Hodgdon’s Clays

[Rick R]

Greetings gents!

I started reloading 12ga again this year because being retired doesn't mean I can shoot ALL the time!  I've been using Clays and it's very fast and very clean.  I shot 100 rounds thru my SxS two weeks ago and the barrels looked cleaner when I got done than when I started. 

Today I asked Sierra for their double pinky swear secret 10mm data (that you just have to call them and ask for) and lo n behold they list Clays as a powder for use up to about 1,100fps with a 180gr jhp bullet.  FWIW their BE-86 data jives with what I've found with my loads and remains my "go to".

I also just ordered the six cavity Lee 180gr TC mold with the intent of working up a 1,000-1,100fps load for my SR1911 and GP-100.  Since Clays can be had for $80 in a four pound jug and seems to meter well my curiosity has been peaked.

Has anyone used it in the mighty 10mm so far?

[dryflash]

Was casting with that very mold today, looks like it will be a great bullet.
Mine are getting powder coated.

[Muskrat]

I have not tried Clays in 10mm, but have played around with it a bit in .40 S&W while trying to get low-recoiling competition loads.

I did not like it. Accuracy was never on par with other powders, and there's very little wiggle-room before things go over-pressure on the high end, while having much greater SD's than Tightgroup on the low end. My impression was that it isn't as immune to position sensitivity as Tightgroup.

I can see using it with great caution if it's all you've got, but it's real far from an ideal powder for 10mm. The cost savings don't come close to justifying the drawbacks, to my mind.

For economical mid-range loads I'd much rather use Unique.

[Rick R]

Dryflash,

Hopefully my mold drops good bullets when it gets here.

Muskrat,

Thanks for the input.  Unique is my fallback for almost everything, as long as I have plenty I'll probably just stick with it.

[dryflash]

Second frrom the left in this pic of yesterday's casting.

I will get a close up today.

[The_Shadow]

Nice collection of bullets, should serve you well!

[BENTENMM]

As Muskrat mentioned, I would not reccomend it. I have tried all sorts of loads with it and never found a compelling one.. especially with crazy pressure swings, high SD's, and mediocore accuracy. I actually had a scare with some loaded when it was winter/cooler out but still wasn't near the top end but brought em' out to shoot em' instead of pull them. It was Spring in the low 80's. Bam! Shot an ETS mag out my factory barreled glock 20 due to a case rupture. No other damage except the mag and catch. If you just want some powder puff plinking loads it could work for that, but I don't see the point. I even switched to trailboss for my .308 subs. YMMV just be cautious of col, tenths of grains, and temperature. Also never compress!

Also Unique is Amazing for cast in my experience. My first 10mm loads were OTBC Laser-cast & Unique amazingly soft shooting and accurate. On a local forum it seems most would agree unique is a top .40 load which would equate to a great 10mm cast. Happy & Safe reloading.

[sqlbullet]

Universal (formerly Universal Clays) is a much better powder for practice loads.  Except for a few very special edge cases a reloader will be better off buying Universal than clays, IMHO.

[The_Shadow]

The HODGDON had 3 different powders labeled in the Clays line up!

Clays - Since 1992, Clays gunpowder has been "taking the clay target world by storm." It is the cleanest-burning, most consistent 12 gauge 7/8-, 1- and 1-1/8-oz. powder available today and the preferred choice of competitive target shooters.
Clays' burning characteristics produce soft, smooth recoil and excellent patterns. These features transfer directly to handgun applications where target shooting is the main goal. 45 ACP and 38 Special are only two of the cartridges where CLAYS provides "tack driving" target accuracy with flawless functioning.

International - International is the second in the Clays gunpowder series of powders, bringing this technology to the 20-gauge reloader. It also works in 12-gauge, 2-3/4-inch light, medium and heavy 1-1/8-oz. loads, and high-velocity 1-oz.
As with Clays, International is clean-burning and flawless functioning.

Universal - Universal gunpowder handles the broadest spectrum of cartridges for both pistol and shotgun. This is the Clays gunpowder technology designed for 28 gauge shooters.
From the 25 ACP to the 44 magnum and 28-gauge to 12-gauge, UNIVERSAL gunpowder provides outstanding performance. As with all Clays gunpowder series, these powders burn clean and uniformly when fired.

[Rick R]

Shadow

Nice summation.

My Lee mold arrived today early enough to clean up, get the lead pot hot and cast about 100 bullets. They seem to run @.402" on the front band and .400" on the rear using reclaimed range lead.  I ran them thru the .401" sizer I use for the 200gr NOE FN, lubed them with BAC and they are 175gr-ish.
Loaded some in used FC brass over 6.5gr of good old Unique with CCI 300 primers and headed to the range. 

At 25 yards off the bench twelve rounds from the 3" GP-100 were centered under the fiber optic dot of the front sight in a group I could cover with my palm.  The 5" SR1911 tried, putting 6 of ten into a 1 1/2" group right on the tip of the front sight but I managed to put four into another group about 3" high.  Blaming the cracked nut holding the grips, I think the gun can do a better job.

Slight lead wash in both bores, half dozen passes with a brush, a couple of patches and they're clean.

I believe I'll use Unique in my handguns and leave Clays for the scattergun.

[Muskrat]

Most people I know refer to the powders as "Clays", "International", or "Universal"...all part of the Clays lineup, but only the first one is actually "Clays".

For lead buildup, I put a piece of copper chore-boy on a brass jig and it scrubs right out with a couple passes.

[BENTENMM]

Alright yes, I stand corrected.. Clays is Clays and NO Good for 10mm in my book.. However Universal has been Great for me in heavies & subs.

I don't necessarily have load data to share for CLAYS, Nor did I find any in one of my many manuals, but I seen n a 10mm load book I compiled that 10mm-Reloaded has some data. Most all look on the lower end of velocities, slight to moderate primer cratering, and NCI (no charge increase) Like you said Rick, CLAYS is probably best left to the scatter guns
http://10mm-reloaded.com/load_data/10mmAllPowders.html

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