Hodgdon Hi-Skor
Hodgdon Hi-Skor 700-X
A flake target powder for 12- and 16-gauge clay and light field loads, and a handgun target powder.
A classic flake target powder — very fast, clean at target pressure, and soft-shooting in light 12- and 16-gauge loads. Handloaders use it for .45 ACP and .38 Special target ammo for the same reasons. The two things that get people into trouble are metering and margin: the flake is broad and bulky, so it bridges and settles unevenly in a measure, and it is fast enough that the charge tolerance is narrow. In a .45 ACP or .38 Special case the charge volume is small and a double is not obvious — check every case in the block before seating.
- 12 gauge target loads
- 45 ACP target loads
- 38 Special target loads
- 16 gauge light loads
Who has Hodgdon Hi-Skor 700-X today
Checked October 10Out of stock at every store we track
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 4 lb | $146.99 | $48.47 | Out |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 4 lb | $180.99 | $53.11 est. | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Hodgdon |
|---|---|
| Product family | Hodgdon Hi-Skor |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | shotshell, pistol |
| Grain form | flake |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.1343 cc per grain · 0.48 g/cc |
| Composition | single-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 15 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 12 gauge, 16 gauge, 38 Special, 45 ACP |
Grain shape
Broad thin flake, purely degressive: maximum burning surface at ignition, falling away fast, so nearly all the energy is delivered before the bullet has gone far. Flakes bridge across a bushing and settle differently depending on how the measure is worked, so thrown charges need verifying.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Hodgdon describes it as an extruded flake. Bulky flake powders like this need attention to uniform metering; Hodgdon now catalogues Hi-Skor 700-X under the Hodgdon brand rather than IMR.
Historically sold under the IMR / Hi-Skor label; Hodgdon now catalogues it as a Hodgdon-brand product.
Burn rate
Fast, just faster than Alliant Bullseye.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Alliant Promo (position 12)
- Hodgdon Clays (position 13)
- Alliant Clay Dot (position 14)
- Alliant Bullseye (position 16)
- Alliant Sport Pistol (position 17)
- Hodgdon High Gun (position 18)
Sources
The specifications above come from Hodgdon's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.