Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Trail Boss powder

Tell me of your experience with this powder in handgun ammo. I have a couple of cans (unopened) that I’m thinking of trying for low recoil plinking loads in 44 mag and 357 mag. Is it clean shooting? Accurate? Or should I forget it.

I’ll be using with cast bullets exclusively

Read the IMR load formula for any cartridge

Simply fill case to the bullet base....do not compress

You'll never double charge a Trail Boss load---good stuff

I use it in 357---44 & 45 Colt Marlins

Thanks Tikkanut,
I’ve looked at their site, along with Hodgden’s Annual manual and notice both show using magnum primers in 357 magnum loads, but only standard primers if loading in 38 Special brass with the same powder charge. I assume because of more space in the 357 casing. I don’t have any small pistol magnum primers, so wondering if standard primers will work okay. I also don’t have any 38 Special brass.

I use standard primers in all I listed.....

4 grains in the 357....6 grains in the 44 & 45

That's all you'll get in the case w/o compressing....

So...don't compress

You'll notice too...only 9 oz net powder per bottle.....purty bulky/fluffy

Actually branded 'Hodgdon' not 'IMR'

What tikka posted and I've used in .40S&W and .223 rem. bolt gun.

Thanks guys,
I appreciate the information. I’m gonna give it a try, first in 357, then 44 magnum. One last question.........is it pretty clean burning?

I've never understood the fascination with TB. It is a mediocre propellent at best.

I am in no way fascinated or enamored with TB but there is a place for it and mediocrity.

There are a few of us that enjoy owning and shooting magnum handguns. Maybe even fewer of us who don’t enjoy full bore loads all the time, and get pleasure from shooting reduced loads from those same magnum handguns. And I think pleasure is what shooting is all about, at least most of the time.

Have to agree.........

kids & the wives don't wanna shoot full nuts magnum loads

I think that the fact it's mediocre makes it more popular for reduced loads. It makes big recoil handguns fun to shoot again. Not every load in my 44 Rem Mag needs to be full power loads to have fun. I don't see Trailboss as a hunting powder.

I use it alot, and there is nothing mediocre about it. Just people that dont know what they are using.
Lots of dumbphucks out here using oatmeal, and dacron fillers to AI a rifle, and you are staring at the one powder that can do it all.
It is accurate as hell in all pistol cal down to, not including 9mm.
Use it in all rifle calibers I dont feel like getting beat up on. There is no need to go full power at all times.
Wives, and daughters like to shoot too. this powder lets them shoot without getting hammered.

Do what you will..........

I use it in 45colt, 44mag, 44spl, 357mg, 38spl, and reduced power rifle loads in 30-06, and 308win.

The rifle loads have a significant change in POI from standard or full power loads.

I meters fairly well, and is easy to work with. Its not super clean, but I don't have a problem with that.

Good stuff. Im a happy customer.

I understand that.
But, if you knew how to use fast pistol powders you'd be making plinker loads with powders that are at least dual use. Trust me, the shooting community has been making plinkers long before Trail Boss was invented.

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

I thought/read Trail Boss was invented to keep people from double charging their handgun cartridges. Mainly for cowboy action.

Trust me, Dla,
I have and know how to reload with fast Pistol powders and have been doing so for years making reduced loads using powders like 231, Unique, Universal and others. My reason for interest in Trail Boss is that I happen to have a couple of cans and thought since there seems to be a slight shortage of components, that I would give it a try. No fascination, just interest in how other folks are using a powder that I happen to have on hand.

Why do you assume that those of us that use TB don’t know how to use alternatives? I’ve used it in everything from .38 Special to .45/70 with generally fine results. No hangfires, no fillers, no tilting the gun to settle the powder against the primer. The safety factor is only another raisin in the cookie.

Popped off some .308s loaded with it yesterday. Pretty much the same results I used to get with the late, lamented, 4759. Have some 5744 to try as well. It has a very wide range of uses, when you can find it.

One of the biggest reasons I like Trail Boss is because as a long-time rifle cartridge hand loader, I like seeing a mostly-full case of powder before I seat a bullet. Just a mental thing I know, but those fluffy little TB doughnuts really fill a case and it make it easier to double-check everything before seating a bullet. Then, all the virtues others mentioned kick-in. Trail Boss under a 158gr LRNFP in my .357 Mag. is crazy accurate and fun to shoot! It will punch little groups farther out than I can see my bullet holes, it is my rabbit handgun of choice, and I would not hesitate to chase our little desert javelina with it as well.

Great powder for light loads sixguns and rifle. Shot several thousand 44s healing from lumbar surgery. Shoot it a lot in my 500s all the time. Came up with an excellent load in my 308 scout. 107 grain sintered bullet, ten grains of TB. Hits exactly on the crosshairs out to a hundred yards. Outstanding practice load and useful for small game as it’s running 1550. The Hornady and Speer half jackets are as accurate.

Hey Frank500,
I’m gonna try Trail Boss in my 41 magnum as well using bullets made with the mold I got from you. It makes great bullets. Thanks again.

I tried to like it, I really did, but I got decidedly dismal accuracy results in .30 rifle cast target loads compared to 2400, RL7, 4227 and 4759. For light backyard plinking with .30 rifles and handguns accuracy was ok but it took twice as much powder as the same loads built with Bullseye. There in lies my assessment of poor bang for the buck, especially since it comes in 8 or 10 ounces in a one pound powder can for nearly the same cost. If I had some on the shelf I'd use it but I'm not buying any more.

AZ Southpaw,
That LRNFP is the exact bullet I’ll be loading in 357 brass for mine. If you don’t mind sharing, how many grains of Trail Boss are you using in that load?

I use it in my .357 magnum and my .44 magnum, good stuff.

Thanks for the reply, VA300WM. And I see you have been a member for a good while with few posts. You might as well keep’em coming. Nobody on here really bites, even though sometimes it can get a little rough.

I settled in at 4.0gr of Trail Boss sparked by a small pistol mag primer. I have since used standard small pistol primers and it doesn't seem to make a ton of difference.

I first tested the load off-hand at an indoor range at 7 yards and the bullet holes were all over each other, and point of aim to the notch and blade of my Ruger Vaquero. Then I slid the target out to 25 yards and shot another group. At that distance, my eyes cannot see bullet holes. I took 5 shots and slid the target back in to find a group about the size of a baseball and still point of aim of those sights. I have other handguns to fit other purposes, so I have no intentions of trying to get any more or less out of this particular .357 Mag!

Thanks Southpaw. I appreciate the info.

Trail Boss is a fast burning pistol powder and is not necessarily a low recoil powder. It is "designed" to "fill the case" of large case capacity black powder cartridges to aid in preventing double charges. This is why it is tailored to Cowboy Action shooting.

The myth is that anyone can fill any case to the base of the bullet and be safe, that is very misleading and can ruin your day. That "myth" derived from the advertisement of REDUCED RIFLE LOADS and is NOT related to the larger case capacity black powder cartridges it was designed for.

Here is the quote from IMR;

This quote is where folks misunderstand IMR's instructions. First and foremost, use IMR's load data for a particular cartridge. If IMR does not offer load data for your cartridge...THEN...you can use the formula.

EXAMPLE:

Lets use the 44-40. IMR offers load data for this cartridge. IMR's published load for the 44-40 is located here: https://shop.hodgdon.com/hodgdon/hodgdon-trail-boss They claim to start with a charge of 5.5gr and a max of 6.5gr. This goes against the caseload formula. However, using said formula https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/trail-boss-reduced-loads-r_p.pdf I can fill the case to the base of the bullet and get 9.3grs. Here are my results....

6.4gr resulted in chamber pressures @ 7,224 psi. Well below the SAMMI max of 11,000psi
9.3gr resulted in chamber pressures @ 15,182 psi, exceeding the SAAMI max by 4,000 psi

My 44-40 TrailBoss Test Results

On top of all of that, the 9.3gr charge had a velocity of only 1,250fps from my custom 1 1/4" x 20" testing barrel. The 6.4gr velocity from a 24" rifle barrel barely hits 950fps. However, this 6.4gr is fairly accurate for plinking...even at 265 yards!!

I use Trail Boss loading .38 Special and 45-70. I think it really shines under a 405 gr slug in the 45-70 and I may decide to take an elk with it one day. Burning 13 grains of Trail Boss and buying the cast bullets online, my 45-70 reloads cost me 40 cents each.

I've loaded and shot Blue Dot in some rifle ammo before. Guess I don't see the reason to sneer at whether a guy likes Trail Boss for some applications over other choices. Truthfully I wouldn't be afraid to shoot an elk with that 405 grain slug over TB and it's easy on the shoulder and ears.

It's great for surpressed subsonic rifle loads.

When my daughter was first learning to shoot, I loaded her up some 38 special rounds with a light weight bullet and a very light load of Trail Boss. It was like a popcorn fart going off. Recoil was nothing and she enjoyed shooting it. Later I gave her some that were loaded a little hotter until she was able to shoot standard ammo without worrying about recoil

I use Trail Boss in 38 Special, 44 Special, and 44 Magnum, and I’ve gotten great results. I also have A BUNCH of Trail Boss on hand, and in the current ammo/reloading component situation, I still get to shoot as much as I want when others can’t.

I use it for suppressed 308 loads, great powder for that.

Load 38 special load data in 357 brass to COAL listed for 38 special brass.

That will give you identical internal capacity behind the bullet and identical pressure curve as loaded in 38 special brass.

They might look unusual, especially if the ogive of the bullet is below the mouth of the case. But they will function flawlessly in your 357 revolver.

Credit given to Dr Ken Howell.

For instance? Do share per favore.

I mean I get .308 out of a bolty .... but you typed "loads" as in plural.

TB is great in magnums for those that can’t handle magnums but still want to shoot them. For example, I load 500S&W with a 440gr cast boolit at 600fps for an arthritic friend I shoot with, he loves it! Feels like a 38spcl.