Blue Dot in cast rifle loads

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Anyone using it? I've been loading and shooting a bunch in a particular rifle, mostly to fireform some brass to make target loads for this rifle using up small lots of cast bullets I have around.

I noticed I had a jug of Blue Dot which I've had around with the intent of loading heavy shotgun loads with eventually, so gave it a try and it seems to have promise.

I didn't have any data, kind of interpolated between Unique and 2400, seemed to work.

Any thoughts or input?
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Blue dot is a good low/ medium powder....it will do a job that you need it to do!
In Low node shooting Green dot/ American select excels in 1150 fps range
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
seagiant.
he somewhere maybe still has a whole retinue of blue-dot loads from the 223 on up.
800-X is also a good powder to get data for the blue-dot from.
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Thanks. Guess I need to do some reading up on it.

A friend over on the now gone Handloads.com used Blue Dot in everything and had a formula for computing load data based on case capacity. Unfortunately, he passed away and then the forum disappeared a few months later, so all that info is gone now.
 

Bill

Active Member
In 30-06, 9 grains plain base, 15 grains with a gas check, the bullet is 170 gr to 206 Grain, these were worked up for milsurp matches in a m-17 and an 03-a3

Bill
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Yesterday, the load I tried was 17.2 grains an the 311291, mainly because the powder measure was set up for throwing 2400 and that was the charge it threw with Blue Dot and I was lazy. It seemed a safe load with my interpolating between Unique and 2400 and I was right.

I plan to try that about 16 grains and some Lyman 311466 bullets when I get a chance this weekend, I read somewhere looking around last night that Blue Dot likes light for caliber bullets (?) This particular rifle really seems to prefer heavier bullets, it's picky. Hasn't shot real well with anything but the 311284, but it absolutely loves that one.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
sounds like it is doing okay at lower 2400 loads.
which would make sense since that's right where it falls on the burn rate schedule.
you could easily use herco or even unique data as a starting place keeping in mind you have another grain or two for equal pressure in your pocket to work with.
you'd have a butt load of data to use to get started, you'd just have to do the work up's from their top end as a start point.
and use low-mid 2400 data as a stopping point.
sounds like you have that figured out already, but it's nice to give yourself a window to remind you where you need to be.
 

jerry w

Member
i have shot thousands of blue dot loads in the .223 and 7.62x39, admittedly the 223 loads were with jacketed bullets but the 7.62x39 and 1.0cc/11.5gr of blue dot is my standard woods loafing load with anything from 115gr ranch dog bullet up to the 165lbt.
 

Hawk

North Central Texas
I would be interested in a cast .223 load as I have about 8 lbs from the 1980s that is still good.
I use it on the 10 mm, but it gives an incredible flash bloom!
 

jerry w

Member
All of my Bluedot use in the 223 was/is with jacketed bullets, 11.5grains with what ever cheap bulk bullet was on sale at the time. A 50gr soft point would be around 2500fps with that 11.5 charge, they always seem to group well made for great cheap shooting.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
that's about how much A-2400 I use in my 223 loads.
little slower because my bullet is heavier, but it's accurate.
 

jerry w

Member
Years ago Calhoun bullets had a good write up on using 800x for reduced loads in various varmint cartridges, he eventually shifted over to Bluedot. His writings got me started on using the Bluedot and the practicality of these reduced loads. On the Accurate Reloading forum there was a fellow by the handle of Seafire that posted tons of info using bluedot loads in all sorts of cartridges. The reduced noise alone makes these loads fun to shoot, the economy and extended barrel life are bonuses as well. A long time ago I was buying cheap Winchester 50gr PSP and loading with the above mentioned 11.5grs of bluedot, they were a great multi use load, those 50gr bullets acted more like a big game bullet, expanding nicely but not exploding on impact. I could shoot a rabbit with out blowing it all to hell and still reach out to normal plinking ranges as the trajectory was still pretty good with 2400-2500 velocity. I even shot a couple Mouflon rams with that 50gg PSP load, worked great, full penetration and plenty of internal damage. In contrast I shot another ram with a factory load .223, a 46gr hollow point as I recall and the bullet blew up with out even penetrating the ribcage.
 

jerry w

Member
I am warming up the lead pot now to cast some 314440 this afternoon, that blunt bullet with the 11.5gr of Bluedot in the 7.62x39 is a little hammer.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
seafire pulled all that info from over there airc.
those guys were running him ragged over the whole thing.
he was sending the data out to those that asked for it.
but I have no idea who asked and ain't seen him around in ages.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
I'm gonna make a post here, just so I can find this thread in the future.
I've tried to sell all my BD at the last two gunshows (2018 & 2019), and only sold some, I still got a 5 lb'er that I guess I'll just save for Rifle plinking. I also thought about using it in some heavy bullet 9mm ammo?
 

Hawk

North Central Texas
Just be aware, it your using it for self defenservice ammo, it is does NOT have flash suppression in it.
Flash bloom in heavy 10MM loads is the size of a bushel basket.
As a heavy daylight load, it is great!
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I would be interested in a cast .223 load as I have about 8 lbs from the 1980s that is still good.
I use it on the 10 mm, but it gives an incredible flash bloom!
You say "Flash bloom" like it is some bad thing.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Blue Dot powder has always intrigued me. From the time of its initial introduction in the mid-1970s, it has been something of an outlier. It was a bit too slow for my usual high-order pheasant and teal 2-3/4" 12 gauge loads (3-3/4 dram equiv. x 1-1/4 oz lead shot); Herco did and does great work in that realm. I didn't and don't load 3" or 3.5" 12 gauge shells. Herco also does good work in 20 and 28 gauge, while 2400 is a natural for 410 x 3" shells.

I remember an article by Bob Milek in one of the gunrags c. 1975 about the then-new Blue Dot in 357 Magnum. He liked the powder in the 357, but remarked that in temperatures below -35* its behaved with spikey pressures in an unpredictable/random manner. Not a huge question for much of Kalifornistan, but it still rattles around in my head a bit. In later years, Alliant pulled all of their data in the 41 Magnum using Blue Dot powder, and added cautions about using it in 357 Magnum/light bullet loads. SOMETHING causes these anomalies.

Blue Dot gets its usage in 10mm at my house. I don't load "Norma level" loads (200 grainers at 1200 FPS), but I do run my Glocks at the Win Silvertip ZIP Code--175 to 180 grain bullets in the 1225-1250 FPS bracket. These are FUN in the Glock 20, and a bit of a handful in the Glock 29. You want "Flash bloom"? OY VEY--light off some Blue Dot in that G-29 at dusk in a desert box canyon. YEE HAW--the kids call them "Dad's Dragon Breath Loads". They don't want to shoot them, but love watching me do so. Yes--they would not be the best thing to have on board in an exchange of finality. There would be tough questions about the singed eyebrows on your assailant.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Blue Dot starts dropping off in 12ga steel loads around 30° and is down right sickly under 20° .
 
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