Hodgdon CFE
Hodgdon CFE BLK
Designed expressly around the 300 Blackout, covering both supersonic and subsonic loads, and useful in other small-capacity cases.
A powder designed around one cartridge, and it genuinely earns its keep there — .300 Blackout supersonic and subsonic both work, with reliable action cycling across the bullet-weight spread. It also does good work in 7.62x39, .22 Hornet and the other small-capacity cases. Same copper-eraser trade as its siblings: less copper, more visible fouling, and no temperature-stability claim, which matters most for suppressed subsonic loads where a small velocity shift is the difference between quiet and a crack. Subsonic charges leave real airspace in the case, so ignition consistency deserves attention.
- supersonic 300 Blackout
- subsonic 300 Blackout
- 7.62x39
- 22 Hornet
Who has Hodgdon CFE BLK today
Checked October 10In stock at 3 stores — lowest in hand $46.55/lb (8 lb at Lohman Arms)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $340.97 | $46.55 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $353.99 | $48.93 | In stock ↗ |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 8 lb | $370.99 | $50.30 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $46.49 | $77.93 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 1 lb | $51.99 | $83.43 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $48.99 | $86.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $319.99 | $45.86 | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $43.99 | $90.89 | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Hodgdon |
|---|---|
| Product family | Hodgdon CFE |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | spherical |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0657 cc per grain · 0.99 g/cc |
| Composition | double-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 84 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 300 AAC Blackout, 17 Hornet, 218 Bee, 221 Fireball, 6.8 Remington SPC, 7.62x39mm |
Grain shape
Fine spherical grains, degressive, giving most of their gas early — exactly what a short case and a short barrel need. Ball form also means it drops cleanly into a small case that gives you no room to absorb a bridged or clumped charge.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Carries the Copper Fouling Eraser additive. Hodgdon states it meters very accurately and gives full action cycling in modern sporting rifles across a range of bullet weights.
Burn rate
Fast rifle, between Accurate LT-30 and Norma 200.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Accurate 1680 (position 81)
- Shooters World Blackout (position 82)
- Accurate LT-30 (position 83)
- Norma 200 (position 85)
- Accurate 2200 (position 86)
- Alliant Reloder 7 (position 87)
Sources
The specifications above come from Hodgdon's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.