Any other "fluffy" high bulk pistols powders like Trail Boss?

[Tallbald]

As some here may recall, I'm getting back into reloading after over thirty years away from it. Exclusively, I will be loading .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. Also, I expect to use cast bullets almost exclusively and will stay below 1000 feet a second. I only have pure lead cast into ingots from roof vent pipe boots. Factory jacketed ammo on hand will be saved for special occasions.
I enjoy Trail Boss powder because of its high bulk or "fluffiness", which for safety and comfort reasons helps me in the loading process. I've been looking through online manufacturer's load data working to find any other "fluffy" powders with a relatively broad powder weight range for a given slug weight, but it's a daunting task. Just the names of other high bulk "fluffy" pistol powders, if there are any, would be appreciated. I did post this on another forum I frequent, but as of today there are 68 views and not a single answer. I was concerned about annoying those here with too many questions, and didn't want to be the "fella who doesn't do his research" first.
Thank you everyone, as always. Don

[Bohica793]

The February 2014 issue of Handloader had a nice article on Vihtavuori's new Tin Star powder (N32C) which is supposed to compete directly with Trail Boss. You might want to investigate it, assuming you can find any.

[farmerjim]

I like herco. Good luck if you try to find it. I have enough on the shelf for my pistols, but need more for my shotguns.

[petroid]

Check out Lee's vmd chart. It shoes trail boss with at vmd of .21 the next closest are red dot and e3 at .14. Red dot is a popular standard velocity pistol powder and is fairly bulky

[Petrol & Powder]

Although not nearly as "fluffy" as Trailboss, Unique may be an option. It would fill the role of 38 Spl. & 44 mag loads under 1000fps nicely. It is not as dense as say Bullseye or 231 but it does take up a bit more space than some of the really fast powders and is often available when other powders are not. It may not be what you're looking for, I'm just suggesting an option for these times when any pistol powder is hard to come by.
As for your lead supply, you may want to consider some tin to bring the hardness of that pure lead up just a little. Pewter seems to be a popular low cost source if you don't mind stalking garage sales and second hand shops.

GOOD LUCK !

[Cmm_3940]

Unique.

[Duster340]

Hey Tallbald, I like Red Dot & Unique for my 44 special and magnums. Both meter fairly well and fill the case nicely on mid range loads (Easy to eyeball charge in each case before seating boolits). I recently began using 800X which is very "bulky". However, I don't even try metering it (Stuff throws charge sizes all over the place!) But I do not "speed" load so hand dipping and weighing each charge suits me just fine.

Be well all.

[ShooterAZ]

For 38sp, 357mag, and 44mag and cast boolits, Unique is going to be hard to beat for all around use. Sure, powders like Red Dot, Clays and other faster burning shotgun powders will work fine too. Unique is well suited for your needs.

[Bullshop]

Alliant Steel is a very bulky powder with a burn rate about between Blue Dot and 2400

[Tallbald]

This is a fantastic forum folks. In hours, I have the leads I searched for much of last evening by going through ads and old threads. I will take notes and cross reference the powders with what I can buy locally. There's a tool dealer here in town who is also an FFL and reloading component dealer. His selection varies as does the rest of the country, but he also carries Voudavouri (spelling?). It will come down to what I can find in the group listed in the above posts. As to the tin, do scrap dealers usually deal in tin, antimony and such metals? I thought "linotype" disappeared when word processors showed up unless I'm mistaken as to what it is. And I don't have physical ability to haunt yard sales for pewter.I'll keep some pure lead for balls for my Ruger Old Army's of course, but I suspect I do need to add something to alloy my stash. I can only do it one 10 pound pot at a time though since that's what I have to use. Thanks again everyone. So much. Don

[Petrol & Powder]

Tallbald - there are a lot of sources for tin and other metals to alloy your pure lead but frankly, purchasing from Rotometals may be the simplest solution. Here's a link: http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm

[rexherring]

Also check scrap dealers for wheel weights and thrift stores for pewter and those should help harden up the lead. Our local law center also sells their scrap from the bullet traps to the scrap dealer and most of it is very hard cast so if you could get a bucket of those you could mix 50/50.

[katch1]

#1= trail boss
#2= red dot
#3= unique
Only reason red dot is #2 is I had a .45 that loved it.
Trail boss is hard to beat

[Larry Gibson]

VV Tin Star....N32C

Larry Gibson

[kens]

#1= trail boss
#2= red dot
#3= unique
Only reason red dot is #2 is I had a .45 that loved it.
Trail boss is hard to beat

Green Dot?

[Yodogsandman]

How about trying a black powder "low smoke" substitute like pyrodex. It makes sense using it with pure lead boolits, too. Wasn't the 38 special originally made for black powder use?

[leeggen]

I have recently bought some Blue Do, large flakes. Using it in my 40S&W and 9mm both seem to like it. Haven't gotten around to trying it in the 38spl yet. just a little slower than Herco.
CD

[katch1]

Never tried green dot. Had too good of luck with those three to look elsewhere.

[rintinglen]

How about trying a black powder "low smoke" substitute like pyrodex. It makes sense using it with pure lead boolits, too. Wasn't the 38 special originally made for black powder use?
Yes, as originally loaded, it was a BP cartridge, though almost immediately afterwards, it was loaded with smokeless powder. 21 Grains of BP was D.B. Wesson's recommendation, which is why the casing is so long.

[DrCaveman]

In addition to ones already mentioned, I'll throw in ramshot competition and imr sr4756. Pretty fluffy

[Tallbald]

Thanks everyone. All pistol powders are in short supply where I am it seems (Southern KY). Right now I have feelers out at two dealers for any TB I can get. I have 8 ounces left, and an old jug of Universal, a whole different animal I'm told. I'm taking notes here and appreciate all the answers folks. Don.

[Whiterabbit]

Goex!

Online, seems that subs like 777 are the cheapest propellent money can buy. cheaper than any (any) smokeless.

[Tallbald]

Just to follow up here. Two dealers told me earlier this month that their random powder shipments arrive this this week of the month. I called routinely, but in the shipments there was not a bit of Trail Boss. Thanks everyone. I'll have to keep looking. Don

[Whiterabbit]

you can keep tabs on when your LGS gets their powder by watching powder valley. When they start listing a ton of powder in stock all at once, you know they got a shipment in. You can expect the same powders to be available at your LGS within a week or two.

Watched it happen with H4895, H4350, SR4759, IMR4350 and H4198. Waiting on IMR4198.

[sojerguy]

Some one was griping to me about the high cost of TrailBoss powder and how 'they' were cheating by only selling it in 9oz cans. Had to explain that was the max amount that would fit in a 'standard' 1lb can ...

That got me to thinking (a somewhat dangerous state of affairs), and I decided to do a bit of math.

Using max loads for a 44 magnum (generic) 240 gr J-word bullet, (Richard Lee's book 2nd edition). Here are the loads.

Trail Boss 7.3 gr (from the hodgdon web page).
Lil gun 11.5
296 24.0
I-4227 24.5
HS6 15.1
#9 9.8
231 11.0
4756 13.3

Then I went to a powder selling website and got some current prices. All are listed in US$

Trail Boss 15.99/9oz
All other per 1 lb
Lil gun 24.00
296 20.89
I-4227 24.50
HS6 24.00
#9 21.71 (calc'd from an 8 lb keg).
231 21.29
4756 24.99

Dividing the cost by 7000 (5250 in the case of Trail Boss), got me a cost per grain. Long strings of numbers. Multiplying each by the max load got me cost per load something like.


Trail Boss 2.22 cents per load
Lil gun 8.4
296 7.16
I-4227 8.4
HS6 5.17
#9 3.41
231 3.34
4756 4.75

Now this does show TB as quite economical to shoot with its max loads, as compared to other powders. No not all powders in the books chart were sampled, just some I am familiar with. Only one powder supplying website was used to cost variables in line.

Any thoughts?

[wlc]

Another fairly bulky powder is American Select. Its primarily a shotgun powder with uses in handguns as well.

[Whiterabbit]

Any thoughts?

My first thought is "duh!" But, I can understand the need to display the math. I too have heard folks suggest that trailboss was not a good value powder, not realizing so little is used per round. Of course you are right.

[jmort]

Tin Star

[WALLNUTT]

Clays looks almost identical to TB,very fluffy stuff. Some of the flakes are even perforated like Cherrios(TB).