Unlock Match-Grade Clay Target Precision with Hodgdon International® Smokeless Powder

Inconsistent shot patterns, heavy carbon soot buildup, and excessive felt recoil can completely ruin your scores on the trap line, skeet field, or sporting clays course. When competitive target shotgunners and handloaders rely on inferior, dirty propellants, unburned powder grains clog gas ports, cause cycling sluggishness in semi-automatic shotguns, and create erratic chamber pressure shifts that result in missed clays and scattered patterns downrange. When every single clay target counts toward your rank on the leaderboard, underperforming propellants degrade firearm function, waste expensive components, and drain your confidence at the firing line.

Hodgdon International® was engineered specifically to eliminate these target reloading challenges forever. Celebrated for decades across international target shooting disciplines, International® is an advanced, medium-fast burning extruded flake powder designed explicitly for 12-gauge and 20-gauge clay target shotshells, as well as select handgun cartridges. Delivering unmatched powder economy, liquid-smooth metering through press bushings, and soft recoil dynamics, Hodgdon International® provides the unbeatable, clay-crushing precision demanded by trap, skeet, and sporting clays competitors nationwide.

Why Hodgdon International® Superiority Matters for 12 Gauge, 20 Gauge Target Shotshells, and High-Volume Reloading

1. Advanced Clean-Burning Flake Powder Technology for Target Shotguns and Handguns

Dirty carbon residue and unburned powder flakes cause semi-automatic target shotguns and pistols to drag, jam, and demand tedious hours of aggressive bore scrubbing after a multi-stage tournament.

Hodgdon International® features a specialized chemical formulation engineered to burn remarkably clean at target operating pressures. It leaves virtually zero soot or unburned kernels in shotgun barrels, choke tubes, gas ports, or handgun chambers. Your competition shotguns run cleaner longer, cycling effortlessly through multi-hundred-round events while preserving barrel cleanliness and shot pattern density.

2. Tailor-Made Burn Rate for 12-Gauge Heavy Target & 20-Gauge Clay Loads

Positioned in the ideal burn-rate spectrum between Hodgdon Clays® and Hodgdon Universal®, International® excels in popular target payloads that require slightly slower, more sustained pressure expansion.

It shines brightest in 12-gauge 1-1/8 oz target loads pushing speeds up to 1,200 fps, as well as light-to-standard 20-gauge 7/8 oz target shells. Its progressive combustion curve pushes shot columns smoothly down the barrel without deforming soft lead pellets, ensuring ultra-dense, lethal pattern distribution on fast-crossing clays.

3. High-Yield Powder Economy for Cost-Effective High-Volume Target Reloading

Because Hodgdon International® is a fast-to-medium flake propellant with optimized energy density, it requires minimal charge weights per shell to achieve target velocities.

Whether you are mass-producing 12-gauge clay target shells or crafting smooth-shooting 20-gauge target ammunition, International® delivers maximum yield per container. A single canister allows you to press far more finished shells per keg than conventional propellants, providing massive cost savings for budget-conscious target shooters without sacrificing match-grade velocity or pattern uniformity.

4. Reduced Felt Recoil Impulse for Soft Shooting & Fast Target Re-Acquisition

Heavy, jarring recoil causes shooter fatigue and slows down target re-acquisition during double-trap or sporting clay pairs. The efficient, progressive combustion curve of International® accelerates payloads smoothly while minimizing felt recoil. The result is a comfortable, soft-shooting experience that lets you stay locked onto the clay line for lightning-fast follow-up shots.

Top Shotshell and Handgun Applications for Hodgdon International® Reloading Powder

While Hodgdon International® was custom-built as the premier 12-gauge heavy target and 20-gauge clay target propellant, its versatile burn rate makes it a high-performing choice for select handgun target cartridges as well.

Premier Applications & Caliber Matches:

• 12-Gauge Heavy Target Loads: The absolute gold-standard choice for loading 1-1/8 oz trap and sporting clays shells running at 1,145 fps to 1,200 fps.

• 20-Gauge Clay Target Loads: Outstanding performance for 7/8 oz skeet and sporting clays loads, delivering uniform velocity and dense patterns.

• .45 ACP Target Handloads: Highly effective for soft-shooting target rounds pushing 200gr SWC or 230gr FMJ bullets with low recoil and clean combustion.

• .40 S&W & 9mm Luger (Target Velocity): Provides smooth pressure curves, fast ignition, and clean burning for light target plinking loads.

• .38 Special: Excellent for cowboy action and wheelgun target loads requiring uniform powder distribution and low pressure.

Technical Specifications & Product Features

Pro-Level Handloading Guidelines for International®

• Shotshell Recipe Adherence: Always follow published load data recipes exactly for hull, primer, wad, and shot weight combinations. Because International® is an extruded flake powder, swapping wads or primers without verifying data can significantly alter internal chamber pressures.

• Bushing & Powder Measure Setup: Ensure your press drop tubes and volumetric powder bushings are clean, dry, and static-free. International’s uniform flake geometry drops smoothly when operated with a steady, rhythmic lever stroke on progressive presses like MEC, RCBS, or Ponsness/Warren.

• Consult Official Verified Data: Never guess powder charge weights. Always cross-reference your load development with published data directly from the official Hodgdon Reloading Data Center. Start at the recommended starting charge weight and work up incrementally while inspecting fired hulls, brass, and primers for signs of high pressure.

Supercharge Your Clay Target Performance Today

Stop letting dirty propellants, heavy felt recoil, and high component costs hold back your target scores at the range or clay field. Upgrade your reloading bench with Hodgdon International® and experience the match-grade precision, high-yield economy, and clean-burning performance that champion shotgunners and target reloaders demand.

Select your container size above and buy Hodgdon International® today to elevate your target loads!