Hodgdon International Clays powder

Tmitch · February 20, 2014, 12:51 PM

Can Hodgdon International Clays powder be used as a pistol powder? I reload 44 Mag, 45 ACP, 45 AR, 380 Auto.

BigJimP · February 20, 2014, 03:19 PM

I don't know of any published handgun loads using International..../ it was designed as a 12ga and 20ga powder.

LE-28 · February 20, 2014, 06:08 PM

I don't think Hodgdon's recommends International for loading any pistol caliber. Strictly shotguns, 12 and 20 according to their website.

You really should be calling them and following their recommendations.

zxcvbob · February 20, 2014, 06:27 PM

It works very well in light "cowboy" and target-wadcutter loads. Good luck finding data for it (hint: Hodgdon used to publish CAS data for International in .38 Special)

If you have the powder already and keep it under... I don't know... 20000 psi, it works great. Just like Green Dot but cleaner and it measures easier. Go too high with it, and it gets "spiky".

If you don't have the powder yet and are just curious, buy Green Dot or Titegroup instead. They are all the same within the narrow band where International works.

Sid · February 20, 2014, 06:54 PM

I received a notice yesterday that Midway has Tightgroup in stock.

totaldla · February 20, 2014, 07:33 PM

It can and I have. I don't think Hodgdon even sells it anymore. There are certainly better powders for pistol, but in these times of scarcity I can hardly blame a fella for experimenting. The only warning I can pass along is that it is temp sensitive enough that your summer time "plinkers" (45acp) can squib on you in the winter - regardless of primer.

Tmitch · February 24, 2014, 09:41 PM

I traded that can off for a can of Titegroup. I that is a pistol powder.

Tmitch

steveNChunter · February 24, 2014, 09:56 PM

Quote:

I traded that can off for a can of Titegroup. I that is a pistol powder.

Tmitch

I use titegroup to load for my .45 acp. It gives decent velocity, stains the cases but is otherwise pretty clean, and it's very accurate for me. The only thing to watch out for is that it's a pretty fast powder and has a rather small window between min. and max. loads. Follow published data, start low and work up in small increments. It should work for .380 as well, but my only experience is with .45 acp

AlaskaMike · February 25, 2014, 12:14 PM

Heh. We certainly wouldn't want to try to use shotgun powder in pistol loads. Lord knows that's never been done before!

Salmoneye · February 26, 2014, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Heh. We certainly wouldn't want to try to use shotgun powder in pistol loads. Lord knows that's never been done before!

Shhhh...

More Red Dot for me...

steveNChunter · February 26, 2014, 09:23 PM

I love using Clays for light 230 gr .45 acp loads. Very clean, accurate, light recoil, just don't tell my pistol that it's a shotgun powder

But the Clays I'm referring to is not the international clays. Just plain ole Clays. Whoever named those two powders so similarly shouldve been fired.

mnoirot64 · February 27, 2014, 07:33 AM

One of my favorite pistol powders was designed as a shotgun powder - Hodgdon Longshot. It works quite well for me in 45 ACP and there is data for 40 also.

**Unclenick** · February 27, 2014, 08:02 AM

SteveNCruncher,

It's three. Clays, International Clays, and Universal Clays. Really dumb naming convention, so most people call them Clays, International, and Universal. Universal is an excellent pistol powder, being between Bullseye and Unique in load levels in most cartridge and bullet combinations. Much cleaner burning and better metering than either. Clays comes closest to Vihtavuori N310 in terms of the small loads.

steveNChunter · February 27, 2014, 09:09 AM

I wonder how many new reloaders have made the mistake of getting the data/powder mismatched between those three. The results could be catastrophic

kerreckt · February 27, 2014, 10:01 AM

I used International Clays for 9mm loads a number of years ago. I can't remember the exact details of the loads because I didn't write them down. The fact that I didn't write it down means that I was not impressed with its performance. Sorry, I can't share any particulars but I believe there are better powders to use. Such as plain old Clays and Titegroup to name a couple. Best wishes

zxcvbob · February 27, 2014, 10:39 AM

International worked very well for me in .380 when I tried it. Cast bullets and about 3 grains of powder, worked up cautiously. But I wouldn't buy more of it for that unless it was all I could find. Distributor (Hodgdon) saying don't use our product in handgun loads is a pretty strong warning.

pete2 · February 27, 2014, 11:05 AM

International could replace all the pistol/shotgun powders I use if they would publish pistol/rev. loads for it. That's the reason they don't I guess. I've been toying with the Idea of using only Green Dot for shotgun and hand gun. Green Dot will load both 20 and 12 ga. and will load all the handguns I use except for the few magnum loads I shoot and a can of 2400 or H110 will last me a life time in the mags.

BigJimP · February 27, 2014, 01:34 PM

Hodgdon Universal ...is a better all around powder for handguns than International, in my view ( and its better in both 20ga and 28ga shotshells too, in my opinion ).

NoSecondBest · February 27, 2014, 03:16 PM

I have some older Hodgdon booklets for using Clays powder for reloading. They do not list any loads for International Clays. They have several loads for Universal Clays. From my own experience, Universal Clays never worked out well in any of my handgun loads. It went bang but never provided good groups with any of my guns. I tried a lot of it back then because I was getting all I wanted for free. Worked well in the shotgun but not in the handgun.

**Unclenick** · March 5, 2014, 11:13 AM

That surprises me greatly. I've found that, basically, anything I could do with Unique I could do with Universal, and it burns cleaner, to boot. It's slower than Bullseye and 231, the most common target load powders, so it's pressure would run low and its burn would be less complete if you tried it for target velocities, but I've run probably 20,000 rounds of ball level .45 Auto loads with it that have been quite satisfactory.

schmellba99 · March 5, 2014, 11:55 AM

Universal Clays is my favorite pistol powder, followed by Unique. It is probably one of the best all around powders there is on the market (when you can find it).

You could almost get away with having 2 powders on your shelf and cover most of the spectrum of normal calibers - Universal (or Unique) for pistol and shotgun and Varget for rifle.

February 20, 2014, 12:51 PM	#1
Tmitch Member Join Date: January 22, 2013 Posts: 33	Hodgdon International Clays powder Can Hodgdon International Clays powder be used as a pistol powder? I reload 44 Mag, 45 ACP, 45 AR, 380 Auto.

February 20, 2014, 06:27 PM	#4
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	It works very well in light "cowboy" and target-wadcutter loads. Good luck finding data for it (hint: Hodgdon used to publish CAS data for International in .38 Special) If you have the powder already and keep it under... I don't know... 20000 psi, it works great. Just like Green Dot but cleaner and it measures easier. Go too high with it, and it gets "spiky". If you don't have the powder yet and are just curious, buy Green Dot or Titegroup instead. They are all the same within the narrow band where International works. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

February 20, 2014, 07:33 PM	#6
totaldla Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2009 Location: SW Idaho Posts: 1,291	It can and I have. I don't think Hodgdon even sells it anymore. There are certainly better powders for pistol, but in these times of scarcity I can hardly blame a fella for experimenting. The only warning I can pass along is that it is temp sensitive enough that your summer time "plinkers" (45acp) can squib on you in the winter - regardless of primer. __________________ Lee Auto Bench Prime Castor Oil Case Lube

February 24, 2014, 09:41 PM	#7
Tmitch Member Join Date: January 22, 2013 Posts: 33	Hodgdon International Clays powder I traded that can off for a can of Titegroup. I that is a pistol powder. Tmitch

February 26, 2014, 09:23 PM	#11
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	I love using Clays for light 230 gr .45 acp loads. Very clean, accurate, light recoil, just don't tell my pistol that it's a shotgun powder But the Clays I'm referring to is not the international clays. Just plain ole Clays. Whoever named those two powders so similarly shouldve been fired. __________________ DEO VINDICE

February 20, 2014, 03:19 PM	#2
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I don't know of any published handgun loads using International..../ it was designed as a 12ga and 20ga powder.

February 20, 2014, 06:08 PM	#3
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	I don't think Hodgdon's recommends International for loading any pistol caliber. Strictly shotguns, 12 and 20 according to their website. You really should be calling them and following their recommendations.

February 20, 2014, 06:54 PM	#5
Sid Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2009 Posts: 362	I received a notice yesterday that Midway has Tightgroup in stock.

February 25, 2014, 12:14 PM	#9
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 941	Heh. We certainly wouldn't want to try to use shotgun powder in pistol loads. Lord knows that's never been done before!

February 27, 2014, 07:33 AM	#12
mnoirot64 Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2013 Location: Clarksville, Tennessee Posts: 365	One of my favorite pistol powders was designed as a shotgun powder - Hodgdon Longshot. It works quite well for me in 45 ACP and there is data for 40 also.

February 27, 2014, 08:02 AM	#13
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	SteveNCruncher, It's three. Clays, International Clays, and Universal Clays. Really dumb naming convention, so most people call them Clays, International, and Universal. Universal is an excellent pistol powder, being between Bullseye and Unique in load levels in most cartridge and bullet combinations. Much cleaner burning and better metering than either. Clays comes closest to Vihtavuori N310 in terms of the small loads. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 27, 2014, 09:09 AM	#14
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	I wonder how many new reloaders have made the mistake of getting the data/powder mismatched between those three. The results could be catastrophic __________________ DEO VINDICE

February 27, 2014, 10:01 AM	#15
kerreckt Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2011 Location: SE VA. Posts: 216	I used International Clays for 9mm loads a number of years ago. I can't remember the exact details of the loads because I didn't write them down. The fact that I didn't write it down means that I was not impressed with its performance. Sorry, I can't share any particulars but I believe there are better powders to use. Such as plain old Clays and Titegroup to name a couple. Best wishes

February 27, 2014, 10:39 AM	#16
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	International worked very well for me in .380 when I tried it. Cast bullets and about 3 grains of powder, worked up cautiously. But I wouldn't buy more of it for that unless it was all I could find. Distributor (Hodgdon) saying don't use our product in handgun loads is a pretty strong warning. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

February 27, 2014, 11:05 AM	#17
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	International could replace all the pistol/shotgun powders I use if they would publish pistol/rev. loads for it. That's the reason they don't I guess. I've been toying with the Idea of using only Green Dot for shotgun and hand gun. Green Dot will load both 20 and 12 ga. and will load all the handguns I use except for the few magnum loads I shoot and a can of 2400 or H110 will last me a life time in the mags.

February 27, 2014, 01:34 PM	#18
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Hodgdon Universal ...is a better all around powder for handguns than International, in my view ( and its better in both 20ga and 28ga shotshells too, in my opinion ).

February 27, 2014, 03:16 PM	#19
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I have some older Hodgdon booklets for using Clays powder for reloading. They do not list any loads for International Clays. They have several loads for Universal Clays. From my own experience, Universal Clays never worked out well in any of my handgun loads. It went bang but never provided good groups with any of my guns. I tried a lot of it back then because I was getting all I wanted for free. Worked well in the shotgun but not in the handgun.

March 5, 2014, 11:13 AM	#20
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	That surprises me greatly. I've found that, basically, anything I could do with Unique I could do with Universal, and it burns cleaner, to boot. It's slower than Bullseye and 231, the most common target load powders, so it's pressure would run low and its burn would be less complete if you tried it for target velocities, but I've run probably 20,000 rounds of ball level .45 Auto loads with it that have been quite satisfactory. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

March 5, 2014, 11:55 AM	#21
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	Universal Clays is my favorite pistol powder, followed by Unique. It is probably one of the best all around powders there is on the market (when you can find it). You could almost get away with having 2 powders on your shelf and cover most of the spectrum of normal calibers - Universal (or Unique) for pistol and shotgun and Varget for rifle.