[Dasglockenspiel]

Gents:

FWIW: I have had good success with 9mm x 19mm with 115gr and 8.0 Gr Blue Dot w/ 1.120 OAL. The compressed load burns far cleaner than a stanadard load in other calibers such as 38 spcl.

Surprisingly accurate in the 9mm G17 platform.


Vielen dank,

Dasglockenspiel

[TacticalGearJunkie]

I load for 9x25 Dillon. I run 90 grain XTP's over 17 grains of Blue Dot, i get over 2100 fps. No signs of over pressure. ( Do Not copy this load unless your experienced and know what your doing.)

[GlockAzona]

Been using BD for about 30 years to drive 158 gr. bullets of various designs. For the past few years I've used 12 gr. as my exclusive rifle load.

Great performance & I see no reason to quit using it in my .357 rifle reloads.

[15GLOCKGUY]

Blue Dot is my exclusive powder of choice for 10MM, 357 SIG and .40 S&W. Best accuracy and performance is achieved with it in these calibers. I have yet to have a split .40 S&W case or guppy belly bulge with a modest yet factory like 7.1 grains over a 180 FMJ grain (flat nose). I'll keep using it for what I use it for. .40 S&W is a tricky caliber to reload. I don't have any problems with Blue Dot in it.

[Ferdinandd]

I've been on GT for a few years and this is the first time I looked at the reloading forum, and this thread is interesting to me. I loaded up some 110gr JHP's over BD and have had signs of excessive pressure in my GP100 - like very difficult extraction and flattened primers. They seem OK in my Contender OTT .357 Mag barrel though.

I shot max loads of BD under 158 JSP's when my GP100 was the only thing that I had to shoot silhouettes with. These seemed fine.

[dougader]

I'd be interested to know what your load was.

I've been using Hercules Blue Dot since about 1986 or 1988, and used the Speer 11 manual for data. Using standard primers, my usual loads were:

125 gr jhp/14.5 grains Blue Dot;

140 gr jhp/13.5 grains BD;

158 gr jhp/12.5 gr BD; and

168 gr SWC/10.0 gr BD.

The only time I noticed flattened primers and sticky case extraction was when I absent-mindedly used magnum primers instead of standard.

[2Dogs]

Have been shooting 125 gr jhp in 357 w/12.5 gr BD for years with no problem.

[Tailhunter]

Love me some Blue Dot.

[dbarry]

Me likey (love) blue dot. Never a problem w/ it. Good stuff.

[PrecisionRifleman]

BlueDot is one of my favorite powders. Gives me excellent accuracy and velocity in my 10mm/40.

[billy396]

Originally Posted by Crazy4nitro

I have 5# of 1992 stock BD. I have been looking for a load so I can Burn some of it up.
I Love the 125's in the .357 with a Heap of H110 to Burn.
I have Used BD in the .41 as well but I never found a load I liked.
Once again...I found myself reaching for H110.

'Nitro

I've used Blue Dot and H110 for years and I love both of them. I used Blue Dot years ago when working up some very stout 110 grain 357 loads. I never had any real problems, other than some slightly flattened primers. I did get some very high velocity, wicked accurate rounds though. Even though I've never had any problem, I'll never use BD for 125 Gr. 357, due to this warning... even though it doesn't make any sense to me, I won't try to second guess the factory that made the powder.

[Courageouslion]

I believe that Alliant did this for one reason. Liabilty. You see, in the Speer Number 11 Reloading manual there is a 125 grain .357 magnum load listed as 16.3 grains of Blue Dot, 1602 FPS. Yes, you read that right! Here is my take, and BTW, the reason I have a #11 manual is because I have been loading for 30 years. I have a 4" Magna-Ported Colt Python that I actually worked up to the maximum load that they had in this manual. I paid $250 for it brand new. And I have about 400+ rounds dated 1989 on the tags that are loaded with 125 grain Remington JHP bullets. I've fired about 100 of them over the years. The other day I ran six by my chrony and here is what I got: Colt Python 4" 357 Magnum 125 Grain Remington JHP WW primer Blue Dot 16.3 max load Six shot string: 1544 1534 1570 1564 1572 1570 Average 1559 Deviation 38 FPS and there are very little if any actual overpressure signs. They eject fine, with just my thumb pressure and have a slight bulge at the base. The primers are a bit flattened out, but not more than I've seen factory ammo flattened out. Here is what I suspect. I believe that the investment case stainless steel cylinders on the Model 66 S&W revolvers may have been a problem. Since the walls are a bit thin for a .357 and since they are cast, I would be willing to make a good guess that some folks had a problem with that load that owned those S&W revolvers. I do not believe that a cast Model 28 or the forged Model 27 would be an issue, and I do not believe that the Colt Python would be an issue. However, any thin walled cylinder that was being used for .357 might have found it a bit HOT. I mean do you see my average velocity at 10 feet from the muzzle from a FOUR INCH revolver? And it was a very controllable round because of the light bullet. And did you notice that Alliant (used to be Hercules) is stating this for ONLY the 125 grain bullet. THEY WANT YOU TO AVOID USING THAT BULLET WITH THEIR POWDER because you MIGHT come across that data. As for the 41 magnum being totally removed from the equation? Makes no sense UNLESS Speer or someone else did a whole series of bullets with high Blue Dot loads and folks were having issues with their 41 mags. I don't know. I've never owned a .41 so I couldn't tell you because I've never loaded for it. As it stands, I suspect from the HUMONGOUS flash that accompanies the 16.3 grain load that a good bit of the powder is burning outside of the barrel of my Python. Yet it is EXTREMELY accurate. I work my loads up to the maximum for a particular pistol or revolver and have found that in many cases the older Speer books maximum is actually a maximum. The newer books are not. You can't tell me that 7.8 grains of SR 7625 behind a Remington 185 grain JHP in a .45 is a maximum load. It kicks like a .22 and has absolutely no, zilch, nada signs of pressure at all. I never even checked the speed on that load because it was so anemic. HOWEVER, by going up 2 tenths of a grain, at a time, I was able to get just under 1000 FPS average out of 8.5 grains! And it is quite accurate. I had 10 pounds of the powder lying around and a couple thousand brass and bullets and it didn't make sense to use another powder if I could make a load that would work. My only major gripe was that in an 8 shot string I had one 832 FPS load and a 1004 FPS load which made the spread 172 FPS! I was shooting at 50 feet and still kept the group in a 3" circle. The 8.5 grain load shows absolutely ZERO signs of pressure build up. The first thing everyone would see is the totally flattened primers and if you have a ported and polished .45 you will see the brass bulging into the ramp like they do on those old Mac 10 semi auto pistols with just normal loads.

[MrGlock21]

I've used BD in 10mm and 454 with ok results. But I prefer AA#9

[Courageouslion]

Is AA#9 a ball powder? I think the flake powders don't measure as accurately in the Dillion powder measures.

[SDGlock23]

I've struggled to find a good place for Blue Dot, as it seemed that many loads just weren't very consistent. However I do think that in the warmer charges it gets better, maybe compressing it some helps, I don't know. I do know that 8.5gr of it will throw a 200gr JHP from a 6" .40 S&W at almost 1,200 fps with pretty good consistency.

[Courageouslion]

I think the major issue with it is good measuring. I've measured 10 in a row and seen what was thought to be set at 12 grains do 11.7-12.3
231 has always been so close you couldn't tell it apart from one round to the next. If you look at the powder you can see why one would have a variation and the other wouldn't.

[SCmasterblaster]

I have been using BD off and on since 1978. Great propellant!

[Courageouslion]

I just hate the way it meters.