change over to Hodgdon Titegroup.

[M ammo]

Changing over… to a new powder

I got a deal on Green dot a long time ago,

I have used it in all types of hand gun loads,

Even my .40 Glock 35/ After market barrel.

I cast my own bullets

I will use it for .40 minor loads with a 155 RN

And .40 Major loads with a 180 TC

I’m just about ready to change over to Hodgdon Titegroup.

But need a little convincing

Why is Titegroup better?

[38superman]

It will perform quite well with your jacketed loads.

Recoil is mild and accuracy is top notch.

It is relatively cheap and widely available.

There are only two caveats in my opinion.

If you use it with your cast bullets it will produce a lot of smoke.

In the .40 it generally takes around 4.7-4.8 gr. to get to major with a 180 gr TC bullet. YMMV.

That won't take up much space in the case so you must take care not to drop a double charge.

Some will tell you that it heats up the gun more than other powders.

That may be true but I have never found any extra heat to be enough to cause a problem.

Bottom line,... I like it.

I suspect you will too.

Tls

Edited November 7, 2008 by 38superman

[ebg3]

Iknow a lot of people using TG. I've tried it and don't care for it in .40. I prefer VV320 because it is cleaner and smokes less. You'll find TG to be much cleaner than Greendot so you are taking a step in the right direction. Lately I've been using American Select and now E3 and find them to be very clean and efficient. My .02.

[HSMITH]

I really don't like TG. Harsh shooting, puts a tremendous amount of heat in the gun, smokes like a coal train with lead, leads the barrel badly with lead bullets and has been quite temp sensitive for me.

I use regular Clays, less leading and smoke than TG with lead bullets while shooting a ton softer. Try E3, similar burn rate and worked really nicely in the testing I have done with it. I would also get a pound of Unique and use it as your baseline for accuracy, amount of leading in the bore, and smoke. It works better than anything else with lead bullets.

[ebg3]

+1 on the Unique.

I've dropped back to VV330 when shooting lead and have less barrel fouling than with VV320. VV340 has even less leading. The slower burning powders seem to work best wih lead.

[Mooney]

I use TG in my .40 loads and recently had a catastrophic (big time) failure- most likely a double charge, even though I use tons of precautions while loading, including looking into EVERY case (light mounted above press to help). I still don't know how it happened, and, with so little of the G22 left, can't really tell.

It could have been a bad barrel (pretty new aftermarket one), or maybe the bullet sunk into the case farther than it should have when it fed, no idea...

I was suffering from DEEP primer hits, so I would suggest using primers that are harder than Federals- I could have had a squib due to a perforated primer then shot another into it, but I don't know...

I DO know that a double charge of Titegroup (using 4.5) in a .40 case (did it intentionally before loading so I knew what to look for, and afterward when trying to diagnose WTF happened) isn't even close to the case rim- and that a regular charge is really far into the case. I would think that a TRIPLE charge would be possible.

I think that my next loading cycle I'm leaving titegroup!

[z40acp]

For the money I think the best 2 powders for .40 are Solo 1000 and WST. I have used a lot of WST and it is very good, especially with lead. Don't laugh but I believe that TG was melting the end of my fiber optic front sight.

[DougCarden]

Puh-LEase.......

For the love of Pete and anyone that looks remotely like Pete........<sorry Pete.....>

Buy a pound of Solo 1000 before you take the plunge.......less dirt, less grime, accuracy is there and , oh, did I say less SMOKE with lead ammo......

Tightgroup just plain sucks with lead bullets.....give Solo 1000 a try before stocking up on TG.......TG is a nitrocellulose powder, burns really hot.....Solo 1000 is a single base, doesnt burn anywhere that hot......

My .02$.......

DougC

[Derek45]

Count me in as another who tried TG and went on.

I"ve been using WST with Precision molys and I really like it.

People say it's temp sensitive, but so is everything else.

TG was dirty and made the gun too damn hot to touch.

[M ammo]

wow!! GREAT Data...

I'm farther from knowing what powder to go with,,

But that is OK,,,

More to think about!!

[bulm540]

Ditto on WST, using titegroup right now as somebody gave me 4 pounds of TG.

Edited November 8, 2008 by bulm540

[38superman]

M ammo,

I can't disagree with anything written here.

As I said, it burns hot, and produces smoke.

However, I still think it has redeeming qualities.

Taken on the whole, TG is a very servicable powder.

There are plenty of other powders and everyone has their favorite.

I didn't mention mine because you specifically asked about Titegroup.

In fact, my powder of choice for the .40 is N320. (I also like N340 with 200gr slugs)

Sadly, it is not always readily available and is expensive.

Titegroup is my second (or third) choice in the .40 and I use it when my stock of Viht is running low.

I especially like TG in the .45

My pet load for my 45 Edge is the MG 200 gr. JFP over 5.2 grs of Titegroup.

Performance is outstanding and the lower operation pressures of the .45 don't seem to create the heat that everyone finds so objectionable.

If you wander over to the 9mm forum you will find many who swear by the 147 gr bullets with TG.

My advice to you is to buy a small quantity of it and try it.

If you don't like it move on to something else.

Tls

Edited November 8, 2008 by 38superman

[Merlin Orr]

Anyone ever try Accurate # 2? I loaded a few hundred rounds with it and it smoked less and the sights tracked really well.

I made the mistake of looking at several burn rate charts. More confused than ever. About half the charts I have downloaded have A2 as a faster powder than regular Clays.....

Who to believe....

[03k64]

I've used TG for over a year now and had no real complaints aside from the smoke issue on humid days with no wind. That said, I've moved onto Solo 1000 and find that it feels a bit softer and smokes ALOT less.

[M ammo]

Well it looks like I just might have to buy three powders. And give them a try.

TG, VV320, and Solo 1000, Smoke is always a problem with lead, and the way the bullet prices are, I'll get back to casting. as I have in the past.

I like .40 I'm new to it, a good balance. The 155 can be loaded soft and the 180TC heavy enough and has allot of barring surface.

Thank you for this input, great info!

[LPatterson]

If you lived in Montana I have an 8# jug you could have for all the reasons mentioned above. Plus brass stays hot so long people start refusing to pick it up for you.

[TonyT]

I have not had good results with Titegroup behind lead bullets in 9mm or 40 S&W. In 9mm I use W-231 with the 147 gr. Lead and WFF in the 40 S&W with lead bullets. Titegroup is excellent in both 9mm and 40 S&W with jacketed and plated bullets.

Changing over… to a new powder

I got a deal on Green dot a long time ago,

I have used it in all types of hand gun loads,

Even my .40 Glock 35/ After market barrel.

I cast my own bullets

I will use it for .40 minor loads with a 155 RN

And .40 Major loads with a 180 TC

I’m just about ready to change over to Hodgdon Titegroup.

But need a little convincing

Why is Titegroup better?

[MichiganShootist]

One of the benefits of TG is that it meters so well. I have tested many--- many dozens of loads and the variance is generally ZERO using a Dillon 550.... that is a great attribute IMO.

[M ammo]

I wish I could come up with a good reason to get up to Montana,,,

In any case I'm off to Cabellas,,

and will get a pound of each,, ( if they have them ) and one way or the other I'll use the powder up,,, and come up with a new,,,, handgun powder.

Thanks for the good input!!!

You folks are alright!!

Even Merlin,,!

[bkeeler]

Changing over… to a new powder

I got a deal on Green dot a long time ago,

I have used it in all types of hand gun loads,

Even my .40 Glock 35/ After market barrel.

I cast my own bullets

I will use it for .40 minor loads with a 155 RN

And .40 Major loads with a 180 TC

I’m just about ready to change over to Hodgdon Titegroup.

But need a little convincing

Why is Titegroup better?

HERE are my chrono results using TG.

TG has worked great for me I also use it in my 45.

BK

[M ammo]

Changing over… to a new powder

I got a deal on Green dot a long time ago,

I have used it in all types of hand gun loads,

Even my .40 Glock 35/ After market barrel.

I cast my own bullets

I will use it for .40 minor loads with a 155 RN

And .40 Major loads with a 180 TC

I’m just about ready to change over to Hodgdon Titegroup.

But need a little convincing

Why is Titegroup better?

HERE are my chrono results using TG.

TG has worked great for me I also use it in my 45.

BK

Impressive consistency! bkeeler

The trip to Cabalas,,, disappointing they had Titegroup and green dot

But no Solo 1000 or VV anything,,

I’ll have to put any order together,,, online,,,

[Joe D]

BTDT with Titegroup. I shot it for years in 9mm, .40 and .45. I have since gone to Clays in .40 and .45. Solo 1000 for 9mm. TG is way too hot for lead/moly bullets.

Edited November 11, 2008 by Joe D

[dajarrel]

I like titegroup in everything but my open gun. .38/.357, 9mm, .40S&W, .45. All of them do well with moly or lead or jacketed. Yes there is some smoke but I've found if you load to major PF, you can reduce it. Yeah, it makes the barrel hot on an extended shooting session, but the barrel is metal and I've never heard of one being damaged by heat. One of the biggest reasons I shoot it is price.

VV N320 is $79.99* for a 4# keg.

TiteGroup is $53.99* for a 4# keg (8# keg is $99)

It's all a matter of compromise

dj

*Natchez shooting supply 11.11.08

[M ammo]

I like titegroup in everything but my open gun. .38/.357, 9mm, .40S&W, .45. All of them do well with moly or lead or jacketed. Yes there is some smoke but I've found if you load to major PF, you can reduce it. Yeah, it makes the barrel hot on an extended shooting session, but the barrel is metal and I've never heard of one being damaged by heat. One of the biggest reasons I shoot it is price.

VV N320 is $79.99* for a 4# keg.

TiteGroup is $53.99* for a 4# keg (8# keg is $99)

It's all a matter of compromise

dj

*Natchez shooting supply 11.11.08

Oh yes looking them up online the $$$$$$$ jumped right out,,

[Zerwas]

I liked the TG when I was shooting my SV site tracker. I tried VN320 in the site tracker as well, but it felt TO ME as though it had more recoil. I stayed with TG in that particular pistol. I shot it for 3 years. I experienced swings in temps with the TG. It was kind of dirty, but nothing too bad in my opinion. Accuracy was pretty darn good with my Montana Gold or Zero 180gr JHP's I was using.

I have since switched to a different pistol (6" non site tracker). In that particular pistol, the VN320 feels better than the TG does. So, I made the switch to the VN320 for that pistol. That works well for me in that gun.

If all you are doing is shooting lead, I would look at something else other than TG (as others have said here).