.44 special

[pistolero]

Does the newest Sierra manual list Green Dot for the .44 special in the 220 grain bullet? What is minimum and maximum?

 

[The Bushmaster]

I have the 5th edition and for the 220 gr bullet which is a FPJ Match there is no Green Dot listed:

Bullseye
W-231
Red Dot
AA-#5
Unique
AA-#7
Viht N350
H110
2400
IMR-4227

 

[pistolero]

The Bushmaster

How about a 200 grain bullet? Any listing for Green Dot powder?

 

[The Bushmaster]

Sorry, but there no listings for Green Dot in the Sierra manual for any of the .44 Specials listed there. I checked my Lyman 48th Edition and it doesn't list Green Dot either...

 

[MNgoldenbear]

The Alliant site's loading data shows
6.7 grains Green Dot with a 180 JHC (WLP, 1.600 OAL) for 925 fps
5.0 grains Green Dot with a 246 LRN (WLP, 1.590 OAL) for 785 fps

Both loads listed as max.

http://www.alliantpowder.com/

Nothing in the Speer (12th) or Nosler (4th). I'm a little out of date on manuals.

 

[Smythe77]

While Green Dot is not necessarily listed I have used it in 9X19, 38 Super,38 Special & 45ACP with good results. You will find it very close to Unique & so up & down a few 10ths from what one uses in Unique or even W-231 or also close to HP-38.

Crumbs I shoot with old Winchester 452AA & still get good groupings out of it in 38Spl & will start to try it out in 45ACP as I am running low on Green Dot & HP-38 though plenty of Unique & 231.

 

[anonanon]

Speer used to like Green Dot quite a lot (I don't know about the latest manual). Loads and velocity were about half way between Bullseye and Unique in .44 Special. I started pistol handloading using Green Dot for light loads, including some .44 Specials. I found it neither better nor worse than the other hot, light-load powders (Bullseye, Unique, HP-38/231). I did not like it with heavier loads shown for magnums; it showed pressure and leading signs as well as accuracy loss.

 

[MNgoldenbear]

I found it neither better nor worse than the other hot, light-load powders (Bullseye, Unique, HP-38/231). I did not like it with heavier loads shown for magnums; it showed pressure and leading signs as well as accuracy loss.

Not too surprising. The fast powders seem to burn much hotter at high pressure than the slow powders, resulting in a lot more lead melted/gassed off the bullet base. Definitely adds to the leading, and probably doesn't help accuracy. I tried to run IPSC major loads in a 357 with 158s and W231. (Just trying to use up some W231 I had on hand.) Would shoot one course, then brush the bore. Lead would strip off and shower out of the barrel, often in long thick strands! (These were decent, hard cast bullets that showed no signs of this with 2400 or other slow powders.) Had similar results with hotter loads in 45ACP, so I went to slightly slower powders with better results.