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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Ed Harris posted this 07 January 2019

I'm with Ric.

I don't like fast-burning powders having a large particle size which I cannot measure within +/- 0.1 grain in small cases like the .32 ACP.

My all-time favorite is Bullseye.  Tied equally for second place are TiteGroup, 452AA and WST. Just as good.

Where I need a slower pistol powder than these, I found AutoComp measures uniformly and can use Unique data as a start load in most calibers for standard pressure (not +P) loads.    

Since I used the last of my #2400, I have been using IMR4227 as my "magnum" handgun powder.

All of these work in my handgun and mostly plainbased rifle loads from .32-20 to .44-40 and .30-'06.

When my current 1990 caddy of Bullseye is gone, I'll switch entirely over to a caddy of 452AA made about the same time, because it is approaching 30 years old, still good, but I want to shoot it tp rather than using it to fertilize Roma tomatoes, Roma II flat-pod green beans and red Serano peppers.

My remaining unopened 2008 Obama-panic-buy 8 lb. caddy of Bullseye will be the last to go if I live that long.

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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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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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 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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RicinYakima posted this 05 January 2019

It is hard to work with; it is light and fluffy so floats off if there is air-conditioning in the room. It will meter fairly accurately because it takes up a large volume per grain weight. However, most powder measure get it caught between the housing and the rotor. I had best luck just using dippers. It doesn't do anything Bullseye, Unique or WW231 does just as well for less money. IMHO, Ric

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Bryan Austin posted this 06 January 2019

Bought some to try a light load in my .500 S&W Magnum revolver.  Poor accuracy and low velocity compared to the Unique loads.  

 

Trailboss was designed for cowboy action shooting as a bulk powder. It was not designed for accuracy or velocity and is why it sucks when used in that application..

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max503 posted this 06 January 2019

Plus if you need another reason to hate TrailBoss, just look at it. It looks like miniature racist Cheerios Cerialcoffee.

Gary

******

Dude.  You just ain't right.dizzy    wink

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RicinYakima posted this 07 January 2019

 

John Alexander posted this 4 hours ago

I tried Trail Boss with light CB loads in a 223 and got the lowest variation in muzzle velocity I have ever seen with any other powder both ES and SD, and I have chronographed a lot of loads.  However, I couldn't make it shoot nearly as well as other fast pistol powders or slower powders for that matter.  Something to think about for those who look for uniform MV in trying to find accuracy loads.

John your first paragraph says it all. Many CBA shooters have tried this for what it wasn't made to do. It's very good at doing what it was made for, especially not being able to double charge cases. However many many people have tried to make this one a accuracy powder, which is ain't and never going to be for rifle cases. They would be better off reading old issues of the Fouling Shot and building on the work of others than beating this dead horse. IMHO, Ric

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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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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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onondaga posted this 05 January 2019

TrailBoss works. I stand against it because it is a fast pistol powder and lacks the relatively smooth pressure curve that cast bullets are most accurate with. It slams cast bullets with pressure and distorts accuracy potential. If you are shooting cast bullets well with TrailBoss, it is a surprise and not the reputation of the powder. 4198 does better as does H 4895 in their recommended loads, The H4895 is also recommended for reduced loads to 1/2 caseful down to 100 pound child recoil level gallery loads  and up to Elephant loads A very lightweight filler like BPI Original in reduced loads also protects the bullet base as well as a gas check and lowers Extreme Spread of velocity. Mildly compressed reduced loads with BPI Original also force H4895 to burn completely and leave no kernel trail in the bore. To me that makes the other choices garbage powder with no real advantage for cast bullets.

Plus if you need another reason to hate TrailBoss, just look at it. It looks like miniature racist Cheerios Cerialcoffee.

Gary

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BigMan54 posted this 05 January 2019

I've got a 9oz "can" that I used to load 50rds of .44 Russian for a buddy from about 10yrs ago. It metered pretty easy in my Little Dandy. But My Friend felt different recoil levels in his Vaquero. I checked every 5th round. 

With a range of min-3.2grs to max-3.4grs, it doesn't give you much wiggle room. We never loaded another round with it.

But I'm thinking about trying some reduced loads in .45-70 & .38-55.

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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Bryan Austin posted this 06 January 2019

Ken, for plinkers it is just fine.

I use it for my 44-40 plinkers because it fills the case enough to where a double charge would overflow. 

Accuracy is not important because I use it for my plinking loads.

Power is not important because I use it for my plinking loads

Velocity is not important because I use it for my plinking loads.

It is great for plinking loads because that is what it was designed for.

Cowboy Action Shooting is nothing more than plinking and who is was designed for!!

It is a fast burning pistol powder

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Bryan Austin posted this 06 January 2019

I tried Trail Boss in my 3006 during last springs Groundhog shoot. I don't think I will bother again. We have many proven powders that provide more flexibility. 

 

Trailboss was designed for cowboy action shooting as a bulk powder. It was not designed for accuracy or velocity and is why it sucks when used in that application..

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Bryan Austin posted this 06 January 2019

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John Alexander posted this 07 January 2019

I tried Trail Boss with light CB loads in a 223 and got the lowest variation in muzzle velocity I have ever seen with any other powder both ES and SD, and I have chronographed a lot of loads.  However, I couldn't make it shoot nearly as well as other fast pistol powders or slower powders for that matter.  Something to think about for those who look for uniform MV in trying to find accuracy loads.

The arbitrary advice above that fast pistol powders are no good for reduced CB rifle loads flies in the face of decades of CB shooters finding the opposite.  I have been shooting such loads in CBA competition for thirty years and have no complaints.  

The logical sounding theory that the steep pressure curve distorts the CB is often used to support this belief -- not actual shooting trials.

Another theory might be that the higher initial pressure of fast powders upsets (expands) the soft bullet sooner forming a more perfect fit to the throat before it has traveled very far.

Both theories may be just BS since we don't know. But the actual successful performance of pistol powders (as well as medium fast rifle powders) we do know. The results can be seen in CBA match reports which  should be more convincing to anybody with an open mind than any theory -- no matter how logical the theory sounds.

What the powder maker intended the powder to be used for is entirely irrelevant to finding the best accuracy and shouldn't restrict the search for the best powder for your application.

John

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Bryan Austin posted this 07 January 2019

Ed I am basically doing the same thing. I picked up 5 bottles of IMR-4227 about six years ago. I have shot up all my 2400, TiteGroup and good Black Powders. All I have left is one 1/2 bottle of Reloder 7, one 1/2 bottle of Unique and four bottles of 4227. 

For plinking I still have a good supply of Trail Boss from my CAS days.

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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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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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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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