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.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Well, now you guys have done it, I might have to work up some 8g loads and send them to Tom for testing.

It's burn rate is right there with E3 and Nitro 100 NF so it should be a viable powder for the big gun.

[Rob Lewis]

Stack height is the issue with Perfect Pattern. It is a fast burning, very dense powder, so is really best suited for compression formed hulls. 7/8 load data is available on the Hodgdon website, but there is a general paucity of load data. There was mention of using a 3/4 oz wad for 7/8 shot loads. That suggestion was to deal with stack height. Stack height with perfect pattern is the biggest issue, when I say that, I mean because it is so extremely dense. All powder swapping takes some work to get crimps right though, it's just harder with PP.

It would not be my first choice for the short 10, I think. I use the 1 oz Clays load (10 ga) Sherman Bell initially developed, but that bottle is very light these days, and will be out soon. I replaced Clays with Ramshot Competition last year because that was availalbe everywhere. It worked great as a replacment, but there are no 4 or 8 lbers to be had. I'm looking at WSF or WST right now, but have not tried them, I do believe that Competion, WSF, WST and other flattened ball powders are all made by St Mark?

I had heard the shotshell powder shortage was due to the current production of similar powders (or powders on the same equipment) that are used in ordinance, which, due to the wars, is now in production? Can anyone comment on this?

I load 12 ga, 2.5" fiber shells on a modified PW 950. I did this during covid as the normal supplies of english shells dried completely up, then came back at over the top prices. (I also have a LS1000 that I converted to 2 7/8.)

If anyone is loading 2.5" fiber I'd love to compare notes.