Trail boss in 38s

[johnnyjr]

Is this a good powder with cast bullets. I might as well use it up for something..I've got lots of lee 125 gr bullets..thanks

 

[Rick]

Never used in the 38 but it worked really well for me with reduced loads in the 357m in the Marlin.

 

[Mitty38]

Can't remember the exact formula, but had about a quarter pound of Trail Boss gave to me. I sized a bunch of powder coated . Lee 125 grain rn down to .356. Then shot them thru the 9mm. I think it was around 3 grain but been a while, so don't hold me to it. I know it was real close to my Red Dot Load. But a tad more accurate.
Cycled good, no leading. Plenty accurate. So don't see why it would not work in ,38 special just as good.

 

[MW65]

It's a good powder with cast... I have a favorite load with it and 200gr no g/c bll/lla thru some 35 rem lever guns. There should be load data for it via some of the cowboy action loads I'd imagine.

 

[JonB]

Trail Boss prices have gone crazy. I just checked gunbroker right now, currently the 9 oz jug is going for $180.
So, think about that as you whizz away whatever amount you have.

 

[fiver]

if you got it, it's a good powder in whatever you wanna use it in.
if you gotta go buy it ??,, it sucks.

 

[Mitty38]

Yep, load date starts a 3 grains. Hodgdon web sight.

 

[RicinYakima]

Bought a can of it when it came out. It is pretty much a boutique powder, sold by the shills. Never did anything Bullseye would not do for half the money.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I love my Trail Boss

Cryin shame about it being lost. (Factory fire or some such, in Australia back in 2018.)

Its a very versatile powder. Loads is most anything. Minimum of 70% density and don't compress it, is the data. Designed as a bulky powder in large cases for Cowboy Action. IE LEAD BULLETS... So yea its good for cast.

CW

 

[LEC Guy]

I've got plenty of Trail Boss. The larger laundry detergent size bottles. Use 12 Grains with a 405 gr lead in the Trapdoor .45-70. 13 gr with the 300's. Hopefully I get to shoot it all in retirement or it will be available at my estate sale.

Bruce

 

[CZ93X62]

I had 3 x 9 oz flasks, and it did OK at pa-tink velocities in 38, 357, 44 Mag, and 45 Colt. It's decent, but so are 231, and the Alliant shotshell powders I grew up with for 50 years+.

 

[MW65]

I had 3 x 9 oz flasks, and it did OK at pa-tink velocities in 38, 357, 44 Mag, and 45 Colt. It's decent, but so are 231, and the Alliant shotshell powders I grew up with for 50 years+.

I got tb initially to try with guard rounds in 30-06, but finding American select, bullseye, and others are getting great results.

 

[CZ93X62]

Trail Boss is weird stuff, since it is so fluffy & bulky. My impression of it when it appeared was as a very fluffy Red Dot. Charge weights (NOT VOLUMES!) between the powders were kinda close, and resulting performances ran parallel as well. That might even mean something, but I dunno.

I just looked in the powder area and saw that i have 1 full flask and about 1/8 of another. I suspect I'll run it in some 357 or 44 Mag revolver chow with cast SWCs at 850-900 FPS for some low-stress rock-busting sooner rather than later. 90%-95% density loads make that occur safely.