Methods for making stretch blow molded polypropylene articles and preforms used to produce the polypropylene stretch blow molded articles are provided. In certain embodiments, the articles are produced with stretch blow molding processes using composite stretch ratios of less than or equal to 6. The blow molded articles may be bottles. In certain embodiments, the preforms for producing the blow molded articles have a maximum axial dimension that is at least 35% of the axial dimension of the blow molded article and a maximum radial dimension that is at least 35% of the maximum radial dimension of the blow molded article.