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Thread: Hodgdon Titegroup and .38 Special Cast Bullets....Bad Combination ???

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Hodgdon Titegroup and .38 Special Cast Bullets....Bad Combination ???

    I am casting Plain-base, 158 grain, .38 Special SWC. I have been using Unique and Bullseye. But, with the rush on supplies the only powder that has been available in my local stores has been Titegroup. And, it had a recipe on it that looked promising. So, I bought a pound of it.
    158 GR. CAST LSWC Hodgdon Titegroup .358" 1.475" 3.2 815 11,500 CUP 3.8 920 15,400 CUP
    Perhaps, I should have done a little reading, first. There are not the most positive comments made of this powder on the various forums I have browsed. On the issue of narrow loading range, 3.2-3.8 grains, I am not concerned. I hand weigh each powder charge and am not worried about going over or double-charging. For the record, I am planning to load in the middle at about 3.5 grains.

    I am concerned about the heat issue and the melting of a plain-based cast bullet that I have read about.

    QUESTION: Are these truly issue to be worried about? Is this really happening? Would ya'll experienced folks educate me on Titegroup in the .38 Special with cast bullets?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Boolit Master DrCaveman's Avatar
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    I have tried titegroup in my 45 acp behind cast boolits. While I chose another load for my 'keeper', there was nothing wrong with the TG load. No lead deposits, certainly no melting that I was aware of.

    I have a friend who swears by 4.8 gr TG behind a 200 gr cast swc in 45. He loads it up for sheriffs and cops for competition.

    I know I haven't answered the question directly, but same rules pretty much apply. If your fit is good, and the pressure is normal, you will be fine.

    Load, shoot.

  3. #3
    Cast Boolits Owner



    No_1's Avatar
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    I have to agree. I bought a jug of TG when I could not find any Bullseye and have used it for 45 ACP as well as 38 Special. No problems to speak of.
    "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
    - Albert Camus -

  4. #4
    Boolit Bub
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    I use tg in 38,9,45 for the last 2 years a round 5000 rds. A summer no problems.
    Wells

  5. #5
    Boolit Mold
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    I've shot many thousands of 38spl with Titegroup and never had any problems. I load on the low side of the published data with both 125 and 158gr bullets. No melting or leading that I've seen.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master




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    I have loaded & shot a couple thousand 45ACP's with Titegroup. I have no negative comments. And some of the loads were VERY accurate. Mike
    Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason. Benjamin Franklin

  7. #7
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    Titegroup + 38 Special + Cast = Excellent Results. I use it almost exclusively.

  8. #8
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    Titegroup is my go to powder for target/competition loads in 380, 9mm, 38, 40,10mm,45acp. Many, many thousands of rounds. You are right about the Titegroup naysayers, there is one on this site that bad mouths it every chance he gets. He also posts on glocktalk.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master waco's Avatar
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    Its my go to powder in the .38
    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    Proverbs 1:7

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub
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    Titegroup is good in 38 spl, I think its just matter of preference. I use mostly Bullseye second Red Dot if have neither then use TG, have found no real difference in performance. I do notice with hotter loads I do get more leading in the throat, but I'm sure there are other related things. Light loads it works great

  11. #11
    Boolit Bub march41's Avatar
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    It will work great in 3.5gr area.I load 148hbwc at 3.2 clean shooting.accurate.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    Good powder. I wouldn't suggest it for 44 mag, personally. I blew up my 629 with it, but I use it a lot for 45, 38, 9mm, etc.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use Titegroup in a lot of different handgun calibers with very good results. I don't use it in magnums, there are better powders for them.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Tightgroup has prooved to be the most accurate powder I have worked with in pistol calibers from .32WCF. thru .45 long colt. All loads were with plain-base Ideal/Lyman bullets cast fairly soft from range scrap & 50-50 solder..no leading problems with this stuff.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    3.5 grains HTG behind a 158 grain lead bullets is a favorite for Distinguished Revolver (DR) competition. You can drop a few tenths of a grain if you don't need 50 yd accuracy.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master


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    TG does have a fairly narrow range. With over 70,000 rounds of cast boolits pushed by TG I've never seen anything that made me think the boolit bases were melting. Very little lead has ever been left in the barrel. TG will meter just fine. Glad you have the patience to weigh each charge but if you have a powder measure you might see just how closely it will throw charges to your desired weight. Every one of the 70,000+ rounds was loaded on Dillon progressive presses using Dillon powder measures. The loads never have failed to meet the minimum power factor at a match and they were all thrown by a measure.

    David
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    I, too, use lots of Titegroup. I load it in 38 Special, 45 ACP, and 45 Long Colt. Haven't tried it on anything else, yet. But, the more I read on this website, the better informed I am, and will try what others have tried within reason.

    [It wasn't long ago when we thought it was crazy to load pistol and rifle calibers with shotgun powders] I'm sure many more variations will surface over the next several years. Thanks for all the information folks!

    HV
    Life's biggest tragedy is we get old too soon, and wise too late.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    As for the melting of the base of the boolit, that does not happen. The time a boolit spends in the barrel of a pistol or rifle is like a millisecond. I have heard this many times over the years and have tested it many times, by recovering pistol boolits and rifle boolits and have never found that the base of the boolit showed any amount of melting. I know of others that have tested this also and thay have come up with the same answer. Good question though, and looks like you got some good answers.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    Titegroup is my primary pistol powder unless I am loading a magnum pistol load its loaded with titegroup its a fast powder like bullseye but I find that it burns much more completely than bullseye

  20. #20
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    melt smelt.
    the only thing you have to worry about with titegroup powder is when squishing it into a smaller area at the top end of it's data.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check