Promo or Red Dot

[TCLouis]

Getting ready to buy a couple of jugs of fast burning powder.

Going to load things from 38 SPL wadcutters to 30-06 to 45-70.

Will I notice any improvement using Red Dot over Promo or can I use the difference in cost to pay the haz mat fee?

Powder Valley seems to be the best source too, unless someone out there has a better source.

[RobS]

Promo is more dense so it will take up less volumn for the same charge weight. The flakes are smaller which helps with using in the powder measure---a plus. Reloading 38 special it's a good powder as for the 30-06 and the 45-70 I can't say as I do not have the experience, but red dot will fill up the case more if that matters a whole lot with such quick burning powder.

Grafs and Sons is another place to look as well if you are going online. They are usually a bit more in price (not a whole lot) than Powder Valley, but they pay for shipping (however not the hazmat). So if you are ordering alot of things then with the reduced amount in shipping cost you may find a better deal with Grafs and Sons.

[Blackhawk Convertable]

I buy Promo exclusively for all my Cowboy Action reloading. Rifle/Pistol/shotgun, it's my one for everything powder. And it's $15 cheaper than Red Dot

[redneckdan]

Promo burns dirtier than red dot. I've heard the density can vary from lot to lot but have not confirmed this, I would imagine so seeing as how alliant says to always go by charge weight. I bought several kegs when I found it for $55 each.

[TCLouis]

RND
If I could find it for 55 bucks, I would buy 4 jugs.
If it is a good RD substitute 4 jugs would not last all that long.

Smaller particle size is better as I have not found RD to be the best through a measure for real consistency, but then I am used to ball or spherical powder.

Dirty is not an issue shooting cast, lube is not the cleanest thing and I have to clean a gun every few hundred rounds anyway.

[redneckdan]

This was almost 4 years ago. The price has gone up since then. I use it for a quite a few cartridges. Does not meter well in the RCBS uniflow measure, works great in the Lee drum style measure. The lee chokes on ball powder where as the RCBS works great....go figure...:roll:

[wiljen]

Promo is more dense so it will take up less volumn for the same charge weight. The flakes are smaller which helps with using in the powder measure---a plus. Red dot will fill up the case more if that matters a whole lot with such quick burning powder.


This is not always true. Promo loads to Reddot loads by weight but not by volume because promo is re-manufactured from other powders that didn't make the burn rate cut. It can and does vary greatly in density from one lot to the next so do not attempt to use a volumetric measure without first weighing charges with each new lot # you receive. I have seen almost a 25% difference in bulk density from one lot to the next and have now worked with at least 4 different lot #s.

As for performance, Promo has done exactly what I wanted it to do so I have no reason to pay more for RedDot. If for some reason you cant find promo, you might also consider Rex II. It is fairly close in burn rate and density and generally cheaper than RD.

[RobS]

wiljen:

Good info to know........thanks.

[TCLouis]

Wiljen

Does that dealer up there by you stock Promo or RexII?

Will it work like RD in Cast Boolit reduced loads?

[wiljen]

Wiljen

Does that dealer up there by you stock Promo or RexII?

Will it work like RD in Cast Boolit reduced loads?


Wideners stocks promo, the Rex powders I get from Grafs or Powder Valley.

Both promo and Rex II seem to work equally well in reduced rifle loads and yes, I have tried the 10gr load of each and Rd, Promo, and Rex II were all within 50fps of each other when loaded in a 303 brit.