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Trail Boss Formula


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Some time back a pard posted a link and the formula for figuring out a load using Trail Boss for calibers not listed in the manual. Had something to do with ciphering out the percentage of something, but I can't remember what.

 

Anybody have this handy?

 

Thanx in advance.

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By eyeball, figure out how much powder fits under the bullet with ZERO compression. That's yer max load. Weigh that charge and take 7/10 of it, that's yer starting load. So if 10 grains fits under the bullet with no compression, 7 grains would be a safe starter.

WHOA!!!! Trail Boss isn't Black Powder....you trying to blow someone up :unsure:

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Hugh & AJ - thanx for the info.

 

I knew it had something to do with a percentage of a certain amount of case fill, but just couldn't recall what. I was fairly certain that the initial measurement was not a full case.

 

I have a depth gauge I made from a wood disk and a dowel with a set screw. Figure I'll set it from bullet base to crimp groove and then trickle powder into the case until it matches, do the weighing, math, and then develop a load from there.

 

I'm loading some 38 S&W for a WWII Webley, and couldn't find any load data for any of my stock powders and didn't want to buy yet another powder. Figured TB would be a good choice since it's a little more forgiving than other nitro powders.

 

Just out of curiosity, has anybody made up a load with TB that does go to the base of the bullet? Bet it goes off with a helluva bang.

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WHOA!!!! Trail Boss isn't Black Powder....you trying to blow someone up :unsure:

 

A Jack just paraphrased the instructions from the maker of the powder seen here

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf

which Hugh provided the link to

as long as you do not compress it it is tough to get into trouble with Trail Boss

 

(I guess You _might_ if you had a very light load say 30% of max and had one of those weird detonations that are reported once in a blue moon but I personally tend to think the folks that claim to have had one of these light smokeless load events (sometimes reported with tiny loads of something like bullseye in huge case like a 45-120) have actually done something like triple charge the case.)

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A shout-out and thanx to Jackson Rose and Oklahoma Harry for the PM's with their loads. Should work out fine.

I picked up some 148 gn. hollow-based wadcutters at a show this weekend. Figure the skirt should expand to grave the rifling just like a Minnie ball.

 

AJ - I looked up the MSDS on TB, and besides the nitrocellulose in the little cheerios they also add potassium nitrate and something called dibutyl phthalate.

The KOH provides the oxygen (more air, if you will) for the burn, and the other stuff is usually used in plastic & vinyl products. Could it be used to help control the burn rate? I wondered why my brass felt kind of greasy or slippery after using TB, so maybe that's why.

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A shout-out and thanx to Jackson Rose and Oklahoma Harry for the PM's with their loads. Should work out fine.

I picked up some 148 gn. hollow-based wadcutters at a show this weekend. Figure the skirt should expand to grave the rifling just like a Minnie ball.

 

AJ - I looked up the MSDS on TB, and besides the nitrocellulose in the little cheerios they also add potassium nitrate and something called dibutyl phthalate.

The KOH provides the oxygen (more air, if you will) for the burn, and the other stuff is usually used in plastic & vinyl products. Could it be used to help control the burn rate? I wondered why my brass felt kind of greasy or slippery after using TB, so maybe that's why.

 

 

I dunno about all of that. I do know if you take any normal flake or ball or stick powder and squish it, there is very little compressibility. Trail Boss "cheerios" break down to dust and would compress to far smaller volume. THAT would be the danger of over-doing it with TB. Following the data from the maker assures you've REALLY got a lot less in the case than it appears, because the stuff is "fluffed up" so much in the process of manufacture, almost like styrofoam....

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... because the stuff is "fluffed up" so much in the process of manufacture, almost like styrofoam....

 

Maybe the dibutyl phthalate is what causes it to get fluffed up? It is one of the ingredients in styrofoam.

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