What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Tinkermatic said:
What’s the general consensus on Titegroup? People seem to love or hate it from what I’ve read. I scored a pound, unfortunately, just a pound was all that was available and with shipping and hazmat fees I’m not feeling as joyous as perhaps I should.
Aside from being a hot powder and perhaps not using lead cast bullets, what am I missing?
I’d be loading 9mm exclusively, mostly range ammo perhaps some defense ammo if I can find projectiles at all.
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Nothing wrong with it, feel joyous-"a little goes a long ways", or something like that. I think the biggest hate that I read about titegroup is the possibility of a double/triple charge. The other being the window between min and max charge is tight compared to others. I am not the most meticulous reloader and I still have all my digits, and I used titeroup for years. Just need to pay attention, but that's the same with all powders. I have had no issue with coated lead either.
I just like true blue more because it seems cleaner, flows like water, and the kid says it's smoother. Last part is probably in her head.
 
whacko said:
I found put the hard way that fast powder plus heavy jacketed bullets equals stuck bullet in bore. I found some load data for 700x with a 158 grain jacketed bullet for 38 special. They ran fine through my snub 38 but first shot through the Henry carbine and "frrrp"......bullet came out of the muzzle and bounced on the floor about 25 feet down range.

If unique isn't listed for a heavy jacketed projo.......I'll just not use it......especially as these are going to be put the ruger carbine
Click to expand...

Sounds like that was pretty interesting. I've been using 280gr and Unique now for years with zero issue in the rifle, but that's probably due to the fact that Winchesters are designed better than Rugers. ;)
Still on my second coffee, that was intended as humor if it didn't come across that way.
 
Tinkermatic said:
What’s the general consensus on Titegroup? People seem to love or hate it from what I’ve read. I scored a pound, unfortunately, just a pound was all that was available and with shipping and hazmat fees I’m not feeling as joyous as perhaps I should.
Aside from being a hot powder and perhaps not using lead cast bullets, what am I missing?
I’d be loading 9mm exclusively, mostly range ammo perhaps some defense ammo if I can find projectiles at all.
Click to expand...

I like TiteGroup. I mostly shoot 9mm, 124 grn plated XTreme or Berrys, and I load them over 4.0 grains of TiteGroup. For 124 grn 9mm, starting load is 3.6 and max load is 4.1. I'm approaching max, but comfortably under it. Meets powerfactor easily for IDPA/USPSA, knocks down steel, and is a pleasant round in all of my 9mm guns. I use the same load for everything from my G43 up to my Ruger PCC.

I also load .38spcl with it, 135 grain Blue Bullets and they run fine.

The only thing I don't load with it is my magnum loads, .357Mag and .357Sig. Accura #9 and magnum primers for them.
 

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Tinkermatic said:
What’s the general consensus on Titegroup? People seem to love or hate it from what I’ve read. I scored a pound, unfortunately, just a pound was all that was available and with shipping and hazmat fees I’m not feeling as joyous as perhaps I should.
Aside from being a hot powder and perhaps not using lead cast bullets, what am I missing?
I’d be loading 9mm exclusively, mostly range ammo perhaps some defense ammo if I can find projectiles at all.
Click to expand...
Titegroup is a solid performing pistol powder and the first choice for a lot of IPSC and IDPA types. It can be a bit dirtier than other options, but not much. Personally, once I was able to secure a good supply of N320, I’ve stuck with that. But Titegroup is a nice backup in the powder magazine.
 
Palladin said:
ok, using wheel weights for bullets. I have an endless supply of wheel weights. how can I tell the composition of the weight?
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You can’t really unless you have access to an XRF gun.
Just make sure to sort out the zinc weights. Any more than 2% or so zinc in your lead alloy will turn it into oatmeal and there isn’t a good way to fix that.

This alloy calculator is a good rough idea of where you will be at for alloy/hardness.
You can blend up some alloy to suit your needs.

That being said straight wheel weights should cover just about anything “normal” that you would cast for.

We have a nice bullet casting thread with a ton of info and there are some very knowledgeable guys that frequent that.
Good place to ask questions
 

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Palladin said:
ok, using wheel weights for bullets. I have an endless supply of wheel weights. how can I tell the composition of the weight?
Click to expand...

so, google says...

A common source of casting lead alloy is scrap wheel weight lead recovered from tire shops. The composition of wheel weight lead alloy varies, but is typically about 95% lead, 4.5% antimony, .4% tin and .1% arsenic and other trace elements.

Typical Wheel Weight Bullet Hardness

Bullet Type Brinell Hardness (BHN)
Air Cooled 12
Water Quenched 18
Oven Heat Treated 15-30

That's from: Tacticool Products - Bullet Hardness


Interesting thread here: Composition of Wheel Weights


Another one here: Wheel weight alloy composition?
 
Zinc also requires a higher melting temp than lead. I use a casting thermometer in the lead pot to keep my molten lower than the zinc melt point just in case I missed one. Zinc 728 degrees, lead 621degrees. +++++ EDIT I also don't cast wheel weights into bullet molds directly, I cast into ingots first in case I goofed somewhere or I want to add something in a bullet or slug that I'm casting later.
 
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allen-1 said:
so, google says...

A common source of casting lead alloy is scrap wheel weight lead recovered from tire shops. The composition of wheel weight lead alloy varies, but is typically about 95% lead, 4.5% antimony, .4% tin and .1% arsenic and other trace elements.

Typical Wheel Weight Bullet Hardness

Bullet Type Brinell Hardness (BHN)
Air Cooled 12
Water Quenched 18
Oven Heat Treated 15-30

That's from: Tacticool Products - Bullet Hardness


Interesting thread here: Composition of Wheel Weights


Another one here: Wheel weight alloy composition?
Click to expand...
I dont think that composition is correct anymore, there is no real reason for Tin in wheel weights .
I had a few batches of wheel weights tested not long ago and tin content was low IIRC I dont think it was even 1%
 
Palladin said:
ok, using wheel weights for bullets. I have an endless supply of wheel weights. how can I tell the composition of the weight?
Click to expand...
You dont know , there is no standard.
New production wheel weights are lacking in TIN. Tin and Zinc are expensive. They are still making lead wheel weights. We still use then for clip ons. All the stick ons sre steel.
Heck even Zinc had really started to vanish.
So you do your best to sort the wheel weights There are several videos on sorting wheel weights, the key is to keep your smelt temp below zinc melting temp.

The general consensus is add aprox 2% tin to your wheel weight alloy for good mold fill out. If you need harder alloy you can water quench and oven harden.
You can also buy some super hard alloy and mix it with your WW alloy.
For most applications WW alloy will do.

View: https://youtu.be/1axMm-NT9o8
 
Mudflap621 said:
Don’t let them see that thing in the meeting!
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I know right? My work is not a friendly place for our hobby.

I have my drafting table set up in my hunting and fishing room where I do meetings from and I was requested to take my recurve bow off my wall for meetings. I'm glad I figured out how to put backgrounds in now. Luckily, I can turn my camera off for the big staff meetings.

Anyone have any knowledge of using the Lee ram prime? Anything to know about it? It looks like it should work fine, with little to no chance of setting a primer off. Just looks tedious and slow, which is fine.

Update: didn't blow myself up. It really doesn't take much force to prime huh?

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