Trail Boss 32-20 (Quiet Loads)

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I passed on 700-x. Looks like the same case fill as Unique which is 1/3 to 1/2 case fill. Im going to hold out and get some trail boss.

Right now im still experimenting with Unique, im just not crazy about the 50% or less case fill....
 
So with the Unique, using a smartphone app. I record 32-20 from 24" bbl at 2 decibels louder than the 22 short from the 20" barrel.

NOT BAD!!!

I will reduce a tad more and see what result I get. (It doesn't sound like I'm close to a squib yet anyhow the steel rings with some authority.)

I'm making hits no problem on 8" gong at 80ish yards. I'm happy about it!
 
This is an interesting cartridge. A friend who shoots black powder in cowboy action matches found a Uberti 1866 rifle in .32-20. His rifle required a little tweaking to run reliably.

He loads with Goex so load development is simple.
 
To review, if I used a 22 LR in town where I live, I expect it would get attention for hundreds of yards.
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Depends, with a suppressor and ammunition that isn’t supersonic, they make less noise than my “moderated” air rifles.



You can hear the bullet pass by though.



People inside the house can’t hear the shots, but can hear the hits on the steel down range.
 
Now I just read through archives here on THR and see guys saying TB is not compatible with jacketed bullets and even the manufacturer recommends lead only no plated or jacketed.....

I've never heard of such a thing for a powder!
 
I have Trail Boss on the way, and some PRVI 150gr. 0.311" FMJ Boat Tail bullets coming too. I checked a Montana bullet works twist rate tables and maximum weight bullet a 0.311" bore 1 in 18 twist will stabilize is 144 grains. Maximum length of bullet is 0.810".

I will be at or slightly exceeding max recommendations of both, but I really wanted the boat tail bullet not that BC matters inside 125 yards (max range) but I figure every little bit counts for something. I did a trajectory comparison between various 123gr and 150gr bullets of different BC and the difference isn't enough to matter.

My goal is to have the most accurate load possible with these boat tails and "fuller" case of powder for consistency (bulky trailboss). Another perk of the trailboss, since 150gr is not a bullet intended for the 32-20, the instructed method of powder calculation from IMR is handy! (70% of remaining case capacity AFTER calculating bullet seating depth)

I'm really looking forward to this. I hope it works out.
 
Plus the boat tail bullet may have less engagement with the bore compared to a flat base, equalling less force to get it down the barrel. Which matters in these powder puff loads.
 
98s1lightning said:
I have Trail Boss on the way, and some PRVI 150gr. 0.311" FMJ Boat Tail bullets coming too. I checked a Montana bullet works twist rate tables and maximum weight bullet a 0.311" bore 1 in 18 twist will stabilize is 144 grains. Maximum length of bullet is 0.810".

I will be at or slightly exceeding max recommendations of both, but I really wanted the boat tail bullet not that BC matters inside 125 yards (max range) but I figure every little bit counts for something. I did a trajectory comparison between various 123gr and 150gr bullets of different BC and the difference isn't enough to matter.

My goal is to have the most accurate load possible with these boat tails and "fuller" case of powder for consistency (bulky trailboss). Another perk of the trailboss, since 150gr is not a bullet intended for the 32-20, the instructed method of powder calculation from IMR is handy! (70% of remaining case capacity AFTER calculating bullet seating depth)

I'm really looking forward to this. I hope it works out.
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As long as you're not compressing the powder you should be okay. I measure the bullet and case, calculate the depth of the seated bullet. Then use the depth gauge of the caliper and fill a case to that depth. Weigh the powder for the maximum charge. Back off a hair for safety. Good luck. I'm interested in the results with the 150 grain bullets. At last count I have 4 rifles and 7 or 8 revolvers in this caliber.
 
I will be at or slightly exceeding max recommendations of both
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Not the best place to start.

My goal is to have the most accurate load possible with these boat tails and "fuller" case of powder for consistency (bulky trailboss).
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I have had similar goals, why I don’t use a lot of trailboss. It’s not the most consistent powder to meter out of any of my measures. In any case I think you should try it just to have some on hand. If you try other powders, don’t be surprised to find they work better and cost less or to find that load density doesn’t always have a proportional relationship to accuracy.

With trailboss one also can’t look at cost per can the same as most other powders, because a can of trailboss is 9oz of powder, others are 16. So instead of 7000 grains of powder in a can you get 3937.5 grains +/- in a can of trailboss.
 
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jmorris said:
I have had similar goals, why I don’t use a lot of trailboss. It’s not the most consistent powder to meter out of any of my measures. In any case I think you should try it just to have some on hand. If you try other powders, don’t be surprised to find they work better and cost less or to find that load density doesn’t always have a proportional relationship to accuracy.

With trailboss one also can’t look at cost per can the same as most other powders, because a can of trailboss is 9oz of powder, others are 16. So instead of 7000 grains of powder in a can you get 3937.5 grains +/- in a can of trailboss.
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Trail Boss meters and is very accurate out of the $25 Lee PPM measure. From what I'm seeing, it's accurate to +/-.05 grains.

Due to Trail Boss being so bulky, charge weights are smaller than with other powders, so you don't go through as much of the powder that quickly.
 
jmorris said:
Did you do anything to it? My Lee PPM won’t throw it even close to five hundredths of a grain consistency. Even with back to back throws.

View attachment 892512 View attachment 892513
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Yeah, I used a beam scale. .12 grain difference with Trail Boss is nothing.

The only thing I've learned with the PPM is when throwing a charge to keep the case underneath when you move the handle up, then move to the next case. Occasionally there is a couple flakes that get stuck that will drop when the handle gets sent back up.
 
98s1lightning said:
Now I just read through archives here on THR and see guys saying TB is not compatible with jacketed bullets and even the manufacturer recommends lead only no plated or jacketed.....

I've never heard of such a thing for a powder!
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I have played with Trail Boss in .32-20 and agree, it doesn't like plated or jacketed. It also showed that trait in other pistol calibers with big cases, but loved lead in them. Now that I have some coated bullets suitable for .32-20 I need to try them with it.
 
Yeah, I used a beam scale. .12 grain difference with Trail Boss is nothing.
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That’s just between two throws and I am already outside the accuracy you are getting. Adding more samples won’t close that gap and likely make it larger, just like the smallest group is going to be two shots and can only get larger, the more one adds.
 
Walkalong what does trail boss "not like" with jacketed. Poor accuracy?
Manufacturer says OK for jacketed in rifle loads, but I do realize we are talking pistol loads.
 
Got my hands on the PRVI 150 FMJ BT.

After I found, believe it or not, published data for 150gr JACKETED from a real manual. I ran these over some Unique. They seem quieter than the 123gr Hornady Spire point I started out with (but most likely wont be using anymore). With 4.0gr of Unique I ran (2) rounds over the chrono and got exactly 790fps on each shot even reseting chrono in between. Cant ask for any better than that. (I started at 4.2gr which was between starting and max published.

I suspect they are quieter because the powder probably burns more efficiently since its the same amount in a smaller area.

From what I can tell, the bullets are stable.....at short range anyway for sure. I'm talking 10 yards. Went right through a can I aimed at.

Now I need to select a brass length. The first ones I tested I used the 1.175 brass from the 123's I was working with. The latter I used 1.250 which has a much more appropriate neck length. However I think I am going to choose a brass length somewhere in between the two here. The short brass is much too short only having like 3/16" of engagement on the bullet. The long brass has about 3/8" engagement which looks equivalent to other calibers I compared to that I have on hand.

I'm going to test each and make sure the neck length does not effect performance.
 
Hah the brass ends up running past the start of the bullet ogive. (In other words it would look like you seated a bullet waaayyyyyyy to deep if you left brass stock length.
 
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