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Thread: .38 Special Blue Dot or 2400

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    .38 Special Blue Dot or 2400

    Are there some decent loads in .38 Special with Blue Dot or 2400? I cant see any in my manuals or Alliant's website. The are pushing BE-86 and not showing any other powders like they were.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Once upon a time I played with both in 38 Spl. Of the two 2400 gave the least miserable results. Blue Dot had very large extreme spreads in velocity, very erratic. No need to worry about accuracy. There wasn’t any. 2400 did better and shoot decent but very dirty and very inefficient. Bullseye and Herco give great results in 38 Spl.
    "Time and money don't do you a bit of good until you spend them." - My Dad

  3. #3
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks. I load Bullseye and W231 for my usual shooting and had a good bit of Blue-Dot left over and was just curious as I hate to see powder unused.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    Kraschenbirn's Avatar
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    I've worked up some pretty fair +P loads using 125 gr. JHPs using Blue Dot but never found any joy with cast.

    Bill
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by medic15al View Post
    Thanks. I load Bullseye and W231 for my usual shooting and had a good bit of Blue-Dot left over and was just curious as I hate to see powder unused.
    You'll have to buy another gun
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I use Unique in my 38's. I'm going to try some 700 x and some 800 x at some point.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I've obtained excellent accuracy with Blue Dot only by going to .357Mag - the higher pressures are needed to get a consistent burn with that powder. Like going from from 3-4" at 50 yds, to 0.75" at same distance (w/ scoped rifle).

  8. #8
    Boolit Master



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    Old Lyman 44 list 2400 using 112 to 195gr cast boolits and all have a starting load of 8.0 grains. The 158 grain load listed is:
    8.0 for 690fps
    11.0 for 1010fps

    Mine is an electronic copy that I think I downloaded from Castpics which has a link at the bottom of this page.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    There is an older Alliant manual available from Castpics as well. I believe it is from 2001. It gives load data for Blue Dot in the 38 special.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master WRideout's Avatar
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    In my experience, Blue Dot works best in fairly large cases, loaded to pretty stiff pressures. Low pressure/velocity leaves about half the charge in the bore.

    Wayne
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  11. #11
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by JSnover View Post
    You'll have to buy another gun
    Darn... I was hoping to find encouragement to resist getting that Model 19-4 and enjoying it.....


  12. #12
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    Darn... I was hoping to find encouragement to resist getting that Model 19-4 and enjoying it.....
    That still may not be the answer. Model 19's from my understanding do not hold up well to the heavier .357 mag loads. My experience with BD is that it does very well in the .357 but only at the upper end of the pressure range. It worked very well in the 9.5-10 gr range with 358429 giving roughly 1200 fps in my handguns and about 1500 in the rifle.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  13. #13
    Boolit Mold
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    The only loads I want to do in 357 is +P level or 145 grain Silvertip level.(and .38 spl target loads in 357 cases) I have no interest in bucking recoil anymore... I've grown older to like creature comforts over hard adventure!!!!

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by medic15al View Post
    Thanks. I load Bullseye and W231 for my usual shooting and had a good bit of Blue-Dot left over and was just curious as I hate to see powder unused.
    It could work better in a .357 mag. Higher pressure will give a more consistent burn. I use Unique in 38 and .357. I don't load full power loads any more. When I did, I used 2400 in cast rounds.

    Shiloh
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  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Then-Hercules/now-Alliant Blue Dot is kind of a "Man without a country". It was released c. 1975 and intended for HEAVY loads in 3" Magnum 12 gauge lead pellets of 1-3/4 oz. to 1-7/8 oz. I recall Bob Milek writing a long article about Blue Dot in the 357 Magnum (mid-1970s) and generally thinking it to be a fine fuel for the 357 Magnum. He did remark that the fuel acted squirrelly and peaky when fired at uber-low temperatures--like -35 F. in the Wyoming forests he was chasing bobcats within, accompanied by his 6" Colt Python.

    Where Blue Dot shines--357 Magnum rifle loadings with heavy-for-caliber bullets, 180 and 200 grain bullets get low SDs and pretty good velocity. Same loads fired in my Bisley Blackhawk x 7.5" barrel have larger velocity SDs. 10mm with 180 grain bullets--decent accuracy and better SDs than factory ammo. 28 gauge 1 oz. lead shot loads. (BPI has data and components). Blue Dot likes long barrels and heavy shotloads or bullets. 10mm seems to do its best work at the upper end with AA-7/Blue Dot/AA-9 burn speeds.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have loaded 9.4 grains of 2400 with a 158 grain Hornady XTP. I found this load in the 47th Lyman manual. I didn't shoot it over a chronograph but the Lyman manual says 745 FPS in a 4'' barrel. So, my results were a load that was super accurate with mild recoil. While I enjoyed the superb accuracy it did leave a lot of unburned powder in the barrel and I'm sure there was no chance of the bullet expanding at that velocity. I felt it was a waste of an expensive bullet and a lot of powder. I could easily duplicate the results with Bullseye and a LRN bullet for a fraction of the cost.
    I have also tried some standard 38 special level loads with 2400 and cast bullets and the results were poor with inconsistent ignition and tons of unburned powder. If your going for 38/44 level ammo you will have good results with those powders but you have to have the right gun to use it.

    Thanks
    Mike

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
    DerekP Houston's Avatar
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    Along the same lines...does anyone have a good load/caliber use for blue dot? I have a few lbs as well gathering dust I'd like to use up
    My feedback page if you feel inclined to add:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    Thanks Yall!

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

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    357 Sig and 10mm. I don’t use BD due but plenty of its use it for those two. W/ the right gun all it takes is a conversion barrel and you can shoot both.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


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    Along the same lines...does anyone have a good load/caliber use for blue dot? I have a few lbs as well gathering dust I'd like to use up
    Works well in the 9mm with cast bullets at factory load levels.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  20. #20
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by DerekP Houston View Post
    Along the same lines...does anyone have a good load/caliber use for blue dot? I have a few lbs as well gathering dust I'd like to use up
    I load 7.8 grains under a 124 grn Hornady FMJ-FP. Compressed load and was getting 1240 fps out of a glock 17.

    7.0 gave me 1225 and less powder spillage . The 7.8 grn load went to the case mouth.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check