Shooting Titegroup or CFE Pistol powder with 158gr SWC cast bullets and Winchester SPM primers out of my S&W 686+ 3" revolver and fouling the air at the range. What can I use to correct this? Thanks!

If using cast bullets, most likely the bullet lube that is making most of the smoke. Might try coated or plated, that should "clear the air" :-)

I have never used Titegroup, but have used CFE pistol. When I switched to Hi-Tek coated bullets, much of the smoke from the CFE loads went away. (That was with 158 gr semi-wadcutters too).

The cloud is from shooting lead bullets with lube. Coated lead is cleaner (Bayou Bullets, or Missouri are good places to start for those...). Plated bullets will be the cleanest and most economical when it comes to minimizin air pollution directly infront of your face.

I've used lots of powders; never found one that would pass the clean test for many of today's shooters. And, if you're using cast bullets, it doesn't matter anyway.

We all have different priorities. Accuracy and loads that don't lead the bore have always been more important to me than a little smoke and smudged fingertips.

Some years ago I bought cast bullets with a yellow lube I'd never seen before. A dozen rounds or so and there wasn't a mosquito for 100 yards.

I was using Titegroup & lead cast bullets and it looked like I was shooting a blackpowder pistol. My hand was black. My lgs owner said it was the lead cast bullet lube making the smoke. Switched to CFE and coated bullets and problem solved!!!!

Thanks! Have CFE and just ordered coated bullets!

I've noticed Titegroup burns too hot for my liking, when using cast bullets I can load to equivalent velocities with another powder and not nearly as much smoke. Even when using coated or plated bullets, while the smoke is no longer an issue, the gun gets much hotter to the touch with Titegroup.

I had a S&W 39-2 9mm some years ago. I use WW231 for 90% of my handgun loads and that pistol was smokey and very fouled no mater what bullet I used. I had a couple of other 9mm's that stayed clean with the same loads, but I never owned a 9mm that shot as well as that 39. So if the load is accurate, it won't hurt to kill a few mosquitos! When competing it is nice to cloud things up for everyone else. I know of guys that switch to Black Powder loads for trap shoot offs!

Ivan

I use a lot of Titegroup and it has really no smoke with plated or jacketed bullets. I loaded some lubed cast and it looked like black powder going off no matter what other powders I used.
I use it with coated as well and I've had no problem with the coating being melted like some say they have.
It does burn hotter but I'm using it mostly in revolvers so there is no problem with it as I'm not doing multiple mag dumps.
It is one of the most economical powders I've used. Is it for everyone, no but I'm almost finished an 8lb jug and will get another.

I've used cast bullets and traditional lube for decades and have never encountered smoke like some claim here. Something is seriously wrong if the smoke is anything close to black powder.

As for Titegroup, I've used it without problems and am unaware of the "heat" generated by it. Is this something real, or a perpetuated Internet truth? Anyone with personal factual information please respond.

Of course its not the same as black powder but compared to plated or jacketed there is a whole lot more from the lube.

....but the lube-in-groove bullets are much smokier and sootier than anything. First time I shot in an indoor range the people all around were pretty dismayed. I had to let the smoke clear before my next round because I couldn't see the target. Fortunately, plated and coated bullet have much less smoke. If kept to low velocities (under 1000 fps) soft swaged bullets are pretty clean-shooting, especially the ones with the dry powder lube on them.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

In my experience the amount of smoke with lead may just be perception, but the heat felt on the guns when using Titegroup fired at similar rate compared to other powders loaded to comparable velocities is noticeable.

Titegroup is stupidly hot. I tried a .44 Spl +P+ loaded into .44 Magnum with a 180-grain LRNFP, and got a little hot-kettle-type burn when I went to open the cylinder first time I shot it.

In other news, pretty much any powder you can choose, with a plated bullet, will generate little to no smoke if you load it reasonably. I've pushed everything from Bullseye to Unique to Titegroup and gotten clean-burning results.

If you want to stick with lead (and I would), consider lowering the charge weight, and sticking to the Titegroup (although I prefer Bullseye in this situation, but to each his own).

While I don't object to some smoke while I shoot at outdoor ranges,I try to keep air as clean as possible while I shoot at an indoor range;this both for my lungs and respect for fellows shooters.
I'm in the process of developping my lube(I shoot my own cast bullets in cal.ranging from .38Spl up to full throttle .44Mag)and have found that while lube made out of soft grease will keep the bore clean even without GC at 1350+Fps,it'll smoke more than a harder lube.
I'm now experimenting with a lube that's based on the 50/50 recipe of Alox/Beeswax.It smokes a lot less and doesn't seem to lead anymore than my soft grease formula.Next step,I'm going to try to harden it with parafin(I know,it won't be 50/50 anymore)and watch if the smoke is or isn't coming back and if the barrel is leading or not because of it.
Qc

All that gray/white smoke is coming from the lead bullets lube.
As mentioned, each lube does its own thing....
plus the type of powder has a lot to do about how the lube melts.

I was pretty used to some smoke with my lead loads from a 2" to 6"
38 and 357 loadings over all the years of loading until two years ago.

It was a warm, early, summer day with no wind at all.
That is when I lit off a Extreme lead 158gr SWC with a medium load of HS6 out of a 6" barrel.
It looked like I just shot a load using Black Powder !!
The good thing, it was my best group of the outing.........