In the competitive world of clay target shooting, consistency and cleanliness are the two primary metrics by which a propellant is judged. Alliant American Select was engineered specifically to meet the high standards of 12 gauge target shooters who demand a premium, ultra-clean-burning powder for 1 oz and 1-1/8 oz loads. Since its introduction, Alliant American Select has carved out a prestigious reputation as one of the most versatile and reliable propellants in the Alliant catalog, bridging the gap between traditional fast target powders and slightly slower field propellants.
What sets Alliant American Select apart from its contemporaries is its specialized flake geometry and chemical composition. It is a double-base powder that has been optimized to provide superior ballistic uniformity and incredibly low ash residue. This makes it a favorite for shooters using high-end over-under shotguns or semi-automatics where gas system maintenance is a priority. Beyond the trap and skeet fields, Alliant American Select has also gained a dedicated following among handgun reloaders, particularly those loading for the 45 ACP and 38 Special, due to its soft recoil impulse and excellent accuracy.
- Main Application – Premium 12 gauge target loads (1 oz and 1-1/8 oz)
- Key Advantage – Exceptional cleanliness and superior ballistic consistency
- Burn Rate Position – Fast (Between Red Dot and Green Dot)
- What This Guide Covers – Technical specifications, metering behavior, and multi-platform loading strategies
Best For: Serious competitive clay shooters and precision-oriented handgun reloaders.
Powder Description & Technical Profile
Alliant American Select is a double-base smokeless powder, utilizing a sophisticated blend of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. The physical form of Alliant American Select consists of large, thin flakes that are designed to promote rapid and complete combustion. This “large-flake” design is intentional; it ensures that the powder reaches peak operating pressure quickly and efficiently, leaving behind virtually no unburnt granules. For the reloader, this translates to cleaner barrels and more consistent velocities across long shooting strings.
Historically, Alliant American Select was developed to provide a “cleaner” alternative to the industry-standard Alliant Red Dot. While Alliant Red Dot remains a legendary workhorse, Alliant American Select offers a slightly slower burn rate that is perfectly timed for the 1 oz shot charge, which has become increasingly popular in sporting clays and skeet. The chemical deterrents used in Alliant American Select are also highly advanced, ensuring that the powder remains stable and predictable even when subjected to the high-pressure environments of modern target hulls like the Winchester AA-HS or Remington STS.
Pros
- One of the cleanest-burning 12 gauge powders on the market
- Outstanding lot-to-lot consistency from Alliant’s US-based manufacturing
- Provides a very soft felt recoil, reducing shooter fatigue during 200-target matches
- Highly versatile for crossover use in low-pressure handgun cartridges
- Excellent pattern density due to consistent internal ballistics
Cons
- Large flake size can be sensitive to small-diameter handgun powder bars
- Generally more expensive than “economy” powders like Alliant Promo
- Not suitable for high-velocity magnum loads or heavy waterfowl applications
- Can be prone to static cling in plastic powder reservoirs during dry conditions
Technical Characteristics
The technical profile of Alliant American Select reflects its role as a precision target propellant. Its density and burn rate are carefully controlled to provide a specific case fill that supports optimal crimp quality in 12 gauge hulls.
| Feature | Specification |
| Manufacturer | Alliant Powder |
| Powder Type | Double-Base |
| Grain Shape | Large Flake |
| Relative Burn Rate | Fast (Target Tier) |
| Density (VMD) | Approximately 0.1300-0.1350 cc/gr |
| Primary Purpose | 12 Gauge Target Loads |
| Manufacturing Origin | United States |
The VMD (Volume Measure Density) of Alliant American Select is a critical number for reloaders. Because it is a large-flake powder, it occupies a significant amount of physical space in the hull. This is advantageous for 1 oz loads in 12 gauge, as it helps “stack” the wad and shot column to the correct height for a flat, secure crimp. Without this bulk, 1 oz loads often suffer from “dished” crimps, which can lead to poor ignition and leaked shot.
Temperature Stability & Burn Rate Analysis
A hallmark of Alliant American Select is its remarkable stability across a wide range of ambient temperatures. In competitive shooting, matches often begin in the cool dampness of the morning and end in the heat of a mid-summer afternoon. Propellants that are highly temperature-sensitive can exhibit velocity swings of 50-100 FPS, which alters the “lead” required for crossing targets. Alliant American Select utilizes a robust stabilizer package that keeps its pressure curve linear, ensuring that the muzzle velocity remains within a very tight window regardless of the weather.
In the relative burn rate hierarchy, Alliant American Select sits in a very specific neighborhood. It is slightly slower than Alliant Red Dot and Alliant Promo, but faster than Alliant Green Dot. This “in-between” position is the secret to its success in 1 oz 12 gauge loads. When compared to a modern ultra-stable benchmark like Alliant e3, Alliant American Select offers a slightly different pressure profile that many shooters find produces more consistent patterns in older, fixed-choke barrels.
When compared to a more temperature-sensitive powder like Hodgdon Titegroup in a handgun context, Alliant American Select is often much more forgiving. While Hodgdon Titegroup is known for high heat and rapid pressure peaks, Alliant American Select provides a more gradual acceleration that results in less muzzle blast and a “softer” feel in the hand, which is highly prized by 45 ACP target shooters.
Powder Comparison
To understand the versatility and market position of Alliant American Select, it is useful to compare it against its primary competitors in the fast-burning target category.
| Powder | Relative Burn Rate | Density | Primary Cartridges |
| Alliant American Select | Fast | Medium-Low | 12 Ga, 45 ACP |
| Alliant Red Dot | Very Fast | Medium | 12 Ga, 38 Special |
| Alliant Green Dot | Medium-Fast | Medium | 12 Ga, 20 Ga |
| Alliant e3 | Very Fast | Low | 12 Ga (1 oz) |
| Alliant Unique | Medium | Medium | 20 Ga, 45 ACP |
While Alliant Red Dot is often the choice for 1-1/8 oz economy loads, Alliant American Select is the cleaner, more refined choice for 1 oz competition loads. Compared to Alliant Green Dot, which is a better choice for 20 gauge or heavy 12 gauge field loads, Alliant American Select maintains a faster burn rate that is better suited for low-recoil target applications. Against Alliant e3, it offers more bulk for better stack heights in older hull designs.
Performance, Metering & Equipment
The metering behavior of Alliant American Select is a subject of much technical discussion. Because the flakes are relatively large, they require a high-quality powder measure to drop consistently. In high-volume progressive presses like the Dillon XL 750 review or the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP review, the powder flows smoothly provided the press is operated with a consistent rhythm. The vibration of the press indexing helps the large flakes settle into the powder bar, ensuring a uniform weight.
For handgun reloaders using a RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme review with a standard drum measure, it is important to check the “shear” feel of the flakes. Occasionally, the large flakes of Alliant American Select can catch on the edge of the metering drum. While this rarely affects the weight by more than 0.1 grain, it is something to be aware of during the setup process. In shotshell presses like a MEC 9000, Alliant American Select is exceptionally consistent, filling the large-volume bushings with ease and delivering standard deviations in velocity that are often in the single digits.
Recommended Cartridges and Applications
While its primary home is the 12 gauge shotgun, Alliant American Select is one of the best kept secrets in the world of precision handgun reloading. Its burn rate and pressure profile make it an ideal candidate for high-volume practice ammunition.
| Cartridge | Primary Application |
| 12 Gauge | Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays (1 oz and 1-1/8 oz) |
| 45 ACP | Target and Competition loads (200-230 grain bullets) |
| 38 Special | Standard pressure target and Wadcutter loads |
| 9mm Luger | Low-recoil target and subsonic loads |
| 44 Special | Soft-shooting target and plinking loads |
In the 12 gauge, Alliant American Select excels in the 1,145 to 1,200 FPS velocity range. It provides a full, even pattern with very little “muzzle flash” or blast. In 45 ACP, it creates a remarkably soft-shooting load that is highly prized by bullseye and IDPA shooters. In the 38 Special, it provides a clean alternative to older propellants for 148 grain wadcutter loads, which are the gold standard for revolver accuracy.
Bullets
When using Alliant American Select for handgun reloading, bullet choice is relatively straightforward. Because it is a fast-burning powder, it works best with lead, coated, or plated bullets. It is not designed to push jacketed bullets to high velocities, but it excels at making accurate, moderate-velocity target ammunition.
| Bullet Weight/Model | Cartridge | Application |
| 230 Grain Sierra MatchKing bullet | 45 ACP | Match Accuracy |
| 200 Grain LSWC | 45 ACP | Target Competition |
| 148 Grain HBWC | 38 Special | Precision Bullseye |
| 124 Grain Hornady Match bullet | 9mm Luger | Light Target |
The pairing of Alliant American Select with a 230 grain Sierra MatchKing bullet in the 45 ACP is particularly effective. The powder’s soft pressure curve and clean burn allow the shooter to fully exploit the accuracy potential of a match-grade bullet without excessive fouling or recoil.
Primers
Ignition consistency is the foundation of accuracy, and Alliant American Select is very sensitive to primer selection. In shotshell loading, the primer is a pressure-critical component and should never be changed without consulting a manual. For handgun loading, standard non-magnum primers are almost always the best choice for this powder.
- Winchester W209 – The industry standard for 12 gauge target loads.
- CCI 209 – A consistent, reliable primer for most shotshell applications.
- Federal 209A – A high-output primer used in specific cold-weather data.
- CCI 300 – The preferred Large Pistol primer for 45 ACP target loads.
- CCI 500 – A standard Small Pistol primer for 38 Special and 9mm Luger.
- Winchester WSP – A reliable Small Pistol primer with a history of consistency.
- Federal 100 – A soft-cup primer often used by competition shooters with lightened actions.
- Remington 209P – Often used in Remington-specific hull recipes.
- Cheddite CX2000 – A common European primer often substituted in modern economy data.
- Fiocchi 616 – Another reliable 209-style primer for shotshell use.
In the 12 gauge, pairing Alliant American Select with the Winchester W209 is a proven combination for 1 oz loads, providing the most uniform velocities and cleanest burns. For handgun users, the CCI 300 offers the perfect ignition source for 45 ACP, ensuring that the fast-burning flakes ignite completely and consistently.
Conclusion & Expert Verdict
Alliant American Select is the quintessential “premium” powder for the reloader who demands more than just utility. It offers a level of cleanliness and ballistic uniformity that is difficult to find in more versatile, all-purpose propellants. By focusing on a specific burn rate optimized for 1 oz 12 gauge loads, Alliant has created a specialist tool that has become a staple on competition ranges across the country. Its ability to double as a world-class handgun powder only adds to its value on the reloading bench.
The final verdict on Alliant American Select is simple: if you shoot 1 oz 12 gauge target loads and you want your gun to stay clean and your patterns to stay tight, there is no better choice. While it requires a bit more care in metering than some spherical powders, the results on the target and in the shotgun action are well worth the effort. It represents a perfect marriage of modern chemistry and traditional flake design, delivering performance that is both technically superior and practically reliable.
Expert Pro Tip: When loading Alliant American Select in 12 gauge, pay close attention to the wad selection. Because this powder is quite bulky, using a wad designed for a 1-1/8 oz load with only 1 oz of shot will often result in a “puffy” crimp. Always use a dedicated 1 oz wad (like the Claybuster CB1100-12) to ensure the stack height is perfectly matched to the volume of the Alliant American Select charge.
