Trail Boss and Red Dot Powders/Reloading .38 ca

[Lucky L]

Would appreciate anyone that has experience/knowledge of reloading...using these two powders for .38 rounds...could you PM so we can talk about what has worked for you...Thanks!!!

[White Buffalo]

I've used the trailboss for the 38

Love it. I use the loading manual PDF look on page 30 for great cowboy loads

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Hodgdon%20Basic%20Manual.pdf

[Ace_of_Hearts]

Trail Boss works very well for light loads that fill the case well.

It is an extremely light powder and works best in vertical fill vertical drop powder measures, and static electricity can be a problem.

Do not go below minimum loads as the powder then begins to develop an ignition problem, resulting in excessive blow back and at worst, squibs.

[Bart Solo]

I have used Trail Boss for years. It is a great powder for 38. Just go to the Hodgdon website and look at the loading data table. I load a little above the minimum to make sure I get good ignition. Lately I have changed to a new Hornady progressive press and have had some problems with the occasional light drop (about 2 out of 100.) That is a pain. I have started tapping the powder measure and checking each round before I insert the bullet. That is pretty easy because TB is fluffy and after a few rounds you can pretty much tell how much is in the case, at least to within a 1/10 of a grain or so.

 

Deadwood Slim tells me he had a similar problem with the Hornady press and moved to WW 231 and has zero problems with that powder. He has heard of others using a fish tank motor to vibrate the powder measure.

 

I never had the problem at all when using a Lee Turret Press, but I can reload a lot faster with the progressive.

[Ace_of_Hearts]

If you will use a Lee Auto Disk Powder measure you will eliminate your light drops.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

Alliant Powder (http://www.alliantpowder.com/default.aspx) has online reloading data for Red Dot including CAS loads. All their loads are too hot for my taste (unless you need knockdown loads). However you can use their published data to judge whether information you get through a private message is reasonable. I don't use Red Dot but would if I had trouble acquiring American Select which I prefer. Locally Red Dot is readily available with enough supplies on hand to meet the needs of CAS shooters.

[Marshal TKD, Sass # 36984L]

I have been loading with Trail Boss since it first came. I load 38 Special, 38-40, 45 Colt and some 45 ACP with it.

I load on a Dillon 650. I also use the powder check die. I have not had a problem with light drops on the powder.

On the lower end of the loading chart with 38 special it is a very erratic load. Mid to upper chart are fine.

On the bigger case like the 38-40 and 45 Colt the mid to upper chart loads also work best.

I have found that TB is not case position sensitive and it is not temp sensitive.

I am not a reloading expert

I have not succeeded in blowing a gun up, at least not with my reloads

I don't stay at Holiday Inn last night

[twelve mile REB]

Although I have left trailboss for the cheaper and a little cleaner (the soot's a little softer) American Select. I have loaded and competed with trailboss for the best part of 10 years. Trailboss was loaded to get me 750fps with a 105gr bullet which isn't listed and considered a light load. I have not found it to be erratic in the 38spec. if mag primers are used along with a resonable crimp.

your mileage may vary

12

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

For years prior to even knowing about CAS I used red dot in 38 target loads. Generally used something close to the starting load in published data with 158gr Semi Wad Cutters or even 148 wad cutters (need to stick out front of case to be sass legal was not shooting CAS so did not care). Probably not a great choice if one is trying to achieve maximum safe velocity loads as fast powders like red dot get pretty high in pressure pretty quick. Staying within published data for the bullets used it is a fine powder. Some where along the line switched over to AA Nitro 100 and AA2 at the time say nearly 20 years ago, the latter two powders were significantly less expensive at the Ft Bliss Rod and Gun.

 

One caution Red Dot is fast, charges are very small, can fit double, tripple or even quadruople charges into a case. One then has a hand grenade vs a hand gun. Careful loading practices and visually checking charge levels or having a powder check thingy on your press for you dillon guys can prevent the multi charge problem. I am equally afraid of 0 charge squibs so using my turret press I batch charge 50 cases at a time and visually check the charged cases in the loading blocks before batch seating the bullets. At my age it is really easy to loose focus when operating the turret press like a manual progressive and either double charge or not charge a case.

 

Given we are not trying to consistently hit the 10 inch X ring at 1000 yards most anything load that goes bang and is within published data limits will work just fine. Outside of those boundries, who knows????

[Arcadia Outlaw, SASS 71385]

Red Dot is a great powder for 38's and of course shotgun.I've been using for years.

 

 

AO