Trail boss powder for subsonic/reduced velocity loads?

[Mikewood]

Has anyone been using trail boss to load subsonic or reduced velocity loads in what would be considered "high velocity" rounds?
I have been working with 500S&W, 444 marlin, 44 mag and some other guns and gotten great results. The loads seem very accurate both on paper and thru the chrono. I can say shove a 350grn lead bullet out of my 500S&W at about 950fps and do it safely. It means I can give the gun to just about anyone and they can shoot it. Likewise the 444 marlin which was a Beast is now tamed down to the point it's like a 44 special.

The loading data is out there from the factory if you guys want to check it out.

 

[Rum Runner]

I love trail boss in my 45LC.

 

[Texas1911]

You can also use it in rifle calibers, like .308 and .223 to get good subsonic rounds.

 

[mikeofcontex]

Just shot some 44mag loads this morning. It felt like a light 38 special load.

 

[dobarker]

You could not have asked this at a better time for me, I just recently came around to the knowledge of what Texas1911 said, i've been working on building a suppressed .308 and really needed a powder that could fill the case fairly and not try to make the bullet break the sound barrier.
Here's the link to Imr's load data for pistols using the trail boss powder.
http://www.imrpowder.com/data/handgun/trailboss-feb2005.php
And for the rifle shooters as well:
http://www.imrpowder.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf

I love how even with a 100% case capacity your still not around max pressure.
Does anyone have any results with the .308 and trail boss? I'm still in the build process of the rifle and a ways off of getting funds stowed away to take the long wait for a can.

 

[AusTex]

There are many things that will help you develop sub loads and some of them you may or may not have thought of already. Check out this article as it has great info. Develop Subsonic

.308 win 30-30 150grn soft points, standard or mag primers and 8.8grns of trailboss.

 

[woolleyworm]

I got to help out with a load work-up for 30-06 160gn cast loads. Ended up at 16gn of TB being a solid load that grouped well at 100yrds. Did this more out of curiosity and to test the versatility of TrailBoss. IMO TB is the most versatile powder out there on the market. If the SHTF and I didn't have much time, I'd grab my hand presses and as much TB as I could. It's not going to make for great long range shots, but out to 200yrds, it was plenty effective. Fill the case up to almost the bottom of the neck and it's good to go. Not that I'm suggesting skipping the step of measuring the powder charge in normal situations, but I do have the experience of knowing exactly what works with TB. No other smokeless powders out there that I would depend on by using case volume only as a measurement in such a wide range of calibers.

The recoil was next to nothing; my 11yr old can shoot that "huge 30-06" like a champ and fire the big rifle just like Dad. A few more years though and I'm gonna start slipping some 165gn loads with 57gn of IMR4350 !!

 

[scap99]

I shot some 185's with Trailboss out of my .308 last weekend. I think I had about 9 grains in the case. They were crazy quiet and grouped pretty well. I may need to speed them up just a tad as about every 3rd shot keyholed. They were hitting about 10" low at 100yds using my supersonic zero.

 

[cpileri]

Just thought I would reply to this old one:
I just got off the phone with IMR and asked if the advice that Trail Boss could be used in literally any bottlenecked cartridge with a starting load of 70%, including the 505 jeffries and 50 BMG and he said Yes.
The guy on the phone did actually talk to someone who used it in the Jeffries, but not the 50 BMG.
He expects that the reason 50BMG reloaders are not using it is expense. At a case capacity of 290-ish grams of water, it would take something like 90-grains of Trail Boss to fill it ( I need to measure that again). So it would be darn expensive. But it would be safe. He did not hesitate to say it would be safe. From a pressure standpoint anyway (i.e. the load will be Low pressure).
He gave no numbers as for pressure nor velocity, however; and they don’t usually give that info out anyway.

So when they say "any cartridge" they really mean it!
C-

 

[mikeofcontex]

For 308, loaded to the base of the neck behind a 100g Speer "plinker"... it will bring a smile to your face and an audible laugh. I don't have a chronograph so I can't report actual performance. It makes shooting your favorite "deer" rifle like practicing with little more than a 22LR.

 

[Mikewood]

cpileri,
Very interesting percentage there. I wonder what my dad will think about his "new" 7mm remmag?

 

[manlymatt]

anybody know where to get some in the San Antonio area?

 

[shortround]

Drive up to Buda. Cabela's has it.