Trail Boss powder - excessively dirty?

[doketx]

  Hi guys Has anybody else found Trail
Boss powder to be excessively dirty?  I have trouble with cartridges I've loaded with Trail
Boss sticking in the chamber so tightly that I can't extract them, and I never have this trouble with any other powder I've used
I was told that the dirty blow back was what was causing the cases to stick, but who knows?  If it makes any difference, I've got an 1876 Uberti 45-60.  Any help you could give me would be most appreciated.  If nothing else, I'll just quit using Trail Boss, but I'd like to know why it's behaving that way.  Thanks!

                                        Doketx

[reno]

I have been using Trail Boss for quite a while now, and it is dirty, but no worst than BP. With straight wall cases a lot of blow buy, with bottle neck very little blow buy, and have never had trouble with stuck cases, in rifle or revolver. Loading light with Trail Boss can cause a lot of dirty cases and firearms due to cases not expanding to the chambers.

[greyhawk]

  Hi guys Has anybody else found Trail
Boss powder to be excessively dirty?  I have trouble with cartridges I've loaded with Trail
Boss sticking in the chamber so tightly that I can't extract them, and I never have this trouble with any other powder I've used
I was told that the dirty blow back was what was causing the cases to stick, but who knows?  If it makes any difference, I've got an 1876 Uberti 45-60.  Any help you could give me would be most appreciated.  If nothing else, I'll just quit using Trail Boss, but I'd like to know why it's behaving that way.  Thanks!

                                        Doketx

Have you checked that your charge is within the limits of pressure?
Stuck cases / difficult extraction usually points directly at a pressure overload - ??
Trail boss is a fast burning powder = generates high pressure for the velocity obtained

[Niederlander]

Don't know what that could be.  I shoot Trail Boss all the time in my Uberti '76 .45-60, with no problems at all.  As far as I know, you CAN'T overload Trail Boss, or at least that's what one of their ballistics people told me.  Could it be a chamber problem?  (Doesn't seem like it should be, but it's worth checking.)

[Montana Slim]

TB generates fairly high pressures at either a minimum or maximum load in cartridges similar to those used in the 1876. See manufacturers data for the 45-70 as example. If your just a grain or two above the max charge, you could be generating pressures approaching proof. One thing I really like about the 45-60 is it's close similarity to the 45-70 cartridge case, just having less volume. I'd look closely at the powder measuring/dispensing method closely & look for possible variations with TB. A dirty bore don't bother me, I mostly use Unique with RCBS 335 gr bullet for my plinking loads - when not shooting BP.

[Slamfire]

doketx , I use 13.7-14.0 0f TB in my 40-60 Chaparral , I really didn't find it that dirty , " no compressed loads ",, I do anneal my brass to help get a better seal , I use Starline brass , never had any swelled cases , loaded OAL's run from 2.225 to 2.240 ( depending on case OAL ). Would like to know what you find out ,, what the problem is.


  coffee's ready ,, Hootmix.

[dusty texian]

Doketx , I looked in my loading notes and found . 3-23-15  ,  1876 Winchester 45/60 WCF 28 " barrel . Bullet 405 gr.  lead @ 458" . Powder Trail Boss 12.5 Gr.   . Primer # 200 CCI . Note's  -  No leading in barrel ,Very accurate @ 50 yd.  I had no note about dirty powder , but seem to remember it being fairly clean . I admit I did not shoot much using the TB , because of the High Pressure warnings I have heard  about TB and the fact that I was shooting a 130 yr. old rifle . I do know that if there would have been any  extraction issues  , that would have been the end of testing in that old rifle . So no extraction issues !  ,,,,Dt

[Major 2]

Ditto ... Dusty Texan

My notes for  30/06   =  13.1 Grains Trail boss  .311 non GC'ed  165 grain hi tech coated lead .. 200 CCI primer
                                       no leading , Very accurate @ 50 yds

Rifles are  an 03 Springfield and an M1917 Eddystone

I get similar results from my No. 1  Mk 3*  Enfield  in 303 British  .312  167 grain Hi Tech

and my Krags

Granted all are Bottle necks but using around 80% capacity of the varies cases... nice groups and not dirty at all...

[larryo1]

For what its worth:
My only experience with Trail Boss was that  was what I used to fire form my 45-75 brass.  I used about 15 or so grains under Cream of Wheat and a wax plug.  No problems and did it for several hundred rounds.  Jut thought that it would be worth passing on.

[doketx]

Thanks for all of the replies, guys.  I've since found a place which has the powder I generally use (H4198) and have stopped using T.B.  I suppose that's the coward's way out, but I've had no extraction problems.  Maybe I was to  blame, but I don't see how; I followed the recommendations in Lyman's reloading manual, and the chamber's always clean, so who knows?  Anyway, thanks a bunch!  It's way too hot to go outside shooting anyway, and I studiously avoid indoor ranges.

[Slamfire]

Yea, doketx,, I use H 4198 in my 40-60 Chappie , but again did not find TB to be dirty .

  coffee's ready ,, Hootmix.