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LTUME1978 wrote: I have used 231 in the past but was never able to get very good groups with that powder as compared to Unique, Bullseye or now Titegroup. I am on my third 8 pound jug of Titegroup since I started reloading again a few years ago. I have never had a "poof" or any other issues but I check each case to make sure there is a charge in it and that there is no double charge. I shoot cast bullets so I get smoke. However, I tried some of the Bayou Bullets and get virtually no smoke with them when using Titegroup. Accuracy is excellent in both my 9mm and my different 45 ACP pistols. FWIW, If you look at what the IDPA shooters use at the Nationals, you will see that more people are using Titegroup than any other individual powder.

I appreciate what you are saying about trifocals. I have quadrifocals (I have the intermidate section also in the very top so that I can put my head down slightly and see the front sight clearly). At 57 years of age, I need all the help I can get :-).

Now that I have some experience, I may give Titegroup a try again. I still have about half a jug left from which I switched to 231. I've never head of quadrifocals, either, and I might want to try them as well.

I’ve been reloading 9mm for about a year and had the same questions about which powder. I also did a lot of searching and came up with a list of about a dozen “the absolute best powder!” I started with Hodgdon Titegroup (recommended by a vendor at a gun show) but ended up with a lot of “poofs” at the range. I eventually switched to Winchester 231 and have not had any since.

I know that some of my “poofs” were caused by not watching the reload process closely enough and not seeing when the brass wasn’t filled correctly – chalk that up to being a newbie. However, the reason I switched to Winchester is because it is a slower burning powder. I figured out that as a slower burning powder, it takes more powder to achieve the same result. More powder = a fuller casing, so it’s easier to see that it’s full (or not as full as it should be). I believe this is the biggest reason I haven’t had any more poofs – it’s a lot easier to see a full casing with trifocals. I have also become much more diligent in checking every casing, but again, the larger volume of powder makes that easier.

I also believe Winchester 231 burns cleaner than Titegroup – less residue – but I can’t swear to that since I’ve not done a direct comparison.