New Favorite Revolver Powder

[lolbell]

I have used Unique powder for all my light handgun loads for years, but after this week end I think my revolvers will get a steady diet of Trail Boss for plinking loads. I loaded some 250 RNFP over 5.4 grn of TB yesterday in 45c. Accuracy was great recoil was nonexistent and no leading.

I was shooting this in a Bisley New Vaquero. I had a 2" black dot on a cardboard box for an aim point. After the first shot I thought the bullet had lodged in the barrel because of lack of recoil and I didn't see a hole in the box. I unloaded pulled the cylinder out and checked the barrel- barrel was clear. Walked over to the target and nearly dead center of the black dot was a .45 caliber hole.

Fired a total of 25 rounds of this load and had 3 - 2" groups of five and 2- 3" groups of five. Point of impact was dead on point of aim for all five groups. All groups were fired off hand from 12 yds.

I have read a lot about TB and have had 5lbs on hand for a couple of years. Glad I got around to trying it. Something I noticed, The TB I have is labeled Hodgdon but the stuff I see advertised is labeled IMR. This is the same powder I isn't it?

If this powder will do the same in my 327's, 357's, 41's and 44's I'll give up Unique in everything but shotguns. I didn't set up the chrono but data said 700fps which is plenty fast for my plinking.

[telebasher]

I too, have used Unique and Bullseye for a long time. So out of boredom and a little curiosity I picked up a pound of HS-6 to try in the 44 Flattop. Well long story short, no more Unique. The new kid on the block has won me over. Works great in the 44s and the 357 too. Maybe you can teach an old dog a new trick or two.

[SSGOldfart]

I have used Unique powder for all my light handgun loads for years, but after this week end I think my revolvers will get a steady diet of Trail Boss for plinking loads. I loaded some 250 RNFP over 5.4 grn of TB yesterday in 45c. Accuracy was great recoil was nonexistent and no leading.

I was shooting this in a Bisley New Vaquero. I had a 2" black dot on a cardboard box for an aim point. After the first shot I thought the bullet had lodged in the barrel because of lack of recoil and I didn't see a hole in the box. I unloaded pulled the cylinder out and checked the barrel- barrel was clear. Walked over to the target and nearly dead center of the black dot was a .45 caliber hole.

Fired a total of 25 rounds of this load and had 3 - 2" groups of five and 2- 3" groups of five. Point of impact was dead on point of aim for all five groups. All groups were fired off hand from 12 yds.

I have read a lot about TB and have had 5lbs on hand for a couple of years. Glad I got around to trying it. Something I noticed, The TB I have is labeled Hodgdon but the stuff I see advertised is labeled IMR. This is the same powder I isn't it?

If this powder will do the same in my 327's, 357's, 41's and 44's I'll give up Unique in everything but shotguns. I didn't set up the chrono but data said 700fps which is plenty fast for my plinking.

Sir how full was your case? I've read TB doesn't respond well to compress loads,best I could get was 5grs in star 45c brass, I'm not giving up my 700x yet but the old 1860 walker really likes Trail boss. Surprisingly it shoots very well,Now it's time to tweak the load couldn't go any higher so I'll try lower and go from there.

[OS OK]

It only takes a couple of shots and one of the fellas will ask..."Is that Trail Boss your shootin?"

[dverna]

Trail Boss is relatively expensive and has no performance advantages over other powders. If you want low recoil, any of the fast shotgun powders deliver the goods at lower charge weights and at a lower cost per lb. But it has great marketing so many folks drink the koolaid.

Work the numbers.

[OS OK]

There's no koolaid...it's only different. You obviously can't make it go fast...but I had to try it when we had such a serious shortage of selection out here.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Trail Boss is relatively expensive and has no performance advantages over other powders. If you want low recoil, any of the fast shotgun powders deliver the goods at lower charge weights and at a lower cost per lb. But it has great marketing so many folks drink the koolaid.

Work the numbers.

+1 I use RedDot for my plinkers

[djgoings]

It only takes a couple of shots and one of the fellas will ask..."Is that Trail Boss your shootin?"

I personally hate the smell of Trail Boss powder when ignited.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

To each their own. I still have a few lbs of TB that I bought back when it first hit the shelves. Actually if I remember correctly the jar is a 1lbs size but holds a few ounces less than a pound. That stuff is accurate for light loads, but I returned to bullseye and unique. TB smudges the cases and it seems to have a pretty serious pressure spike.

[dverna]

OS OK,

Did not mean to offend. If there was nothing else, then I see using it. There is also a niche for those who are worried about double charging a case as it is very bulky.

But there are better choices out there. Powders are getting back on the shelves in most places so I tend to advise against using Trail Boss because it is expensive and limited in usage. What looks like a 1 lb jar is about 9 oz if my memory is correct.

There were a lot of Cowboy Action shooters who jumped on the band wagon when it was first introduced. But none of the top shooters I knew used it. I found that 2.7 gr of Clays gave an accurate mouse phart load and I could use it for light recoil shotgun shells as well. I never understood why people would use two powders (with one nearly double the cost) when one powder would do the job.

[Scharfschuetze]

I bought a pound of Trail Boss when it came out some time ago as it looked just right for my usual 38, 41 and 45 plinking loads. I just haven't got around to trying it out yet as I'm more than satisfied with my handgun loads using "legacy" powders. I just seem to default to those when loading up a bunch of rounds.

I've read all the threads like this one concerning it though as it seems an interesting enough topic. I don't have a dog in this fight, but it seems that opinions are pretty evenly divided on the powder. Still, if it pushes a boolit down the barrel, I guess it can't be all that bad. Thanks to the OP for posting his results. I'll file them away in the memory banks.

Someday, I'll get around to TB when I'm short of Clays, Unique or Bullseye or just get more curious than I am right now.

[OS OK]

Thanks dverna...

No offense taken. Back when I got it I grabbed 4 canisters and thought I had 4 lbs., not so I actually got 3 lbs. It was a let down to find it wouldn't go fast but...live and learn. Since then I've traded off 2 of them for 700X, one of my favorites.

[dtknowles]

Sir how full was your case? I've read TB doesn't respond well to compress loads,best I could get was 5grs in star 45c brass, I'm not giving up my 700x yet but the old 1860 walker really likes Trail boss. Surprisingly it shoots very well,Now it's time to tweak the load couldn't go any higher so I'll try lower and go from there.

You use Trail Boss in a Cap and Ball revolver (1860 Walker Colt). I am guessing it is a reproduction even if you say it is old.

Tim

[DerekP Houston]

It only takes a couple of shots and one of the fellas will ask..."Is that Trail Boss your shootin?"

Lol after all the posts here about how great it is, I have 2 jars in my closet I still haven't gotten around to trying. So many options so little time, maybe I'll sneak off to the range today instead of eating lunch.

[OS OK]

It really ain't all that bad Der...but it ain't so good that I'd buy it again. They just hyped it up, something on the order of not being able to get double charges in the old BP cases, ie. .45 Colt without it being glaringly obvious.
Have your dryer sheets ready for when you dump it into the hopper...that stuff is really affected by static electricity. I dumped the first load into a hopper and it was flying out the top like there was an air current blowing it up around the edges. Those little green donuts are light as heck!

[DougGuy]

I too, have used Unique and Bullseye for a long time. So out of boredom and a little curiosity I picked up a pound of HS-6 to try in the 44 Flattop. Well long story short, no more Unique. The new kid on the block has won me over. Works great in the 44s and the 357 too. Maybe you can teach an old dog a new trick or two.

I'm using HS-6 in my .45 Schofield Vaquero too. Working great, it seems to have a sweet spot with 250gr boolits and the case capacity of the Schofield. I can see your .44 Special showing the same affinity.

[lolbell]

Sir how full was your case? I've read TB doesn't respond well to compress loads,best I could get was 5grs in star 45c brass, I'm not giving up my 700x yet but the old 1860 walker really likes Trail boss. Surprisingly it shoots very well,Now it's time to tweak the load couldn't go any higher so I'll try lower and go from there.

I did not do the measure base of bullet depth then 70% thing. This was a load from Hodgdon's page for a 250 cast LRNFP. starting load was 4.5 with max at 5.8, OAL of 1.60. I worked up to the 5.4 and got better accuracy than with anything else I've tried. POA/POI for the Vaquero was spot on also. Hodgdon shows 606fps at 8,800psi on the starting load and 727 at 12,700 psi for max. I was using RP brass.

TB is sold in 9oz containers. that is probably all the can get in the 1lb jugs. All of the 1lb jugs of powder I have are only about 2/3's full, the TB is filled to the neck of the bottle. Not defending TB, just an observation. The last 1lb bottle of Unique I bought was $24.99 the TB was $18.99. That helps with the cost difference. Does it make up the entire cost of using TB...no probably not.

That was the first time I had worked with that mold... could it be it was the bullet and not the powder responsible for the accuracy, you bet. Could be a combination of the two. Bottom line is that is the best bullet powder combination I have found for that Vaquero to date and until something better comes along I'll continue to use it.

On a final note I am not comfortable with 2-3 grains of fast powder such as Bullseye or Tightgroup in a 45c case. Ain't it great that we have so many different powders that we can find one that suits our individual wants and needs.

[tdoyka]

before i had a 44 mag in ruger srh with a 7.5" barrel it would go 1 3/4 - 2 1/2"" at 50 yards with trail boss. there were a few that went around 1 1/2" . TB does not go with my 44 mag ruger sbh with 4 5/8" barrel. i loaded up some TB in 220gr wc in 44 sp and my groups went from bad to worse. it just doesn't like the 44 sp cases. it might like the 44 mag(haven't tried it) but the 44 sp will stay with unique. if you are wondering(and i still don't believe it), my sbh using 44 sp with 220gr wc and 6.5gr of unique goes an unbelievable .5 - 1" at 25 yards using a bog pod with a primos lift n lock.

i like TB. the only thing i don't like about it, is that it leaves a black soot on the cartridges and my hand, not to mention the revolver. it does extremely well with my tc encore in 444 and my 45-70 handi rifle and believe it or not, my 1898 sp armory in 30-40 krag. the cartridges are still sooty, but the gun and my hand are not. i still have a can or two of TB. for going out and target practice on steel and just too plain shoot, it can be alot of fun. my sister in law luvs the way my 444 and 45-70 don't kick. its so non-kicking that she wants her own 444 and a can or two of TB.

[OS OK]

Soot on the cartridges is generally attributed to a lack of start pressure to expand the brass case. Are you getting adequate crimp?

[tdoyka]

Soot on the cartridges is generally attributed to a lack of start pressure to expand the brass case. Are you getting adequate crimp?

yes. i've tried light to medium to heavy to "oh my God, ya all might have split that boolit 'part" crimp. TB might be the same lot # or it just sooties(sp#) up the revolver. it does wonderful in rifles, just revolvers it sooty's up the cases.

i even tried it on jacketed bullets in my old 44 mag (srh).