Green Dot in Handguns

[NZSarge]

Green Dot is my go to powder for 1200 fps 12 ga. target loads, I can keep the pressures under 10,000 psi with GD. I used to burn a lot of Red Dot and I still use it some but Green Dot is softer shooting and I like it better. I

Hi mtgrs737
I am new to 12g loading and have found 700x a good 7/8 load powder. However I am considering trying WST as well, but Greendot appeals after your comments.
Could you share your load data in 12g for lighter trap loads, I understand, it is my care when loading these. Regards Sarge

[MasS&W]

Anyone got any numbers on .357 with green dot?

[UnderDawgAl]

Just shot 100 rounds of 32 magnum from my Single Six. The load was 3.4-3.5 gr of Green Dot under a Lee 314-90-SWC. The load was accurate at 25 yds, shooting two-handed standing & unsupported.

Sorry, don't own a chrony yet.

[rbertalotto]

Now that I'm shooting Cowboy Action every weekend, I tore through that 20 pounds a friend had given me......I just bought four ponds from ny local gun shop for $18 a pound. That is quite reasonable around here.

I use 6.2g under any 250-255g lead bullet in 45LC. I shoot it in four different rifles and six different handguns. Extremely clean and superb accuracy. Not sure why you would use anything else with 45LC in CAS.

[UnderDawgAl]

I started this thread to get some data out there for others interested in using Green Dot.

Last weekend, I shot some .38 Special at 50 yards using Hornady 148-gr HBWC seated flush. I used 2.7-2.8 grains of Green Dot. I shot these using the NRA 50-yard slow fire target for NRA conventional pistol ("Bullseye") competitions. I shot one-handed offhand. Take the following with a grain of salt, since I'm no marksman. First time up to the line with those loads, I had 3 of 10 in the black. I scored a 73 for the 10 shots. I know that's not respectable for a lot of you, but that's the first time I ever shot at 50 yards one-handed. So, it seems that this is another accurate load. I'll be loading and shooting a lot more of these because I want to practice some NRA conventional pistol shooting and might even enter a local match one day.

Next up on the Green Dot list: .44 Special. From the Ruger forum, I hear that 6.0-6.5 grains is a good load. I'll start out at about 6.2 grains with some 246-grain Lyman 429383 round nose boolits that I cast awhile back.

[BossHoss]

6.5 is my plinker load 44 mag with green dot.

same for 45 longcolt


same for 41 mag ....lol.

I love it, awesome handicap trap powder too!!!

[mtgrs737]

I bought 32 pounds of Green Dot for trap shooting and am now going to try it with my 45 acp 200 gr. SWC loads. I like the fact that it is American Made Powder. I get my powder at Powder valley a few miles south of me, they are nice people to buy from and their prices and service is good!

[baker1425]

Hows it meter? Is it bad to bridge because of flakes?

[PS Paul]

Sigh...... Well, after reading ALL of the posts, I suppose I am heading out to bujy a pound of Green Dot this weekend. Thanks, I think??.......

[mtgrs737]

I don't experiance bridging with Green Dot, it meter fine for me.

[RobS]

Metering is similar to Herco which is a bit better than Unique so not bad in my opinion. I think GD is the best kept secrete for lower pressure rounds. I shot it in the 45 acp under both 200 and 230 grain bullets and at 900 fps with the 200's and 850 fps for the 230's there was less felt recoil vs other powders. Pretty darn clean burning even at the lower end loads. I went with Promo for lower end 45 colt/454 casull plinkers and mid house 45 auto target rounds this last time due to the lower cost but I've found promo to be smokey and will go back to GD when I run out. American Select is also a good one too; very similar to GD performance wise but the flakes are larger in diameter.

[Master Chief]

We had a swap meet at the club on July 4th . A guy had 2, 1 lb containers of Green Dot for 2.50/ea.
I had never used it before but at that price could'nt pass it up. Loaded up some .45 ACP with
and then some 12 gauge loads for some Sporting Clay shoots. Seems to work fine and from the comments on here does seem to be an under-rated powder.
(It's old, our Dad's used it so it must not be any good right)

[parisite]

Green Dot is a wonderful handgun powder and the absolute cat's meow for 9mm cast bullet loads.

[mtgrs737]

I use Green Dot in my light 20 ga. shotgun loads. I have a little light weight O/U that is a sharp kicker with std. 7/8 oz. loads so I load 3/4 oz. loads for it with Green Dot and it is so sweet to shoot now. Green Dot is a fine American made powder that deserves more praise than it gets. Maybe this thread will open some eyes to just how good a powder it really is.

[brghp]

It is surprising that handgun loads for Greendot aren't as plentiful as powders with similar burn rates. I just acquired an older 8 lb jug of it and I plan to us it for 38, reduced 357 mag, 9 mm, 45 ACP, 44 Special, and reduced 44 mag loads.

[felix]

Load GreenDot as PB when the latter is printed and the former is not. Same with Herco and 4756. Use starting loads and vary the amount according to accuracy requirement. ... felix

[sargenv]

I found Green Dot to be a good 50 meter target powder when utilizing it for shooting classifiers at that distance.. It outclassed several of my other powders at the time.. I was using a 180 gr Truncated cone made by Zero and loaded it long in Winchester 40 S&W cases.

The load was:

Winchester 40 S&W once fired brass
Federal Small pistol standard primers
Zero 180 gr Truncated cone jacketed bullets, seated to 1.200"
4.9 of Alliant Green Dot

Fired out of a 6.5" 610 Classic.

[rmark]

For 9mm I use 4 grains green dot with the Lee 124 gr bullet, in 9x18 Makarov I use 3 grains green dot with the Lee 93 gr bullet. It's pretty much the only powder I use in pistols anymore.

[KCSO]

I was given an 8 pound keg of Green Dot one time years ago and worked up loads for my revolvers and it worked just fine. I don't remember the loads right off hand but it was a super powder in 32 H and R with the lee soupcan bullet.

[Texaschase]

Tagging this thread for reference

Good info