changing powders

[rodney brown]

Opinions Please

I have been shooting USPSA and IPSC using Bullseye and 230 gr Jacketed bullets in my S&W 625 45ACP. I have been looking for something cleaner and am thinking of switching to Hodgdon Clays or Titegroup. From what I have read, the recoil is more of a push rather than a snap, with Clays or Titegroup. Recoil is not a problem with me, but I have read it seems less with the two aforementioned powders. Then today, along comes my friend, who shoots the same gun as me and he has just changed to Hodgdon Longshot. He says it is great, clean and easy to shoot. But it is much slower burning than Clays, Bullseye or Titegroup.

I would appreciate any opinions and load data from any of the forum members. We need to make 170 PF here in Canada, to shoot Major, so if your loads are at the top end of the suggested range and don't make that PF, I may be out of luck with your load.

I have searched the reloading forums. If you know of any threads discussing this, please point me the right direction.

Thanks

Rod Brown

[Carlos]

Greetings Rod!

I also shoot a 625. You can't go wrong shooting a 230 w/ your gun & Clays powder. I personaly like Solo 1000 which you can find at any trap & skeet club. I have, in the past, used TG, but fir 45 use, it left soot that built up over time. I think Clays or Solo 1000 would be better choices.

Regards,

TY-44934

[Tom E]

Slower powders will give less sharp feeling recoil.

[pskys2]

If you have a chrono start at 4.0 grains of Clays. I used 4.2 with 230 Raniers at the LPR Nats this year and chrono'd 759,765, 763 for an average of 762/175PF.

Consistent and accurate.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I found Titegroup a very hot powder. (Barrel gets real hot) I switched to American Select after talking to Jerry M at S&W one year. I like the powder.

I have recently order some Clays to try as I was told it is even cleaner than the American Select..

I still use the Titegroup in my 40 S&W loads as well as 9MM & 357SIG. It has proven to be a good all around powder.

Edited October 8, 2007 by Round_Gun_Shooter

[Byron Simpson]

I use Titegroup for many calibers: 9mm, .38 Special, .357Mag. But when I load .45ACP for the 625, I use Clays. It is cleaner and will let me shoot more rounds before there is any buildup in the cylinder that might cause cases to stick on ejection.

[revchuck]

I was a long-time user of Titegroup, mostly in .38 Special and 9x19. I'm switching away from it for .38 Special due to the heat, which is more of a problem here in Louisiana than in the Great White North. You can literally give yourself first degree burns if you do a strong-hand reload.

I find Titegroup is a clean burning powder. I went through 750 rounds in one day with no problems due to unburnt powder, and no problems due to heat since it was about 45 degrees F and raining. My stainless gun's cylinder was black at the end of the day, and took 0000 steel wool and gun oil to clean off.

I'm probably switching to Solo 1000, which I'll try when I get finished reloading all the .223 I have to do.

[scooterj]

I have been using Winchester SuperTarget for my 625 loads with 230gr lead round nose bullets. Shot 150 rounds in a match yesterday and did not brush my cylinder once. WST is one of the easiest powders for me to find in my area.

[Dave Marques]

Rodney:

IMHO Clays is the way to go. It is soft, fairly clean and its soft. Did I say it was soft too? For the .45ACP Clays should be safe at 170.

As an FYI:

WST & WSF have issues with heat and humidity (mostly the heat). The loads loose velocity as the temperature of the loaded round increases. Meaning – if you chrono your load in 65 degree weather and use this load in a match where it is 95 degrees you will notice a decrease in velocity. I speak from experience- Back in the mid 1990's I used to use WST in .45ACP in LTD-you can compensate-but I used to break a sweat when chrono-ing. From memory I think it was like a delta of .4 grains – and I was using 255’s!

[Carmoney]

Another vote for Clays. About 4.2 grains oughta do ya.

[one-gun]

In my .38 super 627 I use 4.5 gr Titegroup, 124 gr. Montana Gold CMJ in .355, 1.26 OAL. It makes @ 130 pf and shoots pretty well for the ICORE and occassional steel challenge I shoot. Doesn't seem to be very accurate at 50 yards but then neither am I.

I've read here and on other posts that the titegroup is a cleaner burning powder. But I've noticed sometimes after @ 3-400 rounds, little tails of fouling stretch out from the crown to the muzzle crown cover (not comp b/c I shoot limited) which I found dramatically impacts my accuracy. I've been brushing mid match but I didn't know if this is unburned powder, plating/lead from the bullet or some combination. Figured I'd run my recipe by the experts to seek answers and see if any improvements can be made. Wouldn't mind still using Titegroup as I've stock piled some from IRC prize packs and a brother who shoots even less that I do (read - never.)

[rodney brown]

Opinions Please

I have been shooting USPSA and IPSC using Bullseye and 230 gr Jacketed bullets in my S&W 625 45ACP. I have been looking for something cleaner and am thinking of switching to Hodgdon Clays or Titegroup. From what I have read, the recoil is more of a push rather than a snap, with Clays or Titegroup. Recoil is not a problem with me, but I have read it seems less with the two aforementioned powders. Then today, along comes my friend, who shoots the same gun as me and he has just changed to Hodgdon Longshot. He says it is great, clean and easy to shoot. But it is much slower burning than Clays, Bullseye or Titegroup.

I would appreciate any opinions and load data from any of the forum members. We need to make 170 PF here in Canada, to shoot Major, so if your loads are at the top end of the suggested range and don't make that PF, I may be out of luck with your load.

I have searched the reloading forums. If you know of any threads discussing this, please point me the right direction.

Thanks

Rod Brown

To all who replied, many thanks. I think I will try Clays with some Rainier 230gr jacketed, that I bought a couple of weeks ago at Cabella's.

Thanks to all

Rod Brown

[JFD]

I tested a lot of powders for the .45 and nothing comes close to Clays. This is especially true for cast bullets, as Clays smokes the least.