Trail Boss ... under-appreciated ugly stepchild ??

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  • Last Post 08 April 2019
Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 05 January 2019

i am out of unique ... i need to visit scheels ... i will steel myself and only take 3 twenties in my pocket ...  i have already decided to try some of that strange Trail Boss in my plinker loads ... 30 cal to 45-70 ....

i gotta try Trail Boss ...  in working on the FS index, i keep reading about success with Trail Boss ....  

why aren't more people using Trail Boss ? ... there aren't exactly tons of loading dope online ...  it appears that it will cover a wide range of reduced loads.

if we had 3 or 6 reports here with trailboss, that would be more than the entire base of loads available anywhere ...  experiences and comments welcome ...

ken

 

 

 

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dualsport posted this 08 April 2019

It's really good at doing what it was made for. Preventing double charges in very light loads. Just another tool in the tool box.

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Bryan Austin posted this 26 March 2019

Yesterday I shot 6.4gr of Trail Boss in my Winchester 73 @ 265 yards with constant hits.

Youtube Video about the 4:22 mark - 

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Bryan Austin posted this 22 March 2019

Now that's funny right there!!!!! big_grin

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JeffinNZ posted this 22 March 2019

Ric is right.  Remember all those years ago we were told by powder companies that no two powders were the same?  Then came the interweb and MSDS material clearing showing W296 and H110 are exactly the same, etc, etc.

Cheers from New Zealand

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RicinYakima posted this 22 March 2019

Manufacturers are in the business of selling product, only the end user can determine if it is useful for their application. FWIW

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Bryan Austin posted this 22 March 2019

Well, all I can tell you is what the Manufacture says. I could care less where it originated!

https://www.hodgdon.com/trail-boss/

 

TRAIL BOSS

Trail Boss was designed specifically for low-velocity lead bullets suitable for Cowboy Action shooting.

It is primarily a pistol powder but has some application in rifles.

Trail Boss is based on new technology that allows very-high loading density, good flow through powder measures, stability in severe temperature variation, and, most importantly, additional safety to the handloader.

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JeffinNZ posted this 19 March 2019

Ed commented it was originally for 40mm grenade rounds.  TB was not designed for us.  It was repurposed for us.

Cheers from New Zealand

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M3 Mitch posted this 19 March 2019

I think in another thread Ed mentioned that Trail Boss was actually made primarily for line-throwing guns, whaling harpoons, and explosive bolts on rockets.  Those are the applications that make it financially worth manufacturing, we are just a side-show.  Someone figured out it might be useful for "Cowboy" loads so Hodgdon started selling it in canisters for that purpose. 

Sad to say, if we cast bullet shooters were worth catering to, as a business proposition, SR 4759, for example, would still be on the market, because we all like it.  Well, nearly all.  I have not read any posts against it.

I wonder what it's called when sold for commercial applications.  Probably not "Trail Boss". 

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gemihur posted this 19 March 2019

Just had a successful range session with my 30 Herrett barrel and some light plinking loads using Trail Boss.

My load was 7.5 gr. Trail Boss under 125 gr. .308 spitzers @ 1477 FPS but consistent enough to hold a tight group at 75 yds.

Mild and pleasant to shoot, unlike most of my beastie-killin' calibers in the little gun... a JDJ it ain't but I like it!

I shoot, therefore I am

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Squid Boy posted this 18 March 2019

I tried Trail Boss in several cartridges. In 38-40 Cowboy load it was fine but ran a little dirty compared to others. In a BSA Martini Cadet in 32-20 it out shot everything to my great surprise. With a custom 130 grained heeled CBE it would shoot 3/4" five shot groups at fifty yards which is all I can do with iron sights. I tried it in a 12.7x44R Cape rifle and it was OK but others out shot it  because it was slow and didn't shoot to the sights. However, it really looses out when you try to go faster because it has a nasty habit of spiking pressures rapidly with small additions of powder and almost no velocity gain. It is still an interesting powder and there may be something that it will really shine in. What that is could be anyone's guess. Thanks, Squid

"Squid Pro Quo"

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Bryan Austin posted this 18 March 2019

but my real beef is if you look at the pressure it develops it is quite high for what it supposed to do compared with other fast burning powders.

It was designed for two purposes...

1. To fill the case enough to aid in the prevention of a double charge of powder.

2. Maintain velocities to remain inline with CAS rules.

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barra posted this 20 January 2019

I haven’t tried Trailboss because I’m to tight to use twice as much powder that cost twice as much .

but my real beef is if you look at the pressure it develops it is quite high for what it supposed to do compared with other fast burning powders.

Here is no way I would use it in an old gun as reduced load which some people  here think it’s made  for.

reduced velocity not pressure.

 

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Bryan Austin posted this 18 January 2019

https://castbulletassoc.org/thread/blown-guns-at-sass-matches/

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Dukem posted this 11 January 2019

I used Trail Boss for the ground hog shoot. I shot the RCBS 30-150-CM and I'll stand by my scores. I used 6.0 gr in mil-surp cases from a 03 and a 03A3.

Duke

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Eutectic posted this 10 January 2019

Trail Boss was designed for a specific application. Low velocity loads in big cases with cast bullets. The very low density coupled with a medium burn rate fills over half the case, this makes double charges improbable. Even a case-full will not blow up a pistol or pistol caliber carbine. THIS is the important feature!  

The large grains do not measure precisely in small charges, it was not meant for loading 32 ACP.
38 Special target loads are not as accurate as Bullseye, It was not meant for this.

I think it is like little inner tubes. Cheerios? No way does not smell nearly as good.

Gary you have caught the racist sickness, you should work for CNN. Don't diss my favorite cereal.

Steve

 

 

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Scearcy posted this 09 January 2019

I think cast bullet shooters by our very nature think fondly of the good old days. Unfortunately our old favorite powders continue to dwindle away. Not being much of a conspiracy guy I suspect it is pure economics. Personally I am totally ignorant when it comes to the attributes of various powders. We have members here who seem to be very knowledgable, however.

We now know that Tite Group is a useful CB powder as is Trail Boss. There have to be others. Sadly 4756, 4759, the original 2400, you pick em probably aren't coming back.

This probably  should be a separate thread. If there is enough interest I'll start one but----- are there attributes in the new powders that make them problematic or should we be test a half dozen new powders?

Jim

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BigMan54 posted this 09 January 2019

Sometimes I think they discontinue old powders to force us to buy the new ones.  It seems whenever they introduce a new powder, it stays around for a few years. And just as you get loads developed using it, they discontinue it.

I'm thinking all the Winchester Powders from the 1970's thru the 1990's. 

As long as Bullseye, Unique, 2400 are still here I'll be happy for Handgun.

IMR4350, IMR4227 & H4895 & maybe H335. I'll be OK for most Rifle & IMR3031.

I can't shoot hot loads anymore, so Win296, IMR7828 and some of the other hot new powders are not in my future. 

But I'll bet there are a least 3 times as many powders available as there were 50years ago.

I'm confused.   

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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GP Idaho posted this 09 January 2019

I understand that PB is also on the discontinued  list. I don't know why such a good shotgun-pistol powder was cut but that's what seems to be happening.. Gp

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 08 January 2019

hi tom ... used to load PB in shotshells loads ... great .....  so probably would be good to try in 308 800-1400 fps cast loads ...  

burn rate suggestions attached.

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Tom Acheson posted this 08 January 2019

Ken,

Have you tried PB powder? 

About 35-years I was loading PB for a S&W Model 19 .357 and a Model 25 in .45 Auto Rim. Jacketed bullets at the time. My memory (lost any notes I had) says that PB shot pretty good for 25-yards in both guns. I don't see PB mentioned as a potential candidate today for the two cartridges. I think it might still be in production.

Tom

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