First loads with Trail Boss on 44 Magnum ...

[Savvy Jack]

Glad it works for you, I see Trail Boss in a 44 magnum as putting passenger tires on a 3/4 ton truck. There are plenty of cartridges it should run at but none should end with magnum.

I have 5lbs of TrailBoss and 1/2 lb of 2400. So do I waste my 2400 for plinking of use up the trailboss? Cant find either powder right now.

Leland Snow was scheduled to meet his investors at the new Snow aircraft plant in Olney Texas. He was late due to a flat tire on the airplane. In order to get there he had to use the only spare tire and wheel available which was one size smaller. The look on the investors faces when he arrived was priceless. I use to have a photo but cant find it.

Moral of the story, use what ya got as long as it works!

[wquiles]

Glad it works for you, I see Trail Boss in a 44 magnum as putting passenger tires on a 3/4 ton truck. There are plenty of cartridges it should run at but none should end with magnum.

Actually, now that i have loaded a few more rounds, I am not liking TB in the 44Magnum that much. The 800-830pfs feels too low for the weight of the revolver - I am now in the loading on the 1000+ fps range (not with TrailBoss), and I like the balance/weight/recoil more than these loads with TB. So yes, I found TB too mild for this gun.

Now, on my 45/70, TB works great for my 300gr cast at between 1200-1300 fps, so there is where I will most likely use the rest of the TB powder I have

Will

[MT Gianni]

Try some red dot, around 6.5 gr you will use less powder and get good accuracy. Green dot works well also.

[wquiles]

Thanks. Over where I live in the Dallas area, powder is still not easy to come by, but I will try to see if I can find some Red/Green dot

[MT Gianni]

I have 5lbs of TrailBoss and 1/2 lb of 2400. So do I waste my 2400 for plinking of use up the trailboss? Cant find either powder right now.

Leland Snow was scheduled to meet his investors at the new Snow aircraft plant in Olney Texas. He was late due to a flat tire on the airplane. In order to get there he had to use the only spare tire and wheel available which was one size smaller. The look on the investors faces when he arrived was priceless. I use to have a photo but cant find it.

Moral of the story, use what ya got as long as it works!

I see TB in my area as priced 80% of a one lb can for a 9 oz can and more per load to get an equal or lower velocity. I understand the theory of not being able to over charge but I also learned to set a measure.

[mr surveyor]

Trail Boss "fills" the case better, thus gives much better consistency in ignition than light loads of more dense powders.... and very low standard deviation in velocities.

jd

[wquiles]

Trail Boss "fills" the case better, thus gives much better consistency in ignition than light loads of more dense powders.... and very low standard deviation in velocities.

jd

Agreed, and that is why I like TB in my much larger 45/70 cases. But with this "heavy" revolver, I want a little more "power" than what TB can give me.

[krag35]

I have been loading Trail Boss (7.0 gr) under Lyman's 429667 in R-P cases. I really like it out of my 4" Redhawk for play loads.

[Iowa Fox]

Thanks. Over where I live in the Dallas area, powder is still not easy to come by, but I will try to see if I can find some Red/Green dot

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Unique. I have used Red Dot, Green Dot, Blue Dot, 700x, Bullseye, Herco, SR4756, and AL8 in my 44 mag loads. For a 1100 FPS load I haven't found anything that out performs Unique in the 44 Mag for accuracy and mild recoil. One thing about Unique is it can be used in almost anything, rifle, shotgun, or pistol so if it doesn't work in one thing it will work in something else. I hear its been hard to come by lately just like everything else. Recoil from 296 or H110 just about does me in anymore.

[375supermag]

"I'm surprised no one has mentioned Unique."

I use Unique in several different handgun calibers including .44Mag.

IIRC, my best general purpose load for the .44Mag is 10.0gr of Unique under a 240gr LSWC. It is accurate out of several different .44Mag handguns, pleasant to shoot and doesn't pound my hands and wrists like full-power loads of W296/H110.

I dislike the small window of weights using W296/H110 and reserve it for serious hunting loads in magnum handguns. I am much happier shooting Unique, 2400 and Blue Dot in magnum handguns at less than full-power levels.

I have managed to acquire several different powders to test this coming shooting season in reduced loads in my Magnums including Red Dot, Green Dot and H4227 and IMR4227. I also still have an unopened container of Herco that I intend to test as well.

I have heard some complain that Unique is dirty but, it works well for me. I do tend to clean my guns after shooting, so maybe I just don't notice any perceived higher level of grime when using Unique.

[tward]

1+with 375supermag. Unique is my go to powder for pistol, light cb rifle. Unique seems to cover the mid level bullseye to mid level 2400 range of velocities, love it! Tim

[Bongo Boy]

I had a pound of TB and used it in an attempt to get some light fun loads in 45ACP. It was a hoot. Brass would land on my shoes, but the gun did cycle. I've just loaded my first 44 Mag cartridges today, in fact, using 800X (finally found a way to get rid of that stuff effectively), and I have to say I've had a few real eye openers looking through my new Hornady load manual. To see folks loading Unique and Bullseye in the big case was certainly a surprise, but Clays and Solo 1000 blew me away. Not sure why anyone would even get the idea "Hey, let's work up a load of Solo 1000 in 44 Mag", but apparently it 'works'. Trail Boss seems quite a bit more reasonable to me, given you want a 45 Colt black powder simulation, which I see nothing wrong with at all. It was a fun powder--can't say the same for 800X, which I would describe as 'a PITA'.

I have 5lbs of TrailBoss and 1/2 lb of 2400. So do I waste my 2400 for plinking of use up the trailboss? Cant find either powder right now.

Yup, that says it all. A couple of years ago--when we thought there was no powder to be had, unlike now where there REALLY isn't any to be had--I was able to get a bunch of Nitro 100 and couple of other obscure shotgun powders. Nitro 100 at the time was clearly labeled "Not for use in handguns', which of course I ignored. I worked up very nice loads for 45 ACP and 40SW, and was very happy with it. Now, of course, there are an increasing number of published handgun loads each year for Nitro 100, with 9mm being a big one. So, careful experimentation outside the box can often uncover useful results. Go for it.

[robg]

ive switched from unique to ramshot true blue for my lighter loads in 357mag ,meters better & cleaner