Winchester Smokeless Propellants, a member of the Hodgdon family, introduced two new StaBALL powders at SHOT Show 2023 – the StaBAll Match and StaBALL HD.

[SHOT 2023] New Winchester StaBALL Powders For 2023

The original member of the StaBALL powder was intended for the 6.5 Creedmoor, with a burn rate similar to H-4350. It blended the consistent measuring of a ball powder with temperature stability more often associated with other types of powder.

New this year is StaBAll Match, which has a similar burn rate to Hodgdon Varget. StaBAll Match is ideal for many popular calibers like .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, and .30-06 Springfield. It is no secret that Varget has been hard to find in recent years, and perhaps this new option can fill the gap. While it is not a direct 1:1 replacement, Hodgdon load data with both powders can be similar. It is shipping now, so keep an eye out at retailers.

[SHOT 2023] Sample bottle of StaBALL Match powder

[SHOT 2023] Hodgdon maximum load data was provided at their SHOT Show booth. These loads are for .308 Winchester Service Rifle. Note the similarity between the Varget and StaBALL Match loads with a 175-grain bullet. Both top out at 43 grains with similar velocities. (DO NOT EXCEED MAXIMUM LOADS)

Winchester® StaBALL™ Match is a temperature-insensitive, double-base, BALL® Powder, stable in extreme-hot or -cold conditions. This powder provides optimal loading density in cartridges appropriate for the burn speed, which is ideal for high-BC heavy for caliber bullets in 223 Remington, 224 Valkyrie, 22-250 Remington, 308 Winchester, 30-06 and many more. Typical of a BALL powder, precise metering contributes to consistent velocity and pressure with lower standard deviations, ingredients that are paramount to match grade accuracy!

This REACH-compliant, “environmentally green” propellant has copper fouling reducer additives, which contribute to shooting sessions without cleaning the bore. Velocity levels obtainable, depending on the cartridge, are 50-75fps greater than other propellants in its class. Thus, the StaBALL family provides Stability, Precision and Speed.

The other new option is StaBALL HD, which has the burn rate of Retumbo. That is another powder that has been in very short supply. Hodgdon’s staff stated that Retumbo is a difficult powder to manufacture, and putting one pound of Retumbo on the shelf requires the same resources as multiple pounds of another powder. HD should be able to help meet some of the demand for magnum powders, which tend to disappear quickly when a single .300 Win Mag cartridge takes 80+ grains! Look for it soon at a gun store near you.

[SHOT 2023] StaBALL HD powder for magnum rifle calibers

Winchester® StaBALL™ HD is a temperature-insensitive, double-base, BALL® Powder, stable in extreme-hot or -cold conditions. This slow-burning magnum powder provides optimal loading density in large capacity magnum cartridges appropriate for the burn speed, which is ideal for 6.5 PRC, 7MM Remington Mag, 300 PRC and many more. Typical of a BALL powder, precise metering contributes to improved velocity and lower standard deviations, ingredients that are paramount to match grade accuracy!

This REACH-compliant, “environmentally green” propellant has copper fouling reducer additives, which contribute to shooting sessions without cleaning the bore. Velocity levels obtainable, depending on the cartridge, are 75-100fps greater than other propellants in its class. Thus, the StaBALL family provides Stability, Precision and Speed.

Reloading is a dangerous activity. Only rely on published data from authoritative sources. Do not exceed maximum loads. Do not reload ammunition unless you know what you are doing and observe proper safety precautions.

TFB and TFBTV’s coverage of SHOT Show 2023 is proudly sponsored by 5.11 Tactical. Click here to check out their new products.