Just got back from the range. I tried a load of 14.5 Grains Blue Dot with a Hornady 125 XTP in 357 magnum. The gun I was using is a 27-2 4". The load felt very hot to me. I only fired two and stoped. Is this load of Blue dot too hot or is it just me? Any experience with Blue Dot and the 125 XTP?

Just got back from the range. I tried a load of 14.5 Grains Blue Dot with a Hornady 125 XTP in 357 magnum. The gun I was using is a 27-2 4". The load felt very hot to me. I only fired two and stoped. Is this load of Blue dot too hot or is it just me? Any experience with Blue Dot and the 125 XTP?

There is a warning from Alliant about using Blue Dot with 125gr .357 loads. The Alliant link is not working but it is listed here as well. Bruce

http://www.firearmsid.com/mkpo...index.php?topic=90.0

alliant safety warning

This warning came up in a recent thread, but I can't find it at the moment. Alliant chose to place the warning in their " getting started " section instead of on the data page for the 125gr./357 where it belongs for reasons known only by them.

The 2004 Alliant Reloaders Guide I have lists that as the load @ 34kpsi. My 125gr bullet loads with that charge always seemed a little warmish unless I used a standard rather than magnum primer, and I backed off to 13.5gr. However, I remember that warning from last year.

I'm loading the Rem 140JHP with 12.0gr and Fed100 primers. It's a full load yet doesn't appear hot in my guns, and is very accurate. I notice their new data lists a max charge of 11.5gr.

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" I said, good DAY! "

Here's some data I recorded in 2004.
You'll notice the amount of velocity gain for the extra 1.5 gr of powder was only 39 fps. That's enough to tell me 14.5 gr is an overload. Then coupling that with sticky extraction and I haven't revisited Blue Dot in .357 Mag since.

FWIW, the load data I have on hand for 357 with blue dot for the 125 gr. xtp shows 13.3 gr. as the max. Given Alliant's warnings against using blue dot with 125 gr. bullets ....... I don't recommend using said data. I'm inclined to go by what the powder manufacturer's recommend above all other data.

I wonder if Alliant changed the recipe ? The Blue Dot I bought 3-4 yrs ago does not work well with 15 yr old data. For .357 mag through a 4" Colt Trooper I maxed out at 10.4gr with a 158 jhp and 9.2gr with a 180 jhp, the 125's were just plain scary. I've switched to AA#9 for 158 and 180gr bullets with very good results, and the remaining Blue Dot has worked very well in my .308 Win. for reduced loads.

I have loaded 13.8grs of BD lit by a magnum pistol primer behind any 125gr jacketed bullet for years. This load duplicates factory full power velocity of around 1,450 fps out of my 4" revolvers, is quite accurate and shows no pressure signs. Never felt a need to go any hotter.

That's interesting Steve, because you're getting very close to what I got with a CCI 400, even though the magnum primer is considerably hotter than a 400.

Is there any reason you use Sm. rifle primers in the 357 mag?

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John

John,

Some of the loads I shoot in .357 are in the neighborhood of 45,000 cup. That's rifle type pressures, so I use a lot of small rifle primers.

According to the data I have, the energy of a small pistol primer is very close to being the same as the small rifle primer. That equates to using a thicker cup for the greater pressure of that level of loads.

I got sticky extraction with 14.5 gr of Blue Dot, but I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary with 14.0 gr of SR 4756 and the same bullet that I shot during the same session.

All of my .357s will ignite a small rifle primer with factory springs, if I'm shooting SA.

I tried Blue Dot with 158g JHPs, but I never did get satisfactory results. I now load 14.5g of 2400 for 1350fps in my 6" M686. Accuracy is very good, not excellent.
An excellent accuracy load is 14.5g of H110, but velocity is only around 1100fps. This load could be increased up to 16g and I am planning to try going above 15g soon.

I have shot 158JHP with 11grs of BD in a 4" 686 at 1226fps.
With H110 16grs with a 158JHP gave me 1165fps and was very consistant. I have loaded 17grs of H110 with a 158JHP and in a Marlin 1894. It duplicated the velocity of the Remington 158JHP factory load at 1745fps.The factory load was 1754fps. In the Marlin 16grs of H110 clocks at 1665fps. Sixteen grains seems to give you all the velocity that you can get in a 4" gun. Bruce