RufDog Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I love clays powder in 40 & 9mm. I shoot mostly 3G but used it a lot for IPSC 40 Major. I've loaded some 9mm with it. Currently I have a load @ 1.17 oal Montana Gold 124 FMJ & 4.0gr of Clays. It seems to make a great 3G load in the 6" 9 S_I coming in at 125pf & 1000fps. I am unable to comprehend how everyone carrys on about it being so "unsafe". I'm interested to hear what loads others are using with Clays. -Ruf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Just no heavy bullets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD Niner Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I've loaded over 10K 9mm ronds with 124/125 grain JHP's and 3.8 grains of Clays. No problems at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leros Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I shoot mainly 45acp and load them with Clays, so since I buy 8 pounds at a time and recently put together a Glock I wanted to load my 9mm rounds with the same. So far I have loaded about 2K 125gr RN and truncated Bear Creek bullets with 3.3 grains of Clays @ 1.145 COL for the RN and 1.125 COL on the truncated. I'm shooting these through a G26 with a KKM barrel and they shoot pretty good with no problems feeding, ejecting, or with accuracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Clays is a wonderful powder. Just dont use a bullet bigger than 125. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Service Desk Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I have burned up about 60 lbs of it over the years in .32, .38, 9mm, .38super, .40, .44 and .45.... it is a great propellant but it builds pressure REAL quick. Heavy boolits in small capacity cases and Clays... well that's where the tears can start. Pinman44 has the neatest, most correct entry... he wins the prize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justaute Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) I'm currently using Bayou 135gr with 3.1 gr of Clays at 1.140 OAL, which is yielding 131 PF. May try 3.0 gr. Edited April 12, 2012 by justaute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RufDog Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) This is the most praise I've heard for this powder in a public forum, I can feel the love. I've always been a fan of the lighter bullets. Pinman & Twodownzero, thanks for the tip; I had never had anyone specifically say that, but I have always used bullets on the lighter side of what is common. 135-155 is what I like in a 40 & I like the 121-125 in 9. Edited April 12, 2012 by RufDog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimMTP Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I tried it with 124 fmjs in my M&P 9L. Loved the recoil pulse but hated the accuracy. Got a new batch working now with 7625. Not quite as soft but much better accuracy. I'm still relatively new to the USPSA game and I'm running in Production. I've learned that with the minor scoring, accuracy means a great deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Accuracy sucks with CLAYS and lighter bullets. It is a great powder for .40(minor) and 45, but there are better powders for 9mm, like tightgroup, solo 1000, and even universal clays and W231. If you go by feel, then it is light recoiling, but there are better powders out there for the bullet weights you use than CLAYS. You might cut your group size in half by trying different powders...something to think about Good luck, DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RufDog Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 Accuracy sucks with CLAYS and lighter bullets. It is a great powder for .40(minor) and 45, but there are better powders for 9mm, like tightgroup, solo 1000, and even universal clays and W231. If you go by feel, then it is light recoiling, but there are better powders out there for the bullet weights you use than CLAYS. You might cut your group size in half by trying different powders...something to think about Good luck, DougC The accuracy comments surprise me. 5x5s aren't an issue, nor A head shots @ 25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBBB Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I have an 8 lb jug of clays (from my trapshooting days) I have been considering using in 9mm with a 124gr. bullet when my current supply of titegroup runs out. I loaded up 300 rounds recently to try. I did not bench rest them but informally I did not notice much difference in accuracy. I was hoping that there would be less of that special bayou bullet smell with clays but it seemed about the same. One thing I did notice was that CCI primers were noticeably flatter than they were with my normal titegroup load. I was 0.2gr. below Hodgdon's recommended maximum and my COAL was 0.065" longer so I pretty confident the pressures were safe, but obviously closer to the higher end. I plan to run some over the chrono and take a more serious look at the accuracy issue (since so many have reported a problem) before deciding one way or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 When I did accuracy testing at 25 and 50 yards with different powders CLAYS did not group well....your results may vary, but CLAYS looks like a shotgun pattern at distance compared to some of the other powders. If it works for you enjoy! DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oraysor Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Been using with MG 115 gr. bullets for years in 3gun and fun shooting as this what I have in stock. Found it to be very accurate...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoNsTeR Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I remember loading 3.6gr with a plated 124 many years ago. Super soft shooting, but I doubt it makes Minor. It's a book load, I don't understand why anyone freaks out about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I used it with 9mm for awhile, but I didnt like it in 40 cast bullets. So switched to tightgroup which worked well for 9mm 115 gr minor, 40 155gr minor, and 180 gr. major Made keeping one powder supply handy. Now I dont load 9mm so switched to WST. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I have burned up about 60 lbs of it over the years in .32, .38, 9mm, .38super, .40, .44 and .45.... it is a great propellant but it builds pressure REAL quick. Heavy boolits in small capacity cases and Clays... well that's where the tears can start. Pinman44 has the neatest, most correct entry... he wins the prize. Well thank you. As a Hodgdon representative I should know the product line. =O)~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 When I did accuracy testing at 25 and 50 yards with different powders CLAYS did not group well....your results may vary, but CLAYS looks like a shotgun pattern at distance compared to some of the other powders. If it works for you enjoy! DougC My experience was pretty much the same (at 25 yds). Chrono'ing the same 147's over straight Clays also gave me fairly large SD's, which sort of goes along with the grouping issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 If you want to try a powder that is faster than TG but slower than Clays that is under Hodgdon/WIN/IMR try 700X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I've loaded up some 147s at 1.245" oal. While I didn't have any pressure issues, I wasn't impressed enough to keep using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I've loaded up some 147s at 1.245" oal. That has to be 1.145" ? Unless you're shooting .38 super? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeeZer Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Berry's 124gr RN plated bullets over 3.6gr of Clays @ OAL 1.125"; PF 129 out Shadow and 75SA. IPSC/USPSA Prod. and IDPA ESP Div. Over 20K loaded and shot. I also loaded and shot IMR 700X quite a bit (~6-7K rds) - it's not as good as Clays, not even close. 700X is dirtier, not as easy to make PF, more that 10% more powder to make PF and it's snappier. More flash if one is ever doing shooting in low light or night conditions. Clays is large flakes powder, so, same volume may not mean same weight or 'amount' of powder going into each case. Some powder measures don't work well with it either. That's one good reason to have high SD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I've loaded up some 147s at 1.245" oal. That has to be 1.145" ? Unless you're shooting .38 super? Nope 1.245". I had my 9mm bbls freebored so I can load long. I wouldn't have even tried clays unless I could load it very long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtDiver Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 One of my best steel loads in clays....in 9mm steel open gun, 4.2 grains, 115 MG JHP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Berry's 124gr RN plated bullets over 3.6gr of Clays @ OAL 1.125"; PF 129 out Shadow and 75SA. IPSC/USPSA Prod. and IDPA ESP Div. Over 20K loaded and shot. I also loaded and shot IMR 700X quite a bit (~6-7K rds) - it's not as good as Clays, not even close. 700X is dirtier, not as easy to make PF, more that 10% more powder to make PF and it's snappier. More flash if one is ever doing shooting in low light or night conditions. Clays is large flakes powder, so, same volume may not mean same weight or 'amount' of powder going into each case. Some powder measures don't work well with it either. That's one good reason to have high SD. In response to Clays. It is truly an excellent powder. However, there are many other candidates within the Hodgdon line that would suit all of your needs. IMR 700X was in response to data provided for a 147 Grain bullet for a relatively fast powder in between TG and Clays. Thank you, Robby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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