Aussie powder drying up.

[Jackaroo, # 29989]

Powder is extremely hard to find at present here, with our local ADI ceasing operations of their main pistol powders.

Word is we wont see Trail Boss till end of year, it may all be going overseas, but we do have some imported powders available.

Unique, Clay Dot, Red Dot, Green Dot but most of us are unfamilar with those.

So would appreciate any loads my cowboy pards are using over there.

I'm using 38 special with a 125 proj. now with 2.9 gns TB. Have done for 20 years or so and find it perfect, so need to find an equivalent load.

Also 44 special with a 200 proj. for shotgun I was using Promo when in Oklahoma.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Krazy Kajun]

Clays or Claydot......2.8 gr of Clays or Claydot with a 105 or 125 gr bullet for 38sp works well. 

 

You can also load SG with Clays or Claydot.  For 12g I used a #24 MEC powder bushing using Clays or Claydot powder and 7/8 oz shot.  This is equivalent to a Featherlite.

 

Kajun

[El Mulo Vaquero, SASS #55942]

Unique-38 special with 3.9 grs, and 125 bullet is a great cowboy load 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Unique, .38 Special-4.0gn 125-158gn lead bullet and firm roll crimp.

OLG  

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

The powders you listed are all Alliant Products.  Here is a link to their cowboy loads (they are all too hot).  For Green Dot, Alliant publishes 3.5 grains under a 158 grain bullet, no 125 grain data.  Here is a link to the pdf of Alliant's Manual.

[Still hand Bill]

Anything in the burn speed range of red dot, unique should work.  Unique is on the slow side and red dot the faster side. 
 

4g of promo, clay dot, clays, or red dot under a 180g in 44 spl works.  
6g of unique under the same 180g in 44 spl is nice as well.   As you can see the unique is a bit slower.  
 

in 38spl, 4g of unique under 125g or 3g of red dot. 
 

red dot, clays, clay dot, promo all work in a 12g at 17,5g with 7/8 shot.  I believe unique will work as well for shotgun, just have loaded the others for years and have gone through many kegs. 

[J-BAR #18287]

Buy all the Unique you can find.  Very versatile powder, rifle, handgun, shotgun.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1 minute ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Buy all the Unique you can find.  Very versatile powder, rifle, handgun, shotgun.

You can use Unique for every caliber in SASS including shotgun.

OLG 

[DeaconKC]

I use more Unique than any other powder, grab it!

[Snake-eye, SASS#45097]

38 spl.  -105 or 125 gr bullet  3 gr red dot works well

 

44 spl 200 gr bullet 4 gr red dot

 

both mild loads

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Buy all the Red Dot or Clay Dot you can find.  Loads all the main match cartridges and 12 gauge shotshells very well.  

 

In 12 gauge, use your Promo load data for Red Dot, and will be very close for using Clay Dot, too.

 

good luck, GJ

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

have been using a2 for all my sass stuff 44 spec and spec level loads in 44 mag cases 45 colt and ACP and all small pistols .32 .38 9mm for years even use for cast bullet under 1400 fps loads from my 98 krag and 03 Springfield 

[Jackaroo, # 29989]

Thanks guys, that data will serve me well. Appreciated.

[BLACKFOOT SASS #11947]

I use Red Dot in .38 special,  .45 ACP and .45 Colt.  

 

.38 special, 125 gr Lead,  3 gr.  Red Dot  (pistol and rifle)

.45 ACP  200 gr Lead,  4.3 gr Red Dot  (1911)

.45 Colt   200 gr Lead,  5 gr Red Dot  (pistol and rifle)

 

Blackfoot

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

Jackaroo,   is it true that a lot of the gunpowder sold here in the states is actually made in Australia?

[Tully Mars]

I use Unique for all my ammunition. Apparently I like it a bit hotter than others?

5 grains in a 105 and 125 38 special.

5 grains in 45 ACP with a 230 RN.

44 Special with a 200 RNFP.

6.0 In 44-40 with a 200 RNFP.

6.0 in 45 LC with a 255 RNFP.

 

You have several starting loads posted here. I'm certain you will find one you like.

 

Tully

[Snakebite]

If I could only have one powder for ALL of my loading it would be Unique. BUT for CAS only, Red Dot is the best of those listed for light pistol, rifle, shotgun loads. I.M.O.

[Ya Big Tree]

If I could only have one powder for SASS, I'd pick Clay Dot (same as Hodgdon Clays). I use it in 45 Colt, 44-40 and 38 spl. as well as 12 gauge and 45 ACP. I used it for Sporting Clays in the shotgun long before Cowboy shooting.

[Dantankerous]

12 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Buy all the Unique you can find.  Very versatile powder, rifle, handgun, shotgun.

This.

 

I use Unique for 44 special cowboy loads and hotter loads and love it. It works well in other calibres too and a lot of my friends have been using Unique for years.

 

I normally use Trail Boss but as it's getting scarce I've been stocking up on Unique.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

In the absence of the Alliant powders, have you tried/is it available to you in Australia, the Shooters World Clean Shot. I am using it in all my SASS calibers and 12 ga.

3 gr in.38/.357 cowboy loads behind a 125 rnfp, 4.4 gr behind a 200 in .45c, .44sp or .45acp and 14.4 in 12ga with 7/8 oz of #7 1/2.

It may be an alternative.

 

Imis

[DeaconKC]

One thing to be thankful for, is that you still have some excellent powders available. You can tell by how many of us chimed in. Hang in there.

[Doc Coles SASS 1188]

I have used red dot ever since I got into CAS.  Unique is a classic powder, but for .45 red dot generally uses one grain less than unique for the same velocity.  So for example, in a .45 lc using 6 grains of unique gets you 1166 loaded rounds, where 5 grains of red dot gets you 1400 loaded rounds.  Given the scarcity of powder these days, that’s a thing worth considering.  

[Major Crimes]

I might be able to get you a couple of the big bottles (Trail Boss) down here in Sydney if you can get a way to pick them up.

[Barkeep Casey]

+1 for Red Dot.

38spl 3.1 gr with a 125gr. 

I also use it in 45Cowboy Special, 45 Colt, 45ACP, and low recoil 12 gauge rounds. So I am able to shoot one powder for everything I do in CAS and WB. 

[Major Crimes]

11 hours ago, The Rainmaker, SASS #11631 said:

Jackaroo,   is it true that a lot of the gunpowder sold here in the states is actually made in Australia?

 

A number of the Aussie powders are distributed by Hodgdon.

 

I think they buy in bulk and re package a lot of it.

 

Look at this table to see which ones are the same/similar (I am not saying this means the load data is the same but this is what I believe, do your own testing).

 

Powder equivalents - ADI World Class Powders and Ammunition (adi-powders.com.au)

 

[Tequila Shooter]

It’s all a conspiracy, no more heathen smokeless   time to make some smoke 

[Major Crimes]

3 minutes ago, Tequila Shooter said:

It’s all a conspiracy, no more heathen smokeless   time to make some smoke 

If you can get the caps or primers

[Tequila Shooter]

3 minutes ago, Major Crimes said:

If you can get the caps or primers

 

Are they hard to get there too?

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

12 minutes ago, Major Crimes said:

 

A number of the Aussie powders are distributed by Hodgdon.

 

I think they buy in bulk and re package a lot of it.

 

Look at this table to see which ones are the same/similar (I am not saying this means the load data is the same but this is what I believe, do your own testing).

 

Powder equivalents - ADI World Class Powders and Ammunition (adi-powders.com.au)

 

From an IMR Trail Boss label:

 

 

[Jackaroo, # 29989]

12 hours ago, The Rainmaker, SASS #11631 said:

Jackaroo,   is it true that a lot of the gunpowder sold here in the states is actually made in Australia?

Yes it is, Trail Boss especially made at ADI who've decided to discontinue making pistol powder.???

 

[Major Crimes]

1 hour ago, Tequila Shooter said:

 

Are they hard to get there too?

Not until just recently.

I went into the LGS and they have been told no Remington caps for a year or two. 

We have plenty of CCI and Federal Primers are on all the shelves so no problem there.

Its just my favorite caps we cant get

[Tequila Shooter]

1 minute ago, Major Crimes said:

Not until just recently.

I went into the LGS and they have been told no Remington caps for a year or two. 

We have plenty of CCI and Federal Primers are on all the shelves so no problem there.

Its just my favorite caps we cant get

 

As you’ve probably have figured out:

1.  No Remington caps

2. No Federal Primers

3. No CCI caps

4. This list would be a lot shorter if I just listed what is available, just about nuttin’

[Painted Mohawk SASS 77785]

Luckily I have plenty of powder but it ain't gunna be much fun if I've got no one to shoot with  Down Under  !!!!!

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

11 hours ago, Major Crimes said:

Not until just recently.

I went into the LGS and they have been told no Remington caps for a year or two. 

We have plenty of CCI and Federal Primers are on all the shelves so no problem there.

Its just my favorite caps we cant get

I would stock up immediately. Primer shortage could hit you any day and we would quote this back at you!

[Major Crimes]

2 minutes ago, Marshall Matt Dillon said:

I would stock up immediately. Primer shortage could hit you any day and we would quote this back at you!

I may have a few thou primers about the place