Unburnt powder

[VA Shooter]

This week I loaded some 45 colt 200 gr cast bullets with 5.5 gr Trailboss after my 2nd round I pull trigger and pop no felt recoil so I thinking squib, so I check barrel and it's clear bullet hit POA. I look at case and there is Unburnt power in chamber and case. Brass is new powder charge in evey case is weighed Primers winchester Large Pistol primers. All other rounds shot well. Any ideas why this occured.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Sounds like a bad primer or a reduced charge of powder. Glad you checked for a stuck bullet. ADI says 6.5gr with a 200gr lead bullet should give you 850fps an 11,000psi. Your 5.5gr load is a little light. I don't think that would be the problem but you could go up some more if you want. Is it possible the primer got contaminated? Otherwise I guess stuff just happens once in a while. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

 

[WESHOOT2]

Me thinks load too light.

 

[VA Shooter]

Thanks for the information,the load is the starting load that Lee suggested in my loading mannual that came with my press. I will work up the load a bit today .

 

[WESHOOT2]

Throw LEE data out; remove it from your mind; consider it LITERALLY theoretical.

Recommend a Lyman Pistol & Revolver ('2' or '3'); one-caliber Loadbook, and then the Sierra / Hornady / Speer manuals, and Hodgdons Annual Manual.

To start.

 

[WESHOOT2]

One can still contact powder manufacturers direct and request free data.

 

[jadek44]

Wow--------- Some guys even hate the Lee manual. Who'd a quessed. Suppose ya gotta justify the $$$$ spent somehow.

 

[WESHOOT2]

I "hate" LEE data because it is too often suspect.
I have quite a collection of it.


Experience can teach us much if/when we keep an open mind.

 

[Rclark]

Well, I always think all loads are suspect... unless they agree across several manuals.... I never rely on just one :) . Internet data (even from manufacturer) is the 'most' suspect until checked against other data. Goes for other forms of information as well....

Very odd. TB being a 'fast' burning powder, I've not seen any unburnt powder..... And I've shot a lot of TB.
Some useful info in the this thread : Trail Boss

 

[DGW1949]

This week I loaded some 45 colt 200 gr cast bullets with 5.5 gr Trailboss after my 2nd round I pull trigger and pop no felt recoil so I thinking squib, so I check barrel and it's clear bullet hit POA. I look at case and there is Unburnt power in chamber and case. Brass is new powder charge in evey case is weighed Primers winchester Large Pistol primers. All other rounds shot well. Any ideas why this occured.

All powders are designed to burn proper within certain ranges of pressure.
Trailboss was designed for use when seeking a relatively mild-pressure load coupled with a relatively large volume of powder. In other words, it's primarily intended to be "filling" in low-speed/low power applications.

With that in mind, you got two options here.
Load a 250ish bullet over your present charge, or slowly increase the charge untill consistent burning is obtained.
Perhaps a tighter neck-tension and/or a firmer crimp will help.

DGW

 

[Rick Courtright]

Perhaps a tighter neck-tension and/or a firmer crimp will help.

Hi,

No experience w/ Trail Boss, but "lighter" loads w/ some other powders (within book ranges) have often responded well to some "extra" crimp when I've tried 'em...

I'm not sure "neck tension" alone is adequate for such loads... I could be wrong. Test, test, test...

Rick C

 

[J Miller]

Hmmmm, I've always thought that if you need a heavier than standard load get a bigger caliber.

I also believe the reverse. If you need a lighter load than is normal for a given caliber, get a smaller caliber.

The .45 Colt runs best at standard pressures with bullets in the 250 to 270gr range at around 850 to 900 fps.
Anything more and you're into the higher pressure zone and anything to much less you can fall into squib load zone.

Instead of running 200gr bullets at that low of a velocity and pressure I'd suggest using a 38 special.

Or~ get some real powder and push that 200gr bullet out at a good speed. You'll still have reduced recoil but you won't run into squibs either.

JMHO

Joe

 

[Olsherm]

I have shot a lot of Trailboss at 4. 5 grains under a self cast 252 grain bullet with good results. Good groups. No squibs. Will tear 2x4's off of a fence. Plenty of power for reduced loads.I like the liter loads myself. No need to make a howerwitz out of unless you just like the big boomers. I have not had a problem with unburned powder with trailboss at any loads. I have had some with 2400.Unique,and some others.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Whenever possible, go to the source and see what the powder manufacturer recommends. Hodgdon recommends a starting load of 5.5 grains and a Max load of 6.5 grains of Trailboss with a 200 grain LRNFP bullet. That's a pretty narrow range of powder, just one grain. But that's what they recommend.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

I ain't gonna throw my Lee book out, but I have noticed over the years that his data is much more conservative than any of my other manuals. Whenever I start loading a new cartridge, or a new powder, I always check as many sources as possible before I throw any powder. Lee is consistently on the low end of everything.

 

[Bucks Owin]

FWIW VA shooter, I've yet to get satisfactory results with 200 gr either. Maybe it's just me. And I'd love to try 175 gr (I think offhand, Lyman 45468) for the lead savings as a non reclaimed plinker (I'm in the PRK and lead frugal!) but I wonder if it's worthwhile accy wise... :?

Powder wise, "shotgun powders" like Green Dot and PB have worked pretty good for .45 SAAMI type loads, don't seem "crimp sensitive" either...Haven't used TB yet.

But Joe may be right, seems so far, for me at least, the "good loads" accuracy wise run 250-300 gr, pushed fairly hard with slower powders. (eg 1,000+++ fps Ruger loads)

I've yet to try 325+

Just two centavos...