BT99
Member
I have a lot of red dot and green dot from my trapshooting days. No longer shoot trap due to back injury. Want to load light 38 special loads with that powder. Only cast bullets, mostly 158 swc and 148 wc. Anybody use those powders??
38 special with red dot or green dot??
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Red Dot
Absolutely Red Dot and I really like it from target to about medium loads. With GD I have no experience.
I was 'forced' to try Red Dot during the shortages. Glad I did.
Absolutely Red Dot and I really like it from target to about medium loads. With GD I have no experience.
I was 'forced' to try Red Dot during the shortages. Glad I did.
RobertJ.
Member
I've never used GD, but Red Dot is a great target powder for the .38 Special. That, along with Bullseye and lately, 700x, are my favorite target powders for the .38.
Besides the small groups, I like the fact that one pound loads a lot of rounds!
Besides the small groups, I like the fact that one pound loads a lot of rounds!
RobertJ.
Member
Great minds think alike! Apparently, ours do, too!
cowboy4evr
Member
3.7 grs of red dot is a nice 38spl load w 158gr bullet . Max is about 4.0 .
With green dot 4.3 is max , same bullet. You will find load data above and below these numbers . These have worked well for me . In a 357 mag case 5.0 grs of red dot is a real nice range load using same bullet .
With green dot 4.3 is max , same bullet. You will find load data above and below these numbers . These have worked well for me . In a 357 mag case 5.0 grs of red dot is a real nice range load using same bullet .
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scattershot
Member
I use a lot of Red Dot. 3-3.5 grains works well with the 158 grain bullet.
bmcgilvray
Member
I've used Red Dot and Green Dot in the .38 Special for target loads with good results. Don't have notes on the Red Dot, but do have some testing notated for Green Dot.
148 grain TVB DEWC/3.7 grains Green Dot
2-Inch Barrel
Muzzle Velocity: 669 fps
Muzzle Energy: 147 ft./lbs
Extreme Spread: 45
Standard Deviation: 23
4-Inch Barrel
MV: 706 fps
ME: 164 ft./lbs.
ES: 43 fps
SD: 14 fps
5-Inch Barrel
MV: 735 fps
ME: 179 ft./lbs.
ES: 17 fps
SD: 7 fps
6-Inch Barrel
MV: 690 fps
ME: 156 ft./lbs.
ES: 31 fps
SD: 13 fps
8 3/8-Inch Barrel
MV: 775 fps
ME: 197 ft./lbs.
ES: 73 fps
SD: 33 fps
Green Dot on left. The old 2.8 grain charge of Bulls-Eye on right. A 10 yard effort.
148 grain TVB DEWC/3.7 grains Green Dot
2-Inch Barrel
Muzzle Velocity: 669 fps
Muzzle Energy: 147 ft./lbs
Extreme Spread: 45
Standard Deviation: 23
4-Inch Barrel
MV: 706 fps
ME: 164 ft./lbs.
ES: 43 fps
SD: 14 fps
5-Inch Barrel
MV: 735 fps
ME: 179 ft./lbs.
ES: 17 fps
SD: 7 fps
6-Inch Barrel
MV: 690 fps
ME: 156 ft./lbs.
ES: 31 fps
SD: 13 fps
8 3/8-Inch Barrel
MV: 775 fps
ME: 197 ft./lbs.
ES: 73 fps
SD: 33 fps
Green Dot on left. The old 2.8 grain charge of Bulls-Eye on right. A 10 yard effort.
DWalt
Member
Lots of reloaders use both for handgun cartridges, and also for light loads in CF rifle cartridges. 13 grains in about any CF rifle cartridge with any bullet weight or type makes an excellent accurate and economical plinker and small game load for any caliber .30-30 or larger. Even works for .45-70 and .458 Winchester. 4.7 grains of Green Dot is my favorite propellant load for 124 grain lead RN bullets in 9mm.
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I found out that Red Dot max's out in a 38 J frame snub nose
before Green Dot with a 158gr lead bullet.
My snub gets around 800fps with RD and 822fps with Green.
I do get good accuracy with Green backed down to just 612fps.
For an x-Lite loading I push a 125gr LRN with Green at 590fps.
Red Dot will do 533fps with the same bullet with just 3.2grs of powder.
You can go to 690fps but it is not a light recoil load any more.
If by chance you load a 9mm.....
Green Dot makes a great low vel. load with 115 up to 147gr plated bullets.
before Green Dot with a 158gr lead bullet.
My snub gets around 800fps with RD and 822fps with Green.
I do get good accuracy with Green backed down to just 612fps.
For an x-Lite loading I push a 125gr LRN with Green at 590fps.
Red Dot will do 533fps with the same bullet with just 3.2grs of powder.
You can go to 690fps but it is not a light recoil load any more.
If by chance you load a 9mm.....
Green Dot makes a great low vel. load with 115 up to 147gr plated bullets.
Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
I substituted Green Dot for Bullseye in just about everything when BE was unobtanium. Lots of data available and is usually very close to BE.
franzas
Member
It also makes a nice high-octane (and accurate) round. 5.2 gr under a 124 gr bullet will give 1205 fps from a Glock 19.
Either will do what you want. There should be loading data available for both. I have used both in the past. I once bought 8 pounds of Red at a garage sale for $5.
Smithboomer
Member
3.7 grains of Red Dot with a 158 grain plated bullet in .38 Special cases. I've been shooting this load for decades in my K-frame guns.
5.2 grains makes a good .357 load for all-out shooting.
5.2 grains makes a good .357 load for all-out shooting.
Green Dot was my very first powder. I used it in .38 and .45 auto. I did not like it at all in the .38. It is a large flake that meters worse than Unique. With the small charges I was using for .38 I got very inconsistent results. Huge clouds of white smoke.
It was fantastic for .45 hardball loads.
It was fantastic for .45 hardball loads.
Qc Pistolero
Member
With Bullseye unobtainable in my neck of the woods,I've replaced it by Red Dot and 700X.I do not think I will need to go back to Bullseye since while both are aprox on par with BE accuracywise,they are also both less expensive.
Can't comment about GD since I've never used it.Qc
Can't comment about GD since I've never used it.Qc
+1 with post 6 and 13;
with a 6" barrel with red dot.
With a 158gr lswc bullet in this long barrel, Green Dot started giving
good accuracy with 4.0 grs at 838fps and it also did well at 905fps.
with a 6" barrel with red dot.
With a 158gr lswc bullet in this long barrel, Green Dot started giving
good accuracy with 4.0 grs at 838fps and it also did well at 905fps.
bluetopper
Member
bmcgilvray, we appreciate the info and the time and trouble of getting it.
Red Dot and Green Dot have always been stellar performers for me in all handgun calibers. Alliant however is trying to designate handgun and shotgun powders in two separate categories now days and is not giving out data for dual applications which I think is amiss.
bmcgilvray did you check windage and get the spotting scope out before you shot that 10 yard group?
Red Dot and Green Dot have always been stellar performers for me in all handgun calibers. Alliant however is trying to designate handgun and shotgun powders in two separate categories now days and is not giving out data for dual applications which I think is amiss.
bmcgilvray did you check windage and get the spotting scope out before you shot that 10 yard group?
38SPL HV
Member
I used Red Dot in the past. Real good powder for target and standard velocity loads. Very accurate as I recall. However, don't push velocities with it...use current loading data and you'll be fine.
I'm gonna say it was the bullet lube, not the powder. I've not had that problem with jacketed or plated bullets. Lube smokes though.
. . .
Green Dot is the fastest powder I generally load with & have had some really good results with it.
I don't routinely load 38 Specials anymore as all my 38 range guns are 357s.
In 357 cases I found 5.7grs/G-D & a 158gr P-RNFP (~975fps) very accurate in my 686-6 or 327TRR.
In my 41 Mag I found 7.8grs/G-D & a 210gr P-RNFP (~1045fps) very accurate in my 657-5 or 357NG.
.
MyDads38
Member
As others have stated, when Bullseye was non-existent; I bought what I could find. Found 5 lbs. of Red Dot and was very happy with the results in 38 Special LSWC and 9mm 125 Gr. RN/TC loads. Accuracy was on par with BE loads. I have since been able to replenish my BE powder supply, but will continue to keep RD in supply as well. No experience with GD though...
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