Titegroup or Unique ?

[Bmi48219]

Fishing for opinions on whether to switch to Titegroup for target / plinking / all around loads in 9 mm & 45 acp. I've been using Unique - 5.4 grs under 115 L or CPRN in 9mm and same charge under 230 gr CPRN in my 45 loads.
These loads are pretty accurate, plus I don't have to change the setting on my Lyman 55 measure. As long as I keep the powder hopper over 1/2 full, the 55 drops real close (+\- .05 grains) consistently.
On the negative side, Unique burns pretty dirty, And Titegroup is less expensive. TG also looks like it would meter well.
Also wondering how the (relatively) faster burn rate of TG will effect accuracy.
My 9's have 3.5, 4 & 6" barrels and the 45's are 5 & 7".
I've also heard TG is low temperature sensitive, not a problem where I live.
So does anyone with TG & Unique experience have an opinion?

[RogerDat]

Use both, like both. I think TG has a different recoil profile, not sure how else to describe it. Similar loads yield a different recoil. Buy a pound of TG and give it a try if you like it buy more, if not even after 50 or 100 rounds of each loaded you will still have plenty left to use up "someday". I will say Unique is probably a bit more versatile, one can find load data for a lot of stuff with Unique. I don't think TG is nearly as broad in it's application. Little or some cleaner but for me not a huge factor. I'm doing mostly revolver loads, 38, 357, some .32 acp. Have loaded 45 colt also and found it satisfactory. But then so was Unique under same lead.

[Beagle333]

I prefer Unique, but shoot more TG, since that's what's always on the shelf around here, and it's $20 a can. Shoot what you can get regularly.
As said above, there's lots of load data out there for Unique.

[HeavyHev]

TiteGroup all the way. I find that it meters much better than Unique as it is a much smaller flake. I use it for my USPSA minor loads and it is by far my favorite. Also Beagle nailed it when he said it is on the shelves. Hodgdon must be pumping tons of this stuff out or it is the best kept secret because it is rarely out.

[OS OK]

I use TG for two main reasons.
It meters well, very well and I have greater trust in it's metering capability on my progressive.
Second...it is always on the shelf out here in California.

IIRC'ly, in big bore .45 it is more efficient in the 185g. lightweight projectiles and Unique is the cat's meow for a heavier variety .45's.

Plinking rounds are generally a more economically made round and TG is on the recipe.

Bottom line...they are both winners.

[DerekP Houston]

I use TG for two main reasons.
It meters well, very well and I have greater trust in it's metering capability on my progressive.
Second...it is always on the shelf out here in California.

IIRC'ly, in big bore .45 it is more efficient in the 185g. lightweight projectiles and Unique is the cat's meow for a heavier variety .45's.

Plinking rounds are generally a more economically made round and TG is on the recipe.

Bottom line...they are both winners.

Yep same here, bought TG originally due to its high availability and ease of metering. I still have all the ol' standbys as well now that the drought is over.

[Walkingwolf]

I like titegroup, mostly because it has been more widely available, but it works. On thing to keep in mind with mouse fart loads is case volume with titegroup. If you want to use very small charges for longer cases you will need a filler. I found this out the hard way when shooting at a snake, bullet stuck in the barrel, cotton filler solved the problem.

[Eddie Southgate]

Prefer Unique but use both . Don't see how you could go wrong with either . My preference for Unique is probably based more on the fact that I'm an old fart and have been using it for 50 years without any issues with it .

Eddie

[dubber123]

I have loaded TG for a friend, but not myself personally. Still, at present time in my area, I would go with TG as it is available much more often, at a cheaper price. If you were searching for utmost accuracy, you would need both, along with others to test. For plinking as you state, the difference, if any would be minor. A dependable supply means a lot.

[Blackwater]

Unique gives you more options on the high end of the loading scale with both calibers. I haven't loaded much 9mm., and it's been a long time since I have, so can't recollect what I loaded for sure, but believe it was Unique. Some friends used many other powders with cast, for "plinking" loads, and none were ever really into shooting small groups with a handgun, so I just kept using the Unique (or whatever it was?) and kept shooting nice groups with my gun, a P-35.

If you carry for self defense, I'd definitely go with Unique or even one of the slower powders that give top velocity with the bullet wt. you're using. But that's just what I'd do, and there are a bunch of ways to skin this cat.

[tazman]

We have lots of Titegroup powder on the shelves around here and online for comparatively good prices. It meters well and shoots accurately i anything I have tried it in.
What is this Unique powder you speak of? Haven't seen anything by that name here for several years.

[fatelk]

I found 8 lbs of Titegroup last year, fairly cheap at Cabelas. I never even opened it to try it because I didn't need it yet, but I read a couple places where it was claimed that it wasn't best for powder coated bullets because it seemed to effect the PC on the base of the bullet. I had just started powder coating (love it) and was mildly concerned.

I wasn't really worried about it, but then I saw a guy on a regional forum that had an unopened 8lb can of Unique. He said that he bought it because it was all he could find but he really wanted Titegroup, anyone want to trade?! We met up and traded, both went away happy. Not too long afterwards I found another 8lb can of Unique. If that's not a lifetime supply of Unique for me, it's pretty close.

Anyone know if there's anything to the concern about Titegroup and powder coated bullets?

[retread]

I use TG with PC and have never noticed any effect on the bore or the slugs when I recovered them. Seems like there is a group of folks out there that have a bias concerning PC. I personally have not run into any of these problems. Some claim a slight loss in accuracy but I use them primarily in pistol and revolvers so it would be harder to evaluate considering the shorter distances.

[Wally]

Unique Powder 1 pound Just checked...

Bass Pro Shop $34.00 In stock

Powder Valley $19.25 Out of Stock (OOS)

Midsouth $21.50 OOS

Wideners $16.25 OOS

Grafs $22.00 OOS

Seems that Bass Pro Shop always has it in stock. I never have found it in stock at the other dealers mentioned in years.

We have lots of Titegroup powder on the shelves around here and online for comparatively good prices. It meters well and shoots accurately i anything I have tried it in.
What is this Unique powder you speak of? Haven't seen anything by that name here for several years.

[OS OK]

Bass Pro Shop just finished one of their stores out here about 20 miles down the hill from me...a beautiful store with lots of merchandise but once I started looking at their prices, I remembered that I didn't bring any Vaseline so I left and ain't been back.

[Soundguy]

Another vote for titegroup here!

[tdoyka]

i like unique in my 44mag sbh. i have a pound of tite group but i haven't used it yet. hs-6(i have to get) is another powder i have to try.

[kmrra]

I have been using HP38 for all my pistol rounds from 380 up up to45 auto good all round Powder I have used and still do use Unique , ,,,, I use H110 in the 500 S&W , I bought some Tightgroupe but In dont think I have loaded any of it yet ....There is so much to choose from now days , it not like it was 40 years ago , I had gotten out of Guns and reloading for 30 years and when I got back into it right after Sandyhook I was amazed at how things had changed in everything from guns to Loading supplies and equipment , Just amazing. even back then , of coarse there wasnt any internet all we had was the shotgun news and it was real thick back then. and its a god send to have this forum here, the guys here are the best and will kelp you out if you need it. My hat is off to everyone here.

[Soundguy]

We had handloaders digest too. I have back to issue 1.

[JimB..]

Anyone know if there's anything to the concern about Titegroup and powder coated bullets?

Yeah, eats the base off them if stored for a while, some say the rounds are a little smokier than fresh rounds, but no effect on performance otherwise. I can't tell a difference between old and new, but tend to shoot what I load pretty quick.

Happens with most powders, not just TG.