Spherical Ball powder winning long range ?
- Thread starter Hammer
- Start date
Well, nobody is winning much of anything right now with most competition shut down by the virus. It's not ball powder, but it's close, and I have good results using 4000MR in my 6SLR. Meters just like ball powder. I tried CFE223 in my .308 but it wouldn't shoot the 155gn. bullets that I use. Outside of this I don't know of anyone using ball powder for any long range shooting.
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Just did some testing in a 6 BRA with Shooters World Match Rifle powder. At 600 yards one of my test loads seemed to impact in a one-hole ball on a steel plate I was using.
Only thing is, like CF223 for the 223, I spilled that crap all over the bench near immediately after opening the 8#'r. Flat out hate dealing with ball powder.
Only thing is, like CF223 for the 223, I spilled that crap all over the bench near immediately after opening the 8#'r. Flat out hate dealing with ball powder.
I did that just once and changed loading methodology immediately so to never risk over charging a case again.The ball powder sure work better in the thrower on my progressive press. But as you said, sure makes a mess when I screw up. Of course stick powder makes a mess when I double charge a rifle case in the loading block too.
What in gawds name is good reason for charging a whole batch of cases before seating projectiles ?
School me 'cause I think it's dangerous and silly loading that way.
Adam in WI
Practically lives here
Amen, charge the case and seat the bullet.
Charging cases in a loading block before seating is often done by guys that weigh and trickle their charges. They'll do it either one at a time, and seat a bullet after charging the case, or charge the cases in a batch, and then seat all the bullets. Totally up to the individual.
Amen...
Isn't ball powder spherical by the very definition of "ball"? Is there actually ball powder that isn't spherical?
I think I may be having an oxymoron moment or something even more serious.
jimmymac
Jim McGregor
Different strokes. Pretty common any place where guys are loading at the range between relays and time is of the essence. Can't double charge a PPC case or a BR case since case fill on both is well over 90%. It's just a matter of attention to detail. Silly and dangerous to you is safe and common to me.
Usually throw/trickle a line of 10,and still check with a little maglite..... old habits.
I'm just not having issues with throwing "logs" (heavy stick powders) with Uniflows? Have several and granted,some individuals "throw" better. Too lazy to try and figure out exactly what dimensionally is different,but some will drop with amazing consistency. Then trickle away.
I'm just not having issues with throwing "logs" (heavy stick powders) with Uniflows? Have several and granted,some individuals "throw" better. Too lazy to try and figure out exactly what dimensionally is different,but some will drop with amazing consistency. Then trickle away.
H380 I think is nearly perfectly round, Hodgdon Longshot is a "flattened ball", Winchester Auto Comp is a "flattened ball", it has been a loooong time since I used any 296 in 410 but I think it was mostly round.
Jonathan Taylor
'Ball powder' was trademarked by the Olin Corporation (which manufactured Winchester ammunition and components) many years ago and this still applies only to Olin's successors. So only Winchester brand powders can be so called in trade descriptions. Hodgdon for instance has always called its 'ball' powders 'spherical' in its marketing, labelling, loads data etc, even though most (all?) of its grades of this type are made by the same former Olin factory as Winchester powders (General Dynamics St. Marks Florida), and one pair of the two ranges are identical names aside (W760 and H414).
So yes, 'spherical' and 'ball' are one and the same from a handloader's point of view, but both names are in use by those who make and market them.
Not to hijack the thread, but, getting started loading for a 308 I bought last fall. Wanting to use 155 Hornady ELD-Ms. What powder(s) do you use for your 155s? TIA, lg
Varget, 4895, 4320, 4166, and maybe a couple of others is what you'll mainly find in Palma matches. It's really about 98% Varget.
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