Blue Dot

[psriley]

Anybody else reload pistol ammo with Blue Dot? Dunno if it's my reloading technique or the powder itself, but there's quite a bit of residual unburnt powder left after the round fires. I end up with dots of it on my hands and forearms, and sometimes I can see some of it sparking long after the projectile has left the barrel. The rounds themselves fire just fine and are just as accurate as anything I've ever shot, but I end up with it powder dots all over the place after a couple hundred rounds fired. Is this just a super-slow powder?


Cheers!

[big jon]

what caliber r u shooting? sometimes if you dont put a good crimp on your round it can cause the round not to burn right or r u loading magnums without mag primers?

[awheelman357]

what caliber are you shooting what kind of gun bullet weight how much powder? are you crimping you bullet in a seprate die?

[psriley]

This particular load is 45acp using the Ranier copper plated 200 gr. bullets over 10 gr. of Blue Dot. Using Magtech 2 1/2 large pistol primers. I'm using a Dillon 650 press, and the last station is a Lee factory crimp die. I'm firing them with a Kimber 1911 and an HK USP, and get the same results with both guns in terms of leftover powder.

Just by feel and the results on paper, the rounds' ballistics seem correct (haven't had an opportunity to chrono them), it's just that all the residue is puzzling me.

[Bob Hostetter]

Blue Dot is an extremely slow powder for use in a 45acp. Blue Dot is designed to be used in much higher pressure cartridges. Without the higher pressure you are going to have trouble getting a complete burn of the powder.

The 45acp tends to work much better with faster powders such as Winchester 231 or Super Target or maybe PB or American Select.

[big jon]

Try putting a deeper taper crimp on`em? Hotter primer?
I`m a 231 man myself you can load everthing Handgun with it.

[psriley]

Thanks all. Think I'll make up some rounds with one of the recommended powders and see what happens.

Cheers!