I have a Harrel Powder Measure and i'm told they work best with spherical powders....wondering if anyone had a list of commonly used spherical powders...particularly those used to charge 6.5 Creedmoor. Thank you
Which powders for the 6.5 Creedmoor are spherical?
- Thread starter want2learn
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I picked 8208XBR for 223 because of the way it throws. i choose all my blaster ammo powder based on how it throws.
For the first firing on brass I do the same thing. Ive ran h414 in the creed and 22-250 with thrown charges.
Just doing some research in advance as i would like to try the Harrel powder measure out..... i read that it works well with spherical powders. I have a balance scale on which i will confirm.
thank you, i'll research them....i've only to date used h4350 and Varget for the 6.5 calibers
any of the aforementioned particularly well thought of for accurate 6.5 Creedmoor loading?
any of the aforementioned particularly well thought of for accurate 6.5 Creedmoor loading?
A Harrell's throwing ball powder is very accurate. As in within .04 grs accurate, according to my FX-120 scale and CFE223.
The problem is the temp stability of most older ball powders. They vary greatly (760, 748). With the newer temp stable ball powders, I think you might see powder measures have a resurgence in popularity. It certainly speeds up reloading for a minimal investment compared to an Autotrickler.
JMTCW...
ETA: I should note that I also use a second baffle in my Harrells (forgot about that).
The problem is the temp stability of most older ball powders. They vary greatly (760, 748). With the newer temp stable ball powders, I think you might see powder measures have a resurgence in popularity. It certainly speeds up reloading for a minimal investment compared to an Autotrickler.
JMTCW...
ETA: I should note that I also use a second baffle in my Harrells (forgot about that).
thank you...that's great to know....i've not have any experience with them before but it looks like a very nicely constructed unit
Ok, time for a sanity check. Who here loads 10,000 rounds of the exact same thing then uses them from ≤0˚F to 150˚F expecting 100% ballistic consistency? I sure don't. I believe that there's an artificial, over-rated importance to the temperatrue stability of powder at practical ranges versus practical sized targets. Actually run the numbers on what 150fps spread (±75fps) does inside 600yards: it's about 7" total elevation. First, there aren't many people who regularly shoot past 500 yards, and if they do, are they shooting at MOA or smaller targets? Are people here really not compensating for field conditions when they shoot from season to season?
I get it. Consistency is nice and not having to add or subtract that extra .2mil is one less thing to botch on a cold-bore, but really, get a grip fellas. Even the "temperaure stable" powders really aren't, so don't be lured into a false sense of security. Know your rifle, know your load, and know your equipment and you won't have any problems.
I know at extreme ranges the velocity matters more, but in the real world for people who don't live in the desert or frequent 1000 yard ranges, it's not a genuine concern IMO.
I get it. Consistency is nice and not having to add or subtract that extra .2mil is one less thing to botch on a cold-bore, but really, get a grip fellas. Even the "temperaure stable" powders really aren't, so don't be lured into a false sense of security. Know your rifle, know your load, and know your equipment and you won't have any problems.
I know at extreme ranges the velocity matters more, but in the real world for people who don't live in the desert or frequent 1000 yard ranges, it's not a genuine concern IMO.
Yeah, I hear you, but...
Some of us shoot at long ranges in various parts of the country, so temperature stability is a real concern. Especially in the spring and fall, where I could shoot in one location at a comfortable 80 degrees, and then be shooting in another location the next week, and it’s 24 degrees (SoCal and Nebraska or Montana in May comes to mind).
Shooting in a t-shirt one weekend, and then shearing frozen sleet off your bolt as you cycle it the next weekend, happens, and is a bit of a reality check in proving out your gear and equipment.
But that’s just my experience (though I know quite a few others that can vouch for experiencing the same thing).
True! 
I suspect your experience is not the average.
I live in the desert and experience a 35-40˚F swing most days and the seasonal difference is easily 75˚F. I regularly shoot to 1000 yards and have steel out to 1875yds if the weather plays nice. For the local steel comps where I burn cheap ball powder, between stages, I typically keep a full magazine in a pants pocket. My ass is usually about 98˚F and to be honest, most shooting matches are a lot of standing around waiting and shooting for 2 mintues. I use that time to average out the ammo temps while BSing.
For bulk Dillon-loaded short-range practice/plinkers, .223Rem for instance, I think the ball powders are sufficient if you keep expectations realistic.
I suspect your experience is not the average.I live in the desert and experience a 35-40˚F swing most days and the seasonal difference is easily 75˚F. I regularly shoot to 1000 yards and have steel out to 1875yds if the weather plays nice. For the local steel comps where I burn cheap ball powder, between stages, I typically keep a full magazine in a pants pocket. My ass is usually about 98˚F
and to be honest, most shooting matches are a lot of standing around waiting and shooting for 2 mintues. I use that time to average out the ammo temps while BSing.For bulk Dillon-loaded short-range practice/plinkers, .223Rem for instance, I think the ball powders are sufficient if you keep expectations realistic.
I think the real issue with temperature stability is that so many shooters run their cartridges on the ragged edge of being too damn hot. We try to eek every bit of speed out of the smallest cartridge possible.
If one wants to load a few thousands rounds of year round blasting ammo with ball powder, loads need to be kept sane to account for big temperature swings.
Having said that, I’ve wanted to get my hands on some StaBall to try. Trickling H4350 for my 6xc loads just sucks. Most of them are shot At 600 and under and I’d be more than happy to just throw them.
