Handloader October - November 2024

In the last issue of Handloader No. 351 (August – September 2024), we discussed the history and introduction of the 22 ARC. In addition, we also tested some initial loads and experimented with some powders and bullets previously untested by independent sources. The results were certainly impressive, and the rifle, built by Dave Kiff, was equally impressive. Out of all the loads tested, not a single load broke over 1.66 inches, with many loads printing sub-MOA shooting five-shot groups. ...Read More >

Today, I am going out to the range and walk you through a “shoot and tell” with one of the more recent black powder substitutes on the market, Shooters World Multi Purpose Black. Shooters World is well-known among Handloader readers as the importer/distributor of the extensive line of Lovex smokeless powders manufactured by Explosia Company of the Czech Republic. Circa 2020, Shooters World saw the opportunity to enter the black powder muzzleloader and cartridge gun propellant market, partnering with American Pioneer Powder Company. American Pioneer Powder Company manufactures Multi Purpose Black at its production facility in Whitewater, Colorado, to Shooters World specifications. ...Read More >

My question today has to do with handloads for my 38 Special snub-nosed revolvers. I have several short-barreled revolvers (mostly Smith & Wesson J-Frame and Colt D frames) that I collect, shoot and carry for personal protection. I have been using 140-grain JHP bullets with 6 grains of Alliant Power Pistol powder, or 6.5 grains of Accurate No. 5. But in checking the velocity of these loads from a Colt Detective Special with a 2-inch barrel and a Smith & Wesson Model 38 with a 1.85-inch barrel, these loads were running around 750 feet per second (fps) and 720 fps respectively. In wet newsprint, they show zero expansion and penetration was dismal. Can you suggest a load that will reliably expand from these short-barreled guns? Or should I consider a different bullet for personal defense purposes? ...Read More >

A good way to start a spirited discussion at a gun shop or hunting camp is to bring up the subject of handguns for protection from large animals. The conversation gets really interesting when no one involved owns or has even shot one of the guns mentioned. All input is “facts” gleaned from magazine articles. ...Read More >

Beginning in 1985, Ruger introduced a truly modern double-action revolver, known as the GP100 that is strong, robust, highly durable, accurate and offered in many variations intended for competition, defense and sporting applications. In addition to being available in 22 Long Rifle, 10mm Auto and 44 Special, its most popular chambering is the versatile 357 Magnum, which is available in six-, seven- and eight-shot versions. According to Ruger, sales for the first eight years were around 300,000 units, which was less than expected due to the upswing in popularity of autoloading pistols during the 1980s. However, revolvers have clearly made a huge comeback due to their versatility, power, reliability, safety and accuracy. Today, the GP100 is enjoying very brisk sales and rightfully so! ...Read More >

I met Mike Venturino in the early 1990s at the SHOT Show back when I was in advertising sales. I walked away with the impression that he was one of the nicest gun writers I had ever met. Fast forward to 2007 when I purchased Wolfe Publishing Company and I was impressed that he took the time to personally congratulate me. Later, we spent a week with him at his home in Montana to film our World War II series on our Handloader TV channel. ...Read More >

During the past 44 years, Kenny Jarrett’s shop has been about a rifle shot away from a wide place on a narrow road known as Jackson, South Carolina. During that time, he has built super-accurate rifles around about every high-performance cartridge you can think of as well as several you likely have never heard of. First came the 280 Ackley Improved, and while Jarrett will not say how many rifles he chambered for that one, I can tell you the number was many times more than just a few. The profits made on those rifles went a long way toward keeping Jarrett Rifles afloat. ...Read More >

Last May, we got word that RCBS was being spun out of the Vista Outdoor group, purchased by Hodgdon Powder Company. If you’re having trouble keeping up with who’s where among the many brands that were part of, first, ATK, then Vista, you’re not alone. The corporate machinations are verging on dizzying and by the time you read this, even more changes may have taken place. ...Read More >

The 6mm Dasher was designed to push high-ballistic coefficient/low-drag bullets to 2,900-3,000 feet per second (fps) while providing less drop and recoil than cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor. Since its inception, it has managed to capture a long list of 600- and 1,000-yard benchrest records – a list perhaps longer than any other single cartridge. In 2014, Jim Richards, shooting at the Deep Creek Range near Missoula, Montana, set a world record with his 6mm Dasher by placing 10 shots in a 2.6872-inch group at 1,000 yards while shooting in the Light Gun class. The Dasher has also become the new darling amongst many Precision Rifle Series (PRS) shooters. ...Read More >

The 8mm Mauser or 8x57mm, both of which are Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) designations, is one of the most important and influential cartridges in the history of small arms. In Europe, the Commission Internationale Permanente (C.I.P.), the European equivalent of SAAMI, references it as the 7.92x57mm Mauser and 8x57IS. Apparently, the U.S. nomenclature is also known worldwide. For example, while hunting throughout Europe, I was handed a borrowed rifle to pursue stag, European boar and other species. In his broken English, my gracious host referred to the finely crafted pre-World War II rifle as being an “8mm Mauser!” It boasts of being one of the most widely used military cartridges worldwide. ...Read More >

The 22 Hornet story began during the late 1920s when Grosvenor Wotkyns, who was a member of the ordnance department at Benecia Arsenal in California, began experimenting with the 22 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) case. When Winchester introduced the cartridge in 1885 for the company’s Model 1885 single-shot rifle, it was loaded with black powder and a 45-grain lead bullet at a velocity of 1,540 feet per second (fps). ...Read More >

Having possessed a 32 H&R Magnum for 35 years and having loaded ammunition for it just as long, I believe I’m in a position to offer some insights into its faults, failings and virtues. ...Read More >

Frequently, shooters and hunters select a particular firearm and/or cartridge to be different. After all, why use what your compadre does, or is currently in vogue, right? But sometimes, the choice has more to do with fitting a specific set of criteria rather than being an individualist. Such is the case with aficionados of the 16 gauge. ...Read More >