Staball HD

[michsteve]

Has anybody tried this powder yet?

Winchester StaBall HD Smokeless Powder (1 lb or 8 lbs)

Enjoy increased velocity, temperature insensitivity, and reduced copper fouling with premium Winchester StaBall HD smokeless powder from Powder Valley.

www.powdervalley.com

It's on sale if you call it a sale at PV. Everywhere else it is over $300 for 8 lbs.

 

[sako2]

I was looking at it for a 6.5 prc but haven't tried it. It's right next to Retumbo on the burn rate chart.

 

[Joec7651]

I have 8 lbs of it but haven’t gotten around to using it. I had plans to try it this weekend in a couple 7mm RM’s. As long as nothing comes up I’ll see how it behaves. Most of my time lately has been with LRT with 175-180 grain bullets in those same 7mm RM’s.
I’m optimistic about it. Staball 6.5 is excellent in my 270 Win. So much so that it replaced my IMR4831 load. Hopefully HD does as well.

 

[gerry]

It's on my list of powders to try in my 6.8 Western when I get around to loading it. Probably after our move is complete and we're all set up again. Looks very promising for a lot of popular small and medium bore magnum cartridges. Probably would be great in the 243 and 25-06 too.

 

[Joec7651]

My plan this weekend is to work up SBHD loads for 160gr Hot-Cor’s and Partitions. For such a cheap bullet HC’s hold together and penetrate really well, and well, there’s no need to justify the Partition.

 

[TexasLife]

Somewhere I've seen it on sale of both match and hd @ $268 or $286, but not sure where it was? 300 is still a good price. I load or have loaded 270win for 30+ years with only 130gr bullets and imr4350, but did use the 4831 for 264wm though. I've seen where some have used 6.5staball with good results, but not sure which weights were used? Although Hodgdon site gives data on match, 6.5 and hd I'm interested in proven loads others have done.

 

[Joec7651]

Somewhere I've seen it on sale of both match and hd @ $268 or $286, but not sure where it was? 300 is still a good price. I load or have loaded 270win for 30+ years with only 130gr bullets and imr4350, but did use the 4831 for 264wm though. I've seen where some have used 6.5staball with good results, but not sure which weights were used? Although Hodgdon site gives data on match, 6.5 and hd I'm interested in proven loads others have done.

56 grains of Staball 6.5 gives sub moa groups with 130gr Partitions at 3130 fps velocity. I could push it faster without trouble but the rifle likes the load. That’s from a 24” barrel and if I’m on that day groups are about .5”. The same load with 130gr Ballistic Tips are a little faster but slightly smaller groups. I hope HD does as well.

Edit: Sorry the 130gr Partition load was 57.1 not 56 grains.

 

[Divernhunter]

When did Nosler make a 130gr PAR 6.5mm bullet? I have 125gr PAR that I have used in my 264win mag and as I remember in my 6.5X55. I do not remember a 130gr PAR bullet.

 

[Joec7651]

Nosler doesn’t make a 130 grain .264 Partition. The powder is Staball 6.5, not a 130 grain .264 bullet. The bullet and cartridge are a .277” 130 grain Partition from a 270 Winchester. I should have been more descriptive. I was just saying that another StaBall powder performed very well, and am optimistic the slower version will as well.

 

[SJB358]

Buddy has been using it in a Mashburn with 169-175's and reporting excellent speed and nearly the same as Retumbo burn rate. I haven't grabbed any yet, but it's nice to have another slow burner. The reduced copper wash is pretty nice as well.