Trail Boss cleanup

[reno]

Does anyone else notice how dirty Trail Boss powder in in straight will cases? It is almost the same as cleaning up Black Powder. Maybe my loads are to light, I shoot 3.7grs in 44 Colt and 4.9grs. in 45 Schofield. Think I'll go back to Unique.
Thanks

[Roscoe]

Low pressure loads will do that from what I see and am told. I choose Trailboss for other reasons, namely filling up a .357 caliber case enough for me to see the cowboy load. I do like Unique in 45 Colt, but standard loads are more power than I want for the game. I use Trailboss so far.

What bullet weight? The powder charges you list are well up on the scale for Hodgdon Cowboy Action data.

If it shoots okay but makes the cases and gun pretty sooty, once at home I just throw the cases in the walnut media I use for dirty brass. For the gun, a quick squirt and wipe with Ballistol gives impressive results as a preliminary cleaning.

[reno]

Rascoe, thanks for the response . My loads of powder are below the max on both rounds. I cast and load 205gr. RNSP on the 44 Colt and 230gr. on the 45 . Schofield, and never had any trouble till the Trail Boss. No trouble with  my 44/40s or 38/40s and that's because of the bottle neck cases.
Thanks again

[Roscoe]

I had a gun (not cowboy) with tight throats that shot cleaner after I had the throats reamed. Recoil went way down too, assuming lower pressure. Large chambers would probably produce dirty cases that did not expand enough. I wonder if the TB load is too low in pressure. The "cleaner" experience with thin-rimmed bottlenecks would seem to suggest a misfit of case to chamber in the straight walls. If there is only a problem with Trailboss I would accept the "dirt" for the reloading advantage the powder offers. I don't mind dirty brass (or gun) but I do mind the thought that my equipment is not quite right.

[reno]

Thanks again, Roscoe.

[Abilene]

Howdy Reno.  The only straight wall case I use with Trailboss is my smokeless 44 Spcl pistol rounds.  I use 4.5gr which is right at the minimum of Hodgdon's data with a 180gr bullet.  The brass is surprisingly clean coming out of 3rd Gen Colts.  I've not noticed the guns getting particularly dirty, either. The Lee Factory Crimp Die for that caliber seems to really squeeze the portion of the cartridge with the bullet in it (more so than my other calibers), so perhaps that and the good crimp is giving it an extra strong bullet pull when firing.

[Roscoe]

Raises the point that a good crimp can increase the time for a good burn. That would be having good case tension on the bullet and then a full roll on the crimp into a well placed crimp groove, never mind what COL is referenced in load data.

[reno]

Thanks again, Roscoe. I use Lee Factory Crimp Dies on all my ammo, and try to use a good crimp. I'll keep an eye on it the next time I reload. I really don't mind the cleanup, its almost like cleaning up after black, only the cases clean up easy in the tumbler.
Thanks again,

[Coffinmaker]

First a CAVEAT:  I don't like Trailboss.  Never did.  Of course, now that I don't shoot any Smokeless at all, I like it even less if that is possible.  Now the Important stuff:

Straight Wall cases "normally" will not expand enough to seal the chamber.  This tendency is most likely to manifest itself in Rifles with Rail Road Tunnels for chambers.  Handguns, for some reason, seem less prone.  Trailboss also burns somewhat dirty.

With straight wall cases, the only positive way to eliminate Blowby is to anneal the cases.  Making the cases softer allows sealing the chamber.  The other thing worth looking at are Chamber Throats.  After first slugging the bore, then check the throat diameter.  It won't help to be shoving a .452 bullet thru a .448 throat (Big problem with Ruger).  An undersize throat acts a bore obstruction and will increase felt recoil and cause the chamber to pass gas.

You may have been getting blowby before but the propellant you were using burns cleaner than TB.

[reno]

Thanks Coffinmaker, to you and all the rest who have replied.
Reno