Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
Ok so got out and ran the second ladder with staball today.
Ran this one in .3 tenth increases, one round per charge, went up too 31.9 grains. Started at 25 grains.
All rounds had been vibra settled when loaded and 31.9 grains had a lil crunch to it.
Here is the data.
25-1730
25.3-1785
25.6-1813
25.9-1848
26.2-1859
26.5-1890
26.8-1896
27.1-1896
27.4-1920
27.7-1977
28-2018
28.3-2031
28.6-2067
28.9-2116
29.2-2148
29.5-2202
29.8-2212
30.1-2270
30.4-2276
30.7-2279
31-2272
31.3-2308
31.6-2324
31.9-2369
Plan on running some ladders with staball and the 85 trex bullets as well.
Posts: 161
Threads: 34
Joined: Dec 2018
Great data and thanks for sharing. Based on the speeds in Nosler's published data... a very crude deduction...Staball is the same as IMR4166 just ball versus extruded
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
65GbySeven Wrote:Great data and thanks for sharing. Based on the speeds in Nosler's published data... a very crude deduction...Staball is the same as IMR4166 just ball versus extruded
Don't know bout that never messed with are seen 4166 before. I will say this staball is very case filling lol. If you can't load to a min of 2.315 forget it you can't use this powder with the 129 ablr.
Going to do a ladder are 2 with the lightest weight bullet I have. 85 Maker Trex. That way there us data at both ends of the spectrum.
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
So bringing this back to live.
Haven't run the 85 Maker yet but did run a ladder with this powder in PPU brass today with some 123 nosler CC.
Started at 27 and worked up 1 round every 2 tenths to 31.8 grains.
27-1870
27.2-1864
27.4-1871
27.6-1912
27.8-1915
28-1941
28.2-1977
28.4-1982
28.6-2036
28.8-2041
29-2065
29.2-2094
29.4-2110
29.6-2132
29.8-2142
30-2196
30.2-2221
30.4-2235
30.6-2253
30.8-2262
31-2280
31.2-2348
31.4-2323
31.6-2314
31.8-2340
Seems like I had some bad throws from my chargemaster lite when doing this ladder.
There was still plenty of room in the case for more powder. No pressure signs on the brass are primers and bolt lift was normal.
I may load up a few more starting at 31 and work it up to 32.8 and see where it ends out at.
Coal length for this load is 2.255. Looks like there could be promise with this powder with the lighter weight pills from say 123 and lighter, well maybe.
Posts: 989
Threads: 64
Joined: Feb 2019
Appreciate the work you are doing, thanks. But shouldn't a 85 grain bullet be going in the 2900+ fps range at the top end? (using other suitable powders).
Posts: 47
Threads: 5
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 937
Threads: 47
Joined: Oct 2019
I refuse to be victimized by notions of virtuous behavior.
Posts: 17
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2021
Wow these are really nice results. I'm going to try 6*5 staball with 123gr and see how fast we can go.
Posts: 17
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2021
Well the results for 95gr vmax and 123gr eld are in and I would say no to 6.5 Staball in grendel. Shooting the Howa mini the 95gr only got up to 2400 fps with 32gr of powder. Accuracy was there but there's definitely better powders for that, same with the 123gr only got 2200 fps with 31gr. These were both loaded long to fill the case as much as possible. I can see this as a good powder for anything heavier but not for these typical loadings. O well.
Posts: 15
Threads: 2
Joined: Jan 2022
Thanks for the report. Staball 6.5 is waaay down the list of optimum powders in QuickLoad. Varget is higher.
Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
