bernmart

I've used 4.6 Titegroup with good results.

What are their shipping charges like? It's a while since I've bought from them.

I've shot these Rainiers over 4.4--4.6 gr. of Titegroup with good results. For all that it gets a bad rap on these forums, Titegroup is a good powder. I wouldn't shoot 200s at more than 4.6, though.

Since I've started using Titegroup, I've settled on a load of 4.6 grains, behind either a 230 RN or a 200 Spirepoint. There seems to be no difference in accuracy or point of aim. But I too use a 5" barrel.

I do it exactly the way you do, and I've found no reason to wipe them down before I shoot them. But I await other responses. I recall reading about this two years ago, when I was starting out reloading, some guys believed that the dried lube on the casings helped their guns feed more smoothly. Others seem to go to elaborate lengths to clean it off. So I'll be reading over your shoulder as posts come in!

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't clean the dried one-shot off my loaded rounds at all. Nor do I tumble my rounds, either for this purpose or any other. I do wash and dry the cases before treating with One-Shot or any other lube, but that's about it. I'm aware of no negative consequences. Am I not noticing something?

My own load with 230 Rainer in 45 ACP is 4.6 of Titegroup. Very clean, quite accurate, and soft recoil for a medium velocity load.

In my case, as a newcomer to reloading two years ago, I saw a test of Titegroup on the 1911 site, and gave it a try. It was, and is, reliable, accurate, pretty clean-burning, and cheap. It's all I've ever used. OTOH, my hat's off to the guys who buy a pound of this or that powder, experiment with it, and post their results. All the powders mentioned by the OP have strong followings among 45ACP shooters, and any would serve his needs.

Actually, Titegroup is all I've ever used for .45ACP. Gone through many pounds of the stuff. Using 230 FMJ, I've pretty much standardized on 4.6 gr. as a target load, and it seems to work fine. I might bump to 4.8, though, if I were trying to make major.

Titegroup isn't at all bulky, but it functions very well in light power loads, and is designed not to fill the case. It's "position insensitive." I've never seen any reason to change to Clays, which seems to resemble it in some ways.

OK; I get that lead bullets go faster than jacketed or plated, all things being equal. Assuming that the crimp is the culprit behind the velocity spread among the plated rounds, how explain the extreme consistency among the Bear Creeks? In any case, thanks for all the responses.

I showed up at the range today with two loads identical except for the bullets: 4.6 gr. Titegroup, Winchester LP primers, etc. Only the bullets were different: 230 gr. moly-coated Bear Creek LRN, and recently acquired 230 RN Rainier Copper-coated. Both fed perfectly, shot equally accurately. Down the line from me was a guy with a chrono set up, and he offered to shoot magazines of each kind of round through the chrono. Big surprise! The Bear Creeks averaged almost 100 fps faster than the Rainiers--840 v 746 average velocity through the chrono. Also, the Bear Creeks were very consistent--std dev. of 2, while the Rainiers were as much as 60 fps apart in a 7 rd magazine. I've never had my loads shot through a chrono before (this guy only shows up during the week when the range is quiet, and I had a rare weekday off), but from what I've read these are pretty extreme differences for bullets of equal weight and contour. I'd appreciate comments, perspectives, advice? Thanks, Bernie

By the time I got my 550b adjusted properly, learned to check the cases to avoid squibs and double charges (don't ask!), and found bullets and powder I liked, there remained one problem: spent primers would miss the cup about half the time, leaving cruddy old primers all over my workshop floor. Worse, about one spent primer in five would wind up on or near the primer assembly itself, regularly jamming things up. Dillon's help page suggested replacing the cotter pin that holds the spent primer chute together, but I remembered someone on this site recommending using a paper clip in place of the cotter pin instead. I finally tried it, and what an amazing difference! I have had exactly ONE spent primer in the last 500 rounds miss the primer cup and hit the floor, and my loading is about twice as fast and far more rhythmic for not having to clear the spent primers out of the primer slide path all the time. Hats off to this forum, once again. It's been a learning year for me, and since I don't know a soul who reloads, you guys and Brian have been my sole sources of guidance.

Guys, you've talked me into it. I'll adapt to the aerosol. I have already noticed that it feeds easily in my press, even though it feels dry. Old dog, new tricks. Thanks as always for the advice. Bernie

Since I started using my 550b a year ago, I've sprayed the inside of a plastic bag with Hornady One-Shot Lube, rolled the cleaned cases around in it, then loaded. Worked like a charm. I finally used up my tube of One-Shot--the pump kind--and bought a new one. All I could find was the aerosol kind, but I thought nothing of it. Trouble is, it doesn't work. It sprays OK (except for the lingering smell of propellant), but it evaporates so quickly that the cases really don't get at all slick, and they're mostly dry by the time I use them, even if the interval is only a couple of minutes. I know this may seem like a ridiculous nitpick, but I've finally got my system down pat, and now this. Anyone know where I can get the pump kind of One-Shot, or can you suggest a home-made substitute, or a workaround?

I've been using Patrick's system ever since I started reloading, with excellent results, using Birchwood-Casey case cleaner in solution, then the oven at 200F. I don't get the argument that tumble cleaning is less work than this system. It's certainly more expensive and messier than wash/dry. But I do love the shiny, pristine look of tumbled cases. On the other hand, I recall a recent post about a guy who's been reloading for 25 years and never cleans his cases at all--just reloads and fires. Hmmm.

My favorite load is similar to Duane's: I use 4.6 gr. of Titegroup under either 200gr. lswc or 200gr. lrn, both MasterBlaster molycoated. Winchester LP primers. Never a failure to feed or eject with standard spring weight. Actually, I use the same load with 230FMJ bullets, too. I know you're supposed to adjust the powder charge upward when the bullet weight is reduced, but. . . . Everything seems to work just fine at that powder charge no matter what weight bullet I load.

Something very similar happened to me--if I turned the die down enough to flare the cases even slightly, the powder bar travelled so far that it would crack and/or pop loose the plastic square that rides in its groove. Eventually I took the whole assembly apart, and found that the casting which held the assembly together had cracked, and distorted. Dillon sent me a new one, and everything's fine. The failsafe assembly isn't that critical an adjustment. Just so that, when at full travel, the assembly comes into contact with the crank and moves it slightly, it'll do its job.

I'm encouraged--I've just shot perhaps 200 of the same bullet as Steven, find them satisfactory in every way. Very easy to load on my Dillon, using the same seating die settings as for 230 fmj's. I do sense bit more smoke at the range (maybe just my imagination), but the gun stays clean and it's at least as accurate as the fmjs--maybe better.

It is a dense powder; when I load 4.6 grs (my more or less standard load w/230 fmj Zero bullets) there's lots of room left over, which means a double charge won't come close to overflowing the case. So I have to glance at each case before I put a bullet in it to make sure all is well. Not a bad idea as a rule, anyway. But I've noticed no variation in the powder drop from my 550 b; it measures quite consistently. overall it's hard to imagine a more satisfactory powder for 45 acp, though my experience with other powders is limited.

sounds like your FTE was a "squib," and you had a bullet stuck in the barrel when you lit the next round off. Same thing happened to me shooting my SA .45 with someone else's reloads, so now when I shoot my own reloads (Dillon 550), if there's a stovepipe or FTE I drop the magazine, lock the action, and make sure the barrel is clear. As they say, experience is a cruel teacher--first comes the test, then the lesson.

Where are these bullets to be found on the Net? Google search inconclusive.

Here's one of my favorites, though it's very well known: Two monks came to a river crossing; a recent flood had washed out the bridge, and it was necessary to wade across. A noble lady stood by the riverbank, not knowing how to proceed. One monk bowed, picked her up, carried her across the river, put her down, bowed, and continued on his way. After a while he turned to his companion and asked why he seemed so concerned: "We are monks," said the other, "and we're not to touch women." "Ah!!," said the first monk. "That is the difference between us. I put her down when we all crossed the river. You're still carrying her!" Lots of implications for shooters, or for those trying to improve in any skill.

I returned to pistol shooting just a few weeks ago after a "layoff" of more than ten years. Bought a SA stainless loaded in 45 acp w/adjustable sights. First couple of trips to the range I focused on breaking in the gun, and that went smoothly. But. She shot consistently low--a good six inches low, on average, at 25 yards. Aha, I thought, that's why you bought the adjustable sights, and set out to cure the problem. Two weeks later the sight is elevated a good dozen clicks, and I'm still shooting low. I brought the sights back down some, and I'm shooting just a little lower. So I've concluded that its' not the gun; it's me. Please, guys, what might I be doing wrong? I think I've got a decent two-hand grip, though I was trained in one-hand shooting many years ago (and I'm shooting low one-handed too); I'm not aware of any flinching; I'm using good-quality practice ammo (S&. Last time I was into this sport, as I recall, my struggle was to tighten my groups up, but I don't remember shooting chronically low.

I'm teetering on the edge of getting into reloading, both to save $ and strive for better accuracy in my ammunition. I know this site, and Brian himself, is partial to Dillon products; so is the 1911 forum. I guess I'm curious about why no one likes Lee products much, on either forum. Their 1000 seems to offer a lot. I hope I haven't touched off an avalanche with this question, but I'm really curious, and like most of us, don't want to spend more money than I have to to get started. Thanks!