Any load information from current users of Hodgdon Perfect Pattern Powder

[Oklahoma Dee]

I picked up some of this smokeless powder and may be interested in using it in,  38 Special and 12ga shotshells.

 

Thanks for any positive input.

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Hodgdon has load data for 7/8 oz 12 ga loads. Starting loads may be a little hot but I would bet that you could reduce the load down by 1/2 to 1 full grain without too many problems. If the stack height is too far off just add a cheerio or dried bean to the shot cup. 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Perfect Pattern is VERY dense.   It's hard to fill shotshells up to make a good crimp.

 

But, I have shot Remington STS, Nitros, Gun Clubs with about 14 grains of PP, 7/8 ounce shot, a 3/4 ounce CB0175 wad and most any primer.  Low pressure, low recoil.  Adjust until you can make a good load, ,but you will probably have the wad just sitting on the powder, or even floating a little, which Hodgdon techs have said is just fine to do (just be careful not to push the wad stack down too deep as you apply final crimp).  That CB0175 wad takes up about as much room as any 12 gauge wad on the market, so it's great for Perfect Pattern loading.

 

Powder should work fine in .38 specials, about same as you dropped with Clays, but I no longer load .38 special to even test it out.

 

YMMV, but these are light loads and should be no pressure problems.   good luck, GJ

 

[Tarheel Doc]

I have only used it for shotgun shells. I use a MEC 13a powder bushing. I use for 1 ounce and 1 1/8 ounce loads. 

[Long Fingers, SASS#56813]

This, 

Toranado and Turkey Bob 

did some testing for us. 
I have loaded both 11.6 and 12.4 in STS hulls but use a taller wad than what they tested to get a better stack height. 11.6 would be by go to when my clay dot stash is gone. 
 

tested some 38spl but got pretty erratic results with lite loads so I abandoned the idea for now. Maybe others have had better luck

Toranado, SASS # 58447

Posted December 22, 2023

As I start to run out of my favorite Shotshell powder Clays, and refuse to pay the $40plus price per pound for Claydot where available, I did some searching a few months ago and bought some Hodgdon Perfect Pattern powder as it had some loads listed that may make it a good alternative for cowboy shotgun powder.   PLUS IT SELLS FOR ABOUT $27 PER POUND if you buy 8# from like powdervalley, but I also just picked up another 8#er at Sportsman's Warehouse for about the same price.

 

I asked my good friend and club TG, Turkey Bob to do some test loads as I drove off to sunny Arizona and left him back here in Chicago! (just trying to keep him busy in that midwestern cold weather!! LOL).    Well he did a pretty comprehensive testing data along with chronographing all the loads.

 

The results are posted below, and the conclusion is, it makes a really good cowboy round for shot shells. I've included my usual loads for comparison along with some factory rounds testing he did.  I'll probably when I start loading it use the load that gets just over 900 fps, (13a) but enjoy the data and hope it helps.   It's a very fine powder so uses some small bushings, but the rounds knocked down our toughest shotgun targets during testing also.

 

[Sheriff Dill]

I load AA and STS hulls. 13 grains PP  3/4 wad and 3/4 shot with a lee load all 

 

Have not had any issues 

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

53 minutes ago, Oklahoma Dee said:

I picked up some of this smokeless powder and may be interested in using it in,  38 Special and 12ga shotshells.

 

Thanks for any positive input.

 

 

I have been using Perfect Pattern for a while in my shotshells, I haven't tried it in .38 since I still have a good supply of Clays. I found, as others have said, to get a good stack height I have to drop a bushing size (1 oz bushing for a 1 1/8 load, 7/8 oz bushing for a 1 oz load and a 3/4 oz bushing for a 7/8 oz. load. Currently I load STS hulls, 12.4 gr. Perfect Pattern, grey 7/8 oz Clay Buster wad, 1 oz. 7.5 shot and a Cheddite or Remington primer. On my MEC 650 it takes a #14 bushing.

 

Randy

[Two Shoots]

I did some testing last year with PP in 38 spl.  2.7 grains with a 105 grain bullet, fired from a 4.6" pistol, avg. vel 726 FPS.  All same except 2.6 grains of powder, 686 avg.   From a rifle with 125 grain bullet 2.7 grains was 882 FPS average, and 2.6 was 875 FPS.  

[Tommy Reb]

Hello Oklahoma Dee.  10.0 grains Perfect Pattern, 3/4 oz shot, Clay Buster CB0178-12,  Crimp is slightly concave, but closes and works well.

 

TR

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

4 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

Perfect Pattern is VERY dense.   It's hard to fill shotshells up to make a good crimp.

 

But, I have shot Remington STS, Nitros, Gun Clubs with about 14 grains of PP, 7/8 ounce shot, a 3/4 ounce CB0175 wad and most any primer.  Low pressure, low recoil.  Adjust until you can make a good load, ,but you will probably have the wad just sitting on the powder, or even floating a little, which Hodgdon techs have said is just fine to do (just be careful not to push the wad stack down too deep as you apply final crimp).  That CB0175 wad takes up about as much room as any 12 gauge wad on the market, so it's great for Perfect Pattern loading.

 

Powder should work fine in .38 specials, about same as you dropped with Clays, but I no longer load .38 special to even test it out.

 

YMMV, but these are light loads and should be no pressure problems.   good luck, GJ

 

My loads and experience are identical to GJ's.  The load shoots well but PP is denser than the Extra Lite I was loading.  One can easily get concave crimps loading PP.  I do not load PP in metallic cartridges.  I am glad PP is available as it is designed for light loads.

[Leroy Luck]

One load I’ve tested with is using a Winchester AA hull, Cheddite primer, 12 grs of Perfect Pattern, CB0178-12 wad and 1oz of shot. 
 

This recipe is direct from Hodgdon’s online data. It shows 5800psi @ 970fps. 

Edited July 16, 2025 by Leroy Luck

[Oklahoma Dee]

Many thanks to all that had input to my request.

 

Great information for me.

 

Thanks!! 

 

OkD

[Oklahoma Dee]

On 7/16/2025 at 1:05 PM, Two Shoots said:

I did some testing last year with PP in 38 spl.  2.7 grains with a 105 grain bullet, fired from a 4.6" pistol, avg. vel 726 FPS.  All same except 2.6 grains of powder, 686 avg.   From a rifle with 125 grain bullet 2.7 grains was 882 FPS average, and 2.6 was 875 FPS.  

Hey Two Shoots,

Got to clarify how you got those numbers.  In the SASS rules, for the power factor of ammunition covenants, (pg26) did you do the following "The muzzle should be raised to at least 80 degrees into the vertical before each shot is fired. " ?

 

Thanks,

OkD

[Two Shoots]

8 hours ago, Oklahoma Dee said:

Hey Two Shoots,

Got to clarify how you got those numbers.  In the SASS rules, for the power factor of ammunition covenants, (pg26) did you do the following "The muzzle should be raised to at least 80 degrees into the vertical before each shot is fired. " ?

 

Thanks,

OkD

Hi Dee,

No, I did not raise the muzzle prior to firing.  In fact, just the opposite.  The rounds were transported to the range in an ammo box, primer end up.  They stayed in that position until loading.  When loading the pistol, the barrel was pointed down not quite vertical, and then brought up horizontal and fired.  

 

Pistol rounds were 38 spl, with Missouri Bullet 105 grain "Cowboy 16" Hi Tek, 1.46" OAL.

[Oklahoma Dee]

Great added info, thank you most kindly.

[Smokestack SASS#87384]

There’s a lot of potentially dangerous advice being given in this thread. Unless you’re having loads tested by a ballistics lab, shotshell recipes should be followed exactly as published including the brand of primer. That being said, there is a load in the Hodgdon load data that’s available online that will work very well for cowboy. Look under 1oz loads with STS hulls and Perfect pattern powder. The one I tested used a Cheddite primer and is 970fps. The stack height is correct and they crimp very nicely. 

[Too Tall Bob]

2 hours ago, Smokestack SASS#87384 said:

There’s a lot of potentially dangerous advice being given in this thread. Unless you’re having loads tested by a ballistics lab, shotshell recipes should be followed exactly as published including the brand of primer. That being said, there is a load in the Hodgdon load data that’s available online that will work very well for cowboy. Look under 1oz loads with STS hulls and Perfect pattern powder. The one I tested used a Cheddite primer and is 970fps. The stack height is correct and they crimp very nicely. 

And they shoot nicely too. (The mfr recipe he refers to)

Edited July 18, 2025 by Too Tall Bob

[El Sobrante Kid]

Smokestack's warnings should be taken seriously. When someone puts up a post that they are "new to shotshell reloading", many of the replies here on the Wire suggest getting a good book and reading it cover to cover. One of the things that all of the books have in common, is to say something to the effect of, "stick to known and published loads and do not modify, substitute, or change any of the components, to do so can be unsafe." Shotshells are weird in that seemingly similar loads with slightly different components can create much higher pressures, to the point of being unsafe.

 

So Smokestack is right, if you have a made up load, and you haven't had it tested to determine the pressure it produces, you have no idea if it is a safe load or not. So it would be good to see supportive comments to the new and unwary shotshell reloaders like, "if you are using unpublished and untested shotshell loads, you may be shooting a load that creates unsafe pressures. Proceed at your own risk." Lucky, is not the same as Safe!

Edited July 18, 2025 by El Sobrante Kid

[Rip Snorter]

Manufacturer data only.  Not even "experts" on the internet.  Your guns, your digits and body parts demand it. I wouldn't trust anyone's info unless corroborated by manufacturer data.