Bulky powders

ruger.john · August 12, 2008, 05:52 PM

I have tried trail boss for .357 loads and really like it. Clean burning not much recoil. Can anyone suggest any other bulky powders to try?

WESHOOT2 · August 14, 2008, 08:44 AM

I use much Universal Clays in non-nuke 357 Magnum......

**Mike Irwin** · August 14, 2008, 11:36 AM

Blue Dot is fairly bulky.

sargenv · August 18, 2008, 09:46 PM

Blue Dot while being bulky has a reason it is.. It's downright hot stuff.. A max load of powder behind a 125 JHP in 357 is pretty snappy, flashy, and will get your attention.

**Mike Irwin** · August 18, 2008, 09:55 PM

A powder's "hotness" or power level really has nothing to do with whether it's bulky or not.

The main reason for Blue Dot's bulk is it's a large flake powder.

Blue Dot and Accurate No. 9 are very close in relative burning rates, and have virtually the same applications.

Yet AA 9 is a very small grained, very dense powder.

joneb · August 18, 2008, 10:14 PM

Quote:

I have tried trail boss for .357 loads and really like it. Clean burning not much recoil. Can anyone suggest any other bulky powders to try?

If you like TB then why are you looking for another powder ? TB is as bulky as it gets. Are you looking for a little more velocity ?

tom234 · August 19, 2008, 12:47 AM

HERCO works fine for me for .38 target loads to .44 mag heavy loads with .357 mag, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP in between.

zxcvbob · August 19, 2008, 03:38 PM

Red Dot or Promo (RD is the bulkier of the two.) They are great pistol powders for just about everything *except* .357 Magnum -- and good in it too *if* you want to down-load your .357 to about the level of a .38 Super (and boy would that be cheap to shoot.)

If you are happy with Trail Boss, you should be happy with RD or Promo. I'd pick the Promo because it is so much cheaper and it meters a little better.

**Unclenick** · August 19, 2008, 04:02 PM

Sargenv,

Please look at the Blue Dot warning on the Alliant site or on the sticky in this forum. They warn against using it with 125 grain bullets in the .357. They don't explain why other than to warn of high pressures, and say heavier bullets are OK. They also say to use Blue Dot in any .41 magnum. No clue why? Especially weird since their own loading manual gives a Blue Dot load for 110 grain bullets in the .357, as well as for 158 grain bullets. Just not 125's. Truly odd.

joneb · August 19, 2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Red Dot or Promo (RD is the bulkier of the two.)

I think Clays is even bulkier than Red Dot.

**Mike Irwin** · August 20, 2008, 09:00 AM

Trail Boss is a wonderful powder.

But, it's not designed to give true "magnum" velocities if that's what you're looking for.

I've used a lot of TB in my .44 Special, and am going to load some .38s with it to shoot out of my newly acquired 1920s era Military & Police.

sargenv · August 20, 2008, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Sargenv,

Please look at the Blue Dot warning on the Alliant site or on the sticky in this forum. They warn against using it with 125 grain bullets in the .357. They don't explain why other than to warn of high pressures, and say heavier bullets are OK. They also say to use Blue Dot in any .41 magnum. No clue why? Especially weird since their own loading manual gives a Blue Dot load for 110 grain bullets in the .357, as well as for 158 grain bullets. Just not 125's. Truly odd.

While this is true, I have several cans of pre-Alliant Blue dot and I've probably burned about 20 pounds of the stuff in various 357 magnums over the years before Alliant was the creator of this stuff. I think the issue is that back in the late 80's or maybe early 90's the Plant went Nuclear and they had to reformulate their recipe for Blue Dot.

I still have some data manuals for shotshells (Ballistic Products) that have recipes for pre and post explosion and fire. I think the main issue is that with 125's and 110's and anything lighter, there is an issue with flame cutting of top straps. Anyone who's ever seen a 125 with a max charge of Blue dot will know what I'm talking about since the flash is dazzling in a low light conditions.

It is not so dazzling with heavier bullets. I attribute this partly to the amount of Nitro-Glycerin in the powder (speculation on my part, I am not a chemist). It's certainly hot stuff. Most of my loads were shot in a 1988 model GP100 with a light 6" bbl. About 5% was shot in a 10" T/C Contender barrel.

Otherwise I had used some of the powder for Magnum shotgun loads. In the days when lead shot was king, Blue dot made a very effective hunting load and many hunters loved this powder to hunt ducks and geese with.

What I consider Bulky isn't neccesarily what other people do. Trail Boss is Bulky.. Blue Dot I consider High Energy. SR 4756 is Bulky, it just so happens that it is also in the same league as Blue Dot.

jimkim · August 22, 2008, 07:16 PM

How about Alliant Bullseye,Green Dot, Unique, Herco, or IMR-700X?

1911_freak · August 22, 2008, 08:29 PM

clays is good for shotshells and magnum pistol shells

bluetopper · August 23, 2008, 10:10 PM

I beg to differ........Clays and magnum pistol loads don't mix too well.

August 12, 2008, 05:52 PM	#1
ruger.john Member Join Date: March 2, 2008 Posts: 29	Bulky powders I have tried trail boss for .357 loads and really like it. Clean burning not much recoil. Can anyone suggest any other bulky powders to try?

August 14, 2008, 08:44 AM	#2
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	define bulky I use much Universal Clays in non-nuke 357 Magnum...... __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

August 14, 2008, 11:36 AM	#3
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	Blue Dot is fairly bulky. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 18, 2008, 09:55 PM	#5
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	A powder's "hotness" or power level really has nothing to do with whether it's bulky or not. The main reason for Blue Dot's bulk is it's a large flake powder. Blue Dot and Accurate No. 9 are very close in relative burning rates, and have virtually the same applications. Yet AA 9 is a very small grained, very dense powder. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 19, 2008, 03:38 PM	#8
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	Red Dot or Promo (RD is the bulkier of the two.) They are great pistol powders for just about everything except .357 Magnum -- and good in it too if you want to down-load your .357 to about the level of a .38 Super (and boy would that be cheap to shoot.) If you are happy with Trail Boss, you should be happy with RD or Promo. I'd pick the Promo because it is so much cheaper and it meters a little better. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

August 18, 2008, 09:46 PM	#4
sargenv Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 72	Blue Dot while being bulky has a reason it is.. It's downright hot stuff.. A max load of powder behind a 125 JHP in 357 is pretty snappy, flashy, and will get your attention.

August 19, 2008, 12:47 AM	#7
tom234 Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 753	HERCO works fine for me for .38 target loads to .44 mag heavy loads with .357 mag, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP in between.

August 19, 2008, 04:02 PM	#9
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,057	Sargenv, Please look at the Blue Dot warning on the Alliant site or on the sticky in this forum. They warn against using it with 125 grain bullets in the .357. They don't explain why other than to warn of high pressures, and say heavier bullets are OK. They also say to use Blue Dot in any .41 magnum. No clue why? Especially weird since their own loading manual gives a Blue Dot load for 110 grain bullets in the .357, as well as for 158 grain bullets. Just not 125's. Truly odd. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

August 20, 2008, 09:00 AM	#11
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	Trail Boss is a wonderful powder. But, it's not designed to give true "magnum" velocities if that's what you're looking for. I've used a lot of TB in my .44 Special, and am going to load some .38s with it to shoot out of my newly acquired 1920s era Military & Police. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 22, 2008, 07:16 PM	#13
jimkim Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2008 Location: middle GA Posts: 326	How about Alliant Bullseye,Green Dot, Unique, Herco, or IMR-700X? __________________ Jan. 4, 2007 gasoline $2.10 gal....HMMM?

August 22, 2008, 08:29 PM	#14
1911_freak Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 25	clays is good for shotshells and magnum pistol shells __________________ My loads are 45. acp, 9mm, 38., 357., 7.62x39, 223., 308., 16 and 12 gauge

August 23, 2008, 10:10 PM	#15
bluetopper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2005 Location: Northeast TX Posts: 1,197	I beg to differ........Clays and magnum pistol loads don't mix too well.

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