Trail boss shortage

[bpatterson84]

How often does IMR do production runs of Trailboss? I’m sure the 2020EverythingSucks is going to push back production so they can make more 9mm and 556 powder for everyone, and this strictly reloader powder will get pushed back indefinitely. Anyone have any info?

Reason I ask is because I have some, but have been made a ridiculous offer on a 5# jug of it. Problem is I actually use the powder! Looking for opinions here. I don’t wanna go a year or 2 without.

[elmacgyver0]

Unless you are that hard up for money I would keep it.
At some point that ridiculous offer may seem cheap.

[bpatterson84]

It wasn’t money. It’s 40lbs of a near Varget military powder. For 5 pounds of TB. Like I said. Ridiculous, unless he knows something about production cessation that I don’t.

[uscra112]

"Near Varget" isn't Varget. Got caught on that one during the first Obama famine. Got 8 lbs of a pull-down powder that is about the right speed, but gives a fireball at the muzzle that you can see from orbit.

Keep the Trail Boss. A better deal will come along.

[Cargo]

TB isn't a fantastic powder but it is pretty versatile. There aren't a lot of powders that you can pour into almost everything from .32 s&w to .45-70.

[bpatterson84]

It’s low flash, I’ve used it before in 6 different cartridges. Meters better than varget, and no flash. It’s known powder

[bpatterson84]

Cargo, I agree. It’s the superior powder for tuning loads to a suppressor.

[uscra112]

OK, then it comes down to which powder you'll actually use up first. 40 lbs. of your milsurp vs. 5 lb. of TB.

Red Dot can substitute for Trail Boss, so running out of TB may not be such a crisis. Unless there's no Red Dot.

[JimB..]

I’d do that deal. I use TrailBoss pretty sparingly, but seem to go through rifle powder like poop through a goose.

[bpatterson84]

OK, then it comes down to which powder you'll actually use up first. 40 lbs. of your milsurp vs. 5 lb. of TB.

Red Dot can substitute for Trail Boss, so running out of TB may not be such a crisis. Unless there's no Red Dot.

That’s kinda what I was thinking. That said, I actually use a fair bit of trailboss as my suppressed fav plinking load that I run through like water. I’ll need to look into red dot as a replacement.

[Cargo]

Red Dot can substitute for Trail Boss, so running out of TB may not be such a crisis. Unless there's no Red Dot.

I spotted some Red Dot the last time I was at my LGS. I'll have to see about picking some up for a back up powder. Thanks for the info.

[303Guy]

As far as I know Trail Boss is made by ADI in Australia. Not sure whether that would make any difference to availability.


I have some but haven't tried it in earnest. I am considering trying it for reduced jacketed loads in the Brit and the hornet. Not much point if there is going to be a shortage though but then I might as well use it while I have it.

I've just checked and it's on our gunshop shelves.

[uscra112]

303 guy: Look up Ed Harris' article "The Load". Using Red Dot for reduced (and not so reduced) loads in the military .30 calibers with jacketed bullets. (Strong rifles only.) I use it for a reduced load in the .223, which just about duplicates the .22 Magnum - 2000 fps with a 35 grain V-Max. Sure death on garden raiding raccoons out to about 100 yards. I zero it at 80, so the sight setting is the same as my full-house coyote load at 150.

Just watch out for double charges. It's bulky, but not nearly so much so as TB.

[bpatterson84]

How does red dot do in very slow loads? Do you need filler? I’m talking about 700fps .38’s and 44’s

[NyFirefighter357]

I just saw 6lbs of Trail Boss powder at the LGS where my hunting property is. I bought the last 8lb of Unique they had. No SPS, only AR Match SRP they had LPP and plenty of LRP & 209 primers. $40-$67 per 1,000. I gave $170 for the Unique.

[303Guy]

So it seems Red Dot is very close if not almost identical to Hodgdon's Clays or in my parts, ADI's AS30N (same thing) which I have on hand. I bought it because of its bulkiness, thinking that it would be easier to measure and to check charges in a voluminous case. It turned out to be great for subsonic loads in the Brit. It is actually faster burning than Trail Boss but I'm not sure that makes much difference when used in rifle cases and with the appropriate charges.

So it seems I would get around 1400 to 1500 fps with a jacketed 150 gr bullet in the Brit. That should have adequate penetration on a paper target and without belting me on the shoulder! I have enlarged eyebrows from my range session yesterday. When I loaded up I was thinking in terms of shooting longer range live targets but realistically, how often will I get to do that? In the meantime, shooting the Brit isn't fun!

But 'The load' is specified for 30 cal or larger and I have this 25-303 that shoots cheaper bullets and once upon a time was more accurate than my Brit. For that I believe Trail Boss is still going to be in order and even if Red Dot is do-able, it's more difficult to see down the case mouth to check charges. Anyway, just thinking out loud.

[Cargo]

In the meantime, shooting the Brit isn't fun!

303guy,

Have you tried Unique for reduced loads in your Brit? If so, how was your experience with it?

[uscra112]

In pistol cases Red Dot does very well. Faster than Bullseye. Reduce Bullseye handbook loads by at least 20%. Very easy to ignite. Never, NEVER use a filler with it. One of my pet loads is 1.0 grains Red Dot, 87 grain cast bullet in the .32 Long Colt that some of my "boys' rifles" take. About 600 fps from 18" barrel.

In the .38 Special: 2.0 grains under 158 grain SWC in my 9" barrel Colt Officer's Model got me ~800 fps. and was very accurate. I never felt the need to go slower in that gun, but on paper 1.5 grains should be around 600 fps. 2.9 grains is a max never exceed load in the .38, unless you've got a gun that can handle +P loads.

Have never had a .44 anything, so ????

Guard assiduously against double charges! Can't repeat that often enough!

[dragon813gt]

There’s a reason I bought a case of Promo. There are better powders but Promo will do it all. For those not aware Promo is Red Dot in large quantities.

[MT Gianni]

I would sell it down river and change powders in a heartbeat if it were me.