Ball powders, are they dirtier than stick powder?

[Pulp]

I've been using mostly H-380, H-414, and Varget in my Browning BAR .243. It's gotten to where it's been jamming lately, so I removed the bolt to clean the locking lugs. Turns out the whole bolt, grooves and receiver was contaminated with unburnt powder. I vaguely remember that the early problems with the M-16 were related to ball powder. So I'm wondering if they are just dirtier than stick powder.

BTW it wasn't the crud that was causing my problem. Either I'm not setting the shoulder back far enough, or just above the rim isn't getting sized down enough, keeping the cartridge from seating all the way.

The BAR is a fairly easy gun to take apart, and almost as easy to put back together. ;D The little operating handle on the bolt was the trickiest part.

[lostart]

I dont know about 380 or varget, but 414 is diiirrrtttyy

[Eric in NC]

I find them to generally be dirtier. Only one of my gas guns that gets much ball powder through it is the FAL with BL-C(2) but its adjustable gas system just lets you open it up more when it gets too dirty.

Varget (stick powder) is generally pretty clean burning though...

[MZ5]

When you say "contaminated with unburnt powder," are you saying there were actual granules of powder in it? Stuff that looks just like what's in the powder can?

I like 748 and 760 a lot, and shoot those powders a fair amount. What I can tell you is this: If you're loading with one of those two and getting _large_ amounts of soot, or actual unburned granules, then you're almost certainly running them at too low a pressure. Get them into their preferred pressure range (>50k psi, more or less, IME) and they clean up considerably. Even so, I do find them to leave somewhat more soot than some alternatives. That said, an advantage to them is that the carbon/soot is extremely soft and easy to remove, whereas some of the competition appears to burn squeaky clean, but in fact leaves diamond-hard carbon in the barrel that you don't necessarily even see until you bore-scope the gun trying to figure out what in the world has gone wrong with your barrel.

I've heard that Ramshot TAC is quite clean, but I've not used it. I have used Hunter and Magnum, and they're good for cleanliness so far. Nevertheless, I still prefer 748, 760, and Supreme 780.

[LHitchcox]

The Ramshot powders are very clean. I have used X-Terminator, Tac, and Big Game and all are great. Clean burning compared to any other ball powders I have used.