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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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Decided to monkey with reduced loads for bunnies and loaded up some .223 and some .223AI with Trail Boss...according to direction.
The stuff worked great! I didn't clock it, but trajectory looks like .22 mag...about 1900 with a 55 grain bullet. Excellent accuracy.
Weird stuff to work with...8.4 grains fills a .223 case...which is how that rifle liked it.
The .223AI liked a lighter 8.0 grains the best.
Bunny Armageddon starts Monday...
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2008
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Yeah man. My daughters love shooting Trailboss loads. 7.7 gr under a 50 Zmax is cheap fun in the .223's. I just use a lee dipper and crank em out without measuring.
Last edited by Higbean; 09/26/15.
Screw you! I'm voting for Trump again!
Ecc 10:2
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the 24HCF.
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
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Do you know what speed you are getting?
Was my guess about right?
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Decided to monkey with reduced loads (snip) .223 (SNIP) with Trail Boss...according to direction.
The stuff worked great! I didn't clock it, but trajectory looks like .22 mag...about 1900 with a 55 grain bullet. Excellent accuracy.
Weird stuff to work with...8.4 grains fills a .223 case...which is how that rifle liked it.(snip) Tom - Where did you find the data? The Hodgdon website only lists a fixed load of 4.0 grains of Trail Boss in the 223 and only with 55 grain bullets (FMJ) for a velocity of ~1,100 fps. Bob
Pursuit may be, it seems to me, perfect without possession.
Robert Kelley Weeks (1840-1876)
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
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Hodgdon has a PDF on their site with complete instructions on loading Trail Boss...its really easy. Fill it up without compressing it...thats your max load.
70% of that is your starting load.
Even at max it doesn't generate more than about 20Kpsi, and its so bulky that 8.4 grains fills a 223 case...no filler necessary.
Just tried it at 100 yds...good enough accuracy M.O.B.H. ( Minute Of Bunny Head)
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
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ingwe, don't you have to keep your reduced load brass from being reloaded with full power loads?????
Molon Labe
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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ingwe, don't you have to keep your reduced load brass from being reloaded with full power loads????? Never heard of that...don't know why you would. I am, however, keeping it separate ...just to check out what I'm sure will be an increase in case life.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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FWIW I still havent clocked the load but have been perusing ballistics tables. If I'm right..it is indeed 22 mag velocity of about 1900 fps.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
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Sometimes new brass won't maintain correct headspace when fired with reduced loads, because there's not enough pressure to back the case up against the bolt face. When these "shorter" cases are used for full-pressure loads they can separate.
You might also try Accurate 5744, which seems to be far more available than Trail Boss recently.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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Dat makes sense on the new brass Juan. Since Im shooting this in an AI the brass has all been fire formed, so that issue wont crop up.... I didn't look for 5744 but I was looking for Blue Dot, SR4759 and Trail Boss. Found one place with Trail Boss and bought enough to last through bunny season anyway 
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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12/Blue Dot in 223 & 53 V max.........
nice bunny load..........
T R U M P W O N !
U L T R A M A G A !
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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Yeah, Ive tried Blue Dot and liked it...but I couldn't find any! 
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Yeah, Ive tried Blue Dot and liked it...but I couldn't find any! yea good schidt..........8.5/Blue Dot in my 300 Ruger BLK & 110's
T R U M P W O N !
U L T R A M A G A !
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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ingwe, what is your favorite powder for these loads, IF you could get it????
Molon Labe
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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I'll get back to you in a couple days...all I could get was Trail Boss, but I like it a LOT on the loading bench and at the range...hard to make a mistake with it. Im taking the 223AI out for some bunny shooting the next couple days,and we will find out.  Like you...a couple more days in retirementville! 
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Have a great hunt, and lots of success...
Molon Labe
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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I've played with Trail Boss and the .223. Here's some speeds: Ruger American Predator .223 1-8 twist 40gr Nosler BT, CCI 41 primer, Federal cases 5.5gr TB - 1670fps 5.0gr TB - 1565fps 4.5gr TB - 1434fps 4.0gr TB - 1294fps Accuracy averaged around 1 1/2 - 2 inches @ 100 for 5 shots. FWIW - 27.0gr of Ramshot Exterminator with 40gr BT - 3700fps & .53" group for 5 shots
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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GL: Looks like I could get a bit more speed out of a lighter bullet...and I will be giving it a try...meanwhile I got out with the 55 grainers for Bunny Armageddon...they worked excellently! Lots-o-bunnies died. ![[Linked Image]](http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss45/thmsbrownlee/IMG_1874_zpshp9m0rgm.jpg)
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Ingwe, that looks like your load works. Have you given any thought to a lighter bullet and what that might do to your velocity using Trail Boss?
There are 2 rules to success:
1. Never tell everything that you know.
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Joined: May 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Posts: 15,858 |
Sometimes new brass won't maintain correct headspace when fired with reduced loads, because there's not enough pressure to back the case up against the bolt face. When these "shorter" cases are used for full-pressure loads they can separate.
You might also try Accurate 5744, which seems to be far more available than Trail Boss recently. JB, Is there any 5744 data available for reduced loads?
There are 2 rules to success:
1. Never tell everything that you know.
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