StaBall Powders Experience

[sndmn11]

What speeds are you getting with your 6.5 PRC? I'm thinking of trying it in my 6.8 Western which is a pretty similar cartridge. Thanks.

Peterson, cci200, 22" Hardy barrel with brake (24")

StaballHD
140vldH 60.4gr = 2839 stiff slight ej mark
120gr etip 62.0gr = 2996 stiff ej mark
130gr tgk 61.0gr = 2903 was fine
143 eldx 60.0gr. = 2823 was fine
156eol 59.0gr = 2780 was fine
59.5gr = 2910 occasional marks and bolt stiff
60.0gr = 2932 stiff mark

Staball 6.5
120 etip 58.0gr = 3280 was fine
85 hammer hunter 62.0gr = 3690 was fine
63.0gr = slight ej mark bolt ok

 

[cowboy300]

damn. Is that a factory barrel?

Yes Factory roughtech take off I bought and screwed on myself

 

[gerry35]

Peterson, cci200, 22" Hardy barrel with brake (24")

StaballHD
140vldH 60.4gr = 2839 stiff slight ej mark
120gr etip 62.0gr = 2996 stiff ej mark
130gr tgk 61.0gr = 2903 was fine
143 eldx 60.0gr. = 2823 was fine
156eol 59.0gr = 2780 was fine
59.5gr = 2910 occasional marks and bolt stiff
60.0gr = 2932 stiff mark

Staball 6.5
120 etip 58.0gr = 3280 was fine
85 hammer hunter 62.0gr = 3690 was fine
63.0gr = slight ej mark bolt ok

Thanks, much appreciated.

 

[gerry35]

Yes Factory roughtech take off I bought and screwed on myself

Man someone's got to be kicking themselves for getting rid of that barrel, awesome groups!

 

[CMP70306]

Staball 6.5 gave me 2950 out of a 6.5 creedmoor with 24” barrel shooting 130 tmk-hornady brass-br2 primer. Staball 6.5 also gave me 3250 out of a .243 win 22” barrel 87 vmax-Winchester brass-wlr primer. I also tried Staball 6.5 in a ruger m77 mkii 22-250 shooting 55 hornady sp’s, but I could only get it to group at the low end of 3300 fps. I don’t own a 22-250 to have it shoot that slow with 55’s so I went back to my original load of IMR 4895 in that rifle.

That’s weird, I’m running 3550 with the 53gr V-Max in an 18” .22-250. It sounds like it could be too light of a load causing inconsistent burn that could be the issue.

I used it for a bit in the 6.5 PRC and the 6.5 Creedmoor but ended up switching to N560 and H4350 respectively. I do plan to try it for 150gr loads in a 30-06 as well as some other options in the future I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

 

[MT-nuffgun]

That’s weird, I’m running 3550 with the 53gr V-Max in an 18” .22-250. It sounds like it could be too light of a load causing inconsistent burn that could be the issue.

I used it for a bit in the 6.5 PRC and the 6.5 Creedmoor but ended up switching to N560 and H4350 respectively. I do plan to try it for 150gr loads in a 30-06 as well as some other options in the future I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

I tried from low to high, 5-shot groups, just would not work with that bullet, I have a .223 rem that shoots the same bullet at 3250 so it seemed kind of pointless, imr 4895 groups good at the high end in the 22-250 with the 55 sp at 3650fps, so I will stick with that.

 

[CMP70306]

I tried from low to high, 5-shot groups, just would not work with that bullet, I have a .223 rem that shoots the same bullet at 3250 so it seemed kind of pointless, imr 4895 groups good at the high end in the 22-250 with the 55 sp at 3650fps, so I will stick with that.

Fair enough, if it works for you then it works for you. I’m new to the 22-250 and have only loaded for that one rifle with that one powder but got the accuracy and velocity with it so I stopped.

I do know that StaBall 6.5 likes to have a full case otherwise your SD/ES can get out of whack due to inconsistent burn so I was curious if that could have been the issue.

 

[grfox92]

Do you know the velocity? I don't have extensive use with staball 6.5 but have read it likes the upper end of pressure.

I just ran a .5gr single shot ladder looking for max pressure with it in a 243 and those shots EDIT (weren't) all over the place even as the charge was changing. I haven't gone back out with a selected charge to shoot groups yet though.

No, I don't have a chrono, I was planing on measuring the difference from 100 yard zero to 300 and then to 500 to try and determine zero.

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

I’ve used Staball 6.5 quite a bit in 6.5 Creedmoor and 6 Creedmoor. Loads end up 1gr more than h4350 with similar velocity to RL16. Never had anything weird regarding temp related and is crazy accurate in my tikka 6.5 creed (10 shot groups)

Do you mind sharing your load data? I get some nice groups with Staball 6.5 and 140 - 147 grain bullets. However, my SD is way too high. In this case, it was 27.6 for 10 shots. I'm thinking I need to up the powder charge some. Thanks.

 

[cowboy300]

43.3 gr Staball 6.5
WLR primer Alpha 2x fired brass
140 Berger Hybrid Target 2.910 OAL
2770fps Avg SD 10ish
24” Factory Tikka Roughtech

 

[Reddish]

Well, jumping in and trying StaBall 6.5 in my .243 and 6.5 and trying Match in .223.

I talked to a guy that does custom reloading and he said it has temp stability of the extreme powders and meters easier.

He did say he’s had a rifle that didn’t like it, but it happens with some rifles.

 

[astocks2622]

I've been using it for the last 2 years in my mostly stock 700 30-06. 2800 with a 178 ELD-X. 1.25 MOA. Not bugholes, but plenty good enough for moose...

 

[Andouille]

Being a new reloader, I'm pleasantly surprised with Staball 6.5's velocity and low ES and SD (by my standards) in my 20" barrel 300 WSM:

175 LRX, FED GM210 primer, and nearly full case achieved 2,959 fps, SD 13, ES 38 and no pressure signs for 5 rounds. Loaded another 5 with light crimp and hit 2,989 Fps, SD 10, ES 23, but perhaps light pressure signs. All Loaded to COAL of 2.860" (approx. 0.050" jump).

10 shot group size was ~1.2-1.47" MOA is serviceable for hunting but could use a little fine tuning of seating depth, or maybe my trigger skills.

EDITED- revised with correct bullet as I mixed up with my 190 Speer impact load.

 

[ropeup79]

Being a new reloader, I'm pleasantly surprised with Staball 6.5's velocity and low ES and SD (by my standards) in my 20" barrel 300 WSM:

190 Speer impact, FED GM210 primer, and lightly compressed load achieved 2,762 fps, SD 8, ES 21 and no pressure signs.

10 shot group size was ~1.4 MOA is serviceable for hunting but could use a little fine tuning of seating depth, or maybe my trigger skills.

What COAL are you loading to?

 

[Andouille]

What COAL are you loading to?

Bonehead mixup on my part- I should have reviewed my notes. My Staball 6.5 load is actually for 175 LRX bullets as edited above. To answer your question, I've loaded 190 Impacts with H4831 at 2.930" COAL (requires 6.5 PRC or Mountain Tactical magazine), lightly compressed load, 2,769 FPS, SD 8, and ES 21.

 

[ropeup79]

thanks. I’m getting 2900 with SB6.5 and the 190 Impacts at 2.895” COAL which is current mag length.

 

[jk_minn]

I've tried it in both my 25 Creedmoor and 7mm-08. Fantastic SDs/ES - but can't get the rounds to group. Have tried multiple seating depths too.

As others have said, it throws really nice out of the trickler - "so you have that going for you, which is nice..."

 

[Unckebob]

I did a half assed temperature stability test (Staball 6.5 vs H3450 in 6.5 CM) by loading up a 2 sets of ammo using the same dies, press, primers, brass on the same day. Basically, I did everything I could to eliminate as many variables as I could using my reloading equipment.

So far, I have tested those reloads at 95, 64, and 41 degrees (I live in TX where cold weather testing is hard to do).

Bottom line, the temperature stability of both powders was good and neither powder "won."

 

[BPAZ223]

How has temp stability been for you guys? Is it actually “staball”

I've been using it for quite awhile in my 6.5 creedmoor and haven't noticed any problems. It's very good stuff unfortunately people have discovered that it's very good so the price went up.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

For anyone wondering if Staball HD works in a 6 CM with heavy bullets… it doesn’t.
After seeing reports that Reloader 26 is magic in the Creedmoors, I thought I’d try a similar slow burning magnum primer, ie Staball HD.
Even with 45 grains of it under a 112 Match Burner, I only got 2630 fps. No way I’d have enough case capacity to add another 350 fps I was looking for.

This is opposed to 42.4g of H4350 going 2960 fps from a 20” barrel.