Trail Boss for son's first 'solo' session of reloading

[wtr100]

#1 son (age 14)  has been helping me reload for many years now.  Those little nimble fingers
were great for small pistol primers!  He's competent at it but always under supervision.

He's got his own Moisin (no accounting for tastes) but he's wanting to to 'fly solo'.  He's been reloading
cast  boolits with 13 gr Promo (low rent Red Dot).  I'm thinking of picking up a container of 'Trail Boss'
for him.  The instructions I've read on how to work up a load seem to make double charging impossible.

He's just ringing steel plates at 50 / 100 yards so velocity isn't a big deal.  Other than TB seems
a bit spendy for what it is anyone see any downsides?  Seems the extra cash for an extra margin of
safety is well spent.

[Ole Ed]

You have the interest and ability of this sport clearly shown in you son.  I can understand your concern for safety.   IMO I would not let him alone when he loads his rds.  Double loads are too dangerous to allow him to "solo" period especially at 12 yrs.  I'm 68 and as my wife says; I act like a 2 yr old and do dumb things.  Point... my brother is 60, weak left leg and arm, fishing with me at Lake Fork, Tx, jumps off bow of boat on ramp and breaks bone in heal and still limps after 6 mths.  Former Marine and said "easy jump, hooah" -- he was not thinking. I, he and WE all act like kids so what will a 12 yr old do?  I would let him "solo" all but 1 and insist that you check each powder round before he seats

Don't really understand the rational of the expense factor when one looks at the results of 1 pound of gun powder.  Consider the number of rounds you reloaded from that 1 pound bottle of powder which I get and avg of 1750 rounds per pound of Bullseye.  Can be alot AT the out set.  Now consider the # of rounds you make and shoot WITH THAT SON.  Maybe 50 each session?  Thats 250 times you are with your son shooting for a couple of hours.   Wow.  I'm 68 yrs old and would have loved to have my son with me in one of my hobbies.  Enjoy the time as when your my age, you'll remember those days when you're alone and he is making his own life.

Sorry for the ramble but I've learned the hard way that money is at the bottom of my list when it's "happy time" with my family.  

[wtr100]

Hey Ed - welcome

I did pickup a pound - actually 14 oz of Trail Boss - we followed the manufacturer instruction and calculated a load of 70% available volume and it works great - double charge is impossible (it would spill all over the bench)

he has loaded and shot maybe 100 rounds so far - oddly enough the rifle is getting more accurate as he shoots more cast boolits - I think the lead is filling in and smoothing out the sewer pipe of a bore it had!

 

maybe after a while bullets sized for a .308 will shoot out of it   

[under_dawg]

TrailBoss is a great powder for your situation.  I have only loaded it in .357 and .44 mag (nice plinkers).  Impossible to double charge in those cases.  I'm not sure about the 7.62 x 54 case, but i would assume a double charge would be difficult.  Be sure to use lead bullets (as you mentioned), because I don't think you are supposed to us jacketed or plated bullets with TrailBoss.

[wtr100]

TrailBoss is a great powder for your situation.  I have only loaded it in .357 and .44 mag (nice plinkers).  Impossible to double charge in those cases.  I'm not sure about the 7.62 x 54 case, but i would assume a double charge would be difficult.  Be sure to use lead bullets (as you mentioned), because I don't think you are supposed to us jacketed or plated bullets with TrailBoss.

there are instructions on how to use it with pretty much any cartridge - measure how far you want to seat the bullet in the case and fill to 70% of that - worked like a charm

we tried a couple plated cast bullets they worked ok but not as well as plain lead

[Sponsor]

[Conagher 45]

I have been thinking about using TB in .30-30 plinking loads also. Hodgdon has data on TB on thier web site so that will help with a starting load for this. I purchased a box of 500, 160gr. FP cast boolits from MIDWAY-USA and have been using 8.0 grs. of Unique for a plinking load that runs about 1100 fps out of my 94. This load is fun to put holes in paper and clang metal with , it also will take care of garden eating ground hogs at close range. Have fun,shoot stright,and be safe.   

Con