How is StaBall 6.5 working out?

[ButterBean]

Is there a military application for StaBall? Looking at General Dynamics/St Marks site it seems like they supply almost all of the powder used by our military. I don't see where Staball would fit in unless there were some plans for using the 6.5 Creedmore for military applications. Midsouth sells 6.5mm 123 grain bullets.

I don't think I would fire up my grill with Staball because the deterrent and other stuff might make the food taste funny.

Nope, Food tastes just fine

 

[ntg]

I think I posted this on one of the other threads on this topic, but the only thing I've done with it thus far is there together a few loads for my 7mm08 on a whim. All loads we're with the 120BT, and the 52gr load was best (and as high as I went with charges, and yes 52 filled up the virgin Win brass!). That load came in just under 1/2". I'm anxious to try it again, and get a chance to see how fast it's going.

 

[Wv shooter]

There's a great article about this powder in the most recent release of the Hodgdon online reloading app. Talks about using in the WSM and PRC rounds also. Some are reporting similar results to Retumbo. Here's a data sheet from that article. SDs are not very impressive across the board. I've got a few lbs and plan on testing with it soon in a 1/7 twist 6 Creedmoor and 115 Bergers. Just waiting for my build to get done. The listed loads below appear to be very modest.

View attachment 228982

There's a great article about this powder in the most recent release of the Hodgdon online reloading app. Talks about using in the WSM and PRC rounds also. Some are reporting similar results to Retumbo. Here's a data sheet from that article. SDs are not very impressive across the board. I've got a few lbs and plan on testing with it soon in a 1/7 twist 6 Creedmoor and 115 Bergers. Just waiting for my build to get done. The listed loads below appear to be very modest.

View attachment 228982

Thanks for the information and chart thinking about trying staball

 

[Wachsmann]

Well I loaded up to 43 grains with the 142ABLR at 2.800. Not sure about the pressure since I did not see any but one round had a little harder bolt lift than the others. So I might drop .3 or .5 grains just to stay safe. I had the same of 43 grains of H100V and they shot almost into the same hole. Only had loaded a couple of the 100V and starball but they were running neck and neck for shot placement. I had left my chrono at home. I actually think both powders are going to work good.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Well I loaded up to 43 grains with the 142ABLR at 2.800. Not sure about the pressure since I did not see any but one round had a little harder bolt lift than the others. So I might drop .3 or .5 grains just to stay safe. I had the same of 43 grains of H100V and they shot almost into the same hole. Only had loaded a couple of the 100V and starball but they were running neck and neck for shot placement. I had left my chrono at home. I actually think both powders are going to work good.

What round are you shooting? Creedmoor?

 

[bstomper]

Been using RL23 in 6mm (45.8 gr, 105's) & 6.5-06 (52.5 gr.- 50.0 gr. with 120's & 140"s) & .243 W (43.5 gr. with 105's)

Real good temperature tolerance from like 20* to 90*, a go to powder for my bigger rodent rifles and 178's in .300WM.

As far as metering, vastly superior to H1000, like small pellets compared to briquets.

Can't get enough of RL23

I would love to try rl26 but can't find it anywhere in Canada yet.

 

[Wachsmann]

Yep its the creed with not much speed. Ha ha. Its no 3000fps rifle with 140s but it should get the job done for deer and some 400 to 500 yrd elk. I hope its something I can shoot LR with and for a long time without killing the barrel. Also this will give my wife a mid range elk load that wont have much recoil and if it works out, we will only carry one gun on some hunts. I have a big boomer (300RUM) I can shoot very well but just looking at other options for hunting and some target punching fun. At some point I will replace the barrel on my 6.5X284Norma. Best shooting gun I ever had and so much fun to shoot but the barrel finally burned out.

 

[Kmccord]

Yep its the creed with not much speed. Ha ha. Its no 3000fps rifle with 140s but it should get the job done for deer and some 400 to 500 yrd elk. I hope its something I can shoot LR with and for a long time without killing the barrel. Also this will give my wife a mid range elk load that wont have much recoil and if it works out, we will only carry one gun on some hunts. I have a big boomer (300RUM) I can shoot very well but just looking at other options for hunting and some target punching fun. At some point I will replace the barrel on my 6.5X284Norma. Best shooting gun I ever had and so much fun to shoot but the barrel finally burned out.

I am looking into building a 6.5x284 Norma how many rounds did it take before the barrel was burnt? I hear 1500 rounds, that would probably last me a long time.

 

[Wachsmann]

That's what everybody has said usually 1500 to 2000. I would say this is more of what you may see in a bench rest match rifle before someone may say its effecting accuracy; but I don't know. For me, I put over 4700 rounds through mine. Mine shot at .5MOA. At or around 4300 the groups started opening up and it seem I had to clean it about every 20 rounds. I was really cleaning the throat a lot. I know its hard to believe but I went through about 5 boxes of Lapua brass. I would reload each case 10 times and then toss. I probably shot every 2 weeks if not every week. It was always fun shooting and just seeing how consistent this gun shot. Nothing special about the gun, it was a savage 116 stainless steel, 24 inch barrel, which I put a 20MOA rail on and a Zeiss 4.5x14x50 conquest scope. I shot Berger 140 VLD's with fed M210 primes. I was loading the 100V at I think 49 grains. During the summer this load had to be backed off since it always showed pressure on this rifle very early. The 49 grains made 2870fps on average. I dont know if you ever seen the kill reel from Best Of The West but I think its a whole video using the 6.5X284 Norma and the 143 ELDX making some long range shots on just about all the north American game. I listed the video link below.

 

[JAYgs8163]

How's the StaBall working out?

 

[SamuelBerryhill308]

Any one tryed it in 30-06 yet?

 

[Wachsmann]

Another good one might be the N555. One of the reloaders on youtube was using it getting 2730ish with 140 hybrids out of a CM. Looks like some real good SD and ES numbers also. I went around my area of Meridian and Nampa ID looking for any types of powder for magnums down to the CM type powder and its a ghost town for powder and primers.

 

[wbm]

How's the StaBall working out?

Great!
In anticipation of the current shortage debacle, I bought a lot of StaBall last spring. So far I have used it in 22-250, 243, and 6.5 Creedmoor. So far I would not hesitate to use
it in any of those cartridges. It is currently my go-to powder for 140gr bullets in the 6.5CM.

 

[patrol120]

I picked up an 8lb can of StaBall with the intention of using it in my 243AI. I have since grabbed a can of IMR7977 for that use. While poking around, I noticed StaBall seems to yield some impressive velocities in the 22-250 with a 70gr class bullet.

This leads me to believe that StaBall might be worth playing with in my 22 Creed, which I have been shooting with 69gr TMKs and Varget. Seems like I might have some load development to work on this spring.