Blue Dot and .45 ACP

[Thanatos2203]

Decided to save money by reloading my .45, but reloading materials are still pretty scarce so I've been grabbing up what I can where I can. I have some experience reloading .308 but this is my first entrance into handgun loads. What I ended up with are Sierra 185gr JHP's, Winchester primers, my own assorted once fired brass, and Alliant Blue dot.

I started researching recipes online as well as consulting with my Lee reloading book, and the Alliant reloader's guide without much success. Most signs are pointing towards Blue dot being too slow burning for an effective and consistent .45 load, with the occasional "it works great".

So my question is, is it worth even trying the Blue Dot and if so, how much should I charge each load? I need advice from people who have more experience with this sort of thing than I have.

The weapon I am using is a service length XD-45. Thanks, and I appreciate any help.

[alex45auto]

You're better off using WST, 231, hp38, or Bullseye.

[ironhorse1]

Hercules guide

While I never tried Bluedot in the 45 ACP is does work well in the 9mm and some .357 loads. Here is an old Hercules guide with BD loads.

BD tends to be a bit flashy but does deliver top velocities.




irh

[J-cat]

Blue Dot is great for the 45 ACP. Ken Waters, the author of Pet Loads, praised BD in his 45 ACP article in Handloader Magazine. He listed 10.5 grains as the second most accurate load and having the highest velocity under a 185gr Nosler JHP, 1.220" OAL.

[Bastard]

I say if you have it might was well try it.

BD is listed in the Lyman 49th with mulitple 45acp loads but none with a 185 JHP. just work it like anything else, start low & work up

[stilly]

Decided to save money by reloading my .45, but reloading materials are still pretty scarce so I've been grabbing up what I can where I can. I have some experience reloading .308 but this is my first entrance into handgun loads. What I ended up with are Sierra 185gr JHP's, Winchester primers, my own assorted once fired brass, and Alliant Blue dot.

I started researching recipes online as well as consulting with my Lee reloading book, and the Alliant reloader's guide without much success. Most signs are pointing towards Blue dot being too slow burning for an effective and consistent .45 load, with the occasional "it works great".

So my question is, is it worth even trying the Blue Dot and if so, how much should I charge each load? I need advice from people who have more experience with this sort of thing than I have.

The weapon I am using is a service length XD-45. Thanks, and I appreciate any help.

Someone or something is smoking something here. Blue dot is a GREAT powder for 230gr .45 ACP. For a long time (500+ rounds) that was all that I was making in .45 acp. Blue dot is an AWESOME powder for 230gr bullets. If you want me to hunt my load cards I will get them but it worked decently for me. I used WST, Blue Dot, now 800-X, HP-38 and I was going to use the rest of my Blue Dot but it works so good for 44 mag AND .45 that I decided to leave it for when I have no other powders. I think all the dots except clay dot work well for .45 acp and 44 mag but I have to check on that statement. I mean though that I see them a lot in various calibers so why not?


Hmmm. Hold on a sec. 185gr you say? Hmmm, I have not loaded that yet but I would expect it to be a great load too, just prolly gotta start with a little more powder then a 230gr. If you have load data for the others already then use them first I guess, but play around with Blue Dot too and maybe trickle a few in and see how they shoot. I will go look for my info and get back...

[Thanatos2203]

Thank you guys for all the help, feeling a lot more optimistic now about using the Blue Dot, guess I was looking in all the wrong places yesterday. Keep the info flowing, I'd love to hear more.

[Bastard]

Lyman 49th lists 7.3 starting 10.2 max with a 185gr SWC if that helps


also listed in the Alliant guide with other 45acp loads, just not for the 185JHP

[rm1911]

I think it should be safe to test out. I've only loaded BD in 357 mags and for that it is a great powder. I started reloading so long ago when whatever powders you wanted were cheap and readily available and you got to test out different powders and not have to make do with whatever you had.

Ideally BD is a magnum powder. You'd be better off with a bit faster powder. Using BD for 45 will need to be hotter loads. So expect a little more snap and probably would need the heavier bullets. BD needs a tight crimp like on magnum cartridges to build up the pressure and get the powder to burn.

[calshipbuilder]

works great, haven't done much load development, but its great for heavy loads, I currently have it behind a 300gr LFN loaded for my S&W 325. I'm getting over 700FPS with no pressure signs. The load was in an old NRA manual. I'm going to dev. a lighter load for my 1911s in the near future.

[Thanatos2203]

Right now I've loaded up about 100 rounds ranging from 9-10.5 grains of BD with the OAL on the short side about 1.230. Seems like the general consensus is more powder and a shorter OAL to keep the pressure higher on a slow burning powder. My plan is to go to the range and test them out early this week. Don't have a chrony or anything for tangible data but I'll gather what I can and try to report back. Thank you all again for your help.

[J-cat]

Did you chamber check them?

[Thanatos2203]

Yes I did, everything checked out.

[stilly]

Right now I've loaded up about 100 rounds ranging from 9-10.5 grains of BD with the OAL on the short side about 1.230. Seems like the general consensus is more powder and a shorter OAL to keep the pressure higher on a slow burning powder. My plan is to go to the range and test them out early this week. Don't have a chrony or anything for tangible data but I'll gather what I can and try to report back. Thank you all again for your help.

Too bad it is not steelea peaekea else I might be inclined to meet up and let you use my chrony. Provided you did not shoot it in the face. Only I get to do that...

[Thanatos2203]

Too bad it is not steelea peaekea else I might be inclined to meet up and let you use my chrony. Provided you did not shoot it in the face. Only I get to do that...

Haha I'm a pretty decent shot but I'd still be worried about doing that, especially with someone else's equipment, and being nervous would probably make it more likely to happen. Sounds like you've had a bad experience so I can only imagine what that's like.