Anyone using Hodgdon's Tightgroup or Universal in 45ACP?

[NVMM]

Anyone using Hodgdon's Tightgroup or Universal in 45ACP.
Are they really cleaner than Bullseye or Unique?
I've been using Bullseye and Unique for years and have always had great accuracy with them but they sure leave me with really dirty guns.
I've been thinking about trying a cleaner powder, any suggestions?

 

[HogRider]

Yes I use both and specially Universal seems to be very clean burning. And I think both meter better in my powder measure (Lee Auto Disk).

 

[HSMITH]

I have used them both. IMO titegroup wants more pressure than 45 acp delivers to be clean. Universal is quite happy at 45 acp pressure. If you shoot lead bullets stick with Unique, it has been my experience that Universal leads barrels far worse than Unique with the same bullet weight, composition and speed. Closer to Bullseye is regular Clays, it is ULTRA clean, soft shooting and economical. As an added bonus it is a high bulk powder, making it easy to visually verify charge level even on a progressive press. Clays and a 230 grain bullet is one of if not the softest shooting 45 acp loadings available. 3.8 and a 230LRN easily make USPSA power factor, and shoot ultra flat and ultra soft.

 

[NVMM]

HSMITH,
Do you think that Clays and a 230 grain bullet load would be a good pin load?
I didn't think you could get much velocity out of Clays.
I've heard Universal leads barrels and I only shoot lead.
I put 100 rounds through my 1911 the other day 50 with Bullseye and 50 with Unique (old Unique. I heard new Unique is cleaner.) and a 200gr lswc and I had gunk on the slide and barrel and Unique flakes in the clip.
Thanks
Michael

 

[P0832177]

TG leaves a residue on the case and muzzle. Nothing that some elbow grease can not remove from the gun. I love the value of TG. At 83 bucks for 8# it is cheap shooting for me! I use it with 200gr LSWC and 230gr FMJ. I tried Universal Clays for a while, but there was the unburnt powder deal. There is some compromise with most powders. I have went from Bullseye, Unique, 231/HP38, Universal Clays,and now on 3rd 8# jug!

Works for me!

 

[HSMITH]

Michael, Clays will get you about 800 fps at full loading with a 230 lead bullet, maybe a little more, out of a 5" barrel. I haven't had the opportunity to shoot pins so I don't know how that would stack up for a pin load. Depending on the lube used Clays is a light to moderate barrel leading powder at full charges.

One thing I do know, if you are shooting pins indoor with lead bullets Clays, Universal and Tite-Group are all BAD smokers. Unique and Bullseye are actually a little better in this regard. In a 15 round stand-and-shoot USPSA stage my Clays and lead bullet load is a handicap, the smoke will obscure the targets unless the wind is blowing pretty strongly. Same thing but worse on an indoor range as the smoke cloud is pulled out right in front of you.

 

[ulflyer]

Regular Clays?

Who makes "regular clays"? I get confused (not hard to do) over which is which when it comes to Clays. I'd like to try a can of the "Regular". Wouldn't mind having a tank full of regular gas either.

 

[NVMM]

ulflyer, Hodgdon's makes all the clays.
Clays, International Clays and Universal Clays.
Soon gun powder will be cheaper than gas. Better to shoot than drive?

HSMITH, thanks for the reply. All my shooting is out doors.
I'm going to buy a can of Clays today.
Also I've been looking at Accurate #5 for pins to replace my Unique.
My problem is all my powders are old, 25 years or older and I know there are newer powders that are the same or better. I love my Bullseye but I want a clean gun at the end of the day. So I gotta move into the new century. Besides it will give me an excuse to go buy new stuff.

I see some forum members are in the Hurricane Katrina vicinity, I sincerely hope all is well with you.
Michael

 

[Zak Smith]

I've loaded a gazillion with 5.1gr Titegroup, 200gr plated RN. I used to shoot it for IPSC and 3Gun. Works great.

I can tolerate some extra soot from powder as cheap as TG. FWIW, it's never fouled one of my guns enough to cause a failure, and it's mostly at the muzzle end anyway.

 

[C. H. Luke]

"...it's never fouled one of my guns enough to cause a failure, and it's mostly at the muzzle end anyway."

Almost exactly my experience! Have used TG extensively in 9 and a good bit in .40 & .45.

It does soot but at least in my experience can be wiped right off with a paper towel and breech-face just scrubbed with a stiff wire brush and no solvent, same for feed ramp etc.
However, have never used it with other than plated or jkt'd. bullets.

Clays does seem to shoot "softer" in .45 though but TG is the $ buster......

 

[Zak Smith]

FWIW, I've switched to TG in 9x19, 40SW (IPSC/3Gun), an 45ACP pretty much exclusively. For everything except +P duplicates in 9x19.

 

[PaulDaisy]

I shoot exclusively TG in my .45. Loaded FMJ, plated SWC, plated RN, lead RN and JHP in 200 and 230 gr, with 5 to 5.5 gr of TG. My .45 is black and I like that because stainless would get black very soon and it would be ambarassing. Sparks fly out of a 4" barrel and my buddy laughs, but it is cheap. I even loaded TG in a .44 mag, but boy did that gun get dirty in a hurry! Sitll cheap, so it works for me I prefer to tumble the brass, otherwise my hands look like I was putting out a fire when I reload those.

-P

 

[micglin]

I've got only two powders so far, I know one is Universal, and pretty sure the other is TG (unless it's Titewad). When I started reloading .45ACP, I heard recommendations that U.C. was clean burning, so tried that first, and it seems to be true. I was having problems with unburnt flakes accumulating in the action though, so tried TG. IIRC, it is quite sooty, but doesn't leave flakes behind, which bother me more than the dirtiness.