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Thread: Blue dot for cast and reduced loads in rifle.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    Blue dot for cast and reduced loads in rifle.

    This has been picking at me for awhile now. I can't find any published data on it. They have rifle loads for the other dot powders and powders close to the same burn rate as blue dot. Im wondering why no loads listed for blue dot. I would think that someone would have done testing for it. To determine what pressures are generated and how effective of load it would be. Anyone else ever wonder about it?
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy Dom's Avatar
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    I have an Alliant loading manual. They show Blue Dot for 44mag & 45 Colt. What particular cal are you looking for ?

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    .223 .243, 6.5 Creedmoor ,30/30,7.62x54r ,7.65x53, 30.06 and 7.62x39. I have an Alliant one too. That they mailed to me. I also have Lymans 3rd and 4th cast and their 50th. As well as lee and Hornady's the one before their newest. And speers newest.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy Dom's Avatar
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    looked in my old Lyman manual . They only showed , Green dot, Red dot , Unique & Herco. No Blue dot. Seems odd. In my burning rate chart I see that Accurate No 9 is only a hair slower burning than than Blue dot. Maybe a starting load of No 9 could be used for a starting load of Blue dot ?

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Dom's Avatar
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    Just noticed Alliant Blue dot & Accurate No 7 are virtually the same burning rate. If that helps any.

  6. #6
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    The factory folks are always playing around with different powders.

    I've got old books that praise one powder as being the best and most accurate for a given cartridge.
    A few editions later, its not even listed.

    Burn rates are one thing to consider, but there is other things going on too, like flame temp,
    pressure curves variables in different barrel lengths, etc.

    Just a wild guess, but if you can't find a Blue Dot load in any manual, old or new for a cartridge:
    It might be because nobody ever had good results with it.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


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  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Blue Dot in my experience is scary spiky. Not much room between mild loads and pressure signs. In addition, a couple years back there was a warning issued on using it in light bullet .357 and any .41 magnum loads. Adults can make their own choices, but I would stick with the Alliant data on this one.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    My load books are in the shed, but I thought there were listed loads in Lyman #3 for some rifle calibers.

    I use it in 375 H&H and 30-06.

    I also got some Blue Dot load data from a "Seafire" not sure of the website or forum. He had a BUNCH of Blue Dot loads.

    And I started a thread here 3-4 years ago asking for load suggestions to use up a 5 lb. keg of Blue Dot I bought at a garage sale for $25. Got bunches of suggestions.

    Unfortunately my Google-Fu is not strong enough to find it.

    Someone else can search back for more than a year?

  9. #9
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dom View Post
    looked in my old Lyman manual . They only showed , Green dot, Red dot , Unique & Herco. No Blue dot. Seems odd. In my burning rate chart I see that Accurate No 9 is only a hair slower burning than than Blue dot. Maybe a starting load of No 9 could be used for a starting load of Blue dot ?
    Seems to me Blue Dot is the newest of the "Dots" (excepting Clay Dot). Older Lyman manuals may not show it because it didn't exist back in the day when they used rope as door knobs. And I've got a stack of manuals from back then. Not quite as vintage as they are now.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I know of one mate who had some 30/06 subsonic loads tested. I have some loads here some place for the 223 as well but it come with a warning of user be ware. I used a good deal of Blue Dot when I shot silly wets and found it hard on guns and brass had much better results with 2400 so I still have a couple cans of Blue Dot I am reluctant to use unless I have to. I put using Blue Dot in rifle loads in the same category as picking your nose with a Bowie Knife. Regard Stephen

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I use/used it in 243, 06, and 30/40. Advice I got got and followed was start at top end of Unique and stop at starting load of 2400. Worked well like that and seemed a bit more accurate than Red Dot but never did a side by side comparison.

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    i use the crud outta it... i also use the Seafire info. it was from 24Hr Campfire forum..

    posted from Seafire....


    "for anyone working up with ANY case, I can recommend the following...

    fill the case up to the brim with Blue Dot.. I call that full case capacity...

    take 20% of that figure and start working up from that point.. that won't give you a squibb load...

    I also recommend to start with pistol or small pistol primers..

    Figure what 50% of that FULL CAPACITY, is and use that as a stopping point to work toward...

    start working slower ( in smaller increments ) once you get to 40% of FULL CAPACITY...like in a fireball case, I'd start working in 2/10 grain increments..from 40 % of max case capacity... then 1/10 grain increments if I was playing with over the 50% FULL Capacity mark..."

    Google Seafire and Blue dot... it will get you where you wanna go

    hope this helps!
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've got the 2004 Alliant manual, and it has load data for all the pistol calibers with all their pistol and shotgun powders. Great resource and some really good loads! I'll try attaching it here (just the pistol pages) but if that doesn't work, just PM me.
    2004AlliantPowder pistol.pdf

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks for all the replies. Now i have something to work with. I don't use the blue dot much in my hand gun loads. I have 2 lbs of Blue dot just sitting on the shelves.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigAlofPa. View Post
    I have 2 lbs of Blue dot just sitting on the shelves.

    That sounds like the perfect reason to buy a four or six inch .357 revolver. They love Blue Dot.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


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  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    Hmm yes i could try it in my 357's. I have a GP 100 in 6 inch and a Taurus tracker in 6.5 inch. I didn't have much luck with it in 45 colt. A lot of unburnt powder. Magnum primers helped it some.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigAlofPa. View Post
    Hmm yes i could try it in my 357's..
    I tried other powders in my 6" 586, but kept coming back to Blue Dot, mag. primers,
    and those Keith style SWCs with a gas check.

    It worked great. I about half wore out the Revolver and traded it off to a guy that probably wouldn't
    shoot a box of ammo through it in the rest of his life.
    He figured it'd make him look good if he had to stand out in the yard in his underwear after hearing 'a bump in the night'.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    Im going to try some loads 55 grain FMJ at 10,11 and 12 grains with the Blue dot. And chrono them. I didn't blow up my rifle with 15 grains of 2400. So should be safe.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Blue Dot works great in 30 WCF.

    Check out GMDR.COM.

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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