Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Why I like BLUE DOT

I think those who worry about "shotgun powders" fail to realize that often the companies who make them actually recommend these "shotgun powders" as pistol/revolver powders as well. And that, of course, places some of them at much higher pressures than what shotguns typically run. Seems to me that handgun loads ought to be wringing out whatever high pressure anomalies may exist. And for those who haven't seen some of the quicker powders published by reputable sources, I suggest looking into the volumes which Lyman has printed for years. Unique, Blue Dot, and several other "flaky shotgun" powders have been used over the years. Granted, more of them will be found in the cast bullet sections and volumes, but they have still been used and well tested.

There have been two things which have proven safe and useful to me over the years as far as loading technique is concerned. First, when loading revolver ammo with quick powders that could be double or triple charged, it is a very simple detail to place 50 powder-ready cases in a loading block and run them under the measure. (That really makes measure technique be uniform for the batch when done like that too.) But when each has been charged, simply looking into each case to see the powder depths relative to each other is a simple way to ensure that nothing is out of spec.) The second detail involves small charges in bottle necked cases. The loading block technique might also be used with a strong light after to compare all. However, I prefer to seat a bullet after each case is charged as it is more difficult to see a small charge in the depths of a bottle necked case. For this reason I prefer to weight each charge, dump it, and then seat the bullet in the charged case. The simple safety check on this is to shake each case after all have been loaded. One can easily detect a significant difference in the sound if all should have been the same.

I've used this for a number of years in big game rifle cases.

I'm going to be trying it in my new 221 Fireball here pretty soon.

I can really like 1,000 case charges per pound!!! [even tho I paid something like $32/lb locally]

$0.032 per reload is the cheapest component on this one!

The term "bad results" is my term. Not the term of the makers advising against the use of the powder. They advised against this practice because they learned of cases were some loads at rifle pressures detonated.
Now if we really want to encourage safe practices with Blue Dot, I would suggest someone contact the maker and see if it is now is tested at rifle pressures.
As far as my keeping silent when I think a fellow shooter and reloader is taking an unnecessary risk, that is not going to happen. E

On loading blocks, I'm too much of a klutz to use the whole block. I usually just lay them around the perimeter and charge 26 at a time, too hard to reach the center, and too easy to get "lost." Breaks up the monotony, too.

If you really want to be double safe, you can weigh each loaded cartridge once you're finished a batch of BD loads, and make sure that they are all within a couple of grains of each other. If one cartridge is 17gr more than the others, you know why. Different brands of brass have different weights, so compare cartridge weights against other loads in the batch using like brass.

The above is the purest kind of applesauce. Alliant themselves recommend Blue Dot for loads producing much more than 20,000 psi. Back when Hercules actually published the pressures for their loads, BlueDot loads produced up to 37,200 psi in the .44 Magnum, nearly twice the maximum 'safe pressure' - if you believe the quote above. Speer, Sierra and Lyman currently recommend BD for max pressure loads in the .44 Mag, .45 Mag, etc. Lyman #48 lists BD loads to over 38,000 CUP. Freedom Arms publishes BD load data for their .454 Casull up to 53,700 psi.

No one forces me to use BlueDot in my rifles and handguns. I do so informed and with my eyes open. I appreciate the concern with safety that some posters voice, but making up reasons not to use the powder helps no one.

From Alliant's site: BLUEDOT - Smokeless magnum shotshell & handgun

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Edited for typo

I tried bluedot in my 22-250 with good results. No visible evidence of pressure problems and accuracy was as good or better than a couple, H-380 and Rel-15, of other powder choices. I will admit a little apprehension before the first Bluedot load fired, but I won't hesitate to load some more. I fill one case at a time with powder then seat a bullet. I don't see why it's a problem as long as you focus on loading the cases without distractions.
55 grain Sierra spitzer flat base bullets, 18.5 grains Bluedot, CCI BR2 primers = 3/4" 3 shot group with a Rem. 700 sporter barrel. Work up your loads like any other powder.

All right. I'll stand corrected. Alliant does list Blue dot for magnum handgun rds. Both the .44 Magnum, maximum pressure 36,000 psi and the 10mm, maximum pressure of 37,500 psi are listed on their site. But there are no high pressure rifle loads listed. E

I like Blue Dot loads beacause they are easy on the shooter with superb accuracy. And I have shot a lot of them.

Reguardless of the powder I am using for reloading whatever cartridge, I use a cast in stone proceedure. I have some old Herters plastic reloading trays in red and white. If I am loading on a single stage I have the primed cases in the white tray on my right side. I pick them up one case at a time, dump the powder and place it in the red tray on my left. After the red tray is full I take a pen light and shine in every case to check that all cases have powder and all are of equal level. Then I pick them up and seat the bullet and place them back in the white tray.

If I am loading on my Dillon I have a light rigged up shinning into the charged case so that I can visually check the powder level in every one. I beleive its better to go a little slower to do ones best to avoid a mishap.

BTW, for "inquiring minds." I just happen to have some older pressure test data for the .22-250. Using IMR 4227, which on the burn rate chart I have is rated no. 71, whereas Blue dot is rated at no. 56, that means it's quite a bit faster, IMR 4227 is listed at 21.5 grs. and 3140 fps. with a 50 gr. bullet. The pressure with this load is 49300 cup.
For the 55 gr. bullet, it listed at 21.5 grs., 3030 fps. and 52300 cup.
BTW, AA#9, no. 59, Alliant 2400, no. 63, Hodgdon Lil Gun, no. no. 65, Hodgen H110, no. 67, and IMR 4759, no. 69 are all slower rifle type powders. E

The ONLY fly in the ointment with Blue Dot is that it does not meter like the spherical powders I like so well.

BD in the 222, 30-30, 338 Mag, 30-06, 7.7X58, and 44 Mag have made me very happy

I used BD for awhile in my 44mag. Some cans seemed pretty good and others seemed not to good. Finally gave up on it.

Has anyone tried this in a 204 ruger?

yeah, but the naythsayers freak when it is used, especially in calibers smaller than 22.. then they really think we are going to blow up guns and kill everyone at the range that day when it does...

I like Blue Dot, and I appreciate the information presented in this thread. I have been reloading for decades, and have never blown up a gun despite my regular use of such powders as 2400, AL-8, Red Dot, PB and even Bullseye in rifle cartridges. So the dire warnings from those who run around braying at the top of their lungs and using exclamation points in every sentence because someone does something without the express permission of the "authorities" are, to me, a few notches below the spam that appears in my email inbox every day.

Seafire and others who are not afraid to experiment, thanks for what you do and for sharing what you learn with the rest of us.

If anyone has any experience with AL-8, I would be interested in hearing about it, because I have about 15 lbs of it and would like to expand the applications I use it in.

TTT

ddurst

You think 22-250 is apprehension . . .

Imagine how I felt pulling the trigger on the first 338 Mag?

Know what, it is just like anything else Seafire has recommended.

Great

I use it in a lot of different cases and one can sure match ballistics of the reduced recoil 30-06 round with a load of BD.

Have you ever heard of the term "sarcasm"?

Saddly you are wasting your time. A few posters here just can't let it go, they insist that if you don't agree with them you are an idiot or worse. But based on the ratio of pros versus cons in this thread, it is they who are the true "martyrs"...



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Bump for the info