Blue Dot in a 185xtp 45acp

[ashercg]

I have many manuels including the one caliber/one book 45 acp compilation. Many list data for 200 gr , 230 gr 45 acp with Blue Dot. Many list 180 gr 40 SW with blue dot and most sizes of 9mm with blue dot. (all JHP)

Any ideas on why blue dot isn't listed for 185 gr 45acp?

Would I be unsafe to use the 200gr JHP bluedot charges for a starting point with the 185 gr bullet?

 

[Walkalong]

Would I be unsafe to use the 200gr JHP bluedot charges for a starting point with the 185 gr bullet?

No. The worst you will get is incomplete burn and have to add powder, but it may be a case capacity issue. Blue Dot is bulky. There may not be enough room for it.

What other powders do you have on hand?

 

[ashercg]

powders on hand

I only have blue dot on hand. No problem with geeting another type, but I want to keep it at a minimum. Blue Dot is a great performer in 9mm (my experience of few thousand 9mm loads from years past). It will fit in the case, munuals list over 10gr in 9mm cases and fills the cases anough for visual inspection. I might add a powder if I figure out which one would work good in most of the calibers I cuurently load (32,380,9mm,40,45acp). I would like to use the Blue dot in my 230 and 185 acp to reduce the variable while comparing the performance of the two loads.

Any sugestion on which powder I should add to supplement my BD?

 

[Steve C]

I once tried Blue Dot in the .45 and found it dirty. The pressures are too low in the .45 acp to work well with Blue Dot. For 185gr loads I've had good results with Unique, accurate loads with velocities around 1,100 fps with 7.7-7.8grs.

 

[redneck2]

I suspect WW231 or AA5 (which I use) would do what you want.

The reason Blue Dot will not work well is lack of pressure (as noted above). Even though the bullet weight may be the same as a smaller caliber, there is considerably more surface area with the .45. That makes the bullet push easier to lower pressure, so pressures don't build. In effect, slower powders are more difficult to burn. It takes heat and pressure to light them off fully.

 

[Walkalong]

I once tried Blue Dot in the .45 and found it dirty. The pressures are too low in the .45 acp to work well with Blue Dot.

Yep. It is filthy at low pressure. It burns super clean at high pressures though.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I used BD with my 185gr cast SWCers. It was dirty, didn't cycle well, but the accuracy was unbelievable. Was nailing a 3 inch swinger at 50 yrds with my Taurus PT745 from the bench. I'm at work now, but IIRC I was puching those bullets right around 800fps.

 

[ashercg]

Blue dot burn rate

Some are saying that Blue dot isn't the best at 45acp pressure (with the 185gr JHP) Speer manual 13 list BD as top velocity performance on their 200, 225 and 230GD gr JHPs. It also list BD as top on 44spl 240 gr with a max pressure of 15,500psi. The pressure limits on the 45acp is 21,000 with most load tables running around the 18,000 range for max loads.

Are some of you saying that BD is not preferred in any 45acp load?
As far as the 185gr causing low pressure, can't you just add a little more powder to bring the pressure up to nominal? Initial pressure spike is normally associated with faster powders isn't it?

Thanks for the great info. Always trying to learn.

 

[rcmodel]

Are some of you saying that BD is not preferred in any 45acp load?

Yes, that is what they are saying!

Blue Dot is a really crumy pistol powder, except for certain heavy Magnum revolver loads. Blue Dot works best in certain heavy Magnum shotgun loads.

IMO: There are all kinds of better powders for loading .45 ACP to any power level.

There!
Hows that?

rcmodel

 

[joneb]

I have tried Blue Dot in 45acp with 185gr JHP, 200 plated SWC and 230gr Gold DOT HP, I will not try it again. The only acceptable load I found was with the 230gr GD but I felt to close to the edge with it, .5gr over that I was getting split cases and vanishing head stamps in my Camp 45 the recoil was like shooting a stiff 12ga load.
AA#5 and Unique work just fine

 

[dgray64]

[Any sugestion on which powder I should add to supplement my BD?]

Go to their website, hit the contact button and email the company asking them what recipe that you can use. I've done that with three different companies/powders for different calibers and they always email a workable recipe back to you. They like you to use their products. Enjoy and good luck!

Dave

 

[Jim Watson]

My gunsmith used to load rather a lot of Blue Dot and a 185 gr Sierra JHP for his business ammo. I won't repeat the amount here because I don't know how it compares with the maker's recommendations.

 

[ashercg]

BD vs Power Pistol

When I first started reloading my 9mm 92S back in 79, I tryed BD and Unique, I thought that the BD work great in 115 and 124 gr loads, I think that the Unique worked well also but I setteled on BD becaus at max loads it filled the case (no way to seriously overload). The unique would fit a double load. Just got the rockchucker back out recently (8 years since I moved) and added dies for my expanded collection (32,380,40,45acp). Crusing the manuals indicated that BD was appropriate for 40 and 45.

Maybe I should change/add to power Pistol, It is listed for all my current reload calibers (pistols).

Anybody have good or bad experience with PP?

I allready have 100 rds of 45 ACP loaded up with BD, 25 each; 185, 230, win case, rem case all trimed to .89+/-.001, COL 1.23 +/-.003. I used 10.5 gr under the 185s and 9 gr under the 230s. Unless many of you think this is dangerous, I'll try these next range trip and let you know how they work.

 

[joneb]

I allready have 100 rds of 45 ACP loaded up with BD, 25 each; 185, 230, win case, rem case all trimed to .89+/-.001, COL 1.23 +/-.003. I used 10.5 gr under the 185s and 9 gr under the 230s. Unless many of you think this is dangerous, I'll try these next range trip and let you know how they work.
ashercg is online now Report Post

If you are running these in a 1911 I would watch for frame peening, and I am serious about this.

 

[ashercg]

does peen = crack?

Sierra list 9.5 gr of BD under their 240gr JHC and 10.7 gr under their 200gr FPJ, Alliant lists 10.6 for a 200gr. speer list 9 gr under 230 gr GD. I am useing a new 1991 comander steel frame. Todays manuals seem more conservitive than older manuals. Will these cause exsesive wear or frame crack ?

What are the early signs of peening?

 

[joneb]

What are the early signs of peening?

The slide will become hard to remove and replace to the frame.
I would match components exactly and reduce the loads by 10% and work up.

 

[ashercg]

springs

should I use heavier recoil springs (Wolff XP calabration pack) to reduce the peening issue with these loads?

 

[Otto]

Any ideas on why blue dot isn't listed for 185 gr 45acp?

Because it yields poor results.