Use quite a bit of Clays powder for my shotgun reloading, and thought about using it for 45 Colt, 44-40, 44 special, and maybe even 38 special, all target/plinking loads. Any one using Clays for these chamberings, and if so, thoughts and receipes? TIA...

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Todd

For lighter loads it's OK for any caliber. Load it approximately like Bullseye.

When I was shooting USPSA, back when major was 175PF, it was my go to powder. Loaded Clays with a 250gr cast rnfp to 180PF.

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Peace was my Profession

Lyman Cast Bullet #4 manual has loads for several different calibers.

Know there is Clays, Universal Clays, International Clays to I believe. I use Universal with some 41 and 44 loads, is similar to unique.

IMO it's a great Shotgun powder where a charge variation of +/- 1/2 grain isn't significant. BTW, as a Trap and Skeet shooter I use up a lot of Clays for my 12 gage loads, for the 20 I use Unique.

However for a Handgun powder there are just way to many alternates that meter very well. If you insist on using it run every single charge across some type of scale and hand adjust every charge so it's the correct weight. BTW, somewhere between 50 and 100 thrown charges you will come to understand why I would never use Clays for a handgun load.

Clays is a great powder for .44 Special, .38 Special and .45 ACP for cast bullet loads.

When I started reloading, I chose plain CLAYS. I do not remember why.
I used it for 9MM, 38, and 45. As for recipes, I just followed my reloading manual. And since I was just putting holes in paper, as mentioned above, the loads are light. Never had a problem. So it goes.

It builds pressure rapidly & gets erratic . It can make accurate low pressure loads but goes from mild to wild too quickly for my taste . My experience with it is 45acp & 38 special target loads with lead bullets .

I use Int'l Clays in 45 ACP with 230 XTPs. It's snappy, and cycles perfectly.

+1 with post #6;

a good powder for shotgun loads.........

but nothing special about it for pistol/revolver loads, unless you want
to just put holes in paper or tin cans.

A great 12 gauge skeet and trap powder, but I've never found any advantage to using it in handgun target loads. If it's what you have, then by all means it's the powder to use. For me at least, other powders are preferred in the 38, 41, 44 and the 45 ACP paper punching loads.

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Keep your powder dry.

Plenty of data for most handguns. Its a good powder for light target loafs but approach max with caution. It gets wierd as you push into max. Pressure curve is not very linear.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Nothing special but it is a useful piwder for target loads. It is accirate & clean burning & cheap. Just like a lot of fast burners.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I use it in 45acp and 38spl for target loads. It's more accurate than me, is super clean and soft recoiling

I used it in trap and revolver loads but even with the shotgun loads..................
the Clays powder was replaced with Red Dot, Solo 1000, e3, Green Dot and Unique, that gave me better results and scores.

Yes, it will go "Bang", which is a good thing.

Clean burning means nothing to me, since I clean my weapons after every use.

Clays is my 44-40 go to load! 4.4 grains, WLP primer, any modern brass, and 200/204 RNFP cast bullet sized .427! That load will be very mild in 45 Colt too.

Ivan

I had good results with Clays in .44 Special and .45 Colt when I was involved in Cowboy Action matches. I took the formula for each from the Hodgdon manual using 250 gr lead in the .45 and 220 gr. lead in the .44 both worked well. The loads were not identical but both were in the 4.X range. I worked up a little from the starting loads but was nowhere near max.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Same here. When I get started, long before AlGore invented the internet, I used Clays for handgun.

I do remember why I used it: I could find data for 9mm, 38spl, and 45acp with one powder. A pound of powder was a bite in the budget for a poor boy, so I wanted one I could use for everything I had.

I get good accuracy / velocity with Universal Clays in my 45 Auto Rim & 44 spl.

Clean burning, even for those that do clean often, still matters. If you shoot a very sooty powder & lubed lead bullets, it makes a real mess in oretty short order. Some of my shooting sessions can be 400-500rds without stopping to clean. It is a minor thing though for sure.
One could satpy most powders offer little over another. Most loads will shoot better than the shooter is capable of. So we are down to minor things like clean burning or recoil impulse.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

My favorite plinking powder. Easy to spot in a large case - so less likely to double or squib (unlike Titegroup). I use it for 30-30 plinkers. And I use it for 240gr@900fps 44 mag loads.

Be very careful that you know EXACTLY which Clay’s powder you are dealing with, and use the correct load data for that type.
The labelling that Hodgdon uses on the containers is somewhat confusing, and you will find are lots of complaints on the interweb on this topic.
I am a very cautious reloader who has been doing this about 1972, and I blew up a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog a couple of weeks ago using this powder. I am sure the incident was my fault, probably from mis-identifying the Clays type in my notes and load data tags from my last loading session in this caliber 6 years ago.

Yeah maybe one of the dumbest marketing decisions made was labeling f Clays line of powders.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Makes no sense to have three versions of the Clays name. I keep a reserve of eight pounds each of Universal Clays (like Unique) and plain Clays (like Bullseye or Red Dot), which should last me awhile for handgun and shotshell reloading as insurance against a powder supply chain interruption.