Tin Star powder 1st reload .30-40 results not bad

[Baltimoreed]

I couldn't find any Trailboss for my Krag at the gunshow Saturday but got talked into a can of Tin Star. I wasn't really impressed with TB as I went through a can in no time. I am very impressed with Tin Star. The big group is 2 different style 170 gr lead gc bullets and 125 gr lead RN bullets. They seem to shoot in about the same spot. POI was 6 o'clock on the red dot. 40 yds with bags. I'll clean the bbl good tonight and load up some more. Try again tomorrow.

[reincarnated]

I know that I am a recluse, but Tin Star powder is a new one to me? What is a comparable burn rate?

[Baltimoreed]

It's new to me too. According to this chart, Red Dot-Trailboss-Clay Dot then N320/ Tin Star, which is slightly different than N320. I don't know if the chart will work as a screen shot.

[Parashooter]

Info from Vihtavuori's latest brochure -

Tin Star (N32C)
Special powder developed for Cowboy Action Shooters shooting lead bullets with revolvers and single-action rifles. It has low bulk density (less free space in the case) and it burns very clean without residues with a burning rate between N320 and N330.

Burn chart -

[reincarnated]

I hunted about on the net for info. The stuff VERY FAST and is designed for Cowboy Action shooting; little fouling and no great demands for accuracy. It is for use in straight cases (capacity less than 50 grains of BP) with relatively lightweight (for bore size) lead alloy bullets. That means pushing a 200 grain bullet at about 700 fps out of a revolver, with a big space for gas to escape.

The Krag case is bottlenecked, with just less than twice the case capacity. Plus the Krag has a reduced bore. With the 170 grain bullet, you are trying to push a slug with much higher density (weight/cross-sectional area of bore), so the cork is a lot harder to push out of the bottle. I think you are risking your eyesight, your fingers and an old Krag. It is a risk I would not take.

Guys have been reloading Krag cases with lead alloy bullets for 120 years. There is not much in modern reloading manuals, but the old manuals have lots of info. The best of the bunch is Phil Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Handloading", 1937, with a long-expired copyright. It is available as a free download on the net if you search.

Beginning in the 1930s, most of the old-timers used IMR 4198 or IMR 3031. Those powders are still on your burn chart. Check out the relative burn rates.

That said, I have a 32-20 Low Wall. I think I will try Tin Star in it, pushing 3118.

[Baltimoreed]

I'm just trying to find a easy shooting lead bullet load that won't damage my steel targets. Not a hunting load or a 200 yd target load. Years ago, I somewhere picked up a can of Trailboss but didn't use it and when I read about using it in a .30 cal rifle i tried it. I picked up the can of tin star thinking it was similar. I was using about 10 gr of the Trailboss so I tried 9.7 gr of the TS. I will reduce my load some more and set up my chronograph. Thanks for the heads up.

[Parashooter]

Seems to me that your 9.7 grain load should be fine, fitting in with medium-burning powders cited by C.E.Harris for loads in this class -

The "100-Yard Target and Small Game" Load

I use Mattern's plainbased "100-yard target load" to use up my
minor visual defect culls for offhand and rapid-fire 100-yard
practice. I substitute my usual gaschecked bullets, but without
the gascheck. I started doing this in 1963 with the Lyman
#311291. Today I use the Lee .312-155-2R, or the similar tumble-
lubed design TL.312-160-2R. Most of my rifle shooting is done
with these two basic designs.

For "gaschecked bullets loaded without the gascheck," for cases
like the .303 British, 7.62 NATO, 7.62x54R Russian and .30-'06 I
use 6-7 grains of almost any fast burning pistol powder,
including, but not limited to Bullseye, W-W231, SR-7625, Green
Dot, Red Dot, or 700-X. I have also had fine results with 8 to 9
grains of medium burning rate pistol or shotgun powders, such as
Unique, PB, Herco, or SR-4756 in any case of .303 British size or
larger.

[Baltimoreed]

I've been shooting my steel lately with my NRA? Krag but this morning I put some holes in paper. Still using 9.7 gr of Tin Star with 125 and 115 gr lead bullets. This is what 12 rds did. The first was the flier. Not too bad. I will warn the forum though that this powder is very dense and you can easily get a double load and then some into a .30-40 case. It is NOT like Trailboss. Maybe tomorrow I'll set up the chronograph.

[Ned Butts]

Very nice group!

[Baltimoreed]

I set up my chrony today and this is what happened. I have never used it very much so I will leave it to the experts here to tell me if I'm doing this right. The 125gr was faster than the 170gr which I figured would be the case. The 125 gr are Meister bullets so are very nice but the 170gr are what I cast so maybe not so consistent. The spread was only 15 for the lighter bullets and 57 for the 170s. I threw out the fastest and slowest speeds.