9mm and Blue Dot

[kerreckt]

I just shot my first batch of 124gr. Berry's Hollow base round nose thick plate bullets in front of 7.6 gr. Blue Dot. Velocity 1100+/-fps. I found it to be a clean accurate load. This was out of three different full size pistols. I normally use Titegroup, HP38 or Power Pistol. Decided to try a slower powder and am pleased with the results. Anyone else using Blue Dot? Forgot to mention 1.146 OAL.

 

[gamestalker]

I like Blue Dot, and I also like Longshot. Both will send a bullet down range with some gusto, though BD can get spikey.

GS

 

[Vol46]

I use Longshot with 124 grain plated bullets. It is pretty close to Blue Dot on the burn charts. Performance is good.

 

[Rule3]

Of all the powders available for 9mm or any other caliber Blue Dot would not be on my list. It's flaming Dirt

 

[SlowFuse]

I've found blue dot to be a very acceptable powder for 9mm, on the heavier side.

Here's a post on an experience of mine a while back:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=726821

 

[Lj1941]

Blue Dot

I have had problems with pressure spikes in the 9 and it was very flashy. I got very high velocities with severely flattened primers . I was using a 115 grain FMJ and 8.2 grains of Blue Dot. I switched to Power Pistol which cured the pressure problem but not the flash.

 

[M1key]

Out of my Glocks and S&W I shoot:

8.0 gr Blue Dot behind 125 XTPs and 8.5 gr BD behind 115 XTPs (Speer manual)

These are accurate. Both are +P loads, plan accordingly.

M

 

[Steve C]

Blue Dot and other slow powders like HS6 work well with 147gr bullets in the 9mm producing the maximum possible velocities with that weight.

I've loaded some 115gr jhp bullets using 8.0grs of BD and while it worked fine producing an average velocity of 1,224 fps from my Beretta 92 I get 1,250+ fps using 6.0grs of Unique behind a 115gr jhp. Unless I ever run out of Unique or get a bunch of Blue Dot cheap it isn't worth loading it.

 

[OH_Spartan]

Timely thread. I'm looking at experimenting with a couple new 9 mm loads. The fire at the clays factory and spotty availability have given me the opportunity to play with new components. I made some 147 jhp with 5.7 grn of blue dot last night and hope to shoot them today. I also am looking for a new load with 124 grn cast lead. Maybe I will start with unique for those.

 

[kerreckt]

So pleased with results I am gonna load up 500, or so, and put them into stash. I will continue to try different powders. I have about half a pound of Green Dot. I will give this a try and report back with my experience. Thanks for your input and best wishes.

 

[OH_Spartan]

I was pleased as well. My next step is to make 100. 50 of the recipe I just did and 50 with an extra 0.2 grn.


To rule, I'm not sure what you mean by flaming dirt. This was one of the cleaner loads I've shot in a while.

 

[Potatohead]

I've been leaning to the slower powders for 9mm myself lately.

 

[hartcreek]

I have been using Green Dot for 9mm 4.5 grains if I remember righ with 115 gr Berrys Bullets

 

[Ifishsum]

Blue Dot, Unique and other med/slow pistol and shotgun powders tend to be sooty when used for lighter loads (lower pressure), but in my experience they usually burn clean if kept in their happy zone. Some powders have also been reformulated over the years to burn cleaner - I've only been loading for 10 yrs or so and always heard the Unique was filthy, but that hasn't been my experience at all. I've also never tried it for light loads, either.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

I had no problems with Blue Dot in the 9x19 myself and acceptable results. Given the warnings on Blue Dot from Alliant and some temperature issues (see Bob Milek and some others) I have used other powders first and found no reason to use Blue Dot for some time.

Safety Notice

At Alliant Powder, we take safety seriously. That’s why we periodically test our products in different situations to be sure our use recommendations stay current. Check here for any safety notes or recall information. Stay safe and keep accurate.

Alliant Powder periodically reviews and tests their published reloading data to verify that our recommended recipes have not changed over time.

During the latest review Alliant Powder discovered that Alliant Powder's Blue Dot® should not be used in the following applications:
•Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 357 Magnum load using the 125 grain projectile (Blue Dot® recipes with heavier bullet weights as specified in Alliant Powders Reloading Guide are acceptable for use).
•Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 41 Magnum cartridge (all bullet weights).

Use of Blue Dot® in the above cases may cause a high pressure situation that could cause property damage and serious personal injury.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

Some folks say it's a matter of newer lots giving different results, some say the lab had a bad day and approved results they shouldn't have, some say the crusher system looked good but pressure traces show erratic traces that don't show up with crushers . Most agree
new load development with new powder would give good safe loads with Blue Dot.

Myself I just scratched Bluedot from my go to lists because other powders do what I want as well. If I needed Blue Dot I'd do something different.

 

[RainDodger]

I put some Blue Dot behind a little bitty 90 grain bullet out of my .38 Super... traveling around 1,500 FPS. Talk about muzzle flash! Whoa, baby! Almost went blind, but it was fun.

 

[kerreckt]

Shot some more of them and I do believe they are in the "happy zone" as Ifishsum said. Clean, accurate and they have some zip. Good stuff. Love it a good load.