I am looking at purchasing some powder and was wandering what would be a good all around powder for bird hunting and occasionaly clay shooting for 12ga.

Thanks

For heavier hunting loads Longshot is a good choice.For lighter loads Red Dot or 700x is good.

We need to know a bit more about the types of loads you are trying to duplicale. Heavy field loads and light target loads may not use the same powders. Take a look at Alliant or Hogdon's web site and you will come up with a great many ideas. If you do not have one on hand DO pick up a Lyman's 5th Edition Shotshell Reloading book. It has all the info you need to get started and thousands of loads for compairison.

Dove mostly, maybe some pheasant and quail. I was looking for a good all around powder that I could use for all. Have seen some posts on the Longshot that leans towards that. Was wandering if there were other all purpose powders that may be worth looking at.

Thanks

Longshot will make good heavy high velocity field loads but not very good target or dove loads. Green Dot may come close to doing both but fails after you start pushing 1 1/8 oz past 1250 fps or so. I use it for pheasants over dogs and for heavy target & quail / dove loads. Spend some time looking at a Lyman's 5th and all will become clear.

ok thanks

Unique

quote:

Originally posted by Scout Master 54:
Longshot will make good heavy high velocity field loads but not very good target or dove loads.

With all due respect, I disagree. I thought I found the cat's meow with Winchseter Super Field, that is, until Hodgdon came out with Longshot. That is my #1 powder in my field loads. It's fast as hell, pretty versatile, and isn't too dirty. I go by the book for recipes in AA hulls, but all the guys I dove and quail hunt with say they can tell when I shoot because of the prominent "crack" O/U makes compared to the 1 oz. factory "promotional" loads.

There are plenty of good powder choices out there, but I am totally sold on Longshot and bought two 4 lb. kegs recently.

what about the new powder from Alliant call Pro reach, anybody familiar with it?

quote:

Originally posted by Robe763:
I am looking at purchasing some powder and was wandering what would be a good all around powder for bird hunting and occasionaly clay shooting for 12ga.

Thanks

I've used many powders but my favorites for trap are red dot & green dot but for field loads Winchester 540 which is Hodgdon HS 6 used for grouse,squirrels,bandtailed pigeons,mtn quail.I've used Win 540 for years for money shoots,in fact when bower wholesale was on hill st in la a friend and I would go there every 2 months to buy a 12 lb keg of 540,cases of wads,primers & once fired win AA's. I tried blue dot but it blew the patterns so a duck hunting friend told me all about win 540.I have a friend who has switched to HS 6 for his money shoots .

Kenati - read what I wrote, yes Longshot will make good field loads, I use it myself in 12ga & 28ga. Look for a good 1175 to 1200 fps - 1 oz target load. How many do you find for Longshot? Sure you can make a "from the porch" Annie Oakley load but they are a bit too much for an all day dove shoot unless the birds are flying with oxygen masks.

Trying to make one powder do it all is a tuff proposition and seldom efficient. Spend the extra $18 for a pound of Red Dot, Clays, Green Dot etc for target and dove laods along with a good field powder like Longshot, Herco, Unique, Universal Clays etc. and you will be better off.

quote:

Originally posted by scr83jp:

quote:

Originally posted by Robe763:
I am looking at purchasing some powder and was wandering what would be a good all around powder for bird hunting and occasionaly clay shooting for 12ga.

Thanks

I've used many powders but my favorites for trap are red dot & green dot but for field loads Winchester 540 which is Hodgdon HS 6 used for grouse,squirrels,bandtailed pigeons,mtn quail.I've used Win 540 for years for money shoots,in fact when bower wholesale was on hill st in la a friend and I would go there every 2 months to buy a 12 lb keg of 540,cases of wads,primers & once fired win AA's. I tried blue dot but it blew the patterns so a duck hunting friend told me all about win 540.I have a friend who has switched to HS 6 for his money shoots .

How long has it been since they made anything in a 12# keg?

Red Dot has been a good all-around 12ga powder for a very long time.

For me it's Clays for 12 ga. target loads and field loads. (Dove, quail, etc.) Only pushing 7/8 or 1 ounce shot loads. For waterfowl I switched to Longshot and never looked back. No such thing as one powder that'll do it all with any kind of efficiency at both ends of the spectrum.

The smaller the gauge, the better chance you have of achieving that. Ie: I use Unique for everything in the 28 gauge.

its not a big issue. I was thinking that if there was a powder that could be metered to handle several different types of loads consistent with what I was doing. I guess it will give me a reason to experiment with others

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Robe763:
I am looking at purchasing some powder and was wandering what would be a good all around powder for bird hunting and occasionaly clay shooting for 12ga.

Thanks

Do get a proper manual. In shotgun loading mixing components is a no-no. In other words a primer, powder and shot weight that works in one type of hull might blow your shotgun up and your fingers off in another.

Wretch
I have the Lymans 5th edition book that I reference and do use the recommended load data published by the powder manufactures. From the reply post I think I will try the Longshot powder. However, I did pick up a few pounds of Herco as well.

Robe there appears to be some confusion as to what type of powder you are actually looking for. Initially you asked for an all round for bird hunting and some clays. Yet you appear to be leaning towards something that will provide heavy field loads. You don't make any mention of what weight of shot you would like to shoot.If you want one powder to use on 1 oz to 1 1/4 oz loads a couple guys have already mentioned Unique. So what are you really looking for?

Snowman what I was asking was is there a powder that was versital that could be used for bird hunting and occassional clay shooting. I was hoping to avoid having to get one powder for quail, one for doves, one for ducks, one for clays....ect... From the replies that I received and reading in the Lymans book I think that HERCO and Longshot will serve my purpose for now.
Thanks

Your payload will help determine the powder you need. 1 oz and 1.125 oz loads Red Dot, American Select. 1.125 and 1.25 Green Dot and Unique. These are not hard lines as many will cross. Alliant Powders has online reloading guides.

Unique will work for many diffferent loads in gauges from 12 to 28 -- it would not be good for light target 12 gauge loads, but will work for somewhat heavier ones. Green Dot will work for light target loads to medium field loads in 12 gauge. IMR 800X or Winchester Super Field may also meet your needs.

One of the best things you can do is to get Hodgdon's and Alliant's loading manuals -- they have yearly ones that are in the form of paperback magazine-size publications and that you can usually get free -- and look at their loads and see what combinations of hull, primer, wad, powder, and shot charge they specify for your gauge and the velocity(ies) you want. Both of those manuals give a very large number of such combinations. If you can find several of those combinations that meet your differing needs, all using the same powder, then you will know that you have what you need.

Red dot or Green dot, with red being my 1st choice for 2 3/4 shells.

I've used a lot of 700-X for dove and quail and targets.....the same loads will kill pheasants too but usually I want more shot and faster loads.

Longshot and Blue Dot work wonders in this arena.

IMO if you want target ammo and serious pheasant ammo you really should inventory two powders!

I use Herco in my heavey hunting loads.Been doing that for 35 plus years works well price is right.

Unique is a good powder for all-purpose 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 oz. loads in the 12 gauge 2 3/4" hulls.

Not ideal for light 1 1/8 oz. target loads.