Blue Dot load for 357 and a question

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Bill Cullen

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Hello,

Before work became all consuming I used to load quite a bit but have gotten away from it. Now its time to get back to what is important in life. Many years ago I decided to use Blue Dot for my 357. Just would like to get a sampling of charge that others are using for 4 inch barrel 686.

Now for the question, is there that much of a difference between standard and magnum primers, particularly if using a light magnum load? What would happen if standard primers were used in a 357?

Thanks
 
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is there that much of a difference between standard and magnum primers, particularly if using a light magnum load? What would happen if standard primers were used in a 357?
Click to expand...

I've loaded 13.8grs of Blue Dot behind 125gr bullets with magnum primers for over 20 years to produce factory full power equivalent loads of 1,450 fps + from a 4" barrel with never a sign of over pressure. With flake powders from Alliant and other manufacturers generally standard primers are sufficient and will produce good loads with either magnum or standard primers. For ball powders its best to use magnum primers as recommended in most reloading manuals to get proper ignition.
 
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Blue Dot works best at near max loads or you will have a lot of un burned powder. Flaming Dirt;)

Follow the manufactures load advice.

PS: It is not supposed to be used with a 125 gr bullet but of course there are those that have done so and that is up to them.

Alliant Powder - Safety Notice



  • Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 357 Magnum load using the 125 grain projectile (Blue Dot® recipes with heavier bullet weights as specified in Alliant Powders Reloading Guide are acceptable for use).
  • Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 41 Magnum cartridge (all bullet wei
 
I've never used Blue Dot with a magnum primer in .357 - I use max published Blue Dot loads under my 180-grainers with standard primers and get really terrific results.
 
If you read the Alliant "Notice" ,please check out the temperatures that caused this problem............OK so it is not good for a cold weather hunting load. Does that mean that at "Normal" temperatures at 50 degrees or more this powder is still "Unstable" and unsafe?
Was it just one case, maybe in a J or K frame ? It would be nice if they laid ALL the CARDS on the table with this story.

As for std or mag primers..............in all my bluedot loads ,you just have to see if your gun groups better with these primers at low or maximum loads,since my K and 686 will print at different points on target and also show different fps with the different loadings.

My best accuracy in my 686 with bluedot with cci500 primers comes with the 110 and 125jhp at 1288 to 1430, 140xtp target at 1250fps and the 158xtp at 1270fps with a maximum load. The heavier bullets from 140grs actually shoot better in my 6" guns and I very seldom shoot the lighter bullets,now.
 
I remember reading warnings about Blue Dot and cold weather in the gun mags in the 80s.Since I shoot a lot in the winter I stopped using it.I still have 3/4 of a canister on the shelf.
 
Why just the 125gr bullet? The 110JHP gets 4.0 more grains of powder for the same pressures and it was not banned from Bluedot??

HOWEVER.....I have to admit these two bullet weights "Suck"
as a hunting load unless you are after vermin or "Yotes".

This slow power really does much better with the 140 or heavier bullets,anyway,so I can live w/o the 125gr and BD data, just to keep everyone happy.
 
Rule3 said:
Where does it say that?
Click to expand...


It doesn't. It just states that....

Use of Blue Dot® in the above cases may cause a high pressure situation that could cause property damage and serious personal injury.
Click to expand...


......and if the manufacturer of Blue-Dot tells me it's dangerous to use, I listen. With the amount of other safe, accurate and more suitable powders out there, I see no reason not to listen. Others are free to do as they please.
 
Here is a copy of the warning:

"ATK Commercial Products
900 Ehlen Drive Anoka, MN 55303
ATK | Fortune 500 aerospace, defense, security, and sporting products company

July 25, 2008

Dear Functional Wholesaler:

Please distribute this letter to all of your customers immediately with instructions for them to do the following:
• Post this letter in a highly visible area of their establishment
• Distribute to their customers as soon as possible

Alliant Powder Blue Dot® Product Safety Notice

Alliant Powder® periodically reviews and tests their published reloading data to verify that recommended recipes have not changed over time.
During the latest review Alliant Powder discovered that Alliant Powder’s Blue Dot® should not be used in the following applications:
• Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 357 Magnum load using the 125 grain projectile (Blue Dot® recipes with heavier bullet weights as specified in Alliant Powders Reloading Guide are acceptable for use).
• Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 41 Magnum cartridge (all bullet weights).

Use of Blue Dot® in the above cases may cause a high pressure situation that could cause property damage and serious personal injury.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions or concerns please contact me at [email protected] or call me at 540-639-8503.

Dick Quesenberry
Alliant Powder
Product Line Manager"
 
Skip Sackett said:
Here is a copy of the warning:

"ATK Commercial Products
900 Ehlen Drive Anoka, MN 55303
ATK | Fortune 500 aerospace, defense, security, and sporting products company

July 25, 2008

Dear Functional Wholesaler:

Please distribute this letter to all of your customers immediately with instructions for them to do the following:
• Post this letter in a highly visible area of their establishment
• Distribute to their customers as soon as possible

Alliant Powder Blue Dot® Product Safety Notice

Alliant Powder® periodically reviews and tests their published reloading data to verify that recommended recipes have not changed over time.
During the latest review Alliant Powder discovered that Alliant Powder’s Blue Dot® should not be used in the following applications:
• Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 357 Magnum load using the 125 grain projectile (Blue Dot® recipes with heavier bullet weights as specified in Alliant Powders Reloading Guide are acceptable for use).
• Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 41 Magnum cartridge (all bullet weights).

Use of Blue Dot® in the above cases may cause a high pressure situation that could cause property damage and serious personal injury.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions or concerns please contact me at [email protected] or call me at 540-639-8503.

Dick Quesenberry
Alliant Powder
Product Line Manager"
Click to expand...
What sets the .41 Mag apart from all other cartridges, making it unsuitable for Blue Dot with any bullet or powder weight? I wonder how Blue Dot can tell it's in a .41 Mag instead of a .44 Mag, or for that matter, that it's under a 125 gr. bullet in a .357.

I not trying to refute what Mr. Quisenberry says, it just seems to me that the .44 is close enough to the .41 that it would have the same problem with Blue Dot, whatever that problem may be.
 
I have already linked the warning twice. Do we need to keep posting it.

All I want to know is where Nevada Ed got his info about cold weather?? Does he have some other document??

Hey, guess what? you are not supposed to use ......:rolleyes:
 
It's an old warning that came out in the mid to late 80s. Whether it came from the manufacturer or the gun rags of the day,who remembers?
 
R3;

A person from Alliant back in the 1980's said they were having problems with inconsistant pressures with the new tests of the 125gr Jhp bullets in their labs.

14.0grs was getting around 38,000 psi, where the new pressures for this load should be 35,000 psi per the legal staff, with the new style of "Light Magnum" guns now on the market,for everyones safty,which is a good thing.

I have no idea if this was the time Hercules and Alliant powders were changed over..... or if the powders were changed at this time for the "New Cleaner" powder type improvements,just that the powder has changed and modern data should be used .

As for the temperature thing.......its water under the bridge,now.

Stay safe
 
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I can tell you first hand that Blue Dot acts crazy at 30*F or less. I built some full power loads in the summer and when I went to run some over the chronograph in December, and, yes, it was under 30*F here in Indiana then, and I was getting over 2100fps from my Marlin 1894.

Suffice it to say, that was the last I used the powder here in the great white north! :D
 
I hate the stuff, but ya no what?;) I just bought a pound from my LGS as he has almost nothing left to sell.

It and a bottle of red and green dot are still there from who know when (years)
I have never used the other DOTS, but Blue is OK for full mags. I was using all my H110 for the 30 carbine so I thought I'd at least get the Blue.
 
Skip Sackett said:
Where you live, there will never be a problem UNLESS when you get frost on you oranges you decide to go shooting...... :)
Click to expand...

Don't laugh I have seen it many times, Trees fully encase in ICE.

The trees can take it for several hours but the rest of the crops like maters, lettuce etc are wiped out.

People think Florida is just Mickey Mouse and Beaches but it's primary other than tourism is Agriculture. Yep we have Cows, hogs and stuff:D
 
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