[Yondering]

Originally Posted by rvrrat14

I shy away from blast/flame as I carry on the ranch in the evening and nite. Don't need excessive muzzle blast. Haven't shot a lot of #9 yet.

In that case, I'd say AA7 and AA9 are your best choices. Those two powders will cover the full range of 10mm bullet weights, and give top velocities. Both are very low flash, even though they do use more powder per shot. They are also very good choices when running a muzzle brake.

Blue Dot is good, but I've gotten better accuracy in several loads with AA9, especially with cast bullets.

[gofastman]

Darn, just when I think Im set on ordering a 4 or 8 'pounder of Longshot, I find another powder I need to try. I better go find a pound of AA#9

Ill definitely be ordering a 5 lb jug of Bluedot.
That stuff is just too fun, and I always find myself grabbing it for at least a few dozen loads to bring to the range.

[TDC20]

Originally Posted by _The_Shadow

800X has been a good performer actually better than LongShot with heavier bullets and LongShot performs better than 800X with the lighter bullets from what I can tell.

This is what I have found for absolute highest velocities with the 10mm, vs. Blue Dot and A#9. 800-X is king for 180 and 200gr. bullets, if you're not averse to weighing every charge. Otherwise, I defer to Longshot as the best all-around velocity/metering performance powder. I haven't tested against VV powders due to cost, time, desire. But, as mentioned, you will have to go "off book" to get those velocities with 800-X and Longshot, so be careful.

However, both Blue Dot and A#9 are great performing 10mm powders.

I use A#9 for SD loads since it is low flash at excellent 10mm velocities. A#9 will easily exceed the velocity performance envelope for expansion of 180gr. Gold Dots. So it's perfect to load for that application.

I use Blue Dot almost exclusively for my moderate range practice loads. You can't beat it for accuracy and economy.

One more thing to be aware of since no one else has mentioned it, most will recommend using only standard primers with these loads. My limited testing with magnum primers has always shown less pressure signs using standard primers and a few 10th's of a grain more powder than the same velocity achieved with a magnum primer. In some loads, magnum primers can really spike the pressures.

Good luck and be safe!

[gofastman]

crap!
after getting some AA9, I found the small grains of it seep into places it shouldn't in my LEE not-so-perfect-powder-measure, making it bind up.
anybody else have this problem?

[Taterhead]

Originally Posted by gofastman

crap!
after getting some AA9, I found the small grains of it seep into places it shouldn't in my LEE not-so-perfect-powder-measure, making it bind up.
anybody else have this problem?

Bummer!

That is too bad because one of the reasons to get A9 is that it meters so well. I typically use an RCBS Uniflow. It is awesome through that. Less than +/- 1/10 grain variation in throws.

I hope you get it worked out. I am not familiar with the Lee setup so I unfortunately can't give any advice.

[Any Cal.]

Yeah, sometimes it does that. Loosen the screw up a tiny bit and it will help. Also, Google "lapping Lee Perfect Powder measure". I haven't done it, but it sounds like a good fix. I just loosen the screw a bit and let it leak a bit. As it wears in you can tighten it up some. It will still throw an accurate charge.

[gator378]

Originally Posted by _The_Shadow

Before I got my 10mm, I used Blue Dot in the 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum also for all of the same reasons!

Also workss great in a 12 guage when loading heavy rounds. Went through a few pounds of BD feeding the 12 guage, a good backup to the 10mm

[_The_Shadow]

Originally Posted by gator378

Also workss great in a 12 guage when loading heavy rounds. Went through a few pounds of BD feeding the 12 guage, a good backup to the 10mm

I loaded it in 12 guage also using Remington, Peters & Federal 2 3/4" hulls with 35.5grains with the Remington RP/SP12 wads and 1 1/4oz of #6 lead for my duck hunting days. The ban on the use of lead put a halt to that, and steel shot didn't do as and effective job. I remember that I used 37.5 grains in the Winchester hulls and 40.0 grains in Fiocchi high brass with the 1 1/4 oz loads...those reached way out there.

[Yondering]

Yeah, BD is awesome for 12 gauge, especially slugs. It makes a pretty impressive boom out of that 18" slugster barrel, and works pretty well with those Lyman pellet shaped slugs. 42-45gr, depending on hull and wad, IIRC.

[gator378]

Originally Posted by WeeWilly

As far as pressure, I only have the manufacturers published data to go on, so that really doesn't factor into my choices. My hurdles for powder selection is accuracy, velocity potential, metering and finally cost.

I load 180gr jacketed. I have tried Longshot, Blue Dot, 2400, VV-N105 and #9 with these bullets.

I had gotten down to three powders for 10mm a while back (BD, #9 and N105). I now only buy Blue Dot and #9 in the large bottles. Likely, eventually I will be down to large bottles of #9. I always seem to come back to #9 in magnum velocities, it is such a dreamy powder.

+1 for AA#9. Good velocity, accuracy, no pressure signs

[gator378]

Originally Posted by WeeWilly

I have a handful of KKM barrels and I think they make a really good product.

If your experience tracks mine, you will see a marked improvement in velocity potential with that longer barrel, especially with the slower powders.

On the smiley and case support thing, I am not certain this amounts to much. My experience seems to indicate that smiles are not as much a factor of where the ramp enters the chamber (at least in the later 10mm barrels) or the ultimate size of the chamber and more related to how the timing of the gun is affected in the upper reaches of pressure. That 6" barrel has to help with the unlock timing, so it likely will help keep smiles at bay while loading in the twilight zone.

What I am unsure about is the difference between a stock 6" hunting barrel and an aftermarket unit with tighter chamber and a steeper ramp and when smiles start showing up. I suspect there is some marginal difference, but in the realm of precision I load, have my doubts it is a first order concern.

In any case, for me, I have done my nuke loading and am now back to loads that top out somewhere in the 1250fps range with the stock barrel (with 180gr slugs); in that category, with the components I am using, smiles are not on the agenda if the gun is working right, so I find my KKM barrels ended up being nice paperweights.

Got rid of my smileys on hot loads by getting rid of the Glock barrel. Happy aftermarket barrel camper.

[LASTRESORT20]

Originally Posted by _The_Shadow

P.S. Speed is not the only determining factor...Accuracy and cleanliness also play into the mix, and again Blue Dot has delivered in this arena as well.

Yes....Blue Dot has worked well for me also.