Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Seasonal Request, Blue Dot & 223 Loads

I have done very well with HS-7 it is way discontinued but at 5.00 a pound I could not say no, a little faith and a lot of research loads run 1 grain more than blue dot, I did try RedDot and Steel did not get good results, But as Seafire said there is no shortage now

Seafire I just saw you had posted the 243win loads. Thank you very much.

I’ve used the lighter loads for grandkids, they love shooting them!!

Thanks

13-15 grs of Blue Dot in a 243 Win with 55gr SHOTS from Nosler are a kid's favorite! And ladies, too.

Bringing this up again with a question. Do you weigh each charge? Use a measure or a dipper?

5.0.5 Scale and Lee Powder dippers and yeah, I weigh each charge...

Reloading is kind of a stress reducing activity for me...I almost enjoy reloading more than shooting...

I can reload any time... to get to go over to the range, I have to steal the time, playing hooky....
and then I seem to get over there when there are a bunch of guys my age doing the same thing...
Some of these guys get real competitive and selfish, not wanting to have to share a range.,, or act like " I was here first" schitt...

I reload at times like 2 in the morning when I can't sleep, or a Saturday afternoon when its raining.
So yeah I weigh each charge.....

Well I am finally shifting from IMR 4227 to the Blue Dot I picked up a while back. With 4227 I could use the dipper squared off with a straight edge and get charges that were very consistent. Blue Dot in my early testing has shown more variation with this method. However I usually use a dipper either a LEE or one I made out of cartridge brass dumped into the pan of a scale and topped up to hit the desired weight. I have in my back yard a 150 yard range split up in three distances and often work up loads using the same 5 pieces of brass. Heck I just bought a Remington Model 7 in 223 and 1000 Speer 45 gr. semi points to help me burn the Blue dot up. Hope it serves me as well as it has you.

^^^^

What kind of accuracy are you getting ?

so is 13 gr Blue Dot and a Speer 50 grain TNT....turns a sage rat, into sage rat parts and sage rat jerky...

coyotes love that sage rat jerky stuff... as do the Seagulls over in Klamath County.

Just a thought
Big game section has sticky section of loads at the top
Why can't we get a sticky hear with all seafires bluedot
Loads at the top for every one to use

Yeah why not? I search Blue Dot every year just to bring it back before it hits the one year barrier.

Thanks for posting that load data.

My first rifle reloads were made with shotgun powder at the age of about 14.
The procedure went like this, drill a hole in a 2x4 just a little smaller than the base of the cartridge to be reloaded.
Take a 16 penny nail and grind it down so it can be used to decap the primer.
Decap the primer.
Place cartridge on flat smooth wood surface and tap cartridge gently down onto new primer using another 2x4 as a mallet.
Add required amount of shotgun powder. I used rolled up paper as a funnel, I don’t remember for sure how I measured
the powder or which powder was used.
Press edge of case neck against hard surface and flatten a small area of the case neck, this will provide some neck
Tension when you push the bullet in.
Load cartridge carefully and not from the magazine.

I loaded 100 grain Hollow points in a 270 and used them for gophers and plinking. For a kid out in the country with very limited
Resources this was much fun.

Great info. Thanks again.

+1

That’s a great idea, but historically there has been so much opposition to the use of BlueDot in reduced rifle loads that the backlash may be be more trouble than it’s worth. I use BD in almost a dozen chamberings, it gives great performance as long as you are careful. But then, that applies to all reloading doesn’t it?


.

There is no problem with Blue Dot... as any powder it has its limitations and performance envelope...
that I find useful for what I am doing with it... and desire...

any problems loading Blue Dot is normally the same reason as problems with any other powder:
Operator Error.....some one not knowing good loading techniques and applying them...

or the old trying to make a 30/06 into a 300 Win Mag mindset.

but I've always posted... if ya don't know what you are doing... walk away and buy store bought ammo.

Be Alert- Publisher cannot accept responsibility for error in published load data. Listed loads are only valid in the test firearms used. Reduce initial powder charge by 10% and work up while watching for pressure signs.

IOW, use data at your own risk

Thanks Seafire,

The bluedot loads are entertaining and effective.

I shoot the 22-250s more than the 223s but I copied your bluedot notes on those as well!

I was shooting at the local range last fall and a buddy wondered what I was working on.

62gr TTSX in 22-250 and Superformance for antelope and Bluedot loads with 35 and 40 gr bullets....he looked at me like I was from outer space..

It's not all your fault but you got most of the blame!

Tried 13grs and 50gr Varmint Nightmares in a RAR 223 this AM. Worked very well.