I put a older 3-9 Nikon on the Walmart special R700 I picked up cheap a while back, neutral bedded the forend with automotive silicon so it would not be picking which side of the barrel to rub against and loaded up a bunch of loads featuring the Speer .224 45 gr. semi pointed bullet I believe they created with the Hornet in mind. This bullet has always been a favorite of mine and I am down to 300 or so. Powder charge is 11.7 grains of Blue Dot and a standard CCI 200 primer. Brass being PPU. Before the bedding it seemed I would get a flier way out there about a half an inch out of the group every 5 shots or so, this seems to have stopped. 4 three shot groups averaging 1/2 an inch and a couple more that stretched out to an inch, probably me. I measured the Blue Dot with a new Lee powder measure, the "Deluxe" model. My old RCBS Uniflow was just too sloppy to trust but the LEE measure sticks within + or - one tenth, I can live with that. One thing I really notice using this type of load is just how easy it is to shoot up a bunch of them in a short time. Noise is light and I am still getting something over 2800 fps. This rifle is slated for an egg shoot or two , teaching the grandkids reloading and knocking over any errant chicken thieves (coyotes and raccoons). Loading up 50 or so just to have lying around.
Reading of someone enjoying themselves is always good news. Having Blue Dot is like having a really hot, accurate Hornet or 22 Mag....and ammo is never a problem.
Sounds like you have a lot of fun in your future......
I usually go thru 5 to 8 pounds of Blue Dot per year...
Run mine a little faster.....200 to 250 yds capable, all day long...
I bounce around, but this season, 40 and 50 grain V maxes and 50 grain TNT Speer...
14 grains is the usual load....
Got a Rem 700 ADL, a Wally World Special....Its got well over 10,000 rounds of Blue Dot down the barrel, and still hasn't lost any accuracy....
Same with a Rem VLS in 223...
Seafire brings up a good point. His load is stiffer than mine by a couple tenths, but Blue Dot likes to be run "firmly." It likes to be on "the cam" on the sweet spot of your (and yours only) pressure curve. If you really want to get the most out of Blue Dot, you should have a chronograph and park your charge weight just below the point where speed increases start to flatten. It's a narrow plateau, but a good one.
Seafire brings up a good point. His load is stiffer than mine by a couple tenths, but Blue Dot likes to be run "firmly." It likes to be on "the cam" on the sweet spot of your (and yours only) pressure curve. If you really want to get the most out of Blue Dot, you should have a chronograph and park your charge weight just below the point where speed increases start to flatten. It's a narrow plateau, but a good one.
My max charge with 40 to 50 grain Bullets is 14.5 grains...14 grains with 52 & 53 grain bullets....and 13.5 grains with 55 grainers..
I don't use heavier than that, for bullet weights with Blue Dot....
If you use it with a 22.250, I list max charge with those same bullet weights, as 19 grains of Blue Dot...
I decided that I wanted to reduce speed down to Hornet levels and burned up another 20 rounds at 10.5 grains. Same level of accuracy and no smoky cases either like I would have gotten with Imr 4227. This will be my second pound of Blue Dot burned in the last year. Nice to be able to steadily shoot and no hot barrel. Down to around 1500 small rifle primers though.
I'm light on small rifle primers myself...If Biden gets the White House.. I might be out by the end of Harris's second term...
always buy them when I saw them on sale... thru out Trumps first term... what I have will survive his second term...
actually they may outlast me....
I'm light on small rifle primers myself...If Biden gets the White House.. I might be out by the end of Harris's second term...
always buy them when I saw them on sale... thru out Trumps first term... what I have will survive his second term...
actually they may outlast me....
Well I hope your around longer than that. But I am in the hunt for some more small rifle primers, I really stocked up on the large rifle mag primers over the last couple of years, may have to build another 22-250.
I really like 12 to 12.5 grains of BD in my .223. Maybe 13 grains in my .223 AI. My hunting buddy has found 12.8 grains to be the sweet spot in his .223 whistlepig gun. I also use it in my .17 Rem, my .204, my .22/250 as well as my .243 AI. Great fun, great accuracy and tosses squirrels very well. What's not to like about Blue Dot?
I guess I'm going to have to go online to get bludot,
none to be found locally.
We're back to where every one is buying anything that will make a firearm go boom....
If Trump can beat this election fraud crap of the democRATS.. supplies will ease..
but if so people better remember things like this is permanent in the long run, with the democRATs being anti gun as they are just waiting to set up their new world order in our nation, to kill its existence like we have known it all of our lives...
Either way I am compiling an enemies list and creating an intelligence network.
Hey John, IMR Blue is available, how close is it to Blue Dot?
Its not as accurate, its not as consistent
I've tested a couple of pounds of it...
it'll work, but not as well as Blue Dot...
Locally here I've seen Blue Dot still on the shelves available...
Thanks. I'll keep looking for some blue dot.
I'm good for about 5000 rounds with the blue dot i got
I started to experiment with large rifle primers in 223 cases with blue dot So far they perform just as good as small rifle primers
I started to experiment with large rifle primers in 223 cases with blue dot So far they perform just as good as small rifle primers
snicker.......
With using Blue Dot in cases with large primers, such as 308Win especially sub sonic loads,
has anyone used Large Pistol primers instead of Large Rifle primers?
Or using Small Pistol primers in 223 cases?
Thanks
I guess I need to clarify....
In the 308 I'm loading 10.2 grains of Trailboss with a 150gr SP for subsonic
and 18.5 grains of Blue Dot with 125gr BT for just a reduced load.
Don't see why you couldn't try it if you have lots of large pistol primers. Blue Dot is flake powder, so it lights up easy, you sure as heck don't need large rifle magnums for that. But I'd watch real carefully how flat your primers get, and if they pierce. Preferable to have a fitted firing pin with no gaps, because pistol primer cups are either softer or thinner. If you pierce, you're gonna wreck your firing pin and bolt face pretty darn quick, by the way. Pistol pressures are nowhere near rifles, mostly, some exceptions. And Blue Dot rifle loads generate "real" pressure. So be aware of that....but I'd try it, and I have with good results.
I seem to remember Mic McPherson doing a really extensive analysis of primers in terms of flame generation. Some were like Saturn V rockets going off, some were pretty limp -- but could work well because of another factor, when the primer was just right in terms of "hot" the powder charge burns very nicely and is consistent. We all like consistent, trust me. He found that "too hot" primers would tickle the back of the bullet and upset the applecart before the powder started doing its job. I mean, Mic is nuts but in a really helpful way to all of us.
With using Blue Dot in cases with large primers, such as 308Win especially sub sonic loads,
has anyone used Large Pistol primers instead of Large Rifle primers?
Or using Small Pistol primers in 223 cases?
Thanks
yeah, during Obama's Administration.... as that was all that was available...
this time won't have to do that...
I think I have a pound of blue dot in the bottom of a box underneath my bench that I haven’t looked at in 10 + years. I’ll have to work up a load. Thanks guys
I found some Viht 3N37. Can I load 223 with it? I haven’t been able to find anything solid yet other than a mention that 13.1gr is near maximum.
Any ideas?
Thanks!