Thread: Hangfires with reduced loads

Originally Posted by Grantp

Good to see a thread and advice on lighter loads and the dangers that exist - normally its all about overloading. Good stuff.

Under loading is wayy more dangerous than over loading
Because over loading will give you warnings that you’re pushing your luck
Undloading in some cases will to but in other cases such as a flash over for example the 1st 5 could be fine then on the 6th karboomfa rifle in bits A friend of a friend Detonated his sako a few months back with a reduced load gone worng

Re Trail boss velocities. In my 243 with a 1:8 twist I can drive my 105/108 gr VLd's subsonic with about X gr. (1050 fps) or with XX gr I can drive a 58 gr Vmax at 2300 fps. I can put in up to 14 gr and drive the 105's at about 1700 fps.

Sorry about the X's but my note book is in the shed and I don't want to get it wrong. I know I have gone as light as 8 gr but I'm reluctant to drop much under 10 gr.
Zq

Originally Posted by stug

Trailboss doesn't just give subsonic velocity. It will give velocities in the 1400-1700fps range depending on cartridge and projectile.

Thanks for that info. That is something I didn't know and had never been told before, but now explains my results. The problem I had with velocity spread re Mickey Duck above for subs is that some loads will go trans sonic and noisey while others are completely suppressed and quiet. Makes it very difficult to get the right load going.

@Moa Hunter

I scoop measure powder and find TB somewhat irritating - taking flight when you level the scoop. One could look for a narrow-mouth, relatively tall scoop to minimise fly-off variation, but then you have problems scooping with it!

Bottleneck cases are better as there is less variation from this phenomenon - I stand them up in a cup and pour TB over them from an old flip-top ketchup bottle until filled, then level flat and pour into the destination cases. This also avoids compression variation then from how you scooped the TB into the measure as you don't scoop at all.

Could buy an adjustable powder dispenser of course, but I heard TB can be temperamental with them.

I use the lee scooper for my trail boss loads,haven’t died yet.

I use lee scoop AND THEN WEIGH...the beauty of them is getting your start point...you use SAME spoon you would use for your regular powder....funny as heck cause its the same one I use in 7.62x39mm and same for .223 as well....
your STARTING load is by VOLUME NOT WEIGHT and you reduce from there.....sort of works out your first load will be 80-90% full case it will be supersonic usually.