Handloader April/May 2021

How time flies. I’ve written 196 of these columns since 1989, just short of 400 for both Handloader and Rifle. The late Al Miller, the editor at the time, was adamant in his belief that as the new editor in chief I would not have time to write them. Like Al, I had been in the military prior to taking up freelance writing while still employed at a “real” paying job. When responsibilities in the U.S. Navy became increasingly demanding, I enrolled in an advanced reading and comprehension course. It helped tremendously in preflight school and freed up time to take a course in Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), aka JAG Corps, which turned out to be a bonus when administration opportunities arose later in the Navy and civilian life. ...Read More >

So how do you decide on bullet seating depth for a new rifle or a specific bullet? There are a lot of different reasons for making that decision, but whatever your preference, the round must fit into the action, magazine box and chamber without resistance. These requirements point at a too-long overall cartridge length (OAL), but there is more to this story. ...Read More >

I have been reading Handloader magazine for about 15 years and very much enjoy it. I especially enjoy your articles and the technical information that is not contained in any competing magazines. Now for my question: When COVID-19 hit, followed by the political unrest, I was a bit unprepared to see the empty shelves at various gun shops in my area. Handloading components are especially hard to find. I needed standard large pistol primers for my .45 ACP, but have not been able to find any without paying over $200 per 1,000. I do have some CCI 350 Large Pistol Magnum primers and a few hundred Federal 155s on hand, but am worried that they will cause pressures to jump. ...Read More >

In the modern world of high tech rifles and cartridges that have pushed the prior Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) maximum pressure limit of 65,000 psi to a new high of 80,000 psi, there is still a steady demand for propellants specifically tailored to shooting sizeable lead projectiles at middling velocities out of medium- to big-bore cartridges. Cartridges the likes of those used in Schuetzen- and Creedmoor-type shoots and by buffalo hunters of days gone by. Why you might ask? Shooting rifles chambered for these pumpkin-rolling cartridges is just too much fun! ...Read More >

It is tempting to say that the .450/.400 Nitro Express 3-inch is simply a cordite (smokeless) loading of the older black powder .450/.400 3¼-inch round. Close, but this is not quite true. ...Read More >

In 2011, the 100th anniversary of the Colt Model 1911 pistol, Remington Arms began producing a modern version of that legendary gun. It has proven to be accurate and reliable, is modestly priced and sold very well. ...Read More >

As this is written, I’m celebrating 54 years as a bullet caster. What’s more, I still enjoy it. I’ve experienced hundreds of moulds ranging from .22 to .58, including hollowbase and hollowpoint versions, moulds for SWCs, WCs, RNs, RN/FPs and for paper patch bullets. Although I’m down to about 100 or so in my current inventory, I’m still on the hunt. Just last night I ordered a mould from a small maker I just learned about. ...Read More >

My first Wildcat Cartridges column published in Handloader No. 312 (February-March 2018) featured the .50 B&M Alaskan developed by my friend Michael McCourry. Several months prior to writing the column, I shot two of his custom rifles chambered for the cartridge, one on a Browning Model 71 action, the other on a Marlin 1895 action. Both were built by Brad Alberts at SSK Industries (now SSK Firearms). I found the cartridge to be rather intriguing and eventually rounded up a Marlin 1895 .45-70 with a stainless steel barreled action and laminated wood stock, and sent it to SSK for the .50 B&M Alaskan conversion. ...Read More >

A few issues back, I wrote about using duplex loads in black- powder cartridges – the practice of putting a few grains of smokeless in as a “primer” charge before filling the case with black. This was common in target-shooting circles around 1900. ...Read More >

After using a 6.5 Grendel to cull a goodly number of Texas feral hogs, I’ve developed a great deal of respect for the cartridge. This has mostly involved nighttime forays shooting with thermal imaging optics. The 2.26-inch confines inherent to AR-15 magazines, and the Grendel’s limited case capacity, make 123- to 130-grain bullets the practical upper limit for such activities. These projectiles chug along at around 2,350/2,450 feet per second (fps), but deliver well out of proportion to its diminutive size. ...Read More >

The .357 Magnum was developed as a joint effort between Smith & Wesson (S&W) and Winchester, and was formally introduced in 1935. It was our first magnum revolver cartridge and offered sensational velocities for that era, as it advertised a 158-grain SWC-style bullet at 1,510 feet per second (fps) from a 83⁄4-inch barrel, but was around 1,400 to 1,450 fps in most revolvers. Current velocities generally list 158-grain jacketed bullet at 1,235 fps from a 4-inch vented test barrel. ...Read More >

The Vihtavuori powder factory in Finland celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020.In fact, the small village of Vihtavuori, 100-odd miles north of the country’s capital of Helsinki, did not exist before the factory was built. Instead, the village grew up around the factory, which today makes some of the finest smokeless powder in the world. It may seem odd for a cutting edge factory to be located in a relatively remote, cold and rural country, but Finns are both avid hunters and target shooters. ...Read More >

The .380 ACP is one of a trio of cartridges associated with the name Browning, introduced between 1900 and 1910, and originally chambered in Colt pocket semiautos and Brownings produced in Europe by FN of Belgium. ...Read More >

When I started casting bullets decades ago, my amateur casting methods worked sufficiently well to create large-diameter rifle and handgun bullets that shot adequately. However, a much more exact technique was required when I started casting smaller diameter and much lighter weight .22- and .24-caliber bullets. Any imperfection caused a disproportionate imbalance resulting in poor accuracy. ...Read More >