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trail boss

10K views 19 replies 19 participants last post by  kdub 
#1 ·
So I loaded a few 200gr lead FN(.44) with Red Dot, and a few with Unique..just low velocity can killers. Both had primers that were not..well not flattened, just had margined that were not even. I'm guessing that pressure/velocity was not the same from shot to shot. SSSOOO, I'm guessing my load density was too low, so I bought some Trail Boss. The only source I have says 6.0 gr' of Trail Boss in a 45lc is good for about 600fps. So, how much in a .44(mag. cases), in .357(148gr.wc copper jacket). I actually would like 700-750fps out of both. Thanks, Terry (Ask before do!!)
 
#2 ·
I run 6.0grns in the .44 Special and the .45 colt with 200grn boolits, and should be going just about 800fps? according to Hodgdon, I'll have to throw a few over my new CHRONY and see?, very pleasant to shoot and they do indeed kill cans!
Hodgdon does list Trail Boss loading info on their website.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Sometime I get amused at today's handgun shooters! It seems that all they think about is power.power, and more power!
I have been playing with Ruger Old Army revolver for some time. I have two in house.....one like new one that left the factory in 1976 (7 1/2") and a newer 5 1/2".
My main reason to test was to find a good backup gun to use during ML season.
Then I bought a Kirest cylinder for 45 Colt. I tried Black Mag and 777 in the 45 load...then Trail Boss came out! No one seems to really know the strength of the Kirst cylinder....but surely they must be a strong and the black powder Colts.
My working load is 7 grs of Trail Boss at about 900'/s from the 7 1/2" gun with a 200 gr hard cast .454" bullet. That load should be compared with original black powder loads for the various 45 offerings.
It will go all the way through a big hogs head at reasonable distances.
Regards, James
 
#5 · (Edited)
Trail Boss is new enough that there isn't tons of published data yet. I want to load trail boss for a 115 grain wadcutter in .38 special. I carry 110 grain Corbon +p rounds as my defensive carry load, and I want to find a practice round that closely mimicks the weight of my carry round. You can't hardly practice much with the premium Hollow point loads as they are about a buck a shot. I can load 38's for about a nickle a round, and I have 2 pounds of Trail Boss. (well ....two 13 ounce jugs to be specific). I wrote the company to see if they have any load data that can supply to give me a min and max load. If I don't hear from them, I'll use the online trail boss suggested loads for the 125 lead bullet. 3.0 min to 5.2 max. I want to make the practice rounds for my Ruger LCR.
Ohio Rusty ><>
 
#6 ·
Hodgdon has a document on their site about how to determine load data for any cartridge. Paraphrasing the document, it is such a low density that a full case is apparently safe to fire in any caliber. However, if a max load does not provide the velocity you are looking for, then Trailboss is probably not for you.
 
#7 ·
I havent tried trail boss in a pistol, but its opens a whole new world in rifle shooting, especially plinking with heavy rifles (375, 416, etc).

Except, I did stuff some in a 30-30 TC. That makes it a pleasure to shoot,

I've read, the best starting load for any cart. using TB was to fill the case tell it hits the base of the bullet, then use 75% of that number, and tweak it until you get the accuracy you desire. Being careful not to compress the powder.

Shooting is suppose to be fun, I think Trail Boss, in rifle and pistol, increases that pleasure to a whole nother demention.
 
#9 ·
The starting load for TB is 70% of case fill under the bullet for rifle cartridges. Here's a link to the IMR document explaining it.
 
#10 ·
Ruger Redhawk 4 in barrel, 45 colt, 6.0 gr. trail boss, 265 gr. lead RNFP six rounds over MY chrony low 749 hi 760 very accurate. Quiet and very little recoil, burned very clean. Upped to 6.5gr. 780 to 796 not as accurate. Liked the 6gr load fun and easy to shoot.
 
#11 ·
The very first five shots from my new Ruger flat top .44 mag punched a 0.85" group at 25 yards with 6 grains of Trail boss, under a 240 grain Laser Cast SWC in .44 special brass. Velocity averaged 830 fps for five shots, making it pretty much a standard .44 special load.
A good load for any revolver cartridge is a case full to the base of the bullet but not compressed.
 
#12 ·
So I loaded a few 200gr lead FN(.44) with Red Dot, and a few with Unique..just low velocity can killers. Both had primers that were not..well not flattened, just had margined that were not even. I'm guessing that pressure/velocity was not the same from shot to shot. SSSOOO, I'm guessing my load density was too low, so I bought some Trail Boss. The only source I have says 6.0 gr' of Trail Boss in a 45lc is good for about 600fps. So, how much in a .44(mag. cases), in .357(148gr.wc copper jacket). I actually would like 700-750fps out of both. Thanks, Terry (Ask before do!!)
There is no way that you can judge pressures of loads by visually inspecting your primers, unless you ran them across a chronograph and didn't tell us. I suspect that you Unique loads were very light and Unique needs more than minimum pressure to burn well. Red Dot should be good at most light loads; it is what I use in my .45 Colt and in my .44 Magnum for light loads.
No experience with Trail Boss, but I also don't consider necessary if I have a powder like Red Dot for light loads.
 
#13 ·
Trail Boss works extremely well in 44 Russian, Special and Magnum shells. Been using these in SASS without any trouble and they are a pleasure too shoot. Just started using this powder fire forming some 357 Herrett cases. Working very well although won't know until I shoot some full power loads to see if there's anymore forming done.
 
#15 ·
2010 Handloader Magazine has a pretty lengthy article on TB and how to work with it.

A case full (100%) of TB will not cycle a Mini-14 with a 55gr bullet, or my Marlin M9 Camp carbine with 124gr bullets. It will not cycle my buddies Old Ruger Semi Auto .44 with 210gr Sierra's. I suspect that pressures and available gas just wasn't there. My .223/CZ527 with 40gr Sierra HP's is in the .22Mag class for bang, I haven't checked velocity.

TB is a lot of fun to experiment with, and I've stuffed it in almost everything I own. Even at 100% density, it's not gonna blow up many guns with most bullet weights.
 
#16 · (Edited)
My results with Trail Boss in a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC with 4 5/8" bbl. Bullet was Missouri Bullet 250g LRNFP crimped in the groove at 1.585OAL. Primer was Fed LP. The 5.6 grain load had the best accuracy, the 4.9 load had very poor accuracy. FWIW 6.8g Bullseye shot better for me with this bullet.

Code:
Charge    Avg      ES       SD
4.9         613.4   61.34  23.19
5.1         632.3   67.73  28.03
5.6         685.9   49.27  18.7
6.0         721.5
 
#18 ·
this may be an old thread.... but i just picked up some TB last night to play around with.

loaded some .308 up when i got home from Gander and went to the range today. you should have seen the smile on my face when that .308 cracked off like a .22Mag, with a pretty healthy delay to the 100yrd steel. my normal zero is 2" high at 100 yrds for my 168 MK's so i left it at that and was hitting very slightly low, but good enough for steel... i'll put them on some paper later this week and dial them in.

my load is:

Winchester Case
CCI BR-2 (plan on switching this to a 200 for the cheap TB loads, but i already had some cases with BR-2s in them)
12.0 gr TrailBoss
Sierra 150gr Pro-Hunter Spitzer seated to 2.8"
 
#19 · (Edited)
Shooting is suppose to be fun, I think Trail Boss, in rifle and pistol, increases that pleasure to a whole nother demention.
+1
I rarely shot my 30-30's until I started loading up some light loads with TB and lead bullets. A 100 grain lead flat point at 1100 fps (6.0 grains Trail Boss) is accurate and fun. Should be good small game medicine too.
Also use it in .38 spl (revo) and .45 Colt (carbine).

I did have trouble getting good metered charges during a high humidity period, but now that it's dried out, it seems to be metering accurately again.
 
#20 ·
Have fallen in love with TB for use in my old Win Mod 94 in 32-40 chambering. 9.5 gr with a 170 gr cast is clocking at 1050 fps avg and giving less than 2" groups at 50 yds. Yup - a pleasure to shoot these mild loads and knowing there's no heavy pounding on the old rifle.

Plan on using it in the 45-70 Spfld Trapdoor carbine next. I'm sure it won't disappoint.
 
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