Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is the verdict in on StaBALL?

I know several forum members were going to test this powder, JB included. What were the results? Has anyone used it in a 243 or 7mm08?

I haven't used it yet but going to try it in a 6.5 Swede in the next week or so with 130, 140, and 147s

Trystan

I have shot it a little in a 7mm-08. I tried 48.5 grains with a 140 grain Sierra and the velocity was 2,952 fps. Even though the Hodgdon paperback said the max was 52 grains, I was afraid that was too hot, and next tried 46 and 47 grains. They clocked just over 2,700 and nearly 2,800 fps respectively.

I'm going to try again with 47.5 grains. I haven't evaluated accuracy yet. If I can work up to 2,900 fps with accuracy, it will be something good. My barrel is 22" long.

Jerseyboy, your 46 and 47 grain loads sound very similar to my results with H414. I now use Varget in the 7mm08 but miss the easy and accurate metering of the ball powder. For that reason and the temp stability, I am very interested in Staball. I usually shoot for 2750fps with a 140 grain bullet. Varget is very accurate but I have to weigh the charges. In the old days of silhouette shooting with the 7mm08, I shot a bunch of H414, run through a measure. If the Staball is as good in the accuracy and velocity department, I'll give up on H414. I like the fact that it is made in the US. Availability should be better than powders from Australia.

That leaves the 243. It would be nice if it worked well in that cartridge as well.

Thanks for the info.

Have you blind tested that on target?

Mathman, I assume you are asking whether I've shot groups with weighed vs thrown charges. No, I have not. My powder measure doesn't throw Varget without binding up on most throws. Charges vary by .3 of a grain or more, if memory serves. It will throw H414 to within .1 grain. I have a dispenser, I just prefer not to have use it.

Have you used Staball?

I have a brand new bottle of Staball on the bench right now. When I get another one of those round tuits I'll be putting together some 6.5 Creedmoor rounds using it.

What kind of measure is giving you the trouble with Varget?

It says Pacific on the hopper lid but it is Hornady red. No model number. I think I got it with a Hornady gift certificate at least 25 years ago. What do you recommend? What weight variation are you happy with?

I use a Redding BR30, and I mostly don't worry about weight variation.

Here's an example. 41.5 grains of 4895 under a 168 in LC brass is a very standard load for the 308. I'll fill the hopper and throw twenty charges to settle things. I then throw ten charges together and weigh them. If the scale says 415 grains then I call it 41.5 grains average. If not I adjust until I get 415 grains. Put the dial setting in my notes for future use. After that the charges are thrown directly into the cases.

My 5R Milspec put fifteen shots under 3/4 moa when testing the procedure.

I've shot a couple of ten shot, half moa groups with long stick 3031 loaded the same way for my 40X in 308.

3031 is kind of an amazing powder, when you think of the places it shines....and how old it is

I'm putting together some 6.5 CM with Staball right now. Where I'm loading at the moment I have an RCBS Uniflow which generally is not as consistent as my BR30. Nevertheless, checking thrown charges against my 10-10 scale suggests anybody with an OK measure and technique shouldn't need to waste time weighing Staball.

That's what I would expect. Like H414 in that respect. What powder have you been using in the 6.5CM? Curious how Staball will compare to H4350 in acccuracy and velocity.

I haven't done a whole lot with the CM yet. RL15 turned in some nice groups with the Berger 130 VLD.

I switch my 6.5 Creed over from rl17 to staball, lost about 50 fps but much lower es, and more accurate. Should have better theml stability also.

Also using it in my boys 270, no problem getting 140's to 3060 fps, very small groups.

Here are my results with Staball powder in a 243 Win. Rifle is a Rem 700, 22" barrel. It is an older ADL in a wood stock that has not been bedded. It is usually good for 1/2 to 1 inch groups with Sierra 85 grain BTHP bullets under ideal conditions.
All loads were in Winchester cases, CCI 200 primers, Sierra 85 BTHP bullets. Loads were thrown from a 30 year old Hornady/Pacific measure after checking settings with a digital scale. This measure throws Staball to within .1 of a grain, with 9 of 10 charges being right on. Same measure with Varget varies .3 of a grain.

All these loads were fired in 3 shot strings with about 10 minutes cooling time between groups.
Day 1
41.0 Staball, average 2791, extreme spread 81.

41.0 Staball, average 2821, es 95.

Day 2
42.0 Staball, av 2947, es 39.

42.0 Staball, av 2919, es 44.

42.5 Staball, av 2934, es 6. Not sure how this velocity is lower than one of the 42.0 grain strings.

43.0 Staball, av 2958, es 26.

43.0 Staball av 2991, es 7. Best group of the day, .937", two practically in the same hole.

The wind was an issue today with a variable crosswind of about 5 mph or so. The shooter pulled a few shots here and there, enough to ruin a good group. Best group was with 43 grains, 15/16 or .937". Accuracy on par with loads using H 414 and Varget.

I had heard that this powder produces a lot of black, soot like residue. It does! Where I can usually remove powder residue from H414 with a couple of wet patches with 50/50 Kroil and Hoppe's #9, this took 5 cycles of 2 wet, 1 dry, total of 15 patches instead of the usual 3. Even then, there was still a little black on the patch. It may be temperature insensitive but the cleanup is a pain. I will probably stick to 760/H414, H4350 or Varget even if I have to weigh the extruded powders.

Have you tested the idea that cleaning is actually necessary, especially since the 'soot' is likely a byproduct of the copper fouling reducing agents?

Yes, the 'soot' is a byproduct of the copper fouling reducing agents.

Also, your loads sound very light. I am shooting 100g Hornady's faster than you are shooting 85's. Ball powder burns cleaner the hotter you go.

mathman, I'm sure the soot is a byproduct of the copper fouling eraser. Normally, I don't clean much especially after getting dialed in for deer season. I leave the bore dirty until finished unless I think some rain or snow has entered the barrel.

But that brings up another question. It would seem that the more residue there is in the bore, the more likely it would attract moisture and maybe cause rust.

Keith, I agree these are not max loads. If I needed the speed to whack a 250 yard coyote, I'd increase the powder. This is about the velocity I usually run on the 85s. The H414 burns pretty clean at 40 to 41 grains with the 85.

Are you using Staball with the 100 Hornadys? If so, how much? By the way, after switching to 55 Nosler BTs in my 223, I haven't had too many coyotes walk away so the 243 hasn't been needed.

I don't believe smokeless powder residue is very hygroscopic.

47.5 grains of Big Game gives me 2875 fps from various Tikkas in 7mm-08. BG meters like a cheerleader on prom night.





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