Trail Boss in rifle loads

[Ironhand54]

I am starting to reload for the 8x56R. How does Trail Boss work in this size of case? The threads in the archives seem to deal with pistol loads not rifle. Can I use the company's recommended method safely? What kind of performance can I expect?

I ask this because there is so little data available for the 8x56R and it would be nice to use 1 powder for the rifle and my 2 pistols, a 357 and a 44-40.

Thanks
IronHand

 

[jmorris]

If you want a reduced power load it will work. I have never found trailboss to be the most accurate load in anything but can be used in lots of different rounds. When you are comparing it to other powders, remember the normally 1lb container for everything else is only 9oz for trailboss.


https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/trail-boss-reduced-loads-r_p.pdf

 

[DocRock]

My results with TB in bottleneck cases have been very mixed indeed. Works great in straight wall cases but has given big velocity spreads in bottleneck cases. IMR 4227 would be a good bet for 8x56R @ 22 grs and 170 grs cast lead.

 

[FROGO207]

Yeah TB always works best for low velocity loads coupled with lead bullets. Jacketed not so much, wide velocity swings for me using it with 150 grain jacketed in a 30-30 for low velocity loads.

 

[Obturation]

It's worth a try, velocity will be low but don't mistake that for low pressure. It's a relatively fast powder with initially high pressure intended to bump the bullet up to fit the bore, that's why it's ideal for cast loads. I've used it in 30-30 and the results were not great but it was safe and worth a try. It's great in 45-70 & 45 colt. Don't compress trail boss. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Stevel]

I've used it in 30-06. Sierra 150fn bullets hit around 1600fps.

 

[illinoisburt]

TB has been okay for reduced lead cast bullets in 30-06 for me. Low recoil, accuracy is so-so. I'd call it a good 50 yard plinker with low recoil.

 

[rfwobbly]

TB can be fun in any cartridge as long as you leave a tiny air gap between the powder and bullet base.
Accuracy isn't great, so it's best used to function test older weapons.
Pressures are too low for gas operated rifles, like M1 Garand.

 

[Glockula]

I have had good results with 165 jacketed bullets and Trail Boss in my .308 win using a suppressor. Surprisingly good accuracy from what I was reading on the internet. Be careful. That is one load I worked down. Not up.

 

[lordpaxman]

I helped out a friend who has two daughters and they wanted to reduce loads in a .243 for deer hunting. I know the 8’s are a way bigger case. POI definitely changed but grouping was good enough at the 100-200 yd for them to ethically harvest some deer.
https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/trail-boss-reduced-loads-r_p.pdf
Good luck.

 

[Lafitte]

I have used it in .45/70 under 405gr. LFP. Works fine for me but I am not punchig holes in paper.
Lafitte

 

[Charlie98]

I ask this because there is so little data available for the 8x56R and it would be nice to use 1 powder for the rifle and my 2 pistols, a 357 and a 44-40.

Don't get stuck on that idea... I would not use TB in a bottleneck cartridge, there are too many other powders that will work without the risks. FWIW, I say the same thing about Unique in the .45-70, for example... the utility doesn't outweigh the risk, and TB is trickier than Unique when used that way. You also didn't mention what you wanted out of these cartridges... are they just for target practice? Cast or jacketed?

I would make the suggestion that Doc made... IMR4227, or... probably better... IMR4198 or AA5744.

 

[Ironhand54]

Thanks guys, great knowledge base here. Looks like I will have to rethink that plan.

IronHand

 

[redbullitt]

I've had good results using it in 308 3006 and 762 54r for subsonic cartridges. 2 or 3 moa out to 100 was very attainable in the 308. The Russian needed cast bullets to shoot, but that was a bore issue, not tb related. Wound up doing under 3moa pretty easily.

5.56 can be loaded down similarly in my experience.

I've also had good luck in a bolt action 300 whisper with very light 90ish grain bullets. Very quiet and as accurate as a good 22 once I got things worked out. The little xtp is quiet and effective on garden thieves. There is a light half jacket that is great too...

I hate to give any actual load data, but I'm fairly certain you could use it in your cartridge based on what Ive seen. The 308 needed around 10 or 11g tb with a 200ish class bullet to be around 1050fps. There is a fair amount of published data for tb, though I'm not sure about your specific cartridge.

My primary worry, when loaded properly, is that trail boss will stick a bullet, so I heavily favor cast messing with it in most cases.

As a rule, don't compress tb. It gets weird.

All that said, I think there are probably better powders for you to use for light loads, but tb has worked well for me and I feel fine with it as long as its used correctly. Do not get hung up on powder standardization. That is NOT why I'd ever grab trail boss.

 

[WeekendReloader]

Trail Boss works ok for me in 30-30 with Berry's 150 grain plated bullet.
I read IMR's method of finding the correct charge range and it works out to about the same data I found in the load books. The max charge just about fills the case without being compressed.

I also experimented with Unique and a few other pistol powders. Unique worked quite well in 30-30 plinking rounds. Trail Boss fills the case but Unique does not. I haven't yet tested if Unique is position sensitive or not. For now I'm going to shoot through this bottle of Trail Boss and decide then If I'll buy it again or just use Unique.

 

[Charlie98]

I also experimented with Unique and a few other pistol powders. Unique worked quite well in 30-30 plinking rounds. Trail Boss fills the case but Unique does not. I haven't yet tested if Unique is position sensitive or not. For now I'm going to shoot through this bottle of Trail Boss and decide then If I'll buy it again or just use Unique.

That's why I mentioned above about using Unique in the .45-70, for example. I've used it... it actually works very well... but I believe there can be an instance of detonation, although there are a bunch of people that will dispute that theory. I have witnessed a case head blowout with 15grn Unique under a 405grn bullet; not an out of battery detonation (closed breech, single-shot.) It was among a group of very experienced shooters, and the eventual conclusion was it was either a piece of defective brass, or a detonation. I like to err on the side of caution... I burned up the rest of my Unique loads, and I haven't looked back.

There were other shooters present that use the same basic recipe, one that I talked with uses a case filler (Dacron) over the top of his Unique charge (NOT a rigid wad,) and that seems to make sense. He has done this with bottleneck cartridges as well, but it's quite tedious.

Unique in the .30-30 might work well enough... the case volume is significantly less, and would likely be position insensitive otherwise; I've never found Unique to be position sensitive in anything I've ever loaded it in.