10mm: Go Up with No.7, or Switch to Blue Dot?

S

Swifty Morgan

New member
Last month, I tried to get my 10mm loads working so I would get a little over 1200 fps from a Glock 29 (3.77"). I had some problems because my old Lyman electronic scale was acting up. Now I have an RCBS 505 and check weights, so I am pretty confident in the sizes of my charges.

Before I got the RCBS, I got a little over 1200 fps with what I thought was 12.0 grains of Accurate No.7. I had to wait to do any more 10mm reloading because I needed some stuff. Today I got back on it, used the new scale, got extremely accurate results, and found my average velocity was down at 1146 fps.

The scale is not the only change. I got myself a stainless Storm Lake barrel because I like shooting lead. I don't know if the mild target loads I shoot (not what I shot today) would ever load up the barrel, but I figured it couldn't hurt to get a barrel made for lead. Also, the new barrel gives better case support. Today's shooting was done with the Storm Lake barrel. I don't know if that could cut 75 fps off my velocity.

I feel like I have two obvious choices at the moment. Go up a tenth of a grain to 12.1, or switch to a powder I know will get the job done safely yet which has more flash. I'm not getting any pressure signs yet.

Advice?
 
I like AA9 in 10mm. I'm shooting a S&W 610 6.5 inch barrel. A max charge and 200gr Hornady XTP are going 1322fps for a 6 shot average. Ejection is easy and no pressure signs. I will say that my COAL is longer than manual listed.

Also IME you can't really get enough #9 in the case to really get dangerous with pressure. As always start low and work up and follow published data.
 
Switching barrels can most definitely affect velocities.

And your Storm Lake was a great choice, btw. I have two Glock 10mm's (29sf; and 20sf) - I got Lone Wolf barrels for both of them before I ever received the guns (10-day wait in Ca.). IMO, if you have a Glock, you should get aftermarket barrels for them. I use the aftermarket bbls for range use. Gives the brass the support it needs and preserves the original bbls for SD duty (I carry the 29 from time to time - with the original bbl).

I think I once replied to one of your posts with my chrono data using AA#7. All that data with with the Lone Wolf bbls.

I really like AA#7 pushing 180's in the 10mm. I stopped my load work up at 12.0 grains and I have no desire to go further. I think that's book max anyway. My free advice is if you want more poop, go to a slower powder. Many will tell you to go to AA#9; but I suspect you're gonna get a lot more flash and thrust recoil. Yes, velocities will go up, but it'll come at a cost. An unfair trade-off IMO. Now if you had a Glock 40 (I think that's the one with the long bbl), absolutely, yes, move up to #9. But you don't.

As for Blue Dot, my only experience with it goes back to when I first started loading. When I first started (June 1984), I basically bought the whole Hercules (now Alliant) pistol lineup: Bullseye, Red Dot, Green Dot, Blue Dot, Unique and Herco. Anyway, I was loading for 357/44 Mag. I liked Blue Dot and bought another # or two after the initial purchase, but moved on to W296 once I discovered it. So yes, I used it, but no, I don't have any usable data. Personally, nowdays I consider BD to be a shotgun propellant and have no desire to use it.

IMO, if you want to try another propellant to eek out a few more fps, then go to AA#9 and accept the additional boom, thrust, n flash. Myself, I am very pleased with AA#7's performance in 10mm. My entire inventory of AA#7 (three #'s) is earmarked for the 10's.
 
Thanks for the help. I saw "1322fps" and wondered how that was possible without a gigantic charge, but then I saw that it was coming out of a 6.5" barrel. My old Hornady manual tops out at 1250 fps from 5".

I have read that BE-86 is supposed to be very good. Similar to Power Pistol, but it has a flash-suppressing additive. Not a lot of data out there, though.

I bought the Storm Lake barrel for a great reason: Midway was selling them for $80. I got there too late to get one for my Glock 20.

The chamber appears to be a little tighter than OEM, and Storm Lake confirmed this when I emailed them. I really don't want to adjust my crimp setting, because it's so touchy. Not sure what to do. One of the test cartridges I made didn't want to go in and out without friction, although it cycled fine. For all I know it's only a problem with old brass. My sizing die goes all the way to the shell plate, so I don't think it's a sizing problem.

I guess I can keep checking cartridges and see if I really have an issue.

My feeling is that I should use the OEM barrel for carry, since it was made to chamber anything.

If I had a reloading supplier anywhere near me, I would have tried BE-86 already. Guns are very popular in my area, but it looks like reloading is not.
 
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If I had a reloading supplier anywhere near me, I would have tried BE-86 already.
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BE-86 is not going to get you there. It's too fast. It's a touch faster than Power Pistol - about the same as Unique. Power Pistol is roughly the same burn rate as AA#7.

If you want your bullets to go faster, you're gonna need to make a bigger move. If you're already doing #7, just go to #9. It's the next logical step.

I know my Lone Wolf bbls have tighter chambers than the stock bbls. The ejected brass tells me so.
 
You sure? Alliant lists mid-1200's loads with BE-86.
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No. I'm not sure. I've never loaded 10mm with BE-86.

But some years back, an Alliant rep posted here on TFL stating that BE-86 was Power Pistol with an added flash suppressant that increased the burn rate a tad - "on the order of Unique" - I believe were his words.

My only experience with BE-86 is with 38 Special+P and 357 Magnum. In both instances, my load work ups were consistent with what the Alliant rep stated. Velocities at the point of pressure signs were a bit underwhelming. It does indeed seem to be faster than Power Pistol; and maybe even faster than Unique. So from my experience, BE-86 seems to lean to the fast end of the intermediate burners (very close to AA#5, I'd say). I'm thinking you're looking for something on the other end of the intermediate spectrum - getting into the slow stuff, even. Something like AA#9 ;)

I am going to do more stuff with BE-86. I bought a # of it to try and I do rather like it. I'm mostly a revolver guy, but I do wanna give it a whirl in 45 ACP. Unique tends to be (not "tends," actually, it IS) ejector port flashy, so maybe BE-86 will take care of that ;)
 
AA#9 doesn't have alot of flash and 1322 with a 200gr bullet is a push but not at all unbearable. But the big revolver helps soak that up. IMO if you want more velocity than what aa7 can give then look at longshot, aa9, and imr 800x.
 
I'm starting to think anyone who reloads for multiple calibers should develop a powder library. I would spend more on powder but much less on hazmat fees.
 
I dont reload 10mm but I do have some experience with Blue Dot and a pulldown powder that's equivalent to #7. Blue Dot is way too temperamental. It also has some weird temperature curves; it can burn faster at low temperatures. I've blown the heads completely off .357 Magnum cases pushing the limits with Blue Dot. (the gun was fine, luckily it was a SAA with thick cylinder walls.) I think that was in the winter but I don't remember, it was a long time ago.

AA#7 will do the same thing as Blue Dot without the drama. And I think it has a flash suppressant, which is a good thing. I did find one good use for Blue Dot after I'd already used up most of the pound; it works great in .45 Colt "Ruger" loads. (so presumably .44 Magnum as well) But AA#7 probably does too.
 
I'm starting to think anyone who reloads for multiple calibers should develop a powder library.
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I'm not sure what you mean. :p

I have used quite a few different propellants; and of the ones I've used, I like to think I have a pretty good handle on their characteristics. I have chronograph data and notes. I will freely share my opinion and data of any propellant that comes up as a point of discussion.

Oddly, I have hardly used any propellants in the burn rate range I think you need. I get up to the AA#7/Power Pistol burn rate neighborhood, and then I jump to 2400. In my head, there are five basic burn rate categories (for pistol): super fast; fast; intermediate; slow; & magnum. AA#7 and Power Pistol are on the slow end of the intermediates; and 2400 is on the fast end of the magnums. What you need is right in that gap. I consider Blue Dot to be slow. I used it years ago as a novice loader - but that is the extent of my experience of propellants in that range. Other's may see it differently; that's just the way me and my 36 years of handloading view it.

I'll tell you another thing: I have found good use of every propellant I have ever tried. Some I liked more than others, but I found a home for all of them. I have never used a "bad" powder. Maybe not what I expected; maybe something I'll never purchase again; but none were bad.

Okay, I'm officially rambling. Apologies. Point is, I think collectively, we here on TFL, are kind of a powder library. ;)
 
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