New Sta-Ball Powder Variants

[264MHC]

Looks like Hodgdon is releasing two new variants in the Winchester Sta-Ball powder line:

https://shop.hodgdon.com/winchester-staball-match/

Winchester StaBALL HD

Winchester® StaBALL™ HD is a temperature-insensitive, double-base, BALL® Powder, stable in extreme-hot or -cold conditions. This slow-burning magnum powder provides optimal loading density in large capacity magnum cartridges appropriate for the burn speed, which is ideal for 6.5 PRC, 7MM...

shop.hodgdon.com

Sta-ball Match looks to be in the Varget/Power Pro 2000/CFE 223/Leverevolution burn rate and I am pretty excited to test it out in my 6mm and 6.5 Grendels. If it can match the velocities of the above ball powders, but with good temp stability, it may become my go to for the small Grendel Cases. AR Comp is the best temp stable powder I have found for them but Lever and CFE 223 produce about 50-100fps faster with most bullets, while not being compressed.

Sta-ball HD should be RL26/Ramshot Magnum/H1000/VV 565 burn rate based on the cartridges it recommends on the bottle. I doubt it will match the performance of RL 26 or the Stability of H1000 and VV 565, but I would love to be proven wrong. One thing I'm guessing will be an advantage for this powder is availability since it should be coming out of St. Marks like Sta-ball 6.5.

It does not seem to be available yet as I have only seen them on Hodgdon's site, but I'm sure it will start to trickle out first of the year. Pricing looks to be $45, $5 more per pound than 6.5, but we will have to wait and see what it runs at other sources. Still cheaper than the $60-$80 a pound for some of the most in demand extruded powders.
Hard to believe you could get extruded powders for $30 and Ball powders around $20/pound just 4 or 5 years ago.

If anyone knows anything else, feel free to post it here, as well as any usage updates as the powder rolls out.

Cole

 

[AZ82New]

Staball 6.5 is a go to for me in my 280 Ackley. I bet these new lines will see an increase in velocity over H1000…..maybe even best RL26.

The only downside I have experienced with Staball 6.5 is low case fill with lighter bullets. My ES's tend to be higher than with an extruded powder that is compressed. Sometimes as high as 80 fps here and there. Accuracy has been excellent.

 

[264MHC]

Looks like the Sta-Ball HD may be just what you need to get the case fill up in 280ai. I have tried RL 23, RL 26, and VV 565 in mine but only 175+ grain bullets so far.

 

[choprzrul]

I've got a great idea....Winchester should make enough primers so we can ignite their powder inside our little brass containers....

.

 

[264MHC]

Ya primers are still proving to be the choke point in components. Definitely a lot more powder and bullets around than a year ago but not much in the way of primers. Not sure what company makes Winchester primers, but the powder is made by St Marks owned by General Dynamics and distributed/marketed by Hodgdon so I don't think Winchester is much more than a name on this stuff.

 

[AZ82New]

Ya primers are still proving to be the choke point in components. Definitely a lot more powder and bullets around than a year ago but not much in the way of primers. Not sure what company makes Winchester primers, but the powder is made by St Marks owned by General Dynamics and distributed/marketed by Hodgdon so I don't think Winchester is much more than a name on this stuff.

Looks like the Sta-Ball HD may be just what you need to get the case fill up in 280ai. I have tried RL 23, RL 26, and VV 565 in mine but only 175+ grain bullets so far.

I hope you are right!

175's with H1000 are magic in a 280AI. Give it a try sometime. RL26 compresses a bit less but I haven't really noticed any meaningful difference in velocity between the two powders. I'll take the temp stability of H1000 over RL26 any day.

 

[264MHC]

Ya I ran 10 Shot ladders with 184 Bergers with RL23, RL26, and VV565. Based on previous use with these powders in my 6.5x55 Improved, I thought RL 26 would run away with it. In the 280AI I only saw about 50 fps difference between 23 and 26 with 565 right in the middle, but all three had the same node so I went with 565. Same reason you state, better Stability than the 26.
Be interesting to see if the Sta-ball HD will compete.

 

[Seabeeken]

Having a million gallons of gas is pointless without spark plugs

 

[neilbfree]

Having a million gallons of gas is pointless without spark plugs

They haven't designated the Matchlock musket as an assault weapon .... yet!