Ball verses Extruded powder

[Cruizin]

I read somewhere and I can't remember where that ball powders were not good for long range, but I can't recall why? Anyone have any input on this?

 

[CatShooter]

[ QUOTE ]
I read somewhere and I can't remember where that ball powders were not good for long range, but I can't recall why? Anyone have any input on this?

[/ QUOTE ]

That is not true.

There ARE differences in ball and extruded, but accuracy is not one of them.

Ball powders are more sensitive to temperature, so velocities will vary much more with ball powders, from summer to winter.

Also, ball powders burn dirtier than extruded powders.

But on the positive side, they flow through powder measures like water.

.

 

[LWolken]

Amen for the water thing. Really I like extruded powders for small volume shooting but loading several hundered cases with extruded powder for a PD hunt is out of the question.

Lance

 

[linksmechanic]

Buy a Rcbs chargemaster and then you can make 50-100 extruded rounds per hour.

 

[Michael Eichele]

[ QUOTE ]
Ball powders are more sensitive to temperature, so velocities will vary much more with ball powders, from summer to winter.

Also, ball powders burn dirtier than extruded powders.


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It is very true that the temp sensitivity is greater with ball vs extruded. Most of the older ball powders are "dirtier" but some of the new powders such as H869 are MUCH improved.

In short, ball powders can be very good for LR. It boils down to what your rifle likes.

 

[Desert Fox]

[ QUOTE ]
Ball powders are more sensitive to temperature, so velocities will vary much more with ball powders, from summer to winter.

Also, ball powders burn dirtier than extruded powders.

But on the positive side, they flow through powder measures like water.


[/ QUOTE ]

Used BLC-2 on my 308 and I have to have two load recipe; one for summer and one for winter. Really good powder for 308 though if not for temperature sensitivity issue.

Cat, isn't it true that ball powder burns cooler than extruded or double base powder? I swear, I must have read it somewhere. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[CatShooter]

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Cat, isn't it true that ball powder burns cooler than extruded or double base powder? I swear, I must have read it somewhere. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

All ball powder IS double base powder.

Extruded rifle powder is single base.

Flake pistol powder is double base, and the odd exception. It starts out extruded and is sliced so thin that it makes little wafers.

Ball powders were invented by Winchester/Western and they were loaded into commercial rounds with no fanfare... in fact, no one knew.

Ball powders first came on the market through Hodgdon, who sold surplus ball powder called "Ball C".

At first, they were not trusted by handloaders, because they were "different".

The "burns cooler" was what they said when ball powder first came out - kinda like a "sales point"... but it now appears that just the opposite is true. Current thinking is that extruded powder burns cooler, because it has no nitroglycerin.

It's sort of a moot point, because no one has ever been able to demonstrate that either powder has shorter barrel life than the other.

.