and cleans up real quick and easy.

 

I'm all for trying new things but my admiration for W-231 outweighes CFE. I think W-231's medium fast burn rate is a match made in heaven for 38 Specials from light target loads to +P loads and everything in between. You just can't beat W-231's metering .... it is the best metering powder I've ever used in any powder measure. W-231 burns clean, produces very tight velocity spreads, and produces superb accuracy. CFE is a medium burn rate powder .... a bit too slow for a 38 Special but because of its wide range of use, it will work for 38s, especially +P loads. Honestly, I have never tried CFE in 38 Specials and probably won't .... unless they quit making W-231.

 

Seeing as how I have 20 lbs of hp38 I don't think I'll be switching any time soon

 

Variety is the Spice of Life ... No reason what-so-ever to not give CFE Pistol a try !
It might be the best thing since sliced bread in your revolver .

I had never even thought about Accurate Powders untill the day Bullseye , Unique and 2400 disappeared (these 3 powders were used since 1967 )... on the shelf was Accurate #2 , #5 , #7 , Red Dot and 700X ... never used any of them but after trying them ... Loved Them !
Find a new powder ... it might be exciting !
Gary

 

I started using the Accurate powders decades ago because they cost less. I can't say whether they are the best at anything but I could do ALL of my handgun loading with #5, #7 and #9. Not that I would want to do without #2 and I haven't tried #11 yet (don't load much 'real' magnum ammo) and several others but ... probably just #5 and #9 would get me by if I had to.

I was going to say that I need to try and find some 231 and see how I liked it ... but the inventory says that I have a partial can among the ones that I inherited a few years ago. Guess I know what the afternoon will entail, haven't shot much .38 for a couple years, it might be time. It is certainly revolver season here with the snow cover, picking up brass is challenging enough without it being frozen to the ground!

Gary, what do you measure the 700-X with? I have plenty of it because it works for shotgun but it turns my Redding 10X measure into an immovable brick and my attempt to use it in the RCBS Uniflow showed nearly a half grain variations (when trying to hit 4.3 grains). Only the RCBS Little Dandy has worked OK for me with 700-X, but at $12 each for the rotors makes guessing which one I need rather pricey.

Bruce

 

Fire Escape, If you think 700X meters bad, try 800X. It's like loading sand burrs. About the best way to load these powders is to use a dipper then trickle up to the desired weight on a good scale. I gave up on these two powders many years ago when I found W-231 (HP-38) has an excellent burn rate for 38 Specials and 380 Autos and it meters perfect. I think I used my remaining 700X in 20ga or 12 ga shotgun skeet loads.

 

Hi Bruce,

I don't use RCBS's Little Dandy measure, but I do use a Forster (Bonanza) Bullseye Powder Measure. Since I usually do long production runs, 1000 to 3000 rounds at a time, I just modify my rotors. I find one that throws to much and add drops of hot wax into the cavity until it throws the correct amount. You have to wait for the wax to cool (try your freezer for a few minutes) before you put the powder in the rotor. Otherwise, it will stick to the wax. I don't want to spend the $12 a rotor either. Just an idea for you.

I have the little Hodgdon/Pacific Pistol measure, and have spent increasing amounts of $$ over the years, until the bushings got too expen$ive. IIRC, ~$7.00. I now have a reasonable number of bushings, but have just acquired a large Hornady powder measure that may replace it. I had not heard of the wax trick until today. Thank you! I am going to have to try it...(Wax on, Wax off?) I load mostly lead 150-160 gr. SWC, and on occasion, 125-135 gr. JHP +P...maybe +P+ in my 357. The Speer and Remington "milder" 357 loads are a goodness, and plenty for my foreseeable needs... when they can be found. I have been considering HP-38 or CFE to add to my Unique and AA#5 powders, but am not really sold on the CFE, as any jacket fouling can be eliminated with a spritz or two of Wipe Out or Patch Out. Aaargh! Decisions. decisions!

I dug into the powder chest and located the can of 231, coincidentally, I had to move a box of 'stuff' that was on top of the chest and it had (along with a bunch of 45-70 bullets) some 148 gr WC bullets that will join my afternoon entertainment.
Among the other things I needed to move was a sealed canister (the cardboard ones with steel top and bottom, but much shorter that the Alliant ones) of Hodgdon HS-7, with a $3.50 price tag. I have never used that powder either, almost afraid to because I will probably like it and then have to find more.
Off to the reloading bench with the 231!

Bruce

 

I use both powders. I find CFE Pistol to be a bit more "snappy" in many loads, including the .38 special.

 

I've used both. But not in .38 Special as I don't have a .38 Special revolver. That said, I found it worked ok in .357, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt. Same with W-231. I am all for trying a new powder now and then, so go for it. You'll find though, it works just like any other powder ... but at least you'll know what loads works and what doesn't in your gun(s) which is always fun. I have a whole table now of loads that work in my guns. If I ever run out of a favorite powder, I have a list of others that I've already done load development with .

 

rclark, that,s good thinking having loads made up or written down in case you run out or they discontinue the powder we use, good reason to buy CFE Pistol, thanks, now I just have to find it local so as not to pay Hazmat fee online, Ron.

 

I like CFE-Pistol for .38 Special loading when max velocity is desired with 158 gr bullets. I find it provides very high velocity at standard non +P pressures. As all my .38 Spl (including .357 Mag) guns are essentially for defensive purposes (no target-style revolvers), I prefer to mostly shoot hotter loads in them. I used to use Herco powder for these loads, but switched to CFE-P about five or six years ago. For any powder-puff plinking/target .38 loads, W231 is usually my main powder.