Handloader February-March 2023

There has been a lot of talk about the 30 Super Carry cartridge since its introduction at the SHOT Show in 2022. Around that same time, a quest for load data and components was started. With no published data at the time of this writing and few components available, it was quite a puzzle to determine where to start. As with most cartridges, the firearm used for testing can have a great impact on the overall experience with the cartridge itself. For this reason, a Nighthawk Custom 1911 President chambered in 30 Super Carry was selected. ...Read More >

I would be willing to wager that Alliant’s Bullseye, Winchester’s 231 (W-231) and its identical twin, Hodgdon’s HP-38 are the three most popular powders used to reload handgun cartridges defined by the Winchester powder licensee, Hodgdon Powder Co. as “medium handgun loads.” What constitutes a “medium handgun load?” From what I can glean from researching a number of published loading data sources, it includes some 20 cartridges from the diminutive .25 Auto, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, .380 Auto, .38 Super, the ever-popular .38 Special, the current darling – 9mm Luger, .357 SIG, .357 Magnum (light magnum loads), 40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .44 Special, .44 Magnum (light magnum loads), .45 Gap, the iconic .45 Auto and others. Target loads to service loads in a broad range of applications have made these three powders the mainstay of many a handloader’s handgun propellant inventory, myself included. ...Read More >

Q: It is always a good day when my Handloader arrives! About 90 percent of the time, when it arrives, I read your articles first, especially if they are about big-bore handguns. Regarding your “Pet Loads” article on the .44 Russian found in Handloader No. 339 (August – September 2022); it was very good as usual. I do have a few questions. ...Read More >

In my last column, Handloader No. 341 (December – January 2022), I looked into the events that led up to the introduction of the Winchester Model 1894 rifle in 1894. The original chamberings were the black powder .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. The following year, the Winchester catalog listed two new cartridges, the .25-35 Winchester Smokeless and the .30 WCF Smokeless, that was all. The text didn’t even include the word “new.” Did someone forget to inform the marketing department? Perhaps there was a reason. ...Read More >

The remarkable history and continuing demand for the Model 1911 pistol is a testimony of just how great it really is. In short, it was designed by John Browning, first produced by Colt in 1911, and then officially adopted by the U.S. military that same year. It is a truly remarkable pistol that survived the military tests without a single failure while being fired 6,000 rounds during a two-day period. The U.S. Government purchased more than 2.7 million pistols, which over the next 75 years, served admirably through countless wars and conflicts. It proved to be rugged and tough as nails so to speak. ...Read More >

Upon first viewing Skinner Sights’ Bush Pilot Survival Kit at a Montana gun show, the various accoutrements such as large knife, coil of nylon rope, fire-starting kit and more were mildly interesting. However, I thought at my age, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever again be in a position to need a survival kit. On the other hand, as a great fan of lever-action carbines, I was impressed by the kit’s centerpiece; a Chiappa Model 1892 .44 Magnum lever-action carbine. Most likely, I still wouldn’t have bought the Bush Pilot kit if not for Yvonne’s urging. She thought such a kit would be handy in our vehicles for winter driving in Montana as there are often stories of people trapped in snow drifts with no preparations for surviving. ...Read More >

When preparing my write-up on the 6mm-284 for Handloader No. 336 (February – March 2022), a photo lineup of 10 cartridges on the .284 Winchester case was included. They ranged from the 6mm-284 to the .375-284. I had long assumed that .375 inch was about the maximum bullet diameter the .284 case could handle, but was proven wrong. Shortly after the column was published, I received a message from Chris Moen of Havre, Montana, who has been hunting with a custom rifle in .411-284 since 2019. He also offered to send formed cases and dummy rounds. The first thought that came to mind after receiving them was a modern version of the .400 Whelen. My second thought was to feature the .411-284 in this column and the decision to do so was made immediately after Chris graciously offered to share his load data and accuracy information. ...Read More >

A few days ago, a friend of mine came to me with some questions about handloading. He’s a former Marine and a serious shooter of AR .308s and semiauto nine millimeters. Scarcity of ammunition, combined with high prices made him consider loading his own. ...Read More >

The ever-popular .223 Remington has been the basis for a long list of wildcat cartridges, necked-up and down in the pursuit of various goals, be that increased speed or a boost in knockdown power on larger game. The 6x45mm, or 6mm/.223 Remington, is such a cartridge. The goal with this one to create a more accurate benchrest contender. It is nothing more than the .223 Remington necked-up to accept 6mm/.243-caliber bullets with no other dimensional changes. This produces a cartridge that can handle slightly heavier bullets sent at velocities often rivaling same-weight or slightly lighter .223 Remington bullets, delivering more punch at longer ranges and superior ballistic coefficients, without significantly increasing recoil or muzzle blast. ...Read More >

Bruce Hodgdon was one of that intrepid little band of American post-war entrepreneurs who started on a shoestring and ended up creating the shooting world we have today. ...Read More >

Nearly 40 years ago, I made my way off the ranch and down to Idaho’s Treasure Valley to attend a gun show. There, I bumped into a dealer friend who had a splendid Winchester Model 1892 that had been professionally rebarreled to .218 Bee. It also featured a custom high-figure walnut stock that had been fitted with a tang sight and the trigger stoned for a light, crisp pull. It was obviously a high-quality custom rifle that had been owned by a savvy shooter, so we struck a deal and he threw in a supply of brass, bullets and dies. Arriving back at the ranch after dark, select sample handloads were assembled long after bedtime and ready for testing the next morning. At first light, the initial batch of handloads fired struck 1-inch high at 100 yards and grouped into around 1 inch. ...Read More >

In the fall of 1972, I was out of college, back in West Virginia from my annual summer foray to Yellowstone National Park. This was the first time in my life, I was getting a paycheck for more than minimum wage. With that first check, I scouted all the area’s gun stores for a Marlin Model 1895 in .45-70. When one was finally discovered, I hit the jackpot because next to it was a Harrington & Richardson replica of the .45-70 Model 1873 “trapdoor” Springfield carbine. I bought both guns and 100 rounds of Remington factory loads with 405-grain JSP bullets. ...Read More >

I have two rifles chambered for the grand old .300 Holland and Holland Magnum cartridge. The first to come into my possession, “Brutus,” as it was named by one of my hunting buddies, is a fine pre-’64 Winchester Model 70. The two of us have been inseparable hunting partners for some 51 years. Not that I will retire Brutus anytime soon, but it is good to have an understudy. The youngster is a fine Sako Model 85 and its history should not be lost to time, or surely there will come a day when Sako afficionados will question its authenticity touting that the Sako Model 85 was never chambered for the big .300 Holland and Holland Magnum by Beretta Holding Group, the corporate parent of Sako. This rifle, quite possibly the rarest Sako 85 in existence, bears the inscription in script on the left side of the barrel, .300 Holland and Holland Mag. and on the right side, Sako Custom Shop #001. Here is how it came to be. ...Read More >