Titewad - Anyone using it?

[dirtypool40]

On the burn rate charts it's listed next to other fast powders we use for making major in .40 S&W.

I used to use VVN320, but am tired of the availability issues, so I have switched to Tight Group.

Has anyone played with Tite Wad?

[Carlos]

A search on Titewad should produce my question on the same topic about a year back; I believe that the only positive reply came from regular poster who's name is something like "GM in Prod" & he reported using it for 38 Special minor bullseye loads. I was thinking along the same lines as you & wondering about its potential for a major load in either .45 ACP (very plausible) or even .40.

D.

[dirtypool40]

Yeah I know of some folks who are using VVN310 and other really fast powders, so I just kinda wondered if there were other "explorers" out there.

[carinab]

PM ReneeT, she has a recipe for Titegroup that she uses out of both her 6" and 5" STI.

[Harmon]

i believe titewad is probably going to behave much like Clays and International clays in hanguns...i mean it wouldnt be a smart move on hodgdons part to sell a powder that will work in handguns, but offer No data for it.

[gm iprod]

I have done some toying with TW and it is very fast, although it is listed similar in burn rate to N310 or N320, it does not like high pressure loads. N320 is a little more forgiven.

Last year I spoke with some guys at Hodgdon and they were a little cautious about using it in handguns. Their reasoning was that although it is similar in burn rate TW was specifically developed for shotguns and the progressive way in which the powder burns as the payload (lead only) was cushioned by the wad. This cushioning is missing from a handgun (lead or jacketed).

I found with heavier bullets in 40 (180gr +) or 45 (200gr +) you could get good loads up to a bit under Major then pressures got silly QUICKLY. I never tried anything other than 125-130 pf in 38Super and Bullseye loads (less than mouse power factor) in 32S&W Long or 38Spl.

Fine for minor PF, but I suspect that due to its small granules and ball powder makeup, hotter loads should be carefully worked up to and more probably avoided. Accuracy was poor to shitty when the loads got hot.

[dirtypool40]

thanks, good info. Enough of that idea, I"m going back to TG & 320

[Sterling White]

Has anyone played with Tite Wad?

No but I know a few!

[sargenv]

I wanted to wait to see some consensus about this since I actually use TW for shotshells. For what they designed it for, it's a great powder, light charges of powder and light loads of shot. I was leary of making any reccomendations based on theory and I'm actually happy to have seen the "that's not a good idea" come from Hodgdon. I've experienced things like this in the past utilizing power that wasn't designed for a specific purpose trying to be cheap or experimental. Generally my results were not what I expected and I fell back on convention.

I am happy to see people asking these questions though, it's good to be curious.

Vince

[Carlos]

Gee thanks Sterling - I resemble your remark! How dare you.

gm iprod: I appologize for butchering your name, Thanks again for the data. It would seem that Titewad only has realistic potential for:

.40 Minor; especailly with lead,

9mm minor up to 147 and

.45 minor for SSR in IDPA.

possibly steel loads

Regards, D.

[gm iprod]

Carlos,

no problems, I have been called worse.

Stick to the lighter bullets even for 9mm, the small case capacity of the 9mm is unkind to T/Wad.

Sargenv,

I know a few guys who use t/Wad for shotshells and saw the performance they were getting and it all seemed to be around the old Trap100 - WST etc burn rate. So some experimentation was called for. I started with the 38Spl and wadcutters and worked around the data. Results were fine until you tried to get heavier projectiles moving or light ones moving fast. I think the opinion to stick with TG and N320 is sound.

[sargenv]

I know a few guys who use t/Wad for shotshells and saw the performance they were getting and it all seemed to be around the old Trap100 - WST etc burn rate. So some experimentation was called for. I started with the 38Spl and wadcutters and worked around the data. Results were fine until you tried to get heavier projectiles moving or light ones moving fast. I think the opinion to stick with TG and N320 is sound.

I used to do this kind of thing back when I was a starting reloader. While my results were ok, I probably wouldn't do this kind of thing unless I had little choice in the matter since I have better powders suited to it. If I had a case of TW and not much else, then I'd probably use it. As it is, TG works great for everything I shoot (9mm, 40, 38 spl) so I don't feel a need to experiment. That and just not having the time to goof with loads, etc. I agree though, it is similar to Trap 100 or even Win AA 452 which was discontinued around the time H pulled Trap 100.

All in all, I like TW for light target loads, but it has fallen out of use for me recently as I aquired about 20 # of Red dot in an estate sale. When that runs out, I'll probably start using TW again due to cost savings over other powders.

One things I noticed about TW though, one 4# keg of it tended to flash unburned powder out the ejection port of my Gold as the shell exited. I asked H about this at the NRA show in 2002 in Reno and they said that was the first they had heard of it. *shrug* weird.

Vince