Titegroup powder

ChuckJR said:

New to this forum... Starting out with a question for you old people pros...
Just purchased my first titegroup powder and I am a little in awe at the extreme small amount of powder used for my 38 spl loads. I mean 3.2 grains for a 158 SWC seems light.
After checking out the experts and etc on a hodgdon site and that is what was recommended to start with. The major common comment is a little more makes a lot more bang.
Comments?
Thanks

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ChuckJR,
First, Welcome to THR!
Yes, a little Titegroup gos a long way!
TG has a small load range and you need to be VERY careful not to drop double powder loads into your case as in a case like 38spl it will be difficult to tell if you have a double load.

Better powder for 38spl would be HP-38 or any "fluffy" powder where you can tell at a glance if you overcharged.

Just use caution when loading with TG that your powder drops are consistent.

Hope this helps.
JD

TiteGroup is an extremely fast powder... exceeded only by Clays and VV310.
A little does therefore go a long way, which is why many folks use the (more)
foolproof dipper method to avoid over/double charging.

It's a great powder by the way... but it also takes a degree of procedural discipline.

If you can downstream, pick up any of these powders for improved performance -- in rough order:
Hodgdon HS-6
Alliant HERCO
Hodgdon Longshot
Alliant UNIQUE
Alliant BULLSEYE
Hodgdon Universal
Winchester 231
Hodgdon HP38

jell-dog said:

ChuckJR,
First, Welcome to THR!
Yes, a little Titegroup gos a long way!
TG has a small load range and you need to be VERY careful not to drop double powder loads into your case as in a case like 38spl it will be difficult to tell if you have a double load.

Better powder for 38spl would be HP-38 or any "fluffy" powder where you can tell at a glance if you overcharged.

Just use caution when loading with TG that your powder drops are consistent.

Hope this helps.
JD

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Good advice for Titegroup.

I've been using some Titegroup in my 38 Special wadcutter loads since the powder shortages of a few years ago. When I run out, I plan on using something else. Unfortunately, a little does go a long way so it will take a while before I shoot enough wadcutters to use up the powder.

TiteWad is the same way crazy small amounts of powder for 9mm it goes a long way.

CC

Trail Boss is a great powder for the 38 Spl., no worry about a double charge.
Smokeyloads.

I like titegroup and I think you will too. Just have to pay attention and BE SURE not to double charge a case.

You will be able to get about 2000 shots per pound of powder, which is pretty good bang for the buck. I use it for most of my 38 and 357 plinking loads.

I have been using Tightgroup for 9mm for some time. I am pleased with it. It works fine.

I load 9mm on a progressive. Just look into the case before you set the bullet in the case.

If there is no powder or a double charge, I’m quite sure you can tell.

Just look at what you are doing, and you will be fine.

I don't recommend it for new hand loaders starting out for the reason you mentioned. I don't use it for that reason either and I've been hand loading for nearly 40 yrs. Powder is the cheapest part of the components, why try to save 0.0002 cents/round. A little goes a long ways and even a bullet setback in a high pressure round can take a safe load to a KBOOM in a heart beat. There are a lot better choices that fill the cartridge and makes it easier to detect an inaccurate charge.

With that said it has it's place. Super fast burn powders are ideal for mouse fart loads and some small volume rounds.

Use with caution. When setting up your powder dispenser make sure it is dispensing accurately. If your getting a ±0.1 gr variation you need to find out why, since this swing will more than likely take you from min to max. It should meter dead on being a fine grain powder. Do 20 drops and pour back into the hopper then check to see where your at. Adj dispenser, take a couple more and pour back in before checking the weight. Once your satisfied. I would measure 10 consecutive to see if there is any deviation. Now weight the 10 total, divide by 10 will give you a 0.01gr accuracy/avg. Then you can make a decision if you need to do and final adj.

Be Safe.

I use Titegroup in the 44spl I load for my wife, gives her a light load. I use it in all calibers where I am out of powder, I prefer HP-38 or Bullseye. Haven't tried titegroup in a 44mag.

I use some Titegroup in my .380 ACP and it works really well ... clean .... a pound yields 2121 loads ... that is economical ! That is a lot of .380 ammo to shoot ....

A double charge with any powder will be a problem. Handloaders are urged to be careful when participating in this activity. It is fine to use bulky powders and mechanical "fail safe" devices on our presses but with a deep case such as 38 spl it is up to the operator to pay strict attention to what they are doing.

I'm a relative newcomer to handloading (less than 5 years) but I've loaded and shot literally 1000s (approx. 10,000 38 spl.) using 3.3 Titegroup and 147g plated RN bullets on a progressive press with no problems.

But I like to live on the ragged edge. It all comes down to our personality I guess. I don't use TG for the cost factor. The truth is I have 8 pounds of a particular Vectan powder that is very fluffy (and doesn't have much in the way of published loads in pistol) and this summer I'm going to develop a load in 38 special to use that powder up. All things considered equal I would use something else in 38 besides TG if your not comfortable with it. TG is great in 9mm.

I use Titegroup for 38 special. 3.2 grains under a 125 grain plated bullet makes for a powderpuff load I can shoot all day in my air weight J frame. I load 3.5 gr under a 158 grain plated SWC for a load with a little more power

Love, love, love TiteGroup for .45 ACP. Not flashy, easy metering, consistent, and reliable.

But I don’t use it for my 9MM. Too little powder in the case. For a .38 I’d listen to other recommendations.

Another fan of 700-X here. I've been using it in 45 ACP for decades as well as other cartridges.

Titegroup has performed well for me, I just do not care for the small volume of powder in a case. Same for Bullseye.

When I first got into reloading back in the dark ages, I got concerned about double charges of Bullseye so I stopped using it. I suppose that thought continues with me so I shy away from powders like Titegroup and Bullseye. My reloading procedures and inspections have improved and stabilized over the years that double and missing charges are not an issue these days.

But, complacency can always rear it's ugly head. I had not had any squib loads for 20-25 years until I made the transition to progressive presses. A new learning curve to conquer.

Titegroup was one of my 1st powders when I started reloading. I almost swore it off after I switched to the Lee's charge bar for their auto-disk set-up. Too often the powder would bridged on small charges. Got a couple squibs out of it. Bought the auto-drum and LED light. Much better.

I keep a pound of it around. I like using it in 380. Nice plinking loads.

Like it has been repeated here. Just really have to keep an eye on the powder drops.

Oh, and welcome to THR!

I like Titegroup for 9mm using cast (coated and uncoated)115gr bullets. Most off my loads are middle of the load range as I try for accuracy & ease of shooting as opposed to fast and hot. Works real good in my Glock 26, lc9sp and the good o' Hipoint.

Walkalong said:

I've never heard it called a "magnum" powder, as that is usually reserved for slow pistol powders, but I too like it a lot.

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700X is right up there with Red Dot and Clays in terms of good fast burning powers to drive up pressures without pushing the bullet (or shotshell load) too fast. 800X is quite a bit slower. Both 700X and 800X burn well for pistol loads but are terrible in terms of measuring in small quantities through a powder measure.

Titegroup is a very nice inexpensive powder (about 15% cheaper per pound than Alliant powders and about 35% cheaper than Hodgdon powders). Plus, being a relatively fast powder, you use another 20% less per pistol load. For high volume competitive pistol shooters, it's very economical plus in progressive presses, you rarely get a double charge, you tend to miss charges if anything.

Titegroup does bridge (one drop will bridge powder down a powder chute and the next load dumps a lot more into the case). I shot about 75 shotshells of Titegroup on Saturday. These were the first automated loads I loaded through my MEC 9000GN. The prior test loads were all hand weighed and chronographed. The test loads performed beautifully with very low spreads in velocities. Unfortunately, the automated loads were all over the place. Especially disturbing was the fact that my low recoil 3/4 oz loads occasionally felt like a full 1-1/8 oz load shot through an 870 while I was using an 1100 gas gun. Another shot would feel like a blooper. Not a complete squib, but really light and smokey which indicates low pressure. That meant charges were anywhere between a half drop and a 1.5 drop of powder. With the density of Titegroup, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a completed shell other than a slightly snug crimp vs. a slightly weak crimp.

For pistol loading, I use Titegroup in 9, 40 and 45 but I check each load visually with an LED lamp shining through the center hole of my LnL AP.