Interesting conversation with Hodgdon

[EddieCoyle]

I want to make up some light loads for my S&W .460 Magnum using some 250gr lead "cowboy" bullets. Until now, I've been loading .45 Colts for the light loads in my .460, but I'm sick of scrubbing cylinders, and I have a lot of .460 brass that's been loaded hot and needs to be put out to pasture.

I couldn't find a .460 load on Hodgdon's site for 250gr lead bullets. They have some jacketed 250gr loads but they're way hotter than what I want. So, I gave Hodgdon a call.

The guy I talked to (Mike) recommended Trailboss, and told me to develop the load thusly:

1. Take a .460 case and lay it on its side.
2. Align a bullet next to the case so that the bullet's crimp groove is next to the case mouth.
3. Mark a line around the case at the base of the bullet. This indicates 100% case capacity.
4. Fill the case to the line with Trailboss and weigh the charge. This is the maximum charge.
5. The starting load = Maximum x .7

Pretty cool, huh?

He also said never to compress Trailboss, and that Titegroup is not a good choice for non-gas checked lead bullets because it burns hot enough to melt the base of the bullet.

 

[jkelly]

Wow, suggesting anything but what is already published is really different in this day.


Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[EddieCoyle]

Wow, suggesting anything but what is already published is really different in this day.


Respectfully,

jkelly

Hodgdon is good like that. I've called them several times and they've been very accommodating. It makes sense I guess; it would be prohibitively expensive to publish every load for every powder and bullet.

 

[Patriot]

I want to make up some light loads for my S&W .460 Magnum using some 250gr lead "cowboy" bullets. Until now, I've been loading .45 Colts for the light loads in my .460, but I'm sick of scrubbing cylinders, and I have a lot of .460 brass that's been loaded hot and needs to be put out to pasture.

I couldn't find a .460 load on Hodgdon's site for 250gr lead bullets. They have some jacketed 250gr loads but they're way hotter than what I want. So, I gave Hodgdon a call.

The guy I talked to (Mike) recommended Trailboss, and told me to develop the load thusly:

1. Take a .460 case and lay it on its side.
2. Align a bullet next to the case so that the bullet's crimp groove is next to the case mouth.
3. Mark a line around the case at the base of the bullet. This indicates 100% case capacity.
4. Fill the case to the line with Trailboss and weigh the charge. This is the maximum charge.
5. The starting load = Maximum x .7

Pretty cool, huh?

He also said never to compress Trailboss, and that Titegroup is not a good choice for non-gas checked lead bullets because it burns hot enough to melt the base of the bullet.

What powder burn rate did he recommend? Trail Boss? Trail Boss doesn't have that
much of a difference burn rate-wise than Titegroup.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Trail Boss is very "fluffy" so it fills more of the case. A can that normally holds 1 pound of other powder holds 9oz of Trail Boss.