Bullseye 700x and Red Dot

C

Clubster

New member
I have a surplus of three powers in stock that I would like to use up before I start to standardize on possibly some new options. Suggestions on best powder for these existing components:

9mm: cci primers and 115 FMJ bullets…which powder for target

44mag: cci primers and 200 lead RNFP……which powder for target

Any suggestions on powder would be great.
 
I have loaded 9mm with Bullseye and 700X and Joe uses Red Dot.
I don't think you will find a lot of difference in bulk ammo.

I loaded some .44s with 700X at one time or another but either of the others will work in mild loads.
 
What is the 700x really known for or caliber it’s usually used for? I am trying to get a bearing on these powders. Ideally I want the least amount of powders in inventory to load my loads. Looking to do the following calibers:

38 spl - lead wadcutter target
357mag - hotter hollow point load
9mm - 115 or 125gr FMJ target
10mm- fmj target
44mag - hotter hollow point loads AND lead target

Still narrowing powders, grains for the calibers. Have all the equipment, brass and cci primers. No interest at this time to play with a bunch of recipies, just for plinking and target paper punching.
 
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The three powders you mention are all so similar that there is little point in declaring one better than another. Both 700X and Red Dot are a little bulkier than Bullseye, so they might be preferable in the large cases, like 10 mm and 44 mag. All are fast burn rates, so none of them are really good for "hotter hollow-point loads." Stick to mid-range and lower velocities and they all can work.
 
What is the 700x really known for or caliber it’s usually used for?
Click to expand...

12 gauge. 700X and Red Dot were introduced as shotshell powders that just happen to be of a burn rate suitable for light to moderate handgun loads.
Bullseye meant as a pistol powder from the start before 1900.

Do be careful in the big cases. The only gun I know to have been destroyed on my club's range was a .357 Magnum with a top load of Bullseye, surely double charged.
 
This would make sense because my dad has a mec shotgun reloader too. I have all his stuff now so trying to use up all the components best I can to then create a new component list for my current needs.
 
I heard that Northrup Grumman is shutting down Alliant? Apparently they can invest their money elsewhere and see a better return? I dont know how that is possible when Power Pistol is over $40 a pound. You might want to hold onto some of that Bullseye or Red Dot.
 
> Radford Arsenal in Virginia is Government owned, and contractor run facility.
> Alliant held the contract for years, then BAE (British Aerospace) was the contractor.
> Currently Northrop Grumman is the contractor under the name of New River Energetics.
>Evidently, NRE has built a new plant on the campus. They have shut down the old
> plant for now.
> It has been alluded to that all the Alliant Powder Production staff was laid off.
>
> One bit information held that NRE would get the new plant running and then
> bring back the Alliant production sometime after the new year? So this sort jives with
> the information that Powder Valley had posted on their FB page of suspended commercial
> powder production till the end of the year?
https://www.gunstop.com/blogalliant-powder-tidbits/
 
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The legend I first saw was "an international shortage of nitrocellulose."
Hard to imagine a GOCO ammo plant not doing its own nitration.
 
Thanks for clarifying; mehavey.

I suppose these places all come and go as their corporate overlords twist to squeeze the last drop of blood out of their employees, credit and processes. I wonder how these outfits could actually supply a real US conflict, they can hardly manage The Ukraine right now.
 
700x is a 12 gauge shotgun powder like many powders out there. It is similar to w231 and works fine in the same applications. 700x is a small flake powder. 9mm standard velocity loads will perform decently with 115 grain jacketed bullets and 700x as long as you don't need top speeds. You might get away with it in 44 mag too but I would expect you to have position sensitivity problems in such a large case but it might work OK under big cast lead bullets driven at cowboy speeds. Bullseye is the 45 ACP powder and has been used for a lot of 38 special target loads by people other than me for the last 100 years. I think bullseye is a lot less optimal in 9mm than 700x because it is at the fastest end of the burn rate charge and 9mm prefers slower powders closer to Unique. Red dot is very similar to your other two powders. I think your powder speeds fastest to slowest is Bullseye, Red Dot and then 700x which is a little slower than 231 according to Sierra. All are relatively fast. Blue Dot and Unique are the fastest you really want in the big cases to have decent load density.

https://www.sierrabullets.com/reload-basics/powder-burning-rates/
 
700X was the darling of the NRA Bullseye Target Match crowd ...
45 ACP with a 200 gr. cast lead SWC for target shooting at 15 and / or 25 yards , was supposed to be better than a load of Bullseye .

I like 700X , Bullseye and Red Dot with cast bullet , target loads .

There is a lot of good loading data for these powders in the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual and in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks #3 and #4 ... these are my number one resources for lead bullet loading data .
Gary
 
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