Green Dot

[.429&H110]

Never started a thread before,
ended a few
but by way of thank you
I found a shelf full of Green Dot
expensive, but there it was.
I was out of 45acp
got back from shooting,
last March: oh no.
How was I to know
45acp is priceless?
I have lots of primers, brass,
.451 j-words (for the Marlin 450)
no powder
But there it was and I remembered...
Cast Boolits and Green Dot!
S-I-L has a taper die
so we made 500 rounds.
If it wasn't for this forum,
I never would have thought
Green Dot would even work
and work fine. Clean. Bang.
Five grains, 230 grain, life is good!
Thanks for the forum!
The search engine is amazing!

[MUSTANG]

Green Dot is down the list on my preference for .45 loading; BUT - when powders get low, one must look at alternatives. Last powder shortage, I picked up 7 pounds of Green Dot for the same reason - it was the only thing on the shelf. Still have 6 pounds (more rifle shooting than pistol shooting over the last few years.

Just loaded up a few hundred .38's with 158 Grain cast last night using 4.0 grains of green dot. Wife last Saturday told me she needed to go do some pistol shooting to stay comfortable with here S&W .357 revolver. Looks like we may diminish Green Dot reserves stored in the Reloading shed this winter.

[BigAlofPa.]

My 230 grain 45 acp loads love G.D. I been using G.D for a lot of loads lately.

[Kosh75287]

If memory serves, Green Dot is about midway between Bulls'Eye and Unique in burning rate, close to W231. With that in mind, I'd EXPECT Green Dot to work in a great many of the same applications as W231/HP38. Mercifully, it's almost more difficult to find a pistol/shotgun propellant that does NOT work well in .45 ACP, .38 Spl., and most of the non-magnum pistol cartridges, than it is to find one that'll work at least ADEQUATELY.

I once concocted a .45 ACP load using Alliant 2400 and 200 gr. LSWCs (don't ask why). While the results were not STELLAR, they were good enough that they would have kept ME healthy, had the need arisen.

If Green Dot works for you, by all means, use it! Just because it's not one of MY favorites (or perhaps not someone else's), doesn't mean that it won't work PERFECTLY well for the task. Same for all the other powders with burning rates between Norma R1 (or VV310) & Blue Dot. Some powders may work better for a particular projectile weight, but that's usually found when people have the leisure to experiment a little. Not much of that, these days.
Over the years, I've sorta developed a "rut" into which I fall, with powders. I use Bull'sEye/Red Dot for mild loads, small-capacity rounds, and competition pistol rounds to be used in very high volume. I use Unique/Herco for max .38 Spl., warm(ish) autopistol rounds, and mid-range magnum rounds. I use 2400/N110/4227 for full-power magnum pistol rounds. IMR-700X will easily replace B'Eye/RedDot. BE-86, AA#5 or Hodgdon Universal will replace Unique/Herco. I've never needed to, but I'm sure that a good replacement for 2400/N110/4227 (NOT H110/W296!!!) could also be found. "I ain't married to ANY of em!", as a local car dealer used to say.
But I DO have my favorites!

[gpidaho]

I'm a fan of the Dot powders. LOTS of shotgun, pistol and even rifle combinations available for Red, Green and Blue. Gp

[Conditor22]

I've had success with Green Dot in 8MM, 06, 30-30, 44 mag, 9mm (I got an 8# jug with the shotshell reloader I bought :)

just haven't tried it in different calibers yet


You are most correct, there is tons of information available through the search engine!!!!!

I use it often and keep learning stuff every day.

[dverna]

Not the "best" choice for .45ACP, but it will work and when times are tough you make do. Good job getting load data that works for your needs.

I use it for heavy trap loads.

[Green Frog]

I’ve got a bunch of Green Dot for reloading my 20 ga AA hulls for skeet etc. I’ve also used it for 38 SPL and plan to use it for some 32 Mag loads, so having proven 45 loadings in my library, even if I don’t need them today, will be a good thing!. Thanks for starting a good thread; I can’t wait to see what you do for your next one! :coffeecom

Froggie

[Ed K]

Never pulled the trigger on any green dot but blue dot was my first (non-low-power-target) powder favorite when I started handloading 30 years ago but seems it has garnered a bad rep.

[bedbugbilly]

When powder was short during the previous shortage, I ended up with some Green Dot. It worked fine in my 45 Colt/Schofield loads. I have also used it with cast in a 8mm and several 30-30s with good success. I later found a 8 pound jug of Red Dot and now I use that quite a bit in the above cartridges as well as 38s as I found it works better for what I do. Nothing wrong with GD though and if it was all I could get, I'd certain go with it.

[tazman]

A couple of years ago, I found I had about half a pound of Green Dot left over from my shotgun days on the back of the shelf. I ran it through my 9mm. It worked great.

[.429&H110]

When I took up .44 mag, neighborhood kid taught me to cast and reload for it. Sold me the setup, and a big box of loads he said were "too hot" pull them for rose food, and you are off to a good start. Kid is one of these 20,000 rounds a month competitors, so he has a progressive factory for 45acp. He taught me to buy 45acp, don't try to make it with a single stage, it will drive you nuts. Just buy them. Who woulda thought the well would go dry? Fortunately SIL has a progressive and a taper-crimp, mostly loads .40's, not much Unique left, and lots of Green Dot.
Bang!

[RKJ]

Never pulled the trigger on any green dot but blue dot was my first (non-low-power-target) powder favorite when I started handloading 30 years ago but seems it has garnered a bad rep.

I've not used Green Dot (maybe I'll try some now) but I like blue Dot in my .357 (158 grain bullet) and in my 45 Colt behind a 255 grain SWC.

[Larry Gibson]

I posted a pressure test of Green Dot in the 357 and 44 Magnums. Danged if I can get the search engine to find it. Perhaps someone else can ?

[RKJ]

Larry, is this the one? I tried to click on the Alliant booklet attachments that you posted but they wouldn't load for me
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?377459-GreenDot-38-Special-357-Mag-44-Special-44-Mag-target-loads/page1

[LAH]

I'm a Green Dot fan.

[Kosh75287]

I'm a Green Dot fan. And I wouldn't try to convince you NOT to be. Out of curiosity, what's your feeling on W231 or IMR-700X?

[ioon44]

If I had a lot of Green Dot I would use it in .45 acp and 9 mm.

[tazman]

Larry, is this the one? I tried to click on the Alliant booklet attachments that you posted but they wouldn't load for me
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?377459-GreenDot-38-Special-357-Mag-44-Special-44-Mag-target-loads/page1

Try this link to older Alliant manuals

http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Fre...M/Alliant.html

[LAH]

And I wouldn't try to convince you NOT to be. Out of curiosity, what's your feeling on W231 or IMR-700X?

Sorry for the delay in answering, deer season here. My first loading, like many here was with the Lee Handtool. The kit was for 38 Special & the dipper worked out great for IMR Hi-Skor 700X & the 148 grain WC. Remember this was my encounter with loading, 1973 so I'm not sure how things went & that is the only time using this powder.

As for Winchester 231 I've done a little more. Skeeter & Shooting Times introduced me to the powder. He was loading the 45 Colt & decided to load the cartridge using all Winchester components. The bullet was swaged lead by Winchester as was brass & primer. The powder charge was 7.1 grains. He shot the load & said the results were "a bit of alright." Coming from him I purchased the powder. I believe this was in the 80's but don't quote me.

I used the powder in 45 Colt as stated in the article. I was a bit of alright for sure. I used the same charge with my home-cast RCBS 45-255-SWC. I wasn't the best shot but could keep them under 2" at 25 yards which at the time was my standard. I later used the powder in 45 ACP with the H&G 68. It shot very well.

I have mostly used this powder in 357 mag cases. I shot handgun silhouettes in another life with a S&W 586. I used the magnum cases & the Lyman 358429. My load was 5.5 grains of 231. In that sixgun & my 4" Model 19 it was simply a tack driver. And that is my dealings with those two powders. I have 10 or 12 pounds of 231 in the shop & loading it in the 45ACP & 44 Special. Still working on these load though. Hope that answers your question.

[fa38]

I use green dot for my 30-06 rifles (Rem 03-A3 and Springfield 03) with bullets from 155 grain to 190 and 9 grains or slightly up or down from 9 grains works very well.

Its a powder that when filling the chamber of the powder measure its needs 4 or 5 bumps against the stop to get a consistent charge weight.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My Trap Loads have always been 18 gr of GD, now most of my 12 ga Slug Loads are the same charge. You have to run GD a little harder to get it to burn clean. I started out a 16 gr. of GD for my first Trap Loads but got lots of unburnt powder left in the barrel. Kicking it up to 18 gr. solved that problem.

It is my preferred Shotgun Gun Powder for 12 ga.

Haven't used it for Pistol Loads but there is plenty of data out there for it, so in a pinch I could see doing it .

Randy

[.429&H110]

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
If I had W231, I would need more primers!
Honestly never heard of Green Dot, only two cans in a store.
But I remembered- at my age, that's something.
OK. Green Dot: 4.5 gr vs 230 gr 45acp left some unburned powder.
I guess just like my 44 with H110, Green Dot needs pressure to burn. May be position sensitive, too. Sorry I can't report on -40F performance, don't live there anymore. 1911's are a hoot in the cold.
Green Dot meters well so far from the Lee orifice gadget, 100 rounds went fast, away different from throwing powder at the rockchucker loading 44 slowly...
5.0 grains works fine, seems maybe a little stout but cleaner than I expected from the search results. Nice to be shooting the 1911 again.
Thanks for the search engine, would take two lifetimes to read it all.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry, is this the one? I tried to click on the Alliant booklet attachments that you posted but they wouldn't load for me
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?377459-GreenDot-38-Special-357-Mag-44-Special-44-Mag-target-loads/page1

Warning

Testing of Alliant Green Dot in the 44 Magnum shows this data to give very excessive pressure.

Current Alliant data for Green Dot should be used.

272875

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes GD is slightly slower than Bullseye and way faster than 2400 or H110/W296. So caution is needed for some cases.

Randy

[.429&H110]

Well, thank you for that!
I was wondering about GreenDot vs 44mag
Easy enough to stay with H110
As Frodo said,
"Go not to the Elves for advice
for they say yes and no".
Thanks for the links.