HodgDon 2023 annual manual is out. It's announced two new powders

[Ironworker]

Winchester has two new powders out.
Staball HD is meant for 6.5 PRC-300PRC cartridges. They listed some load data with this new powder, and I can easily outproduce their posted velocities with current powders.
Staball MATCH It's described as a medium-fast burn rate good for PRC competition 6mm ARC, 6mm BR, and 6mm GT.

Next question; When will it be available?

 

[RustyInBend]

Two new powders that will also be impossible to find. Great news.

 

[RegionRat]

I'll leave a little food for thought, and you can take it or leave it.

A ballistic propellant corporation rarely invests time or money in a propellant design on speculation for consumers or sport shooters with the typical priority being for government and defense markets.

Most of the time and with rare exception, the consideration is for government markets versus consumers with the understanding that they can always then market to the consumer later. (Rimfire is probably most of the exception, and that is for prestige and advertising that they are the choice of champions. The ammo world doesn't revolve around who makes the best rimfire, it revolves around the war business.)

When things work out well over the long term, a good powder lasts long enough in the market to where it may in fact generate as much revenue from consumer sales as government. However, that was predicated by some serious government demand or it wouldn't already exist.

When the DoD (or NATO) goes looking for a powder, the corporations usually invest or even get paid for their research. When that research produces a good result, they can always expand to consumer markets.

Most of the history of metallurgy, gunpowder, and ballistics, is paid for by nation states. The consumer then benefits in the trickle down. Just the way of things...

There is really only the St. Mark's facility to thank for US domestic ball powders. There are no US domestic extruded powder facilities left selling consumer powders.

In so many words, the tail doesn't wag the dog and if the DoD wants a temp insensitive ball powder, then you might get one once they have theirs.

When and if you find good powders, you can probably thank the DoD or some foreign government. The corollary is that when you can't get the one you like, you can probably also thank your government or the government of the source.... YMMV

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

[Bill K]

In going through the load data in the book and the cartridges I use Stable 6.5 in, these two new powders don't really show me any great differences to make me want to use them over the Stable 6.5 and I bet they will be harder then hen's teeth to find.

 

[acloco]

Is this the "Good" annual reloading manual or the one filled with advertisements?

 

[Bill K]

It is the 2023 Annual reloading manual.