coldchar

titegroup for minor 3n37 for major

used small rifle primer for years in all sorts of minor loads. Never any problems with sealing or breach face erosion in 38 super. Recently went to small pistol primers as they are softer and easier to reload.l

I live with the 151 ranier, used to use 4.0 gr titegroup with a 1.265-2.270 oal combined with winchester small rifle primer for a 150 pf. Extremely accurate then I found if I dropped to 3.4 gr titegroup and winchester small pistol primer I gave up only a little accuracy, ended up with a pf of 137 (bianchi minimum is 135) and my old joints liked it a lot more.

Found out my problem with a 10# recoil spring and 3.4 gr TG w/ 151 gr Ranier RN went away when the shock buffer went away. Apparently the buffer made a new 10# spring act like a 12 lb. which was too much for a 9mm equivalent load. My long slide is almost done- wonder what spring I will neet with 3.4 gr tg?

On my 38 super I have found Titegroup stabilizes a heavy ranier bullett for great accuracy starting at 3.9 gr. However as my 550 goes plus or minus .1 grain I set the measure at 4.0 gr. My power factor is in the 150's with Winchester Small Rifle Primers, Starline Super Comp and an oal of 1.265 to 1.270. Anything shorter is a problem due to the taper of the bullet. Great load. I have also found 3.4 gr TG is a joy to shoot given the perceived recoil. Pf 140. The problem I have is finding a recoil spring weight that will strip the rounds out of the magazine and still eject the spent round. I have been playing around with a 10 lb spring but am about to give it up and go back to 4.0 gr.

I don't know if the Witness large frame limited slide has more or less meat to it than the CZ but I went both the Bomar rear and fibre optic front site on my Witness slide. I provided the Bomar and how do you spell expensive$350. The job was done by Magnum Precision in Phoenix who is a genius with this gun type. Jeff had to mill down the rear of the slide and then did the prettiest silver soldering job I have ever seen attaching the Bomar to the slide. He then created a fibre optic front site. The slide is tough, gets softer on the inside but it is hard hard steel. I love the results. Even with the older limited top end with a 4.5 " barrell the size radius is still exactly what my 1911 is with the same site set up. Was it worth the cost? Probably not financially but the shooting results are great.

may I make a compromise suggestion. Not my idea but it works very well. Use the 9mm sizing die at station 1 of a 4 station set up of for a 38 super. The sizing die should be set to only size the first 1/4 inch or so of the 38 super brass where the bullet seats. This gives a very tight crimp for the bullet whether you are using a .355 or .357. The sizing die in station 1 also deprimes. The dillon 9mm die will not work it cannot be set to size high and deprime. I use the RCBS 9mm. In station 2 goes the powder feed and flaring die (yes I use a Dillon 550 and the Dillon die here). Station 3 is the wonderful bullet seating die by Redding. If you use more than one bullet type (I use several) one little turn will do you. I collect 38 supers and shoot them all. Station 4 is the equally great Lee full length carbide sizing die ( grind down the mouth to get it as low on the brass as possible). It will not stop the wide base but is a wonderful set up- thank you Chris H. for the guidance.

Like you, with 3N37, I have seen major velocity differences with the same loads shot a few months apart at different times of the year. With 7.5 grains and XTP HP bullets in the winter I have seen velocities vary 50-65 FPS with a 5" standard barsto as compared to shooting here in Phoenix in the summer. The hotter it is the hotter the loads are which is the opposite you are experiencing. Go figure. What I have not figured out is the pressure does not seem to dramatically climb. I use Tite Group for my steel shooting and get much more consistency with temperature variations. I guess it is just temperature sensitive or maybe it is the nature of the powder to be inconsistent. I still like it but it makes me a little cautious on the hotter loads.