40 S&W

Titegroup and 40 are a reasonably common load for USPSA Limited division. Many people have shot tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of such rounds without major problem.

However, I tend to discourage new reloaders from that combination. Titegroup, while possessing many fine attributes, is quite unforgiving. Charges are small and double-charges can be missed. Moreover, it is "spiky" towards the top end, and a small increase in pressure can cause a dramatically different burn rate. Back when 40-cal kabooms were the topic-de-jour of the gun-focused-internet, an extremely high percentage of them were titegroup loads. A little bit of bullet setback and you might be in the danger zone.

It also burns quite hot, which makes it a lousy combination with poly-coated bullets, and may accelerate barrel wear (though this last seems a little dubious to me in pistol applications).

If you're new to reloading stay away from TiteBoom.

Sound advice given above

And welcome to THR!

CKweigand said:

And welcome to THR!

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Jeez, where are my manners? Yes, Jake, welcome!

AAC#5, Unique, Universal will do what you ask.

9mmepiphany said:

I don't want to sound like I'm piling on, but there are a lot of better powders to start with than Titegroup.

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It's very unfortunate that so many people look at the low per-pound and per-shot price of Titegroup and conclude it's a good powder for beginners, when it's precisely the other way around.

I've burned through about 10 pounds of Titegroup in 40 S&W but it's been exclusively with the Lee 401-175-TC. It's inexpensive, versatile and performs well in 9/38/40/45ACP and 12 gauge as well as reduced rifle loads. The downside is that it does burn hotter than other powders and as others said, it is very dense and you can miss catching a double charge pretty easily. Here's a double charge of Titegroup vs a double charge of Unique in a 40 S&W case:



As for "spikiness", Titegroup is no more spikey than any other fast powder. You will not suddenly go from 24,000 psi to 40,000 psi with a couple tenths of a grain. The powder does tend to leave sooty spots near the case mouth right up to the maximum published load where it does tend to burn cleaner so it appears to burn below optimum right until you reach max safe pressures but it does not suddenly go way over pressure if you are a tenth or 2 above a max published load. Sooty cases are not a problem unless the soot mark is all the way down the length of the case and the soot will clean up anyway when you tumble your cases.

As for load data, check Hodgdon's site for a Titegroup load for the 165g. As for powders, if you have a choice, look for a bulkier powder such as Unique or Universal. If all you have is Titegroup, it will work fine, just be very careful when loading it and check for double charges.

I use Win 231/HP 38 for my main powder for both 165 grain plated and 180 grain plated. But I'm going to load some rounds using CFE Pistol, HS-6, and because of some really good advice on here, I'm also going to use Longshot!

If the OP is dead set on TG. Maybe a Lee Dipper set is in order, or something similar. It would make for good disclipine.

HS-6 and Longshot can put you right at the bottom of 10MM ballistics.

I've used nothing but HS-6 since getting my first .40 " way back in the day." Recently, however, Longshot has me rethinking my choice.

Longshot under a 150-155 grain bullet can yeild some awesome ballistics.

Titegroup burns hot and violent.

Can you reload 40S&W with Titegroup? Sure, but I prefer other powders that are less spikey. Can you reload 40S&W with Bullseye? Sure, but I prefer other powders that produce less snappy recoil.

Jake Pearson said:

165gr target loads is what I would like to cut my teeth with.

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For lighter target loads, I prefer W231/HP-38 or Sport Pistol. 165 gr FMJ/JHP with 5.0 gr W231/HP-38 was one of my USPSA match loads.

For higher velocity loads, I prefer Herco, BE-86, WSF.

Walkalong said:

I can't answer for Tightgroup, but some fast powders are definitely more "spikey" near the top than others. Clays and N310 are two that when they run out of room they do it fast. Both very good some things, but not very forgiving if you get careless at the top.

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Most powders have a point at which they become very "non-linear." For some powders, that point is very close to saami book pressures for various cartridges. For some powders, you can't stuff enough into some cases to get there.

Ive loaded many tens of thousands of rounds of .40. None with titegroup that I can recall though. My light plinking loads are 165 grain plated hollow points with unique. There are likely better powders but I buy unique in bulk for other calibers so it's handier.

Jake, welcome aboard. I load for 40, 165gr plated, and after running thru WSF, AA5, HS6 (my back up), & Universal. I liked CFE-Pistol the best (my own personal preference). Good luck on the loads, always keep an open mind on other powders if TG doesn't pan out for you.

I use a lot of Tightgroup and I have to agree with all the others. It's not for a beginner. If you already bought it, shelf it for a while until you get a good quality control regiment going for policing your powder charges.

Anything in the burn rate of 231/HP38 up to Longshot will work better for you as far as being more forgiving to powder measure accuracy error.

When you are confident with being able to run +or- .1 grain accuracy with your powder measure, consistently, then give it a go.

I use nothing but Tightgroup in my 9mm practice loads but I also have been loading for 46 years and load with progressive presses that make it harder to load a double charge. My LNL-AP has a control panal with the powder die that lets me know if I have a no-charge, or a charge .3gr above what I have it set for. I also take other safeguards like if I don't complete a stroke of the handle I empty the shell plate just to be sure.

I don't shoot competition, I only shoot about 100 rounds a week of it. It is consistent and accurate if used properly. But If I were you I would start out with a powder a little more user friendly than Tightgroup until you get some experience under your belt.

Welcome aboard friend.

This may sound like a broken record, but I also don't recommend super fast, low volume powders for someone just starting out.
When you've burned through a few pounds of powder and have a good system in place and are familiar with everything, then if you want to do that, then go ahead. There is certainly a benefit to the fast powders. You can load a lot of rounds with a little powder.

I'd start with something a little bulkier at first. I like W231 or Unique for starting out.

Cheers, and happy loading.

Jake Pearson said:

howdy all
I’m new here and very new to reloading. I wanted to ask if anyone loads for the 40 smith and if anyone uses titegroup to do so. Looking for load data or wisdom anyone would like to share. I am thinking 165gr target loads is what I would like to cut my teeth with.

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Welcome to THR! Lots of good advice in the above posts.

Titegroup was one of my 1st choices of powder when I got into reloading. Since then, I only use it for 357 lead target loads.

With that said, have you gotten any reloading manuals? My favorites are Lyman's Pistol and Revolver, 3rd Edition. And Lee's Modern Reloading manual. They're really good reads and lots of practical info for the beginner.

If you're using Berry's bullets, Hodgdon has reload data for some plated bullets.
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

Western Powder also covers plated, lead, and jacketed bullets. This link has a download link with reloading guide and load data. Click on "View Complete Load Guide Edition 7.0".
http://www.ramshot.com/load-data/

Lots of good folk here that are willing to answer, or give guidance to any of your questions.

Jake, Welcome to THR.

As said, TG is not a powder recommended for beginners. I've been hand loading for over 40 yrs now and I never see the lure for super fast powders with high density. All these do is cause problems badly if something goes wrong. Besides being a fast burner it's also sensitive to case volume. If I recall Lyman states in the Hand loading guide that a 0.015" bullet setback can double the pressure. This is what it blew up a lot of guns when it was first released. I prefer powders that fill the case and easy to see, where double charges are bill boards flags. Powder is the cheapest part of the components when reloading pistol ammo, with a few exceptions. My preferred powder is WSF for 9mm and 40 cal. It's a ball powder that meters very well in most all dispenses. It's also fills the case making it easy to see.

Be Safe.

I was using HS-6 when I started loading .40. It's a good place to start. Has a wide range from min to max and a double charge will over fill the case which makes it easier to spot.

CKweigand said:

If the OP is dead set on TG. Maybe a Lee Dipper set is in order, or something similar. It would make for good disclipine.

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Plus1. Lee dippers work well with TG.

I use them to throw reduced rifle loads.

I suggest a slower burn rate for starting out. Save the Titegroup for your second pound.