250 XTP in 45LC

[searly]

I've searched this and other web sites, and several reloading manuals for a specific load recommendation.  My inexperience may shine through here but, I'm looking for a standard pressure load for a 250 gr XTP in front of a charge Blue Dot out of a S&W 25-5 in the range of 850 to 900 fps.  I found some info on "stevespages", it list a charge of between 10.4 and 16.9.  But I have no idea where the line is as far as standard pressure and ruger only loads. 

"Why Blue Dot?" you may ask, because I've got plenty of it.

Searly

[stimpylu32]

searly

Your right about there not being much data out there for that load combo , you may need to e-mail Alliant for this one .

I did find some Lee data for the 300 XTP in standard 45LC , that shows a MAX of 10g and a fps of 730 , they may tell you to use that BUT better ask them first .

stimpy

[searly]

Thanks Stimpy,  I'll give that a try.  Are they normally responsive to this kind of request?

Searly

[buck460XVR]

Outta 5 recent load books, I found no loads for any 250 grainer jacketed and Blue Dot in .45 Colt. I assume there is a reason for this.

[Lone Star]

BlueDot data for 250-grain jacketed bullets in the .45LC can be found in Lyman Manual #48 and in Nosler Manual #5.  Sierra lists it for their 240 and 300-grain bullets. Speer lists BlueDot for their 225 and 260-grain bullets.   I assume there is a reason for this.   




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[John Traveler]

Yes, there is a scarcity of available load data for Blue Dot in large pistol calibers.

Blue Dot has developed a reputation for unexplained pressure excursions.  Alliant has warned against using it in .41 Magnum loadings, for example.

The other negative feature about Blue Dot is that it shows erratic ignition in cold temperatures.

Both of these negatives are enough warning to really watch yourself when playing around with combinations of Blue Dot powder and bullet weights in the large pistol calibers.

[Lone Star]

Yes, there is a scarcity of available load data for Blue Dot in large pistol calibers.

You know, I am not wedded to the use of BlueDot in everything, it is just one of a great many powders I use.  But when I read comments like the one above I have to wonder on what planet the poster lives.  The following manuals list numerous loads with BlueDot for the bullets shown:

Hornady #6:  
.41 Mag - 210    
.44 SPL - 240  
.44 Mag - 180/200/240/265/300  
.45WM - 200/250

Speer #14:  
.41 Mag - 200/210/220  
.44 SPL - 240    
.44 Mag - 200
.45LC - 225/260

Nosler #5:
.41 Mag - 210
.44 SPL - 240
.44 Mag - 240
.45LC - 250

Sierra #V:
.41 Mag - 170/210
.44 Mag - 180/210/220/240/250/300
.45LC - 240/300

Lyman #48:
.41 Mag - 210/220
.44 SPL - 210
.44 Mag - 180/200/225/240/265/300
.45LC – 185

We see that all the major loading manuals list plenty of loads with BlueDot for large handgun cartridges.  So what the poster really meant to say was:

“Yes, there is a huge amount of available load data for Blue Dot in large pistol calibers”.

If BlueDot was as dangerous as he claims, why would all the above manuals show it as a safe, recommended load?  Why would Alliant recommend it for .44 Magnum and .45 LC loads if it was in anyway unsafe?  Answer - they would not.


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[shot1]

The OP is wanting STANDARD 45 COLT LOADS 850 to 900 fps. I can find no STANDARD PRESSURE loads with Blue Dot and 250 gr bullets and I have a bunch of reloading manuals. I do find HIGH pressure loads with Blue Dot. Blue Dot is not a powder to mess around with trying to load REDUCED loads with. It is meant to be a Magnum powder and that means HIGH pressure. That is what John Traveler is talking about in his post. I have read the same thing somewhere over the years. I know the OP has a lot of Blue Dot but Unique is the powder you are looking for. Trade that S&W off and get you a Ruger so you can shoot up all that Blue Dot.

[Lone Star]

Apparently the poster doesn't have many reloading manuals as resources.  And he can't seem to post what he really means.....

Speer #14 lists a number of low-pressure BlueDot loads for the .45LC.  Not for a 250-grain bullet, but for their 225 and 260-grain bullets.  I guess the boys at Speer must have anal-cranal inversion since they do not subscribe to the unimpeachable Internet facts about how dangerous BlueDot is in low-pressure loads.

Ooops - now I see that Nosler #5 has low-pressure BlueDot loads too - 800 fps in the .45LC, imagine that.  And by golly that data is for their 250-grain bullet too.  What idiots - they should spend more time on the Internet instead of wasting their efforts with pressure-measuring equipment.

Alliant themselves (they make BueDot) list BlueDot loads for the .44 Special - 240@871 fps, another low pressure application.  Fools, their recommendations will kill us all.....

I suggest the poster learn a bit more about reloading, and get himself some more manuals - you can never have too many reloading resources.



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[stimpylu32]

Now thats about enough !!!!!!

Stimpy