I bought a couple pounds about a month ago.Rifle#1 a Remington LTR 308 Win.I used Starline brass,Win LR match primers and 168 grain Hornady A-max bullets.42-45 Grains of StaBall.Groups averaged .3 the largest at 45 grains was .5.This is the best this rifle has shot.This rifle has the new Meopta O6 3-18X50 .What a scope!!
#2 was a Howa 6MM CM. 1X NS Starline brass,105 Berger VLD Hunter bullets,Win LR Match Primers,Staball powder 40.7 -42.7 grains.I must say here I load all my bullets to run through the magazine regardless of OAL.Best groups were the first and last at .5 inches at 100 yards.Worst groups were under an inch.
In the same rifle I shot Barnes 112 grain Match Burners,same brass,same primers,Staball powder 39.7-42.7.Groups were between 1/2" and 3/4" at 100 yards.
Next Rifle a Custom 6MM CM blue printed SA Rem.Bedded McMillan Gamehunter?stock and Timney trigger at 1.5 pounds with a 1-8 Kreiger tube.This rifle will shot in the 2s and 3s all day long if I do my part.I used the same loads as the Howa and it hated StaBall.Groups were no groups ,but patterns.I usually use CFE 223 or Tac which really makes this rifle hum.Oh well
Last rifle is a Tikka 6.5 CM 24" barrel in McMillan Sako Hunter stock unbedded.It usually shoots around 1/2" at 100 yards using Hodgen 4350 and 143 ELDx bullets a bit larger with the 123 SSTs.With Hornady brass.Win LR Match primers Staball powder 42.5 -44.5 it averaged 1 1/2".So it really was not digging the StaBall powder.I guess each rifle is an individual .I will continue to use the StaBall in the Rem.308 and the Howa 6MM CM.If I ever can get the glitches out of my PC I will post pics of the rifles and groups.Huntz

Thank you for the info Huntz.

What I've been told about StaBall mirrors your experience--either the rifle/load loves it or hates it without much of a trend to discern in any cartridges or bullet weights.

I got decent results with 95gr BTs in my Howa Alpine .243. No data in the 2020 manual, but it is online.

I just found a pound at a local store this morning and bought it along with a pound of Varget. I plan on trying the 6.5 Staball in my .260 and .308.

Accuracy is paramount but velocity is second in line.

Do you have velocity data?



P

I have worked up a very accurate load for my 6.5 Creedmoor Model 700 American Hunter with 6.5 Staball and a 120 grain Sierra Prohunter bullet. CCI primer, 46.0 grains of powder. 20 inch barrel chronographs a little over 2800 fps. The load shows no pressure signs, and maybe I could squeeze some more velocity out of it, but the accuracy out to 400 yards is so good, that I'm leaving it there.

You need a T3 in 7mm-08. I get 3126 FPS and half-MOA with 120 BT using Big Game.



P

If I ever get my 6 Creed back from Nosler I am going to develop some loads with Staball, so thanks for the info. I think Staball will do well with 130 grain and lighter bullets in the 6.5 PRC. I will works some of those up too.

Hi Pappy,
On the Hodgdon site I only found the 95 Partition with STABall in the .243. That's a fine looking load with a max of 42.8 gr, for 3171 fps at 58.4K PSI. That with Winchester brass and WLR primer, 24" barrel. Nosler lumps all their bullets of similar weight together so I reckon this'll be OK with the 95 BT too, especially at that low pressure.
Is that the one you are referencing? If not please share the one you found and are using. I have a pile of 95 BT blems from SPS and am anxious to get a good load in the .243. They have an excellent reputation among their users!

Thanks in advance,
Rex

Nope,too lazy to hook up the chrono.I was not over loading and was more interested in groups.I forgot it was 70 degrees out(November in Wis??) with wind gusts to 45MPH.That is why I only shot to 100 yards.Huntz

Seems like StaBALL 6.5 is pretty slow for a 308. I can't imagine the velocity would be that great unless you were filling up the case with it. I've yet to try any, but it seems to be outside the ideal burn range for 308.

I may have to get some to try in a few guns.

Huntz, how did you come up with the 308 data?

No offense, but I wouldn't trade my 700 for a T3 if the T3 was gold plated. I had a 7-08 once, killed a few deer with, not a bad cartridge, but I've found that the 6.5 CM will kill deer just as dead, with less recoil, and is more accurate to boot.

I did a search on Win.StaBall 6.5 Powder and they have a site with that info.