Lee PrecisionRotoMetals2MidSouth Shooters SupplyWideners
Inline FabricationRepackboxLoad DataReloading Everything
Titan Reloading
Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 44

Thread: Blue Dot for .357 ?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master

    TCLouis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Middle TN
    Posts
    4,404
    I have just run some through a TCP in 380 Auto with 120 grain boolits.
    Amendments
    The Second there to protect the First!

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Miamisburg, Oh
    Posts
    956
    BlueDot is my favorite powder for 380, 9mm and 38 Super. Looking for at least five pounds right now!
    How's that hope and change working for you?

  3. #23
    Boolit Master


    HangFireW8's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Central Maryland
    Posts
    2,587
    When confronted by handloaders with proof that certain listed loads were no longer safe with new batches of BD, instead of reducing loads or changing the formulation Alliant instead just issued a terse dismissal of whole categories of loads that have worked for decades.

    It defies the laws of physics that all middle weight bullets are unsafe while lighter and heavier are OK.
    I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
    My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
    The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
    How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
    Do you trust your casting thermometer?
    A few musings.

  4. #24
    Boolit Bub Coyote3's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Posts
    46
    Quote Originally Posted by osteodoc08 View Post
    Same with the 41. Alliant refuses to elaborate on specifics other than their testing indicated pressure issues.

    BD is temp sensitive, esp when cold. I still use it in 38/357/45colt mostly. Quit using it in 41 as I have other powders on hand.
    You guys ain't lyin'! http://www.alliantpowder.com/getting...y_notices.aspx

    I handloaded a couple of cylinder loads of BlueDot and some 125 grain "hpj-types" for the wife's GP100. After she warmed up with a few cylinders of her usual fodder, she turned to me after the first round of the BlueDot stuff and said "These are too hot!".

    She's no scaredy cat when it comes to recoil, in fact, she really enjoys it. (That's my girl! ) She knows her stuff when it comes to stout loads, so when she says it's too hot, it's too hot.

    Upon inspection, the primer was found to be completely flattened, even though it was a starting load. After we got back home, the rest of those rounds got taken apart.

    Be careful, guys. BlueDot with 125s is a bad combo.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master Cmm_3940's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    766
    Temperature sensitivity is not specific to certain individual projectile weights.

    Alliant issues warnings for a specific bullet weight, (but not design) but not for any other bullets in the same caliber? Blue Dot is a no-no for 41 mag, but is OK for 357 mag and 44 mag? Sure, seems legit. Combine all this with the already sparse nature of Alliant data, and it begins to look like they are lawyer shy. It's enough to make me question the value of Alliant as a source of data.


    And yes, I keep a pound of Blue Dot on the shelf, for various things. And Red Dot. And Unique. And Bullseye. And RE15. 2400 if I can find it. I like their powder, but not their data.
    Last edited by Cmm_3940; 08-30-2014 at 09:30 PM.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
    dtknowles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Southeast Louisiana
    Posts
    4,858
    I have stayed away from Blue Dot. Red Dot was my go to powder for general purpose loads but later I changed to Green Dot. I like both those powders very much and while I load a bunch of .357., 38 super ++P and 9mm I have used Power Pistol and H110 if I want top speed. Probably nothing wrong with Blue Dot but ...............

    Tim
    Words are weapons sharper than knives - INXS

    The pen is mightier than the sword - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

    The tongue is mightier than the blade - Euripides

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    1,152
    Hi...

    I shoot thousands of rounds of .357Mag loaded with Blue Dot every year. It is my go to powder for 158gr LSWC in the .357. I used to shoot a lot of 125gr LSWC in the .357 powered by Blue Dot, but coupled with the warning and a desire to limit my inventory of bullets to one LSWC per caliber, I quit using 125gr LSWC in my .357s.

    I still shoot a lot of 125gr HP/XTPS in my .357s, but I don't use Blue Dot for that application. 2400 and W296/H110 seem to work for me for jacketed bullets(125,158 and 180gr HP/XTPs) in the .357Mag.

    I also discontinued Blue Dot when shooting 215gr LSWC in my .41Magnums even though I had shot thousands of them over the years. I switched to Unique for cast and 2400 for jacketed.

  8. #28
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    44
    Larry Gibson posted a test some time ago, Hercules Blue Dot versus Alliant Blue Dot.
    Testing included velocites and pressures. Very informative. It is in the archives here. I'm not good with links!!

  9. #29
    Boolit Master
    Bullwolf's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Reno, Nevada
    Posts
    1,136
    Quote Originally Posted by aya View Post
    Larry Gibson posted a test some time ago, Hercules Blue Dot versus Alliant Blue Dot.
    Testing included velocites and pressures. Very informative. It is in the archives here. I'm not good with links!!
    Larry Gibson's Blue Dot; Hercules vs Alliant test.

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...s-Alliant-test

    A great resource.

    Thanks Larry !




    - Bullwolf

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy catkiller45's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Towanda, Pa
    Posts
    412
    I find this post to be very interesting. I have read on other forums that blue dot isn't worth a damn in either 357 or 38. I have never tried it but I will be in my 357 with 158 gr gas checked bullets. I especially want to try it in my Rossi 92 rifle. Really enjoyed this post. I seldom believe what I read on these forums. That's.John
    keep on rolling along.no matter what happens just keep rolling

  11. #31
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    739
    I used to use it for 357mag 125gr when h110/w296 and 2400 were out of stock.

    A few years ago, I read the warning from Allient, and haven't used any since.

    seems odd that only 125gr 357 is troublesome, but all weights of 41mag are ????

    no mention of 44mag ????

    I never had any trouble nor signs of excess pressure.

    [shrug]
    .


    NRA LIFE Member

    USPSA/IPSC

  12. #32
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    739
    I just got the brand new LYMAN #51st edition, and it has data for 125gr JHP and BLUE DOT.
    .
    .
    .
    ......and 41mag BLUE DOT info
    .


    NRA LIFE Member

    USPSA/IPSC

  13. #33
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Near Austin
    Posts
    1,488
    My experience is BlueDot sucks in 38 Special.
    When I tried it with 158 SWC the velocity spread was about 100 fps and the targets reflected that dispersion.
    I concluded it was too slow and didn’t burn well at low pressure.

    In 357 I remember it being ok but nothing great.

    But it’s my fav in full throttle 10mm!

    I rarely get out of Central or South Texas so it’s cold weather pressure spikes are not a problem for me.
    "Time and money don't do you a bit of good until you spend them." - My Dad

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    4,535
    As others have discovered Blue Dot has some interesting and sometimes weird burning characteristics.

    I still use it for heavy bullet .357 loads and .45acp loads.

    I had heard many years ago that the 125gn thing was along the lines Larry discovered. Some loads that 'seemed' reasonable developed very high pressures. Never did understand why when max loads at 110gn bullets and 140gn bullets were 'ok'. But, I stopped using it in 125gn loads and I stick to book loads from Alliant.

    charlie

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    277

    Blue Dot Load

    Blue Dot works great. The classic load for a .357 mag using Blue Dot is 10.5 and 11.5gr. The first photo is a group printed on a b'day card a buddy sent to me. I return the card to him on Xmas. The second photo is my accuracy load using Speer 158gr GD. The third target is a load I'm still working with using a cast 160gr FRN Lee mold. All targets were shot at (I think) 18 yards. Look at the photo with the b'day card. haven't tried BD in .38 Special and prefer AA5. Both loads have a medium recoil. For the .357, if I want more power, I'd load with AA9.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	357@CircleS.jpg 
Views:	27 
Size:	30.5 KB 
ID:	306691Click image for larger version. 

Name:	357-158GDPetload.jpg 
Views:	23 
Size:	30.2 KB 
ID:	306689Click image for larger version. 

Name:	357-160FRNLee Petload.jpg 
Views:	18 
Size:	36.6 KB 
ID:	306690[ATTACH=CONFIG]
    Last edited by BJung; 11-09-2022 at 09:30 PM. Reason: Adding photos

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Boonesborough, KY
    Posts
    6,925
    I have been wanting to try BD in .45-70 for a long time, however Alliant powders are extinct here. 110 is really easy to find, and of course there isn't much in the way of "official" uses for it.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  17. #37
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    the Ark
    Posts
    5,277
    Quote Originally Posted by ubetcha View Post
    I recall a safety issue put out by the manufacture about using Blue Dot and 125gr bullets. The two don't seem to get along with each other. Excessive pressures happen.
    Blue Dot...
    In about 1976 or so I loaded up a bunch of 125 grain jacketed hollow points without doing proper load development.
    Got high pressure, total inaccuracy and incredible noise.
    Last time I ever failed to err on the side of caution.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    4,535
    FWIW, Alliant powders are starting to show up in stores again.

  19. #39
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Boonesborough, KY
    Posts
    6,925
    Not in these parts. Hodgdon is king around here, even in normal times Alliant is an also ran other than Bullseye and Unique
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  20. #40
    Boolit Master

    softpoint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Bryan-College Station Tx
    Posts
    1,273
    I've used Blue Dot for decades in .357, 41 magnum, .44Magnum and warm loads in .45Colt. And 10mm, and some .45ACP revolver loads. Many thousands of rounds. I have never experienced any strange behavior whatsoever from it, and it has been my second most used powder in handgun calibers, with 2400 slightly ahead of it. I've used more Blue Dot than Unique.
    Cast Boolits, Where lead balloons go over....

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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