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Thread: Talk to me about Hodgdon clays

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Talk to me about Hodgdon clays

    I was able to procure some this weekend from a fellow, Ive never used it, and I will use it for 45acp, I am sure I can work a load in 44mag too but just wanted to bounce this off you fellas.

  2. #2
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    is it clays or universal clays?

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    straight Clays (not Int or Univ)
    has little gold discs

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    Hodgdon Clays (not Universal Clays) is a great 45 acp target powder. I have been using it for many years with 185 and 200 grain SWC Boolits. It's one of my favorites...but I'm beginning to think it's extinct. I haven't been able to find any for a long, long time.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    The Lyman 4th Ed. CB Handbook has Clays loads for 45 ACP. I don't see a listed load in 44 Mag.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShooterAZ View Post
    Hodgdon Clays (not Universal Clays) is a great 45 acp target powder. I have been using it for many years with 185 and 200 grain SWC Boolits. It's one of my favorites...but I'm beginning to think it's extinct. I haven't been able to find any for a long, long time.
    This container had quite a large amount of dust on it.

    I think it is too fast for 44mag

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    Clays is a very good powder for lower power loads. It burns very cleanly an in my experience usually produces the lowest amount of smoke when using it with lubed cast boolits.

  8. #8
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    45 ACP. 44 SPECIAL! Also used for subsonic in 308Win.
    A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that. - Shane

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  9. #9
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    I have used it for plinking loads in 38 special 45 colt and 44 special. It burns clean. If I could find some I'd buy more.

  10. #10
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    it does burn very cleanly.
    I was using it for a lot of stuff back when [as a cleaner burning replacement for the old red dot]
    heck I was using it for just about everything, after I moved to Idaho and had to revert back to using one 14' bench for a while. [I even worked up a load for our 1" cannon with it]

    airc 3.3 grs in a 357 case was pretty quick under the 358477.
    it also done pretty well at 4.8 grs in the 45 colt with 165 through 250 gr boolits, light shooting and just under the
    15-k range I kept the loads in for my usfa's.

    you'll probably be in the 4 gr range with the 45 acp.
    it's right in there with bulls eye and red-dot as far as burn rate.
    if I had to hazard a guess at my load for the 44 mag I'd start with 6 and work towards 7 in it with a 240gr boolit.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    thanks!!!!

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Forrest r's Avatar
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    6g to 6.5g of clays had the 220g #142 h&g swc/cramer 200g wc/lyman 429303 200g sp/Mihec 503 clone 250g swc bullets shooting 6-shot groups 1" groups or less @25yds out of a 629 classic 44mag.

    I'm sure that the clays powder would do just as well or better with other bullets that I cast for the 44's. Figured after I shot/burned thru the 1000's of those bullets I had cast I'd test something else.

    You shouldn't have any problem finding numerous loads for your 45 & 44's with clay's.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master OptimusPanda's Avatar
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    Love the stuff. Burns clean not very much smoke (atleast compared to bullseye in my experience). Lately Ive been using it in 38 plinking loads in the 2.8gr realm.

  14. #14
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    Clays is my favorite powder for .45acp target loads. I use it for .38 special target loads also. Very clean burning in my opinion. If I were you and there was more where that came from, I'd try to get some more!

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    hahah I doubt I can find more, he said he just had 4 pounds left that he was hanging onto

  16. #16
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    I used it to send some 356402s out of a 9mm today.
    Seemed to be plinking accurate at 50 yards.
    Amendments
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  17. #17
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    nice powder for target loads.
    i used a pound of it, 2.5 grains at a time in 38 specials under a 348495. 2800 cartridges later i shot the last of it.
    great powder for target loads. super clean burning even on the super low pressure end.

    that stuff is like hens teeth right now too. enjoy it!

  18. #18
    Boolit Master BNE's Avatar
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    GREAT FOR .45 ACP. My go-to load is 4.0 grains with a 230 grain boolit. Clean and smooth. I have not seen any in over a year. I still have a stash, but I will buy the first 8 pound keg I see!

    I have also used it for .38 and .44 target loads. Very low recoil. I'm sorry, I do not remember the load data for those.

    Also, I recommend the Little Dandy powder measure... 4 grains is not much and the small diameter holes in the Little Dandy rotors produce very consistent powder drops.

    I'm happy for you, you have lots of good shooting coming up.
    I'm a Happy Clinger.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Im happy about it. Will get to try it out in 2 weeks!

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    If you were to stuff some behind a 200 grain Boolit in the 45 ACP what would be a good starting and max point?

    Never mind, found something, 3.6 gr. 759 fps, 4.3 gr. 888 fps 17,000 CUP
    Last edited by TCLouis; 10-06-2014 at 07:55 AM. Reason: Added info
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