Handloader February/March 2018

Every once in awhile a reader writes a letter to question why handgun writers at Handloader have not written about shooting techniques with handguns. The short answer is that it was not part of the mission Dave Wolfe established for Handloader back in 1966, and it hasn’t been part of the editorial direction since then. Then too, I’ve seen what a few past and present staff writers can accomplish with handguns and wouldn’t doubt for a moment that they were, or are, qualified to address the subject, whether it might be hunting, target shooting or plain old plinking. Not necessarily including quick draw or some such, but with deliberate speed and accuracy. ...Read More >

Developing a load for hunting is much more involved than for target shooting because a hunter not only needs to hit a specific point, he also needs effective terminal performance. When I got interested in long-range shooting, I wanted a 1,000-yard deer rifle, and I wanted to develop a load that would have the downrange performance to fulfill that desire. Only shooting later determined if I could also develop my shooting skills to equal the task. The .270 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) was my cartridge choice. ...Read More >

My questions are in regard to your .327 Federal Magnum article found in Handloader No. 294 (Feb/March 2015). I have a Ruger Single-Seven with a 7½-inch barrel and have been experimenting with handloads but am having a problem. My issue is exactly as you mentioned in your article; large extreme velocity spreads that are sometimes in excess of 150 fps. I have tried the things that you mention to help, including using a small expander for better case tension, CCI #500 primers, etc. I am using Starline brass with a neck thickness of .010 inch. I am using RCBS dies marked “.32 S&W/.32 H&R.” ...Read More >

Many riflefolk think today’s silly trend of introducing new cartridges that duplicate existing rounds is a modern thing. It’s not. The .25-36 Marlin and .25-35 Winchester were the same except for slight differences in case dimensions; likewise for the .30-30 Winchester/.303 Savage and a host of others. ...Read More >

A few columns ago it was noted that Western Powders, of Miles City, Montana, had continued its move to bring the manufacture of its Accurate line of smokeless powders closer to home. All imported powders were previously manufactured in Israel or in several European countries, with a few exceptions. First the extruded rifle powders were moved to the General Dynamics plant in Ontario, Canada, where IMR powders are manufactured. ...Read More >

The demand for concealed-carry handguns has ballooned in the past couple of decades, with both experienced shooters and many first-time gun buyers choosing to carry for protection. One type of semiautomatic pistol that has become especially popular is the subcompact, or pocket size, 9mm Luger (aka 9mm Parabellum and 9x19mm). These guns are often comparable in size and weight to traditional pistols chambered in .380 Auto. ...Read More >

Sometime during the 1950s gunsmith Harold Johnson, who owned a shop in Cooper Landing Alaska called Johnson’s Kenai Rifles, decided to create a rifle and cartridge combination that would be ideal for back-up use by guides who were tasked with preventing clientele from being eaten by a brown bear or gored by a bull moose. His small advertisement in American Rifleman (May 1955, page 83) read: ...Read More >

The Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 10th Edition is bigger than the previous edition, with more bullets and powders in its data. Page count has been increased from 924 to 1,012 pages. ...Read More >

There are a few places in the U.S. that are unknown to most Americans, but mention their names to a handloader and his eyes light up. Among these are Lewiston, Idaho, Sedalia, Missouri, Grand Island, Nebraska and Shawnee Mission, Kansas. ...Read More >

Mike currently handloads more for .38 WCF (.38-40) and .44 WCF (.44-40) Colt SAAs than any other revolver cartridge.Many handloaders consider the .38 and .44 WCFs (Winchester Centerfire) as troublesome, especially in regard to revolvers. I do not;... ...Read More >

I am not exactly a stranger to the world of high-end 1911s, but this one made me stop and stare. Love at first sight isn’t just limited to girls and boys . . . it happens with guns too. ...Read More >

While most deer hunters couldn’t care less, most rifle loonies are aware that a pickup load of smaller 6mm cartridges has appeared during the past half century – some are factory designs but many are wildcats. ...Read More >

The wind was favorable, and within a couple of minutes, the previously spotted elk appeared on the opposite side of the draw. I had already assumed a sitting position, with elbows resting between my knees, holding a Colt New Frontier SAA with a 7.5-inch barrel with both hands. As a decent bull appeared at about 100 yards, I squeezed the trigger. As the bull lunged forward and started to run, I thumbed the hammer and again aimed for the lungs and shot. Within a few feet the bull fell on its side and slid down the hillside stone dead. ...Read More >

The 7.63mm Mauser has many claims to fame. Also known as the .30 Mauser, for almost 40 years it reigned as the velocity king of the handgun world. Its parent gun, the C96 “Broomhandle,” was easily the most popular military handgun that was never officially adopted by any country; and in one instance it could even claim to have been the savior of western civilization. ...Read More >

Casting lead-alloy bullets and preparing them for shooting requires a great deal of work. Always on the lookout for easier and inexpensive methods of readying cast bullets and improving their use, I started coating cast bullets with powder.While doing so removed the requirement of lubricating bullets, it was not a time-saving process compared to lubricating by running them through a sizer/lubricator press. ...Read More >