Recently a package came in the mail from some friends over at Taylor’s & Company. I had been inquiring about getting a Winchester 1873 levergun from them chambered in 44-40 Winchester. It had finally arrived and as usual, the rifle was inspected and the mandatory checks were made on the smoothness of the lever, the crispness of the trigger, and so on and so forth. The excitement that filled the room from this delivery was almost contagious and it wasn’t before long that half the office wandered in to take a gander at what all the fuss was about. ...Read More >

About six months ago, I was poking around in our local gun shop and noticed an eight-pound bottle of Ramshot propellant sitting on a lower shelf almost out of sight behind a bunch of Hodgdon-branded powders. I was honestly hoping it was TAC, one of my favorites in the 223 Remington. To my surprise, the familiar green label proclaimed that the bottle contained Ramshot Grand, a magnum rifle powder. I’d never heard of it. ...Read More >

Q: I enjoy Handloader magazine, and in spite of having 40 years of handloading experience, I still learn something new from each issue. Today I’m writing to you regarding 44 Magnum rifles. I have three guns, including a 1970s vintage Marlin 1894, a Ruger 77/44, and a brand new Ruger-produced Marlin Model 1894. The early Marlin features the 1:38 twist barrel and only gives so-so accuracy with heavy 300- to 320-grain bullets. I limit bullet weight to 250-grains or less and it shoots wonderfully. I purchased the Ruger bolt action when they first came out because I wanted to try heavy bullets with the 1:20 twist barrel, but that rifle will only accept cartridges with an overall length that is within SAAMI specs. I have to seat 300-grain bullets deep. According to Hornady data, I am only getting around 1,150 feet per second (fps) using Alliant 2400 powder. Do you have a load that will give greater velocity? ...Read More >

It seems strange writing the history of a shotgun cartridge. After all, shotguns have been around forever. The Spanish Arquebusier of the sixteenth century fired small square “shot” cut from sheet lead in his matchlock. Millions of folks did the same thing in the following years because, until the last half of the twentieth century, most people on the planet went to bed hungry. A dead deer to chew on was great, but small game and sitting birds were far easier to find. A large bore musket firing small bits of lead (or small stones) made obtaining a source of protein more certain. ...Read More >