Vihtavuori Tin Star

[Baltimore Ed]

Been loading 9.7 TS in my .30-06 1903 Springfield rebuild behind 165 and 193 gr lead. Hitting my 70 yd plate without too much trouble. Still working on the old sporters remilitarization.  Eventually I'll put it on some cardboard to see what the group really looks like.

[G Bulldog Grainisland III]

Why, thank you Bunk for your heartfelt feelings
(which may not  help Chance with smokeless load data for Vihtavouri powder)
but clearly hearkens back to the good old days  of simplicity and charcoal.   

hope you feel better getting that off your chest LOL.   

meanwhile we bring back the thread to data for strange foreign ( possibly Finnish?) powders.... 

yhs
prof ( its all good) marvel

Yup. Made in Finland, the land of heroes and gentlemen

-Bulldog

[Cowtown]

Bringing this back around...

I've yet to exhaust my stash of Trail Boss but I am getting close. Once I do I am going to try this Tin Star I have that has been sitting patiently in my cabinet since 2011.

Can anyone comment on whether this stuff is as dirty as Trail Boss? I've found TB in 45 Colt tends to leave plenty of soot residue in the rifle. Just wondering if Tin Star is any cleaner burning?

Thanks!

[wool]

I find it cleaner than Trail Boss; the residues seem to corrode the brass less also.

[Baltimore Ed]

When I had my one can of TB I was working on .30-40 rifle loads and didn't notice how clean or dirty that it was. The Tin Star seems to be as clean as Clays. I just didn't like the metering and how much you actually used to get 10 grs of the stuff. I'm using just about the same weight of TS which acts like normal reloading propellant.

[PJ Hardtack]

What's a .45 Colt load with Tin Star?

[Ruts]

I put 7.5 gr. In 44 40 for 1050 FPS in my marlin 24 inch barrel

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I am not sure about loading a powder i cannot pronounce or spell really.
Having said that if it is not called FFg or FFFg I have absolutely no interest in it.
It is just another one of those fad powder that will not last. Only the one true GUN POWDER has stood the test of time.
Seen any Hivel 2  lately?
Bunk

[Gabriel Law]

Here's what RH VanDenburg had to say in Handloader 288...

38 spl -                   150 gr. bullet - 5.0 gr. TS -  847 fps
44-40 Winchester -  200 gr.   "      - 7.5 gr. TS -  793  "
44 Russian -            250 gr.   "      - 4.5 gr. TS -  751  "
45 Colt -                 250 gr.   "      - 8.3 gr. TS -  842  "
45-70 -                   300 gr.   "      - 16.0 gr. TS -1295 "
                              400 gr.  "       - 15.0 gr. TS - 1119 "

When I first bought Tin Star, I guessed at a load for .45 Colt, and shot 7.3 gr. TS with 200 gr. RNFP bullets out of my 5 1/2" Pietta SAA's, giving me 640 fps.  This was a very pleasant load to shoot, and shot to the revolver's sights at 25 yards.

I loaded 8.5 gr. and a 250 gr. RNFP in my Colt Lightning (Pedersoli) giving me 1033 fps and almost no blowback, and shoots to the sights at Cowboy distances.

I much prefer Tin Star to Trail Boss for shooting and reloading qualities.  Shoots cleaner, too, IIRC.

[PJ Hardtack]

I was gifted with a lb. of "Tin Star" but haven't loaded any of it to date.

"Handloader" magazine recommended the following:

44-40 - 7.5 with 200 gr for 793 fps

.45 Colt - 8.3 with 250 gr for 842 fps

.38 Spl. - 5.0 with 150 gr for 847 fps

.44 Spl. - 6.3 gr with 250 for 768 fps

Looks to me like you could go a little either way just fine.

[Bryan Austin]

If it don't go where you aim it that load ain't worth a plugged Mexican peso

Gee that felt good!

I can live with that

I agree but if you can hit what you are aiming at and do so at original velocities.........





..........."Gee that felt good"

Seriously, I have been checking in on this powder from time to time to see if they ever published a load for the 44-40. Funny thing is that they mention the 44-40 directly as one of the cartridge it was used for. https://www.vihtavuori.com/powders/tis-star-powder/

[Dirty Dick]

I am not sure about loading a powder i cannot pronounce or spell really.
Having said that if it is not called FFg or FFFg I have absolutely no interest in it.
It is just another one of those fad powder that will not last. Only the one true GUN POWDER has stood the test of time.
Seen any Hivel 2  lately?
Bunk

I have a can!

[Professor Marvel]

Well, heavenly Carbuncles...

Notwithstanding Monsieur Austin's excellent results,
If Evil Roy promotes it, perhaps someone might ask him for his load data?

yhs
prof marvel

[RMW66]

Found this over on the Cast Boolets forum

In the 38 SPL the N32C Tin Star proved to be a very good powder. I tested with the 105 and 125 gr cast bullets with 3, 3.3, 3.6, 3.9, 4, 4.2, 4.5 and 4.8 gr of TS. Psi ran from 9,200 to 14,900. Velocity of selected loads from Uberti ER with 4 3/4" barrel were; 3.6 gr at 607 fps, 3.8 gr at 672 fps and 3.9 gr at 716 fps. The 3.9 gr load was recommended for CBA shooting.

The 125 gr cast was tested with 3.8, 4.0, 4.2, 4.5, 4.8, and 5.1 gr N32C Tin Star. Psi's ran from immeasurable (not enough psi to expand the .38 SPL case and put strain on the barrel) to 18,800. The 3.8 gr load ran 688 fps and the 4 gr load ran 745 fps out of the 4 3/4" barreled revolver. Accuracy was also excellent out of the Contender test barrel up through the 5.1 gr load which was at the SAAMI +P MAP for the cartridge.

The N32C was excellent in the 44 SPL under a 205 gr cast bullet. A selected CBA load of 4.6 did not have sufficient psi to measure. Velocity was 643 fps from the 5.9" revolver SAA barrel. Accuracy was 2.6" for the 10 test shots at 25 yards. Internal ballistics were excellent with an SD of 9 fps and an ES of 28 fps. A max load of 6 gr gave 14,500 psi also with excellent internal ballistics.

In the 44 Magnum under the 205 gr cast bullet 4.5 to 6.6 gr N32C was tested. No PSI measurement was recorded as even the 6.6 gr load did not give sufficient psi to expand the magnum cases and put a measurable strain on the Contender barrel. That generally requires 8,200 - 9,000 psi. The selected TS load of 6 gr with the 205 gr bullet ran 697 fps out of the 5.9" SAA barrel.

In the 45 ACP 5 gr of N32C was found to be excellent under a 230 gr cast bullet. The psi was 13,800 and velocity out of the 5" M1911 was 752 fps. Accuracy was excellent.

Larry Gibson

[Dirty Dick]

Tin Star looks like SR4759 just lighter in colour.

[Roscoe]

I've been experimenting with Tin Star for a few weeks now in .45 Schofield with 200 and 225 gr. bullets.

It's working nicely for me, particularly with the 225 gr. projectile.  It isn't as bulky as Trail Boss but does fill the cases to the point that the dreaded double charge is not a worry.

Load data is scarce so start low, use a chronograph, and watch carefully for excess pressure signs.

It's not as bulky, but notice that it takes more powder weight to make the same charge as Trailboss, so the case fill is similar.

[RMW66]

I'm just getting into CAS so I picked up some of this and some trail boss to try , figuring if it was made for CAS it had to be pretty good.
I put a post out on the sass site and everyone there hates it . Quite a few seem to dislike trail boss also .
Only got a pound of each so I might as well try it myself .
Experimenting is half the fun

[Baltimore Ed]

Didn't like the TB, went through a hopper full in no time during load development. The Tin Star is easier to meter, doesn't bridge, it acts like regular powder. TS works for me, as you said experiment with them and see what you like.

[Bryan Austin]

44-40

6.4gr Trail Boss

If I ever see any TS on the shelf at my local gun shop, I will try some.

25 yards and 265 yards
If I recall correctly, the white paper at 265 yards was a sheet from a desk calendar.

[treebeard]

Bryan --did you get a velocity on that 6.4gr of Trail Boss charge?