I was finally able to load some Trailboss loads and have some fun. After all I do have a 2 year old and 4 year old that keep me busy. I loaded 5.8 grains of Trailboss with a 250 grain LRNFP. Let me tell you, I had fun! I have been loading my Blackhawk up with +P loads for so long that I forgot how nice a pleasant shooting load can be. I ran a few over the chrono and was getting 684 fps (avg) with a standard deviation of 8.3 fps out of the 5 1/2" barrel. I ran a few Black Hills cowboy loads through and they averaged 772 fps with a standard deviation of 11.7 fps. The Open Top functioned perfectly and it was easy to keep the groups to 3"-4" off hand at 15 yrds with no real effort. Lots of fun! If you only supercharge the .45 colt you are missing a good time....glad I came back with the Open Top!
.45 Colt - Trailboss in Cimarron Open Top
- Thread starter brianr23
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dagger dog
Member
brianr,
When you get velocities s.d. numbers in the single digits, you have some good roll your owns!
I got the same single #sd's shooting 7.5 grs of Trail Boss and a home cast 260 gr LSWC
in my 4 5/8th Blackhawk velocities in the 750 fps range. Nice managable reoil easy to get back on target and pretty good accuracy too.
Trailboss is getting to be one of my favorites also!
When you get velocities s.d. numbers in the single digits, you have some good roll your owns!
I got the same single #sd's shooting 7.5 grs of Trail Boss and a home cast 260 gr LSWC
in my 4 5/8th Blackhawk velocities in the 750 fps range. Nice managable reoil easy to get back on target and pretty good accuracy too.
Trailboss is getting to be one of my favorites also!
FROGO207
Member
I can't say enough good things about trail boss in my 45 Colt. It has been my go to propellant for some time now. It also performs well in all my other lead loadings for my various pistol and rifle loadings as long as I do not need top pressure loadings. I also like that the recoil is not as sharp as some other propellants are in my firearms. Lots to love with the 45 Colt in medium power loadings.
Those are very good SD numbers for Trail Boss in the .45 Colt. In my Handi rifle carbine I'm lucky if I get SD below 50 fps, but I am using a 200 grain plated SWC (.45acp bullet), so maybe that's part of the problem. I don't really crimp either.
Regardless, gotta love Trail Boss in the .45 Colt, recoil is mild, muzzle blast is almost non-existent, and accuracy is very good out to 50 yards.
Regardless, gotta love Trail Boss in the .45 Colt, recoil is mild, muzzle blast is almost non-existent, and accuracy is very good out to 50 yards.
Hammerdown77
Member
I just started using Trail Boss in .45 Colt for my Cimarron Model P. I've had a heck of a time finding a load that will shoot POA in this gun, even though the gun shoots tight groups. 8.5 of Universal Clays under a 250 gr. LRNFP was pretty good, but 5.8 gr. of Trail Boss under the same bullet is dead nuts on. My Cimarron has a 5.5" barrel, and I was getting 700 or so average fps with this load. Very easy recoil, but very accurate. Great plinking load in .45 Colt.
Trail Boss is a pretty versatile powder. Basically, you figure out how much loads right up to the base of the seated bullet, and that is your max load. Back off that 30% and that's the starting load. Accuracy is somewhere in between. I've used it for .38 Special practice loads out of my S&W J-frame snub, and next I'm going to try it in the .44 magnum. A guy out at the range last weekend was shooting some sub-sonic .308 loads through a suppressor using Trail Boss, and they were quieter than a BB gun!
Trail Boss is a pretty versatile powder. Basically, you figure out how much loads right up to the base of the seated bullet, and that is your max load. Back off that 30% and that's the starting load. Accuracy is somewhere in between. I've used it for .38 Special practice loads out of my S&W J-frame snub, and next I'm going to try it in the .44 magnum. A guy out at the range last weekend was shooting some sub-sonic .308 loads through a suppressor using Trail Boss, and they were quieter than a BB gun!
tkcomer
Member
Due to bursitis, I've gone to Trail Boss to keep my old mil surps alive. Yesterday, I tried it a 44 mag Rossi lever gun. 6.6grs with a 200gr bullet. Wow. I'd already used the lightest load with another powder, but that “rap” on the shoulder was still there. The Trail Boss doesn't have that sharp “rap” to the shoulder. And it was accurate to boot. This gun will now be a pop can killer on a regular basis now.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Love my Cimarron Open Top! This one's a .44Colt. I typically load it with a 240gr SWC over 4.0gr Titegroup but haven't chronographed it yet.
Wow! That is a nice looking Open Top! Love the grips on there. I may just have to get me a fancy one to match my other. How do you like the .44 colt. Is it a standard straight wall reloading like the .45 colt? My Open Top has the brass frame. I really like the looks of yours!
Arkansas Paul
Member
I agree 100%.
I shoot a 230 grain Hornady LRN with 6 grains of Trail Boss in my Blackhawk just for fun and it is a real pleasure to shoot. Very light recoil and accurate as heck to boot. Love it.
Red Cent
Member
Borrow a handful 160s in 45 Colt from a cowboy. Or a cowgirl. 4 grns of Red Dot or American Select. Heck of a plinker load. Very soft recoil.
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