308 and trailboss

[JO JO]

anyone use trailboss powder in 308 I will be trying 150 gr hornady sp # 3031 wanting to try it and thought the low recoil low noise may also be good for the kid to try out, the online videos of 308 and trailboss look interesting anyone here try this load combo ?
local store had some trailboss in stock so I figured why not try it in a rifle, I have used it in cowboy type revolver loads but never rifle loads

 

[Robert101]

I've taken 155 grain Hornady FMJBT bullets down to 34 grains of both Varget and H4895 for about 2,200 fps. This is an easy shooting round in my DPMS TAC20. I have read that Trailboss was a good powder for reduced loads but could not find the source. I believe it was something like, fill the case to 60% full. Please research before trying. My old Speer #10 Manual shows 150 grain bullets going 1654 fps to 1988 fps with SR4759 10 to 23 grains. That is a valid source. Since my gun is a gas operated semi-auto the lower Speer load probably would not make the action function correctly.

 

[Robert101]

Ok, with entering into google search 308 trailboss loads this came up - see link. https://www.loaddata.com/articles/PDF/LD-36 Haviland LR.pdf

 

[JO JO]

Thanks for the link , hodgdon does have load data for 308 and trail boss but have not seen many posts on it maybe it is my turn to try it out and post some results

 

[berettaprofessor]

IMR (now Hodgdon) lists 10.0 grains of Trailboss with a 150 grain Nosler Boat Tail OAL'ed at 2.800 thousands. Listed velocity is 1176fps and Pressure of 25800 PSI.

 

[dgod]

The TB Info is accurate, BUT... The case is only about 1/3-1/2 full, so use a 1/4 sheet of Toilet paper, tamped down to pack the powder against the primer. Depending on which paper you use, it could 1) look like a light snow, aand 2 smell fresh and clean.

 

[Offfhand]

For what it's worth to anyone: I've loaded 16 grains of Trail Boss with 166 grain cast bullet in .308. Velocity average was 1550 fps and accuracy has been quite good.

 

[PapaG]

165 grain plain base cast over the recommended load is my training round for new young shooters who have never fired a "high powered" rifle. Easy to move up.

 

[Walkalong]

Load Trail Boss to 100% load density (Bottom of seated bullet with no compression) and it will be very light and give in the neighborhood or 1100 to 1200 FPS. The next step up in power/recoil would be AA 5744, then H-4895.

 

[Offfhand]

Load Trail Boss to 100% load density (Bottom of seated bullet with no compression) and it will be very light and give in the neighborhood or 1100 to 1200 FPS. The next step up in power/recoil would be AA 5744, then H-4895

This is about right for load density. My load of 16 grns of TrailBoss comes to neck junction of my LC match brass. But what bullet are you referring to for your numbers? As described in earlier post, with 166 gr cast bullet I'm averaging 1550 fps.

 

[rsrocket1]

Low recoil loads are kind of a waste for the #3031 bullet unless you got them for free with some Hornady promotion (I got 500 of them many years ago and still haven't used my first 100).

Quite frankly any medium to fast speed pistol/shotshell powder will work fine because all the powder is consumed well before the bullet exits the barrel so an equal amount of powder will provide almost an equal muzzle velocity. Trail Boss fits the bill, but it's kind of expensive on a per grain basis. It has burn characteristics very close to Clays but with the bulkiness of a little less energy per cubic inch of black powder so you can fill up a case with TB and never generate enough pressure to harm an old gun or drive a bullet fast enough to make recoil a problem.

10 grains of Unique/Red Dot/Clays/Titegroup/Titewad/Green Dot/Bullseye/Clay Dot/e3/American Select will all work. I've played with them all. If you can get some Xtreme 110g 308 copper plated bullets (used for 30 carbine), you'll have a cheap source of low recoil plinkers. I use Lee 113g/170g/200g cast bullets with anything from 6.5g Red Dot (subsonic) to 26.6g Rx7 (2000 fps) low recoil loads

These are certainly not contest winning loads, but they can easily amuse a little one when going against soda cans:

 

[JO JO]

nice load info and pictures, local store was out of 150gr fmj will be checking their shelf again soon, I really never considered plated 308 projectiles and I shoot xtreme plated all the time in my handgun
never considered the powders you mentioned either, more options are good
Thanks

 

[JO JO]

but I do have trailboss and the 150gr sp on hand ,

 

[HankC]

Does Trail Boss work well with plated bullets in rifle applications? Some said Trail Boss is erratic with plated bullets, I assume handguns. Thinking shooting Xtreme 150 gr plated 30 Cal bullets with Trail Boss in my 308 bolt gun. I've tried Trail Boss in 7.62x39 with 123 gr coated cast bullets(Lucky 13), feel like shooing a 22LR. 7.62x39 only takes 8.8 gr.

 

[jbmillard]

anyone use trailboss powder in 308 I will be trying 150 gr hornady sp # 3031 wanting to try it and thought the low recoil low noise may also be good for the kid to try out, the online videos of 308 and trailboss look interesting anyone here try this load combo ?
local store had some trailboss in stock so I figured why not try it in a rifle, I have used it in cowboy type revolver loads but never rifle loads

I have been using it 308 with Nosler 220 grain Custom Competition bullets in a Remington 700. My load is 13 grains with a magnum primer. I also enlarge the primer pockets to 0.125". This load gives me about 1050 f/s with low standard deviation (< 10 f/s). This is almost compressed.

I don't recommend this load in just any rifle because of stability. My rifle has a 1:7.5" twist.

 

[Walkalong]

But what bullet are you referring to for your numbers? As described in earlier post, with 166 gr cast bullet I'm averaging 1550 fps.

I am guessing based on other calibers. Lead is slicker so I am not surprised it gets out faster. And I may be wrong about the velocity, but that's what I get in .35 Remington and .458 Win Mag with normal for the caliber weight bullets and 100% load density.

 

[Offfhand]

OK Mr. Walkalong, clear enough, thanks. I thought your were referencing .308 loads.

 

[jmorris]

I have used 11gn of trailboss behind my cast and coated 150's for backyard plinking.

Pretty much turns it into a 9mm carbine, so I don't do it much.

 

[rsrocket1]

I have used 11gn of trailboss behind my cast and coated 150's for backyard plinking.
Pretty much turns it into a 9mm carbine, so I don't do it much.

I wish I had a backyard where I could shoot 9mm carbine. The only one who would do that where I live would be a Joe Biden wannabe with his double barrel shotgun chasing away burgers.

But you are right, the report of these loads is about the same as a 22 magnum. A little louder than a .22LR, but not very loud.

 

[Walkalong]

I have used 11gn of trailboss behind my cast and coated 150's for backyard plinking.

Pretty much turns it into a 9mm carbine, so I don't do it much.

Do you know the velocity?

 

[jmorris]

I've slept since then but they were in the 1050-1150 range.

Had to search myself, 1080 fps according to this 2014 thread.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/trail-boss-in-7-08.740600/#post-9295904

It's worth noting that with reduced loads, development is backwards, start high and work down. Keeps you from having to beat bullets out of barrels...