Ball C2 powder

[David Sinko]

I just borrowed a friend's early 70's Lyman loading manual and I see data for Ball C2 powder. Am I correct to assume that this is BL-C(2) powder? The data seems to match that in my '07 Hodgdon manual.

What's really odd is that the max published load for H335 is actually higher than the max for Ball C2 in the .308 Winchester, and I thought H335 is the faster powder. Have the burn rates of these powders changed over the last 35 years?

Dave Sinko

 

[David Sinko]

I just borrowed a friend's early 70's Lyman loading manual and I see data for Ball C2 powder. Am I correct to assume that this is BL-C(2) powder? The data seems to match that in my '07 Hodgdon manual.

What's really odd is that the max published load for H335 is actually higher than the max for Ball C2 in the .308 Winchester, and I thought H335 is the faster powder. Have the burn rates of these powders changed over the last 35 years?

Dave Sinko

 

[Homie]

Check here-
www://Hodgdon.com

Good shooting.

 

[whelenshooter]

BL-C(2) is Ball C2.

 

[Jim Watson]

Winchester sued Hodgdon for use of the word "Ball" in conjuction with ball process smokeless powder as trademarked by Winchester-Olin. So the Hodgdon lineup got to be "Spherical" and they revised the name of Ball C2 to BL C2.

 

[whelenshooter]

I never knew Hodgdon was sued over the name; that's cool information! I always wondered why they changed the designation.

Thanks!

 

[505Gibbs]

Originally posted by David Sinko:
I just borrowed a friend's early 70's Lyman loading manual and I see data for Ball C2 powder. Am I correct to assume that this is BL-C(2) powder? The data seems to match that in my '07 Hodgdon manual.

What's really odd is that the max published load for H335 is actually higher than the max for Ball C2 in the .308 Winchester, and I thought H335 is the faster powder. Have the burn rates of these powders changed over the last 35 years?

Dave Sinko

Dave - if you can get your hands on older loading manuals or live long enough to collect many of them you'll see changes for example in a Sierra manual for the same recipe because there are some lot to lot variations AND they may have had to change their pressure barrel along the way.

 

[Skip Sackett]

BL-C(2) is my powder of choice for .223 AR loads with 55gr bullets. The spherical powder works great in military cases and is quite consistent.

These loads are not for "paper punching" but "mass storage"!

 

[Duskykiller]

My reloading manual collection goes back to the early 60's. These old manuals are great to read but the data in them should no longer be used for reloading. I have a Lyman manual with some pistol data that is just plan scary by the when compared to new manuals.

 

[whelenshooter]

If you really want to see something that will scare the shorts off you, compare the data in P.O. Ackley's books against modern reloading manuals. That stuff is HOT! Some of Ackley's data is similar to the data in the Speer #6 manual, so it is pretty hot too.

I was talking to a Speer technician. He said the data in the old Speer manuals was not developed using a pressure barrel. They just looked for pressure signs like John Q. Reloader has to. He said to stay away from the old, hot data because a lot of it isn't safe.

Like Smith Crazy says, BL-C(2) is great in 55 gr. bullet loads in the .223. It goes through the measure on my Dillon 550 like water. I won't use my 550 for loading .223 unless I can use a powder, like BL-C(2), that won't bridge when coming out of the measure.

 

[mikekj]

Originally posted by Jim Watson:
Winchester sued Hodgdon for use of the word "Ball" in conjuction with ball process smokeless powder as trademarked by Winchester-Olin. So the Hodgdon lineup got to be "Spherical" and they revised the name of Ball C2 to BL C2.

Yes, and now Hodgdon owns the Winchester name and powders.