Red Dot vs Clays

[KevH]

For a light recoiling and somewhat clean powdercoated-lead SWC 45 ACP load do you prefer Alliant Red Dot or Hogdon Clays?

[Winger Ed.]

I'm a big Bullseye or Unique guy for .45ACP.

But I've had good luck with Red Dot also.

[Budzilla 19]

Don’t rule out 700X either!!

[stubshaft]

I use both of them in my S&W Airweight 325PD and find Clays (the original one) to be slightly softer shooting and a little cleaner.

[tazman]

WST is my powder of choice for most 45ACP loads. Very clean, very accurate, and very soft shooting.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Promo is as cheap as it get gets and cleans up nicely as you approach max charges. Even at lower pressures it doesn't seem too bad. I think lube is more of a culprit than many of the powders we have been blaming for fouling over the years. But, I also think lube may keep fouling softer vs powder coated boolits or jacketed.

Load, shoot, clean, then address problems as they arise. I'd bet most of my Promo/PC loads would go 500 rounds+ with no function issues if I tried.

[jcren]

Red dot/Promo is my favorite target and general critter-gitter load. Very accurate and cheap. Watch the metering in bulk loadings though.

[Ed_Shot]

Another vote for Promo/Red Dot. Outstanding performance in .45 ACP (and many other calibers) plus it's cheap and easy to find.

[GhostHawk]

Another Red Dot/Promo fan here.

[Burnt Fingers]

At the lower ends of the loading both Red Dot and Clays are dirty. IMR Red is a bit cleaner. Vectan A1 is about the cleanest I've found at light loadings.

[trapper9260]

At the lower ends of the loading both Red Dot and Clays are dirty. IMR Red is a bit cleaner. Vectan A1 is about the cleanest I've found at light loadings.

When you use IMR Red did you use the Red Dot data?

[onelight]

Red dot for me to.

[KYCaster]

I tried Clays when it first hit the market. It's so much cleaner than Red Dot it's like night and day. I kicked Red Dot to the curb and never looked back.
The difference is dramatic in 38 Spl revolvers. No more blackened hands, face and glasses. Same with semi-autos; if I can't get several thousand rounds through my 1911's without a failure, something is drastically wrong.

Just my not-so-humble opinion...
Jerry

[Forrest r]

Another clays fan, burns soooooo much cleaner than redot along with it's extremely soft shooting. Reddot has more of a crack to it while clays has a push instead. Excellent for target loads in the 45acp, +/- 4.0gr of clays pushing a 200gr swc.

I burn a lot of clays in the 38spl's, 44spl's, 44mag's & 45acp's.

[Burnt Fingers]

When you use IMR Red did you use the Red Dot data?

There is some IMR Red data out there. It's a direct VOLUME replacement for Red Dot. I've found in pistol loads that it's so close in weight to not bother with it.

3.8 gr Red Dot and IMR Red under a 200 gr SWC hit to the same point of aim.

Of course one should always start low and work up.

[trapper9260]

There is some IMR Red data out there. It's a direct VOLUME replacement for Red Dot. I've found in pistol loads that it's so close in weight to not bother with it.

3.8 gr Red Dot and IMR Red under a 200 gr SWC hit to the same point of aim.

Of course one should always start low and work up.

Ok thank you that is all I like to know. Make it easy if I have to go down that road.

[RKJ]

I've not used Red Dot but use a lot of Clays for my 45. It does seem very clean and meters easy through a Dillon powder measure.

[Sig]

WST is my powder of choice for most 45ACP loads. Very clean, very accurate, and very soft shooting.

What he said.

[TCLouis]

I have Clays, Red Dot and PROMO in stock will have to try them and see.

Shooting conventionally lubed boolits I figure I have to clean once in a whiled so just because of the lube.

I will say the last long run was working up "Soup Can" loads in the 7mm Mag and then I just dry patched with a rough wool cloth patch every 100 round or so for MANY shots.

[kenton]

When you use IMR Red did you use the Red Dot data?

Hodgdon's web site has IMR Red load data for 9mm, 38spl, 44spl, 45acp, and 45 colt.