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Hodgdon Titegroup vs VV N320 for 9mm


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1 hour ago, Ssanders224 said:

Those two powders are night and day. 

However either will work well under a 147.   If you don't mind the price, go with N320. 

Price is the same in Europe... N320 better? In which way?

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I used Titegroup for years then a couple of years ago I switched to VV N320.  The Titegroup was very smoky when using lead or coated lead bullets.  VV N320 cost a little more, but will worth it.

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Negatives to TG: gun gets super freaking hot. smokes considerably with coated bullets.

 

Negatives to N320: cost and availability. possible metering issues leading to inconsistent powder drops.

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Yeah, if the cost is the same, there is no way I'd use titegroup.

 

Interesting anecdotal note, during practice last week I was using the last of some old practice ammo which had a few TG rounds mixed in.  During a drill the sudden appearance of smoke on a shot was really distracting; it was a TG round mixed in with e3 stuff.  You don't realize how "much" smoke a TG round has in comparison to low/no smoke rounds.

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Negatives to N320: cost and availability. possible metering issues leading to inconsistent powder drops.

What powder dispenser are you using and getting inconsistent drops of 320? And how large a variance?
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1 hour ago, candiru said:


What powder dispenser are you using and getting inconsistent drops of 320? And how large a variance?

I know I am in the minority but I use a 1050, albeit a very old one, and got absolute crap metering out of n320.  Didn't matter if I used the mechanical bell crank powder bar return or the two spring version. Didn't matter if I used the Dillon or a glass hopper. Didn't matter if I used a baffle or not. Didn't matter if I applied vibration or not to the hopper. Didn't matter if I used a Dillon small, extra small powder bar or a plastic Arredondo one. Didn't matter in a polished or not hopper base. Can you tell I tried considerably to make it work?

 

I would get 0.3 to 0.4 grain variations in drop. In the exact same press without all the finicky stuff I get great, consistent drops of WST, Titegroup, E3, Sport Pistol, WinClean and AA#2. There is something about its, N320, density and rod shape that just killed it for me. I know I know, once again I am in the minority of hating it. But that was my experience.

 

Good loads felt great, shot great and all the other subjective measurements. But I absolutely could not trust it for a reliable, consistent drop in my press.

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I know I am in the minority but I use a 1050, albeit a very old one, and got absolute crap metering out of n320.  Didn't matter if I used the mechanical bell crank powder bar return or the two spring version. Didn't matter if I used the Dillon or a glass hopper. Didn't matter if I used a baffle or not. Didn't matter if I applied vibration or not to the hopper. Didn't matter if I used a Dillon small, extra small powder bar or a plastic Arredondo one. Didn't matter in a polished or not hopper base. Can you tell I tried considerably to make it work?
 
I would get 0.3 to 0.4 grain variations in drop. In the exact same press without all the finicky stuff I get great, consistent drops of WST, Titegroup, E3, Sport Pistol, WinClean and AA#2. There is something about its, N320, density and rod shape that just killed it for me. I know I know, once again I am in the minority of hating it. But that was my experience.
 
Good loads felt great, shot great and all the other subjective measurements. But I absolutely could not trust it for a reliable, consistent drop in my press.

Wow! That's huge and bizarre. I get +-0.02. Well, at least you get consistent results for other powders.
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I know I am in the minority but I use a 1050, albeit a very old one, and got absolute crap metering out of n320.  Didn't matter if I used the mechanical bell crank powder bar return or the two spring version. Didn't matter if I used the Dillon or a glass hopper. Didn't matter if I used a baffle or not. Didn't matter if I applied vibration or not to the hopper. Didn't matter if I used a Dillon small, extra small powder bar or a plastic Arredondo one. Didn't matter in a polished or not hopper base. Can you tell I tried considerably to make it work?
 
I would get 0.3 to 0.4 grain variations in drop. In the exact same press without all the finicky stuff I get great, consistent drops of WST, Titegroup, E3, Sport Pistol, WinClean and AA#2. There is something about its, N320, density and rod shape that just killed it for me. I know I know, once again I am in the minority of hating it. But that was my experience.
 
Good loads felt great, shot great and all the other subjective measurements. But I absolutely could not trust it for a reliable, consistent drop in my press.

Try make a mount for and RCBS powder dispenser and mount in your 1050. Does a better job on metering. Can’t speak to N320/310 though it however.


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1 hour ago, rowdyb said:

No thanks. NO reason at all to do that just to make one powder work when there are enough options out there I like better.

 

Thats crazy that it doesn’t work well for you.

Ive worked with A LOT of N320 on everything from SDB, to 1050s, to commercial machines, and it always meters EXTREMELY well, regardless of the type of measure. 

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I may be in the odd group also, I have have better luck with titegroup. I get lower ES and SD valves then with N320, and better accuracy with less powder to reach the same speeds. Plus in my area you can get titegroup for $16-18 a pound and can't touch N320 for under $40 a pound. And as far as recoil impulse a 132 power factor load with a 147gr bullet loaded with titegroup feels lighter to me than a 132 power factor load with N320 with the same bullet, I only have one load for one handgun I have found  N320 works better than titegroup. But what ever floats your boat, go with what works for you and your gun. 

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11 hours ago, GeneBray said:


Try make a mount for and RCBS powder dispenser and mount in your 1050. Does a better job on metering. Can’t speak to N320/310 though it however.

Lot of work for one powder.

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22 hours ago, rowdyb said:

I know I am in the minority but I use a 1050, albeit a very old one, and got absolute crap metering out of n320.  Didn't matter if I used the mechanical bell crank powder bar return or the two spring version. Didn't matter if I used the Dillon or a glass hopper. Didn't matter if I used a baffle or not. Didn't matter if I applied vibration or not to the hopper. Didn't matter if I used a Dillon small, extra small powder bar or a plastic Arredondo one. Didn't matter in a polished or not hopper base. Can you tell I tried considerably to make it work?

 

I would get 0.3 to 0.4 grain variations in drop. In the exact same press without all the finicky stuff I get great, consistent drops of WST, Titegroup, E3, Sport Pistol, WinClean and AA#2. There is something about its, N320, density and rod shape that just killed it for me. I know I know, once again I am in the minority of hating it. But that was my experience.

 

Good loads felt great, shot great and all the other subjective measurements. But I absolutely could not trust it for a reliable, consistent drop in my press.

Try Clays for a while, then switch back to N320....you'll think it meters like water then!!

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I have a Hornady LnL drop on my Dillon because it produces more consistent drops than the Dillon drop, BUT it doesn't work well with N320.  It's not terrible by any stretch, and it's not broad enough to kill accuracy, but my SDs with N320 are always higher than just about everything else.

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I was just looking through some of the load data for titegroup on the hodgdon site. There is only a 23 fps difference between min and max velocities for 115 hp's. Sh!t im lucky if I have SD's lower than that. The more I use, test and look into this powder; the more surprised it makes me how popular it seems to be

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