New Favorite Revolver Powder

[OS OK]

This is just for the sake of being inquisitive, but I'll ask you. Take a revolver cartridge that will soot in the revolver and fire it in the rifle...'does it soot in the rifle?'
The distance between rifle and revolver chamber dimensions...ie. between the distance each has to travel before it begins to seal the bore is drastically different. In the rifle that projectile can be in position to seal the bore and build case pressure before it even clears the case mouth, in comparison with that of the revolver, the projectile can be completely out of the case before it has crossed the cylinder gap and begun to seal. I hope I explained that well enough for you to follow.
A round, no matter the crimp in this case will soot in one and not in the other. Could be that they need igniting with a little more fervor in the case of the revolver.
I'm no expert but I enjoy riddles like this...could be someone will come along and enlighten us both.

charlie

[tdoyka]

This is just for the sake of being inquisitive, but I'll ask you. Take a revolver cartridge that will soot in the revolver and fire it in the rifle...'does it soot in the rifle?'
The distance between rifle and revolver chamber dimensions...ie. between the distance each has to travel before it begins to seal the bore is drastically different. In the rifle that projectile can be in position to seal the bore and build case pressure before it even clears the case mouth, in comparison with that of the revolver, the projectile can be completely out of the case before it has crossed the cylinder gap and begun to seal. I hope I explained that well enough for you to follow.
A round, no matter the crimp in this case will soot in one and not in the other. Could be that they need igniting with a little more fervor in the case of the revolver.
I'm no expert but I enjoy riddles like this...could be someone will come along and enlighten us both.

charlie

yes, it is sooty in the 30-40 krag and the 45-70. the 444 is not sooty. it could be from a MGM barrel. the krag and 45-70 has some travel from the case mouth to the rifling. all i am using is a large pistol primer(cci) and a large rifle primer(win). i've never thought about using a different primer. not that i would, but i wonder if a magnum primer would not be sooting the cases as much?

[OS OK]

I dunnoh td...but it's a dang good riddle. I'm going to follow this post to see what others believe.

[Ken in Iowa]

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.

We used that same load for Cowboy Action for a couple years. With the great powder shortage, I switched to 700x due to availability.

Hodgdon is rebranding some of the powders. The IMR and Hodgdon TB are the same animal.

There are a number of local shooters using TB for CAS. As advertised, it works well in the old black powder cartridges like 45 Colt.

[Flinchrock]

I am still wondering about the 1860...

[M-Tecs]

I personally don't care for the high pressure of Trail Boss powder compared to it's velocity. I purchased 5 pounds when it came out. When that is gone I will not purchase anymore.

[RogerDat]

I think for a lot of people (or at least myself) I like getting powder that can go across a good range of uses. Maybe as time and experimentation progress I will find a case where having a powder for a single gun/cartridge would be worth it. I stocked up on Unique because it covers a range of uses, same with a couple of rifle powders. I have a few odds and ends to experiment with, even found a pound of Red Dot to try.

Is good to know from first hand reports that TB offers a potential good accuracy and recoil load for the 45 colt. Might be worth picking up a pound, if nothing else as a "starter" powder for one of the kids or grandkids to do their own reloading with. All that bulk should reduce chance for squib or double charge if they do their part. Also I would guess a lot less fussy when changing load by a couple 1/10 grain increments for load development. Unlike say Varget where it is fairly dense and a couple of sticks will move the scale.

[rhouser]

I have always been a die-hard SR-4759 guy for reduced rifle loads, then I found 5744 isn't so bad. I have always been a red dot, unique, bulls eye reduced pistol loads guy, then I found Trail Boss isn't so bad. I am a 66 y/o reloader that really doesn't like change, but, change still happens.

I too have found that I like Trail Boss in the 45 LC and my SRH in .454 Casull. It is very accurate and very predictable. It makes a fine cast lead load up to mid range velocities. I find 8.5 gr TB with a 250gr RNFT works well in my Casull out to 50 yards. I own 11 pounds of TB.

thanks rch

[Oyeboten]

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

Quite so!

Sounds like someone blew in to a small Paper Bag and then 'popped' it with their Hand.

[Texas by God]

I am still wondering about the 1860...

Me too- especially since a Walker is an 1849. Not an 1860. Pretty sure TB is not correct for any BP firearm. Am I wrong? Best, Thomas.

[TXGunNut]

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

That and the hardness of the case mouth. A Starline case may get "sooty" in a low pressure load when an RP case may not. Cases also get more sooty as the necks work-harden.

[dbarry1]

It does smell a bit funny, but I really like it. Used it in all the rifles and revolver cartridges I own.