Titegroup and 38 SP ? Anyone loading?

In The Black

In The Black

CGN frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Location
Durham Region
It's listed on the can, but wouldn't be my first choice. Is anyone loading 38 Sp. with TG?

I've got 158 gr. bullets, I'm aiming for a soft load and am thinking about starting with a 3 gr. charge.

Can anyone offer me some insight?

All the best!

ITB
 
hodgdon says 3.5gr starting 3.9gr max for 158gr 38spl. i would start at 3.5, but 3gr should still get the bullet outta the barrel.

pretty sure i have tried that combo, but i don't remember the results or charge weight. i 95% of the time it's 2.8gr of bullseye under a 148gr HBWC for 38spl.
 
I'm using 2.8gr of Titegroup under a Hornady 158gr lead SWC. It's a very similar load in velocity and accuracy to 2.7gr of Bullseye under the same bullet.

The minimum loads on the Hodgdon website for Titegroup are too snappy for target velocities.
 
My recipes for 158gr JHP are:

Titegroup @1.456" COAL - 3.5gr (nice shooter)
Titegroup @1.456" COAL - 4.0gr (still nice, just a little more to let you know it's there)
 
And why would it NOT be your first choice? It's a superb hand gun ammo powder. It's also the primary powder of choice around these parts for everyone from IPSC to cowboy action because it meters well, isn't volume sensitive and isn't sensitive to working at the extreme ends of the loading data like some can be. And in fact it's been my "go to" powder for .38Spl for a few years now and probably 10K worth of ammo split between cast lead loads for my cowboy shooting and plated loads for IDPA and Speed Steel revolver work.

The 158gn LSWC bullet loads I did for my S&W Model 10 came out needing 3.5gns of Tightgroup for this fixed sight gun. For cowboy action I load 3.8 behind a 130gn LRNFP just so it feels like I'm shooting a "real" gun instead of powder puff loads. For 125 Berry's plated bullets I load the same 3.8gns for the same reason and because I'm sure it'll meet the IDPA power factor. In the hand all these loads feel pretty much the same for recoil.
 
I've been running 4.3gr with the 158gr Frontier and Berry's.

There is a downside to using TG in a 38, and that's on the reload, the cylinder and forcing cone hot and will burn you when performing a reload.
 
According to the Lee Modern Reloading Second Edition manual, it recommends to start 3.2 gr of TG and a maximum of 3.9 gr for a 158 grain XTP bullet. Velocity at maximum is 798 fps and OAL is 1.445 inches.
 
You may want to run some different loads 10 or 20 of each, test them and determine what you like. I find that, although I value the recommended loads on forums, I perform a test run and pick the best ones for my guns.
 
Thank you All for the responses, I truly appreciate it.

I'll sit down and review this again, prior to pressing a few small batches.

I'll start at 2.8 and move up from there.

BCRider asked why Titegroup wasn't my first choice, the honest answer is that I prefer Unique. My non technical explanation for this is that I like a "poof" and not a "snap". The second explanation is that I have never really given TG a fair shake, which is what I'm attempting to do now.

Again, Thank You All.

ITB
 
Titegroup vs Unique.

Unique is the better 'all-round powder" if you also have to make some high velocity ammo.

But if you are making medium power ammo for plinking or accuracy, TG will get better results.

Also, Unique is a flake powder that will not meter well in some kinds of throwers. TG meters very well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom