Can Alliant Red Dot be used for 9mm?

[Alan Bycroft]

Guys...I recently came into a great buy for 4lbs of Red Dot. I understand that it is a great powder for 45 ACP, but can it be used for 9 mm? I am using lee powder coated Tumble Lube 120 grain bullets, which drop at around 128 grn. I do have a .45acp, but shoot 9mm a lot more. Thx

[HangFireW8]

Yes it can. Older Lyman books have loads for it.

The real question is, do you really want to? Small amounts of large flake powder can be a pain to measure consistently. The right measure and some vibration can help.

[scattershot]

My favorite load is 4 grains of it with a 124 grain boolit. 1050 fps or so.

[JBinMN]

I use it all the time with 102-1R, 120-TC, 124-TC, 124-2R, as well as some jacketed 130s. I have also experimented with 147gr Mod.SWC & 158- SWC in the 9MM as well.

I have used it with handgun, shotgun & rifle. It is a decent economical fast burning powder.
4#s should last a good long time, even if ya shoot a lot.


Shoot it up!

[6bg6ga]

Red dot work great for 9mm loading in my opinion.

[sandman228]

I run 3.8 gr of red dot with a lee powder coated 120 gr tc bullet . shoots good out of all 3 of my 9mm's

[GhostHawk]

Yep, mostly I shoot 3 grains under 125 gr cast fairly soft but for my Hipoint Carbine in 9mm I have gone as high as 4.5 grains. Would not recomend those for pistol, they are fairly snappy even in the carbine.

I love Red Dot, shoot it in everything, rifles, shotgun, pistol.

Semi auto rifles is probably its weakest point.

[Ed_Shot]

The current Lyman 4th Ed. CB Handbook lists 9MM Red Dot loads. Red Dot works great in 9MM.

[Texas by God]

There are very, very few cartridges that Red Dot WON'T work in. A "must have"powder for me!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[dverna]

There are very, very few cartridges that Red Dot WON'T work in. A "must have"powder for me!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

What he said. The only guns I own that cannot use RD/Promo are 20 and 28 ga shotguns. It may not always be the best choice but it will work.

[Lloyd Smale]

same load here. I use about any 120-130 grain 9mm bullet with 3 grains of redot. About as cheap as buying 22lr shells and a heck of a lot more fun.

Yep, mostly I shoot 3 grains under 125 gr cast fairly soft but for my Hipoint Carbine in 9mm I have gone as high as 4.5 grains. Would not recomend those for pistol, they are fairly snappy even in the carbine.

I love Red Dot, shoot it in everything, rifles, shotgun, pistol.

Semi auto rifles is probably its weakest point.

[6bg6ga]

same load here. I use about any 120-130 grain 9mm bullet with 3 grains of redot. About as cheap as buying 22lr shells and a heck of a lot more fun.

I was hesitant to give actual loads but I shoot the same load as Lloyd. Its a fun load with accuracy and little recoil.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I use 3.8gr under a 124gr bullet

[jdfoxinc]

Castpics.net load data page has .pdf of Hercules and Alliant load manuals. Lots of red dot loads listed.

[DanWalker]

I use it all the time with 102-1R, 120-TC, 124-TC, 124-2R, as well as some jacketed 130s. I have also experimented with 147gr Mod.SWC & 158- SWC in the 9MM as well.

I have used it with handgun, shotgun & rifle. It is a decent economical fast burning powder.
4#s should last a good long time, even if ya shoot a lot.


Shoot it up!

What charge did you start with for those 158 grainers?

[Texas by God]

It turned my 25-06 into a 25-20 with aplomb. I got the load for Red Dot out of the Lyman manual and never had to tweak it at all.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[greenwart]

3.8 to 4.1 under a 124g TC. Found that seating depth was pretty important also. Don't know if that is due to pressure variation or distance to the lands. My Hi Power loves this load.

[JBinMN]

What charge did you start with for those 158 grainers?

Since I have already provided that sort of info in another topic, I will share it here, although I am hesitant to do so. ( Some folks have given me a hard time for sharing such methods & I don't need the hassle of it by sharing too much.)

Started with 2.3gr. Red Dot in a 9mm Ruger SR9 for the Lee 158gr. SWC. ( IIRC, there were some feed issues due to the angle of the ramp in that firearm at the time. I may have mentioned that in that topic, but I do not remember right now.)

Best for me at the time was 2.6gr.

Here is the chrony data from the testing I did at the time( Every other data set is 158gr with a mod. 147 gr. in between, IIRC):
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post4187098

Here is the topic itself from the beginning:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...mm-147gr-158gr


-----------------------

Disclaimer/Note - There was a lot of pre planning(thinking things thru & research involved) before I did these tests, along with checking & double checking measurements, etc.. Part of which may be explained/shared in that topic. Some of it might not. ( I did not re-read the whole topic so I don't know & cannot remember now...)
For example... Making sure the bases of the boolits were not being pushed too far into the case & raising pressures, as well as some other important things that are usually said by others here to be "advanced" info above basic reloading levels.

( I do not remember sharing COLs/OALs & such. I would have to go thru the whole topic to recall. They may be in that topic, but see below about the risks involved...)

If someone is not able to do the pre planning, research & due diligence necessary to test such things safely, then I recommend that folks do not try these things without a lot of thought.

Anyone who decides to do such things as mentioned here, & in the links provided, are doing so ON THEIR OWN, AT THEIR OWN RISK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE for what others do in regard to experimenting with such methods.

If someone does not know what they are doing, I recommend that people DO Not do such testing or experiments, & stick to using up to date reloading manuals & load data provided by ammunition, powder, projectile & firearms manufacturers, for their reloading information,load data & methods..

Just because the info shared was done, does not mean it should be done by others.

Remember, the Risk is YOURS, not Mine...

Be safe.