Trail Boss Powder for Bullseye Competition?

[SwampWolf]

Would there be any merit in using Trail Boss powder (instead of, say, Unique or Bullseye) for competing with .38s and .45s in Bullseye matches? I like the idea that it's darn near impossible to double-charge .38 Special and .45 ACP cases when using Trail Boss.

 

[JFrank]

Following

 

[WeekendReloader]

I'm not sure you could fit enough Trail Boss in a 45 ACP case to reliably work the action. I never tried.

 

[mcb]

Would there be any merit in using Trail Boss powder (instead of, say, Unique or Bullseye) for competing with .38s and .45s in Bullseye matches? I like the idea that's it's darn near impossible to double-charge .38 Special and .45 ACP cases when using Trail Boss.

I use it in 38 Special for IDPA but I am shooting RN bullet so accuracy is only acceptable. With some good wad cutter or semi-wad cutter you could probably make it work well.

I'm not sure you could fit enough Trail Boss in a 45 ACP case to reliably work the action. I never tried.

I ran Trail Boss in 45 ACP for a season using an XD-45 ACP in Production division. I did have to run a much lighter recoil spring to get it to run 100%. A 230gr bullet at just over 600 fps is a soft shooting gun. The recoil impulse was super soft (Compare to 9mm at the same PF) but I am not sure the soft/slow impulse actually made my splits any faster. The lack of recoil and heavy slide drove the muzzle down more than I liked on fast double taps but I could not go any lighter on the recoil spring or it would not be stiff enough to hold the slide in battery against the striker spring. Probably would work better in a hammer fired gun with no striker spring to fight.

 

[AJC1]

Other than it being very expensive I think you could try and make it work. 38 would be a better choice as it was a BP round and fits with the design criteria. If you said 45c insted of 45acp I think the powder would be more task appropriate.

 

[SingleActionAndrew]

Few weeks ago Midsouth had 8lb jugs of VV N310. Just sayin

Curious to see where this goes as well

 

[.38 Special]

I use a lot of Trail Boss but have rarely found it to give top accuracy, especially in smaller cartridges. No harm in trying, of course, and each gun is a rule unto itself, but I don't have anything in .357 bore that does its best with Trail Boss. (To the best of my recollection I have never used it in the ACP.)

 

[Bwana John]

I'm not sure you could fit enough Trail Boss in a 45 ACP case to reliably work the action. I never tried.

Works just fine.

 

[Jim Watson]

I shot a few .45 w. T.B., just to see if it would work. It did. Back to Bullseye.
I have a little left and if I ever need .44-40 again, that is where it will go.

 

[1KPerDay]

Would there be any merit in using Trail Boss powder (instead of, say, Unique or Bullseye) for competing with .38s and .45s in Bullseye matches?

IF you found that trail boss was significantly more accurate than BE or Unique or 231 or any other more suitable powder in your guns, then yes, there would be merit. Otherwise, no.

 

[DocRock]

My experience with TB is one of considerable extreme velocity spreads with SD in the mid to high 20s at best. That is mainly in 45 Colt. Just not sure it’s an accuracy powder.

 

[kidneyboy]

I ran 38sp 158gr SWC over 3.7 or 3.8gr of TB in my 6" barrel 686 with excellent results at 25 yards.

 

[Ifishsum]

I've not ever found TB to be very accurate in anything I've tried it for but that doesn't mean you would have the same experience. Every few years I try again with it, fairly recently bought another bottle for use in a C&B .45C conversion, but nope Unique was way better in that just like the other .45s

 

[jmorris]

I think you could use it but your scores won’t be as good as they would be with other powders IME.

It is bulky and good for reduced loads, I use 11gn to fill a 308 case more than half full. One negative is that when you normally buy a can of powder, you are buying 1 pound/7000 grains of powder. With TB you are buying 9oz/3937 grains.

The merit would be if it was TB or you sit at home and do nothing. I would be all for TB shooting bullseye at that point. Other than that I can think of a number of powders above TB on the list.

 

[rsrocket1]

There's nothing that Trail Boss does that Red Dot, Titewad, Bullseye, Ramshot Comp Clays, Hodgdon Clays, Extra Lite, Clay Dot, e3 and a host of other super fast powders can't do other than bulk up your case to ensure no multiple charges. That might be worth the extra cost for some but not for others. Oh yeah, it smells funny too. When you get down to powders like Unique, light loads get really smokey and spit out a bunch of flakes but if you don't mind that, then it works too and it's a bit more bulky.

If you like smoke, try Alliant BlackMZ and fill the 38 case as you would TB. Lots of smoke and performance like BP without the fouling or corrosiveness. Same as American Pioneer Powder.

 

[SwampWolf]

other than bulk up your case to ensure no multiple charges. That might be worth the extra cost for some but not for others.

It might be for me. I've reloaded for well past forty years now and, though I'm mindful of double charges, Murphy is always an onlooker. Too, there is the age old question of whether light charges of fast burning powders being a factor in unexplained "ka-booms".
I appreciate all of the helpful advice and opinions regarding my question.

 

[SASS#23149]

"I'm not sure you could fit enough Trail Boss in a 45 ACP case to reliably work the action. I never tried"
I use it all the time with 200 grain rnfp cast bullets. 4.5 grains, gets the job done and no way to double charge. is it a 'bullseye' powder ? no idea, minute of 6" group is all I need for what I use it for. I

if one buys it right..ie: at Bimart, it pencils out ok for cost. I'll pay that cost for the load i've developed. Soft recoil and 'good enough' for our plates.
..fyi I pay 17 bucks a jug here,anyone charging say 25-30 bucks is ripping u off.

back to your question ,trying it will tell you for sure.
..

 

[jmorris]

no idea, minute of 6" group is all I need for what I use it for.

At what distance?