Powder Question- Clays, Clays Universal, Universal

hiredgun

hiredgun

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
25   0   0
Location
GTA/Toronto
I have a bottle of Hodgdon Clays which I want to use for mild 38 Special loads. I see receipes for Clays Universal and Universal . Is Clays the same as Clays Universal. I expect not and would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
 
"Clays" was the name associated with a line of powders Hodgdon introduced some years ago. "Clays", "Clays Universal" and "Clays International" were the names I remember. But it was confusing as hell, and they have been trying to rebrand them without reference to the clays title. So "Clays Universal" is the same as "Universal".
 
Go to the Hodgdon reloading data site: http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

They list loads for light 38 Special loads with Clays. Universal Clays and International Clays are two entirely different powders.

Be aware that even though Clays is a good, versatile powder it is a coarse flake powder and may not meter very well for very light loads in some powder throwers (e.g. the starting load for 148 gr. wadcutters is only 2.3 gr.).
 
The standard "clays" powder is very fast burning and a steep pressure curve near max. Universal is much slower, the two are 9 and 33 on the chart I typically reference. I wouldn't bother loading pistol cartridges with Clays myself but if you excercise some diligence you won't have any issues.
 
Clays is a fairly fast shotgun powder used for 12 gauge trap and skeet target loads. It is similar ( but not the same, do not interchange data) to 700X but meters better and burns cleaner in this application. Universal is the next slower and it is a fine powder where Unique is popular. Again different loading data but again burns clean and meters well. International is he slowest of the three, makes fine heavy 12 gauge field loads and also very good in 20 and 28 gauge. Any of them will probably blow a handgun to smithereens, stick with powders developed for pistols, leave the shotgun powders for the shotgunners.
 
hiredgun said:
I have a bottle of Hodgdon Clays which I want to use for mild 38 Special loads. I see receipes for Clays Universal and Universal . Is Clays the same as Clays Universal. I expect not and would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
Click to expand...

As already stated they are different powders, Hodgdon clays will make some accurate mild .38 special loads just find a published load from a manual and load away. Most of the handgun powders that we use to reload with started life as shotgun powders or do double duty in both pistols and shotguns.
 
Ashcroft said:
Any of them will probably blow a handgun to smithereens, stick with powders developed for pistols, leave the shotgun powders for the shotgunners.
Click to expand...
This is very poor advice. ANY powder which exceeds maximum posted loads can blow up a gun. Many shotgun powders like Red Dot, Promo, 700X, Titegroup, etc. are also perfectly usable handgun powders. If the listed data from any reputable reloading guide is followed the loads will be completely safe.
 
Last edited:
I’ve used Clays and a friend uses it pretty much exclusively for 9mm pistol. It’s a great, soft-shooting round.
 
Tongue in cheek boys, don't get all excited. Just a reference to the powder shortages we all faced 5-10 years ago when the best target load shotgun powders, designed for that purpose were being snapped up and hoarded by pistol shooters because they could no longer find their preferred powders. Yes, many of these powders will work for both with suitable loads even if they may not be optimal. Sort of " any port in a storm". Better a second, third or fourth choice than nothing at all.
 
I use Clays in some 45acp and 44mag loads. Soft shooting and good accuracy. Tried doing some load development with Clays in 38sp and didn’t have good results. Big SD and huge ES. About 3-4 times larger than my other loads. I think it’s the coarse size of the flakes and the smaller inner diameter of the 38sp powder funnel
 
When I was shooting Major in IPSC my go to load was 4.8g of 700x under 200g LSWC . Nice big clean holes and made PF easily. Was also soft shooting. It metered well in my 650 with the old trick of zip tying an aquarium air pump to the powder hopper to vibrate the flakes and provide consistent drops.

I too have a large supply of 700x and Universal powder remaining. I don’t load 45 as much and mainly load 124g 9mm. My main powder is titegroup but my supply is dwindling and I may look to use either 700x or universal.
 
.38 Special charge weight windows for Clays (which differs from Universal "Clays" and International "Clays")

125gr lead = 2.5gr - 3.5gr
125gr plated/FMJ = 3.5gr - 3.9gr
148gr WC = 2.3gr - 2.5gr
158gr lead = 2.8gr - 3.1gr
158gr plated/FMJ = 3.0gr - 3.1gr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom