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.

[trapper9260]

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

I was just wonder for the 2 is compare to each other. I know when they first came out with the IMR color powders they said it to take the place of the Dot powders and some of the others because of at the time for the Allient powders was hard to find. Burnts Fingers reply to what I was wonder about . Thank you for letting me know about Hodgdon's site.

[1006]

My findings are that Clays is much cleaner, Red Dot is cheaper, and Red Dot has a much better chance of making factory equivalent powered ammo. Clays cannot make factory power levels in 9mm or 40S&W. Clays is accurate and clean for light loads. Red Dot is just as accurate, but can be safely loaded to higher velocities, and is also good for reduced velocities.

I think Titegroup is about as good as it gets for an all around good clean powder, and it is cheap. Just be aware that it can take up such a small amount of case volume as to allow a “double charge” to go unnoticed.

[Norske]

Shotgun powders are made to burn cleanly at low pressures (and temperatures), so most will burn even cleaner at handgun pressures. There are 3 "Clays" powders, the other two are International and Universal. Consult tested loading data to find which one will work best for your desired ballistics. I haven't used Red Dot, but should try it, but my experiences with Blue Dot for magnum handgun loads weren't very good. Alliant 2400 was always better. The same maker's Bullseye and Unique have been excellent in my 45s.
My shotgun loads with Clays have been pleasing on the range or in the field, but it leaves a tough tarry residue in my semiauto shotgun's gas system that's hard to remove.