perfect pattern powder usage

[Cold Spring]

Many of my regular shooting friends (modern guns) have gone to Hodgdon's Perfect Pattern and High Gun powders for 7/8 and 1-ounce loads respectively in 2-3/4”/12-gauge They're loading to 1200-1250 speed but it's easy to drop a powder bushing number - or two or three - for increasingly lower velocity/recoil loads. Stack height is a consideration with both low volume and high energy powders, and an expedient as Pete mentioned is to use a wad made for a lighter payload, i.e., 3/4 ounce wad for 7/8 ounce load, etc. Alternately a shot cup filler can be used but that's one more step to complicate things while frequent shooters are loading in volume and especially so on a MEC progressive press.

Perfect Pattern and High Gun are more readily available and it seems that the old standbys like Red Dot, 700-X, Clays, Clay Dot, American Select, etc are far on the way out. I suspect Hodgdon is simplifying its distribution/sales by contracting for fewer shotgun powders; and it remains to be seen if Alliant will ever get back in gear insofar as shotgun powders. What a sad chapter for its forerunner Hercules that many of us grew up with.