I plan on starting to reload for my shotgun with a lee load all 2 around May ish. I have reloaded metallic pistol and casted. I plan on casting slugs, buckshot, and #4 and #6 shot. A little later when I can legally get a handgun I want a GP100.
I would like to use a powder I can load for 12ga and magnum pistol cartridges. Which one of the three or one that's not on the list would you choose?
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I load slugs and have used bluedot with success and also used it in the past for 44mag loads... of the three you listed... that would be my choice... I currently use SR4756 for slug loads and while I haven't tried it in metallic reloading have heard that it can be good in magnum pistol loads. The negative about SR4756 is that is has been announced that it won't be mfg. after this year.
Hope this helps,
TheMoose
Blue dot for your heavy stuff. Red dot for the lighter shotgun and range pistol loads.
Check out Promo (budget red dot) I use it in all of my target shotgun loads 12 & 20.
Use in Cast & J-word pistol loads, .38, .357, 9mm, .40, .45acp, .45LC
Around 90$ per 8lbs here. I went through 36lbs last year
Blue dot is going to work about the best for what you loading. Magum shot gun 1 -1/2 oz. , buckshot loads, and your slugs. The gp100 I think I'll do better with a different powder, green dot or Unique. Green dot if you can find loads for them all. Recal if was my first powder, but hardly use it now, I use RedDot, Bluedot, Unique, for areas you asked about. Maybe which ever you can find , or find at fair price.
I use green dot for SG, if I were to pick one powder for pistole and SG I would get sr7625.
Hope for change.
Another vote for Blue Dot though I have not used it in .357 (don't have one). It is good for fairly heavy slug loads though I have used Blue Dot for slug loads as light as 1 oz. and it works pretty well in my .44 mag. Marlin.
Unique is another good choice though limited to about 1 1/8 oz. in shotgun and moderate loads in .44.
Longbow
I you are going to load heavy loads (magnum), for every thing, the Blue Dot would be the one I would go with. This is exactly what I did when I started hand loading years ago. It fit the bill very well, I was loading 20 ga for pheasant hunting, 357 mag for my Marlin 1894, and Ruger Blackhawk for deer hunting j words only. That being said, I don't think I would do the same thing today, especially after being introduced to this site. The pounding from shooting heavy loads gets old after awhile. Today I enjoy shooting lighter loads, usually put together with Unique, and only shoot heavy stuff when absolutely necessary. You have to decide what you want to do.
good thread!!
To answer your question you need to determine if you want to load max or not.
As some of us mature, we find that shooting maximum loads gets old. It is painful in some guns and really not needed for the bulk of practice shooting we enjoy. For the few times you need full power loads you can buy a lb of the right powder and use that for hunting loads.
I am also a believer in Promo. At $90 for 8 lbs it is an economical consideration for target loads. I use a lot of it and have about 100 lb stockpiled. I will be using Promo for practice slug loads and also for my defensive loads - the reason being that lower recoil allows for quicker follow up shots. I am also concerned that firing a max load in a house will be rather loud and hard on the auditory equipment.
Don Verna
If you have blue dot or any of the "dots" on the shelf near you I would like to know where you shop. I haven't seen these powders for sale in NW Ohio for over a year. If you are just starting out reloading and don't have powders on hand what you load may be dictated by what you can find to buy.
BB
Correct answer! These days you just need to be very flexible.Originally Posted by bikerbeans
I've used blue dot with good results in my model 19 Smith. I'm working on loads using both red and green. Since I don't load shot shells I can comment on that. Alliant does have a warning out to NEVER use blue dot with any 124/125 gr bullet. I know someone is going to say they do it without problems - I wouldn't, your choice. Some of the older manuals here have data for the various "dot" powders in various calibers. hope this helps.
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Shot some Blue dot in 357 mag. Pretty impressive ball of fire at the muzzle.
Un burned powder, take pressure and length to burn blue dot.
BB we have powder around here but prices are just not friendly , some IMR powders are 28.00 , 30.00 I 've seen some at 33.00 a pound. The Dots are around $22.00 and up. No kegs or large containers any where.
Love Blue Dot. If you are interested in obtaining 5 lbs for decent price, PM me and I'll get you a link to where I have back-ordered some and got it within a few weeks. I just checked, and they are taking back-orders.
I have been using red dot for most shotgun, cast rifle and handgun loads for over 35 years like it a lot. When I want heavier loads in rifle and hand gun I will use something else but for 90-95% of my shooting red dot works fine.
Yesterday I was out looking for some more Unique which I use for 12ga, .380/9mm/.38/.41/.44 Spl and .45 ACP all with cast bullets. I use AA9/Win 296/H110 for my heavy .41s. He had on the self a pound each of Red Dot and Blue Dot. Only had cash for one pound and I choose the Blue Dot to try this time. Might go back and get that Red Dot however as it maybe more versuritalbe for my needs. They were $29 lb here.
CD
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All Hail {PROMO} baby! Generic Red Dot!
Works in nearly any pistol loading (as long as you don't want true Magnum velocity) and all my 1-oz shotshell and slug loads, and it's $12 a pound.
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It's all about velocity. There are lots of loads for magnum pistol with Red Dot; they just aren't very fast, which may not be a disadvantage. As I (ahem) mature, I find that I don't like to have my teeth fillings loosened when I shoot. With moderate velocity, RD can do a lot of things. Having said that, Blue Dot will work when you want to push it as fast as it can go. BD does seem to like some pressure, though, so light boolits/shot charges and small charges of BD don't work very well in my experience.
Wayne
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