Staball Match 223 REM results

[tombguard544]

Working with Staball match for my trainer gun. Figured I’d share my results to help some of you with load development.
Gun:
Terminus Zeus QC on KRG C-4 Chassis
Barrel is prefit Proof Research 26” 223rem
SAMMI chamber
Barrel broke in with 140 factory loads.

Load:
Berger 80.5 Fullbore
CBTO 1.913 for .050 jump. COAL 2.404
Starline virgin 223rem brass
CCI 450 primer
Staball match powder

Loads on Dillon 750 with RCBS match master dies. Powder from Supertrickler and Autotrickler V4. Metered really well. Hoping to use a powder drop to speed up the reloads.

Environment:
Temp 53
Baro 27.68
Alt 2156
Wind 12@7oclock
Windy and rainy

No pressure signs from any loads.

 

[huntnh]

Looks really promising. Good speeds

 

[Stephen Bachiler]

Great stuff. Thank you. I am just about to start reloading for my .223 Rem Savage Axis II precision with 22 inch factory barrel. So any thing you post will be of interest to me.

 

[Lightning8]

Thanks! I load 223 "heavies" for bolt gun with 75ELDMs and TAC and I use the Dillon powder drop. Got some Staball Match to try so this is great!

 

[tombguard544]

Thanks for the encouragement. The SDs aren’t the best, but I’m also not shooting for F class comps. The purpose of this gun is so that I save my 6GT barrel for competitions.
I haven’t tried extruded powder for rifle loads yet but my powder drop works just fine for pistol. Hoping I can still keep the SDs within acceptable range and crank out round fast on the progressive. I’ve been really impressed with the CBTO variance on the progessive. I have a Area 419 Zero press for my precision work. With my progressive press dialed in, it’s giving me runouts which I definitely consider acceptable.

 

[Lightning8]

Staball 65 runs great in Dillon powder drop and I assume Staball Match will run fine too.

 

[RegionRat]

Looks very good.

Any issues with case fill or rather the bullet base crunching on the powder column, or is there still room?

Thanks for posting your work!

 

[Lawnboi]

Curious about load density. Enough powder to make pressure at shorter coal would be nice since Xbr is impossible to find now

 

[tombguard544]

Sorry for the delay. Here’s a picture of the powder capacity and bullet seating depth. With the .050 jump, the boat tail is right at the neck/shoulder junction. The powder is right at the shoulder/body junction. I feel and hear no crushing of compressing of powder. Obviously, use caution for your own rifle. I’ve been handloading for a while and am aware that these loads are above the book listed max. Here’s a couple photos of the brass and primers from the 25.4 and 25.6 loads. No signs of pressure on anything. Ill re-evaluate as the weather gets hotter here in Arizona.

 

[Patty]

Older thread but here is another data point. I’ve been working with this powder since seeing this thread and after having not so great results with TAC. Everything with TAC was around an inch or more and SDs in the 20-40 range.

Every load I’ve tried with this powder has been single digit SDs or very close with a 77smk. And it’s put out some of the best groups I’ve seen from a gas gun.
Like the OP, my gun liked the 24.5-25.0gr range

77SMK COL 2.258
20” proof .223 wylde

24.5: 2667, 2671, 2685, 2687, 2680
SD: 8.7 AVG: 2678
(I think my rifle sped up here as I was just around the 200rd mark)

24.8: 2733, 2719, 2739, 2735, 2716
SD: 10.2 AVG: 2728

25.0: 2762, 2749, 2753, 2744, 2731
SD: 11.4 AVG: 2747

Charges were thrown out of a harrels powder measure, which seems to hold +/- .02gr with this powder

 

[rdsii640]

This Sunday I'm starting load development on my 223 bolt gun. I'm also using staball match but I'm loading 77 grain TMK's. My starting charge is 23.5 and my max is 25.3. My COAL is 2.338

 

[MK20]

Sorry for the delay. Here’s a picture of the powder capacity and bullet seating depth. With the .050 jump, the boat tail is right at the neck/shoulder junction. The powder is right at the shoulder/body junction. I feel and hear no crushing of compressing of powder. Obviously, use caution for your own rifle. I’ve been handloading for a while and am aware that these loads are above the book listed max. Here’s a couple photos of the brass and primers from the 25.4 and 25.6 loads. No signs of pressure on anything. Ill re-evaluate as the weather gets hotter here in Arizona. View attachment 8110330View attachment 8110331View attachment 8110332View attachment 8110333

Already did a bunch of testing with this powder and posted up the results here. It is VERY temp stable. You should see no changes due to weather, even in AZ

 

[TheCap88]

Thanks for the great info. I'm starting some load development with this and 77 grain Sierra tmk for a gas gun, and have been searching around.

 

[Patty]

Thanks for the great info. I'm starting some load development with this and 77 grain Sierra tmk for a gas gun, and have been searching around.

For what it’s worth since posting I’ve stuck that 24.8 load in pretty much every 223 I own with great results

 

[TheCap88]

I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes. Just have to wait for the ground to dry up some before going out.

 

[hgr2]

I’ve had good results in my 223 Tikka that has been re-barreled with 25" Med Palma Bartlein 7 twist using a very similar load. 25.4 gr Staball Match and a 80.5 Berger, 1.958 BTO +- 2830fps and really low SDs. No one was more surprised than me when my first 5 shots for score at a 600yard F Class match were Xs and a 195-8x score on the first relay. I like Staball Match, now, if I could only figure out this whole wind thing!