Availability of TrailBoss (and other ADI powders)

[earlmck]

I talked to a Hodgdon powder fellow today, as I wanted to know if they have quit importing from Australia (where TrailBoss is made by ADI --or I guess now they are Thales, Australia Ltd.). He tells me that they are trying but can't get as much powder as they want out of Australia because new Australian shipping regulations have greatly reduced the amount of hazardous material they can get on any one ship. And hazardous material includes coal as well as gasoline, propane etc.

I looked at the list of Hodgdon powders advertised by Powder Valley (they have powders listed in such a way that it is easy to see what they have without looking at a bunch of different pages...). It does appear that a large percentage of the powders which are unavailable from them are ADI powders -- such as Varget, H4350, Clays, -- some other powders that are noticeable by their long-term absence around these parts. So I'm thinking the Hodgdon fellow is credible.

He also told me that the number of reloaders has increased 40% in the past few years, so that although they are getting just about as much powder as ever, we get these big availability holes because of the increased demand. I guess that's a good thing from the politics of the deal.

The Hodgdon fellow did not make any rash promises about things getting better anytime soon. He said they got 12K pounds of TB in September and it disappeared without much of a ripple (I know I missed the event!).

[BigSky56]

A couple of years ago I talked to a wholesaler they informed me that the insurance carrier regs on transportation had changed from 4 sea containers to 1 per ship. danny

[KiwiKev]

When was the last time a ship carrying powder exploded spontaneously or by accident and apart from an act of war? I am not trying to suggest that this sort of thing never happens but I am genuinely ignorant of how often it does actually happen. Perhaps it is a real concern.

[Rube Burrows]

Why don't someone else pick up and produce a powder like trail boss??

I love trail boss and use it lots for my .45s and .38s. Down to two jugs and would love some more.

[Chuck 100 yd]

There is a 5# jug on GunBroker right now for $149 buy it now price.

[Griff]

TrailBoss is not on my radar. I won a can, used some, didn't like it; and settled back onto Clays & RedDot for my variety of loads; from SD to cowboy action.

[earlmck]

There is a 5# jug on GunBroker right now for $149 buy it now price.

I might go for that if it were on the shelf at my LGS but by the time you pay hazmat/shipping you are talking a lot closer to $200. I would like to have some but I don't have to have some.

TrailBoss is not on my radar. I won a can, used some, didn't like it; and settled back onto Clays & RedDot for my variety of loads; from SD to cowboy action.

Where I find it unbeatable is in making light loads in bottleneck cases such as the 243. I can equal the same velocity range easily enough with Red Dot but can't equal the velocity uniformity/accuracy with the Red Dot. And a bigger consideration with me, now that I frequently get reloading help from grandkids, is that where the Red Dot load takes up about 30% of the case capacity the TB is well over half a case so a double charge wouldn't fit. This never bothered me when it was just me doing the loading, but you'd be amazed at how much more comfortable you feel using grandkid-produced loads when you know they couldn't have fit in a double charge.

[Bill in Oregon]

I haven't seen Universal Clays in a couple of years. Always found it useful.

[earlmck]

I haven't seen Universal Clays in a couple of years. Always found it useful.

They must have sneaked some on a boat somewhere along the line Bill, because Universal Clays is one of the few ADI made powders that is available from Powder Valley. I've never used the Universal but was wondering if it wouldn't be similar to Unique but maybe meter a little better?

[KWK]

Thanks for the information, Earl. I'll try Red Dot, Unique, 700X, or the like when this jar of Trail Boss runs out. If nothing else, they should burn cleaner for reduced .444 loads.

Karl

[Bill in Oregon]

Earl, yes, very similar to Unique, but cleaner burning.

[KWK]

Of the fast shotgun and pistol powders, which is best in terms of consistent ignition, without regard to case position? I assume they all suffer from case position changes, but perhaps one is better in that regard than others. I'm interested in the straight walled cases about 2.5" OAL, such as .444 and .45-70.

Also, if there are a couple of contenders for most consistent, which is the cleanest burning in such reduced loads? (It sure ain't Trail Boss!)

[w30wcf]

KWK,
I have used Bullseye, 700X and Unique in short range loads in the 45-70 as well as Trailboss. The first 3 are cleaner burning. Those powders are somewhat more bulky than one of my favorites for the 44-40 and 45 Colt (Titegroup).

These days though I use an over powder disc made from standard copy paper pushed into place onto the powder charge with a wooden dowel cut to fit with a shallow v radius on the bottom to give the disc a blocking effect similar to a dam.

That has worked great and the thin .005" thick disc is consumed upon ignition.

w30wcf

[KWK]

That has worked great and the thin .005" thick disc is consumed upon ignition.

Interesting solution. Does the disc seem to stay in place as rounds work through a tube magazine and then up into the chamber?

Karl

[JohndeFresno]

Why don't someone else pick up and produce a powder like trail boss??

I love trail boss and use it lots for my .45s and .38s. Down to two jugs and would love some more.

Is Vihta Vuori Tin Star out of the picture for a replacement? Its burn rate reportedly falls between N320 and N330, and of course is also a bulky powder developed for CAS shooting. You have probably seen the "Evil Roy" ad.

[Rube Burrows]

Why don't someone else pick up and produce a powder like trail boss??

I love trail boss and use it lots for my .45s and .38s. Down to two jugs and would love some more.

Is Vihta Vuori Tin Star out of the picture for a replacement? Its burn rate reportedly falls between N320 and N330, and of course is also a bulky powder developed for CAS shooting. You have probably seen the "Evil Roy" ad.

Yeah, I think I do remember seeing that ad.

I have not tried it yet though.

[w30wcf]

That has worked great and the thin .005" thick disc is consumed upon ignition.

Interesting solution. Does the disc seem to stay in place as rounds work through a tube magazine and then up into the chamber?
Karl

Karl,
Yes. I have worked rounds through the tube into the chamber then extracted them without firing and the disc is still in place. I will say that if I will be transporting cartridges a long distance prior to shooting them I will typically use a bit thicker paper (.008"-.010").

Using the same wad punch for punching .06" thick poly wads, I place several pcs of paper together and punch through them at the same time.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Detail.aspx? ... 8&TERM=wad punch

w30wcf

[KWK]

w30wcf, I take it you are using a .460 punch for the .457 of the .45-70. For my .444, their two nearest punches are .430 and .442 inches. I wonder if the .430 might not be tight enough, and if the .442 might crumple too much for the right fit. What do you think? Karl

[w30wcf]

Karl,
I would go with .430. The taper inside the case will make for a snug fit when the disc is down on top of the powder.

I made a seating stem from a wooden 1/2" dowel on my lathe so that the disc was seated squarely on the powder. Lacking a lathe, if you could find a 7/16" dowel and chuck it into a 1/2" drill, it could be reduced to fit with sandpaper or a file. A 3/8" dowel could be used also with some tape wrapped around to center it in the case.

w30wcf

[KWK]

I had forgotten, w30wcf, about the case's internal taper. I'll get the .430 punch on my next order from them.

I'd already decided to use my drill press in lieu of a lathe, in working the wood dowel. You mentioned "... a shallow v radius on the bottom...", and I'll admit I don't quite visualize this shape. I imagine yours is dished slightly convex with perhaps a bit of a chamfer at the edges, both to try to encourage the paper disc to form something of a shallow dome against the charge.

Thanks for your patience,
Karl

[horsesoldier03]

Good to know, thanks for sharing his insight! This is likely the most logical explanation that I have seen provided.

[w30wcf]

Karl,
"V" radius wasn't quite the right terminology. Visualize the center of the dowel being bout .030-.040" higher than the o.d. From the center then, form a shallow radius to the o.d. I did not radius the edge of the o.d. The end of a pencil eraser looks similar once it has been used.

w30wcf

[KWK]

Thanks. I understand now, and I'll give this a try by spring time. Karl