Thread: Other powders for 30 06 springfield

While it’s hard to better 2209 in the 06 for 15-180s, here is a few that can deliver. WW760 and equivalent H414, RL19, RL22 for 180+, H4831/2213 for 180+.
My experience is accuracy comes easy with 09 as does velocity.


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In order from fastest to slowest velocities

RL17
N550
Superformance
WIN760 / 2209 Same velocity at max charge.

RL22 & 2217 would both have to be very compressed to get the same velocitys as the above

GRTs powder data doesnt appear to be accurate / line up with hodgdon manual or peoples real world experience with staball 6.5, it suggests it to be the slowest of all these for velocity by far.

I have no experience with staball 6.5 but have found superformance and other ball powders i have tried to be very temp sensitive which put me off it, and ball powders in general. i much prefer stick powders.

N550 would be a good option, gunworks have it in stock & on paper should offer better velocity over superformance & none of the temp sensitivity

No 30.06 experience with Staball 6.5 but have done quite a bit recently with .375 H&H for which it works very well in my very fussy rifle.
Two relevent comments I would make.
1) The anti copper fouling is VERY good I found. My .375 H&H fouls quite easily in the central area of the bore with many powders. Usually cleaned out after about 50 rounds. After shooting about 100 Staball 6.5 rounds all I can see by borescoping is one small streak along the central bore. Nothing anywhere else.
2) Pour the stuff slowly and steadily from the container into a powder hopper or trickler. The tiny kernels seem to fly really easily. First couple of times I used it I found many stray kernels on my bench and even on the concrete floor. I don't handle powders carelessly so this surprised me and now I am extra careful with Staball 6.5
Hope you get great results in the 30.06 That was probably my next calibre to try.

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Danny I have been playing around with Staball 6.5 and the new Staball HD which has a burn rate like AR 2225. Staball 6.5 will do what 2209 will do maybe even slightly better.
I have tried it in several of my rifles with good results. Accuracy has been good too. I have a 20 inch suppressed Ruger American and have been loading the Hornady 180 gr SP with 56.5 grs of Staball 6.5 and ended with an average velocity of 2687 fps which isn't to bad for a 20 inch barrel. My load is a little under max so there is wiggle room there.
If you can get try some, you will notice after firing the barrel looks dirty but as far as I know this is something to do with the copper retardent in the powder. I like it a lot its good in 243, 22 250, 30 06, 303, 6.5x55, 270 etc.

just checking @Mooseman that yours was a 20" 30-06 aye ?

Yes, that is correct. Using 56.5 grs of Staball 6.5 and the 168 gr Barnes did 2746 fps average. Some old loads with 180 gr Hornady SP and 56 .5 grs 2209 averaged around the 2700 fps. I load my rounds to 82 mm OAL. The load I use with the 178 ELD X is 58 grs of Superformance for 2737 fps average.
What I like is Staball 6.5 isn’t sensitive to temp change unlike Superformance.
Work up to my loads as we all know every rifle is different.

Hi there
I have an identical sako to the one Danny has just acquired and have been using Reloder 16 and IMR 4831 in it with the Hornady 180 SSTs which it really likes. The best load to date is 57 gns of Re16 for about 2780 fps (chrony was playing up so not confident of accuracy) so will be off to the range again to confirm the load. My sako came with the 24" barrel threaded so I put DPT on it and it is just lovely to shoot.

I've been looking into the temp stability claims of staball 6.5 and I think I'm gonna stick with 2209 as its just so temp stable and gives great results in the dirty 06.......will just have to locate some once I have all the bits I need together

Hard to beat AR2209 in the 06, but at least you have a good alternative in Staball 6.5. When I get a chance I will try some loads I have ready for th 7 mm Mag usingStaball HD