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**Mal H** · October 11, 2006, 08:50 AM

Actually, mjrodney, you bring up a valuable point we've discussed before on these pages about Hodgdon's powder nomenclature (or is that nomenclayture?).

I think they were out to lunch when they came up with the "Clays" series of names. There's Clays, Universal Clays and International Clays. That leaves lots of room for some serious misunderstanding of which powder is which, especially to the novice reloader. There is too much difference in burn rates of the 3 powders to give them such easily confused names.

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Scene in a reloading supply store:

Novice reloader thinking to himself, "Well, my friend told me to pick up some Universal Clays powder. All I see is this bottle of Clays, that must be what he meant."

Later on at the range after loading up some .40 S&W rounds for his new Glock using 6 grains of Clays - - Kaboom!

----------------

Fortunately most reloading manuals are now dropping the "Clays" part of the name when they list Universal or International.

October 11, 2006, 08:50 AM	#12
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	Actually, mjrodney, you bring up a valuable point we've discussed before on these pages about Hodgdon's powder nomenclature (or is that nomenclayture?). I think they were out to lunch when they came up with the "Clays" series of names. There's Clays, Universal Clays and International Clays. That leaves lots of room for some serious misunderstanding of which powder is which, especially to the novice reloader. There is too much difference in burn rates of the 3 powders to give them such easily confused names. ---------------- Scene in a reloading supply store: Novice reloader thinking to himself, "Well, my friend told me to pick up some Universal Clays powder. All I see is this bottle of Clays, that must be what he meant." Later on at the range after loading up some .40 S&W rounds for his new Glock using 6 grains of Clays - - Kaboom! ---------------- Fortunately most reloading manuals are now dropping the "Clays" part of the name when they list Universal or International.