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October 2015 No. 298
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 On the cover . . . A Rock Island
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Handloads for a Rifle
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38 Cutting Edge
Handgun Bullets Ammunition Reloading Journal
Solid Copper Hollowpoints ISSN 0017-7393
Brian Pearce Volume 50 Number 5
Issue No. 298 October 2015

46 Webley’s Patented
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Bullet
COLUMNS Editor in Chief – Lee J. Hoots
Editor Emeritus – Dave Scovill
Considerations for Managing Editor – Roberta Scovill
Carry Guns
Terry Wieland
6 Skeeter and the .44
Smith & Wesson
Senior Art Director – Gerald Hudson
Production Director – Becky Pinkley
Special Contributing Editors
52 Different Batches,
“Same” Powder
Reloader’s Press -
Dave Scovill
John Barsness
John Haviland
Gil Sengel
Stan Trzoniec
Brian Pearce R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
Testing Lot-to-Lot Charles E. Petty Mike Venturino
Variances
John Barsness
10 6.5 Creedmoor
Bullets & Brass -
Clair Rees
Terry Wieland
Ken Waters

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4 Handloader 298
 SKEETER AND THE
.44 SMITH & WESSON SPECIAL
RELOADER’S PRESS by Dave Scovill
R oberta and I were walking
through an older section of
Philadelphia with Sally Jim Skel-
The Smith &
Wesson Second
Model .44 Target
ton, the wife of the late gun writer was the first
mass-produced
Charles “Skeeter” Skelton, admir- N-frame revolver
ing the wares in shops bordering with a heat-treated
the cobblestone courtyard that cylinder.
resembled a botanical garden.
Skeeter died on January 17, 1988,
but Roberta and I had the pleasure
of editing Sally Jim’s book I Re-
member Skeeter, a compilation of
essays written by friends and asso-
ciates and a selection of his de-
lightful stories.
would have asked you to write
Somewhere along in the conver- something.” I assured her that there
sation, I remarked, “If it hadn’t been were plenty of opportunities to
for Skeeter, I probably wouldn’t tell her that while we worked on
be in this business.” Sally Jim re- her book, but it seemed inappro-
sponded, “If I had known that, I priate at the time.
Charles “Skeeter” Skelton, a prod-
uct of the Dust Bowl era, had been
a U.S. Marine, lawman, politician
and part-time cattleman when he
opted to venture into the gun writ-
ing business in the late 1950s,
where his feature stories and col-
umn eventually came to the pages
of Shooting Times (ST). By any
reasonable measure, Skelton was
a instant success, sharing his
background and experiences with
handguns, along with stories of
real and fictional characters.
In the early 1970s, having been
recently released from active duty
Three of the finest handguns ever made
with the U.S. Navy, I discovered were chambered for the .44 Special,
ST on a newsstand. A column or including (top to bottom): the Colt
feature written by Skelton struck Single Action Army, Colt New Service
me as a few steps above the run- and Smith & Wesson New Century
of-the-mill gun writer of the pe- (Triple Lock).
riod; he was a master storyteller
with credibility that can only be was eventually converted to .45 Colt
acquired over a lifetime of experi- and a Navy Arms .44-caliber cap-
ence with handguns. and-ball black-powder sixgun. The
In those days I owned two hand- U.S. Navy had been kind enough
guns, a Colt SAA .38 Special (Ac- to loan me two of its Colt 1911 .45
cording to the factory letter, it was ACP handguns and all the ammu-
originally shipped to El Paso, nition I could shoot for a couple of
Texas, as a .41 Colt in 1908.) that years, but that was it in terms of
6 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
hands-on experience with center- Special from a bored-out and re- downtown Everett, Washington,
fire handguns. When Skelton wrote barreled S&W Model 27, and later, in 1975. There was a pawn shop
an essay about creating a .44 S&W a Ruger Old Model flattop .357 Mag- around the corner from my store
num that was also converted to .44 where I befriended the owner and
Special, I was hooked and began dropped a few hints about the
what turned out to be a lengthy, quest for a .44 Special. The pawn
Skeeter shares exasperating and ultimately quite broker eventually called to tell me
a fan’s letter
with his horse.
expensive search for a .44 Special. about a fine post-World War II Colt
At the time, Smith & Wesson was SAA .44 Special with a 7.5-inch
using all of its big N-frames to pro- barrel. The asking price seemed
duce .357, .41 and .44 Magnums and reasonable, so we made a deal.
an occasional run of .45 Colts and Sometime later he called again,
.45 ACPs, while Colt was busy sell- blurting out that a lady just walked
ing double actions, 1911s and occa- in and laid a Smith & Wesson .44
sional runs of SAAs, pitifully few Target Model on the counter, want-
of which were .44 Specials. Ruger ing to sell it. He went on to say it
sold all the Super Blackhawk .44 was her late husband’s, the sheriff
Magnums it could make, and since of Snohomish County, Washing-
those big SAs would also fire the ton. She didn’t like guns and wanted
.44 Special, there was no logic – to get rid of it. Within minutes the
according to Bill Ruger – in build- contents of the checking account
ing a downsized .44. So, in spite of was purged, again.
lobbying efforts by Skelton and Stocking up on reloading supplies
others to the “Big Three,” chances for the .44 Special put another
for a regular lineup of .44 Specials dent in the finances, and along
were slim to none. with the .45 Colt, those revolvers
Working for a West Coast retail became the basis for what would,
outfit, I was managing a store in unwittingly, become a lifetime of
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 7
 research and load development
with cast bullets and hunting with
handguns.
Upon leaving the retail business
in 1984 and becoming a single par-
ent with two children (Jason, age
6 and Alicia, age 5), owing the un-
timely passing of their mother, our
abbreviated family settled into a
old house in Klamath Falls, Ore-
gon, and I sat down with a type-
writer and/or bullet casting equip-
ment after walking the kids to
school. The kids went along on my
short excursions into forest lands
to test handloads that were put
up during the week, where they
played out imaginary adventures
and fashioned a teepee out of
limbs and pine needles.
In time, the collection of hand-
load data for the .45 Colt, and .38
and .44 Specials, became exten-
sive enough that it might amount
to sufficient material for one or
more feature stories. By then it
was pretty obvious that the indus-
try didn’t need another writer who
parroted other folks, so I concen-
trated on ideas that most writers
shied away from, apparently due
to time and effort involved, and
the constant challenge of meeting
deadlines.
A .45 Colt story was ultimately
sent to Handloader magazine,
where it languished in a file for a
couple of years, fairly typical for
freelance material at the time, and
I turned to pieces on mule deer
and bighorn sheep management
using information and research
done by all the western states that
had mule deer and bighorn pop-
ulations. Both sold almost imme-
diately. Shortly thereafter, Wolfe
Publishing forwarded a check for
the .45 Colt piece, which led to
a couple of Rifle features, and in
due course, at the behest of the
then-editor Al Miller, a staff job
as handgun and cast bullet editor
for Handloader.
About the time I realized that it
would be easy to go broke while
attempting to become a freelance
writer, fate stepped in when Al
Miller asked if I would consider
the editor position at Wolfe. The
8 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
house was rented out to a local sembled burnt asphalt, and the bers. The letter and photo were
friend, and we packed up the es- finish was worn to bare metal; the published in ST a short time later,
sentials, moving to Prescott, Ari- second barrel nearly suffered the with an answer explaining that
zona, in March 1989. same fate. neither Skelton nor Roy Jinx, the
Nowadays, there is a representa- Sometime in the mid-1970s, I sent S&W historian, knew for sure, but
tive selection of Smith & Wesson, a photo of the S&W Second Model offered a guess of a dozen or two.
Ruger and Colt .44 S&W Specials .44 Target to Skelton at ST with a Acknowledging the rarity and the
on hand, including an Old Model question about production num- all too real chance that I might
Ruger .357 that was converted to
.44 Special by Doug Turnbull and
Hamilton Bowen. The first SAA
.45 Colt digested so many cast bul-
let loads that the forcing cone re-

Right, lobbying by Skeeter Skelton and others

eventually resulted in special runs of .44 Specials,
like this New Frontier .44 WCF with an
additional .44 Special cylinder.

Left, this custom wear it out as well, it was sold

Old Model Ruger to a collector. The Colt SAA .44
Blackhawk was Special was sold to an airline pilot
converted to .44
Special by Doug
in the early 1980s. Both .44s remind
Turnbull and me of an article Skelton wrote
Hamilton Bowen. (Continued on page 67)

October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 9

 6.5 CREEDMOOR
BULLETS & BRASS by Brian Pearce
Q : A couple of months ago,
I purchased a Ruger M77
Hawkeye stainless 6.5 Creedmoor.
It shoots extremely well with fac-
tory loads (120- and 123-grain bul-
lets), with five-shot groups almost
always measuring under .75 inch
at 100 yards.
I would like to cut the barrel
down from 26 to 23 inches to
make it handier in the field and in
the woods that I often hunt. My
When handloading 140-grain bullets in the 6.5 Creedmoor, Hodgdon Superformance,
first question is how much will Hybrid 100V and Winchester 760 are top-performing powders.
this drop the velocity? And do you
think this is a good idea? or three different powders as op- time to accurately determine ve-
I will use this rifle mostly for tional choices. locity changes per inch of barrel.
hunting whitetail deer and am What I have learned is that each
I always appreciate the great tech-
looking for load data, which leads cartridge responds differently to
nical information you provide, and
me to my next question. I will prob- barrel length changes. To make
thank you in advance for your in-
ably use either Nosler 140-grain matters more complex, different
sight.
Ballistic Tip or Hornady 140-grain loads and powder combinations
– A.P., West Virginia will produce different results. Since
SST bullets. What powders will give
the best combination of accuracy A: I have tested several rifle (and I have not conducted specific tests
and velocity? With powders so handgun) cartridges with differ- for the 6.5 Creedmoor, I can only
hard to obtain, it would be great ent barrel lengths, even cutting the offer an educated guess to answer
if you could offer loads with two same barrel down one inch at a your question. I would estimate
a loss of 25 to 35 fps per inch of
barrel cut off. Cutting the barrel
back to 23 inches will certainly
make your rifle handier to carry
in the field, reduce weight and in
my opinion is a practical idea.
There are many powders that
will give excellent accuracy and
top velocities in the 6.5 Creed-
moor. I might suggest 43.0 grains
of Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, 44.0
grains of Superformance or 43.0
grains of Winchester 760 with ei-
ther of the 140-grain bullets you
mention. Each load will exceed
2,700 fps and should prove accu-
rate. Please note that these are
maximum loads, so you should
begin with charges that are at
least 5 percent below maximum
(40.0 to 41.0 grains) and use a
large rifle “standard” primer, such
as the Federal 210 or CCI 200.
Good luck on your deer hunts.
10 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
.375 H&H plan to hunt). I know there is con- the lighter game. Can you suggest
siderable discussion as to “solid” a bullet and load that will shoot to
Q: I am planning and preparing for the same point of aim as the bullet
versus “expanding” bullets on buf-
a plains game hunt in Zimbabwe that you recommend for buffalo?
falo in this caliber, but I would like
and am trying to figure out what
your opinion on that subject be- – T.R., Buda TX
guns and loads to take. I am con-
fore making my choice.
sidering taking one rifle cham- A: You are correct; this is a very
bered in .375 H&H Magnum for My second question is tied to the controversial and often debated
everything from impala to Cape first. If I take only the .375, I will subject, which probably mostly
buffalo (the largest animal that I need an expanding bullet load for started a century ago when soft-
point bullets gave less than perfect
performance on heavy game. I
know professional hunters who
stand firmly on each side of this
issue. In my opinion, however,
either a solid or an expanding
bullet will work, but they must be
applied correctly for satisfactory
results. For example, a profes-
sional hunter who had to follow
up a wounded buffalo would prob-
ably be ahead to choose solids
to achieve maximum penetration
from any angle, especially on a
wounded and angry buffalo com-
ing straight on, although most
professionals opt for a larger
Solid versus expanding bullets for hunting Cape buffalo with a .375 H&H Magnum is caliber for a stopping cartridge.
a highly debated subject. The .375 H&H is technically a
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 11
 medium-bore cartridge and solids similar bullets, with 300-grain
will not deliver the same amount versions generally preferred.
of shock as many of the big-bore The .375 H&H Magnum is one
“stopping” cartridges. of the best cartridges for being
Hunting buffalo is a completely able to switch loads and still place
different matter, because the bullets close to the point of aim,
hunter has the option of waiting even loads containing different
until circumstances are just right weight bullets. Each rifle has its
to perfectly place the first bullet in own personality, however, and
the vitals and at much better an- you will need to compare the
gles. In this circumstance an ex- point of impact of your “lighter
panding bullet is preferred as it game” bullet choice with your
will destroy more tissue, and the buffalo load to check for possible
best bullets can break bone and changes. If you were to choose a
continue penetrating. Be certain tough expanding bullet for buf-
to use a toughly constructed bullet falo, you might be ahead to use
that is designed for deep penetra- that same load on all game.
tion, such as the Barnes Triple- Good luck and I hope that you
Shock X-Bullet, Swift A-Frame or have a great time.

.280 ACKLEY IMPROVED

Q: I just read your article on the will work well with both bullet
.280 Ackley Improved in Rifle mag- weights.
azine with great interest, as just – D.S., Butte MT
days previously I had purchased a
Kimber Model 84L but in the Mon- A: You don’t specify any particu-
tana version. I agree with you that lar powder, and knowing that
this is an outstanding cartridge. many types are simply not avail-
able, I will give you some options.
I am still waiting on the scope to I have had particularly good re-
arrive and have been considering sults with Accurate Magpro. Using
what handloads to begin with. I the Nosler 160-grain Partition,
am primarily an elk hunter and I suggest beginning with 59.0
would like to try the Barnes 140- grains and working up to a max-
grain Tipped TSX or the proven imum charge that will probably
Nosler 160-grain Partition. Can be around 63.0 grains, for around
you suggest load data with those 2,800 to 2,850 fps. If you prefer
two bullets to give me a place an extruded powder, begin with
to begin? It would be great if you 51.0 grains of IMR-4831 and
could suggest one powder that (Continued on page 66)

When handloading the .280 Ackley Improved, IMR-4831, Alliant Reloder 22 and
Accurate Magpro are top-notch powders.
12 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 295 OR 300 ROOK
CARTRIDGE BOARD by Gil Sengel
T he 300 Rook (we will get to
the 295 part later) is an early
black-powder British round. It was
E F

fired in little single shots known

as rook and rabbit rifles, with a D
rook being a bird related to our
crow and a rabbit being, well, just
a rabbit. In America we call them C
B
small-game rifles and cartridges. A
Shooting rabbits is pretty straight-
Cartridge Dimensions
A - Overall Length -------------1.38 D - Rim Diameter ----------------.369
forward, but how does one go about

B - Case Length----------------1.17 E - Head Diameter --------------.319

shooting birds with a rifle? It is

C - Rim Thickness-------------.052 F - Neck Diameter---------------.317

only logical that the birds weren’t
flying. Yet after one shot, they
would be flying, not to be seen
again. Well, not exactly. rooks could fly, they had a propen- women and children took turns
sity to sit on limbs outside the sniping the feathered pests, all the
Rooks nest in large concentra-
nest and peer down at farmers. while considering it wonderful en-
tions. Like a crow, they will eat
Recognizing an opportunity, and tertainment.
anything but seem to prefer grain
a chance to have some fun at It has been written that young
and the eggs and young of birds,
the same time, farmers, landown- rooks were fine table fare. I sus-
especially ground-nesting game
ers and their friends acquired pect, however, this story is similar
birds. This was not appreciated by
small-caliber muzzleloading rifles to those I heard about cooking
landowners who destroyed rooks
and picked the little vermin off snipe, coot and woodcock in my
whenever possible. The birds even
their perches. With the advent youth. Basically, the bird is tacked
helped the process along.
of cartridge rifles, rook shooting to a clean pine board, herbs and
In the spring before the fledgling often became a social event. Men, spices added, then cooked until
tender. At this point the carcass is
removed from the lumber and
SHOOTING CHRONY buried in a deep hole. One then
eats the board.
• For Precise Ammo The At any rate, the best grades of
Velocity Measurement Greatest English black powder were the
• Choose from 10 Models finest in the world. Matching pow-
• For Rifles, Handguns, Archery, Bang for der, grease wad and bullet weight
Shotguns, Airguns & Paintballs Your Buck! in the early cartridge rifles allowed
• MSRP: $107.95 to $220.95 some control over the amount of
• We Accept Trade-ins fouling produced. Caliber could be
decreased while maintaining ade-
SHOOTING CHRONY, INC.
3840 E. Robinson Rd. PMB #298 quate accuracy. Rook cartridges,
Amherst, NY 14228 such as the 380 Long, 360 No. 5,
e-mail: [email protected] 320 Long and 300 Rook, became
1-800-385-3161
WWW.SHOOTINGCHRONY.COM
available starting in the early 1870s.
The 300 Rook emerged as the
smallest cartridge that could main-
tain its precision for the 30- to
50-yard shots required for rooks.
If it doesn’t unfold ... Cartridges using lesser bullet di-
it’s not a Chrony! ameters became available around
1900 as smokeless powders were
14 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
developed. It should also be men-
tioned that British rounds having
the same or similar bullet diame-
ters but somewhat larger powder
charges existed at the same time
as the rook cartridges. Some were
for target use. Others were fired
in what were termed miniature
rifles, the intended quarry being
game the size of small deer, defi-
nitely not rooks or rabbits.
How the 300 Rook came about
begins with a common percussion
pistol caliber, the .32. Such guns
had bore diameters of more or
less .320 inch. It was well known
that the small guns had a deterrent
effect but weren’t very effective
if it became necessary to pull the
trigger. In an effort to increase
the penetration of the percussion
handgun, conical bullets replaced
roundballs. When the first metallic
cartridges appeared, it seemed
logical to simply reduce the diam-
eter of the conical bullet slightly
at the rear and poke it into the
case. Thus the case and much of
the front of the slug were the same
diameter. All early cartridges used
such a heeled bullet – think mod-
ern .22 Long Rifle ammunition.
The earliest .32 was probably the
.32 Short Centerfire (talking Brit-
ish rounds here) that appeared
about 1869. Case length varied
from about .600 to .700 inch. At
nearly the same time a round
called the .32 Long Centerfire ap-
peared for Webley and Tranter re-
volvers. Case length was .830 inch.
Strangely, this round is later listed
as 320 Long Centerfire (perhaps
using a lighter bullet) and then
the 320 Rook. For comparison, it
was nearly identical to the .32 S&W
Long, except the British round used
a heeled bullet.
The heeled bullet was plagued by
its externally applied lube crack-
ing and falling off in cold weather,
becoming sticky in warm condi-
tions and simply wearing away
any time rounds were carried in a
pocket. About 1880, the 320 Rook
bullet was reduced in diameter so
it fit inside its case. This suppos-
edly left its diameter at .300 inch,
more or less. Case length was in-
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 15
PURE LEAD creased some .350 inch to cover Eley sometimes labeled its black-
With 1% Tin, 40 lbs., $75.00 Delivered the lubed portion of the slug and powder cartridge boxes .300-10-80
Linotype, Pure Lead, WW alloy, Lyman #2, provide space for a couple of grains with no other identification. Also,
Tin 16/1-20/1-30/1, other alloys available.
Cowboy Action Shooting bullets. more powder. This work is said to early Eley rounds are seen with an
ACTION
P.O. Box 189 - Quinter, KS 67752 have been done by (or for) Holland obviously heavier bullet, at least
Tel: 785-754-3609
BULLETS & ALLOY, INC E-Mail: [email protected] & Holland. In H&H advertising, 100 grains. These cases are head-
the cartridge was called Hollands stamped “ELEY 295.” This bullet
295 or the 295 Bore Rook. would require a long, freebored sec-
Major ammunition maker Eley tion in the chamber throat while
first listed the new round in 1885. the common 80-grain bullet would
Kynoch followed in 1886 (H&H need none. Just what was going
was selling rifles in 1882), but for on here is impossible to say at this
some reason known to neither man late date. All references just refer
nor rook, both makers called it the to the 295 or 300 Rook as one car-
295 or 300 Rook! Some insist the tridge only.
300 is bullet diameter. Others opine The round began to be loaded
the 295 indicates bore diameter. with smokeless powder about
I can’t say for certain, having no 1900. This gave the 80-grain bul-
record of slugging a 300 Rook let (solid or hollowpoint lead) a
barrel, but I have measured a .300 muzzle speed of 1,150 fps. It also
Sherwood (a slightly more power- marked the beginning of the end,
ful smokeless powder contempo- because smaller calibers could
rary), and its bore was .295 inch. now equal the 300 Rook’s accu-
Given a groove depth of .004 inch racy at iron-sight ranges – and it
a .300-inch diameter slug would be didn’t take much power to kill a
too small. Perhaps the black-pow- rook. Kynoch listed the round until
der explosion expanded the bullet 1961, near the end of its sport-
to fit. The rooks and rabbits didn’t ing ammunition production. Eley
seem concerned. stopped in 1919 when it was
The standard black-powder load merged with other ammunition
for the 300 Rook was 10 grains be- and explosives companies. Today
hind an 80-grain lead roundnose. the round is for handloaders only.
That’s not quite equal to the .32 The 295 or 300 or whatever Rook
S&W Long pistol round. Muzzle cartridge will never disappear en-
velocity is given by Kynoch as tirely because of the beautiful sin-
ÓäÓäÊ
7° Ê
+Õ>ˆ
Ê
Ûi˜Õiʇ
Êi«Ì
°Ê
 1,100 fps from the rifle barrel. gle-shot rifles that chambered it.
*…œi˜ˆ
Ý]Ê

<ÊnxäÓÇ Some were plain types similar to
our Stevens, but a large percent-
age were side-lever, Martini and
ly especially break-open guns. Nice
On
Introducing the
.95
wood, good bluing and engraving

$3
9 GRX Recoil Lug for were common. Then there were

the Ruger 10/22™!

the Holland & Hollands, Jefferys,
Westley Richards – all the best
makers – who produced cased rook
rifles that are simply exquisite.
The GRX solves the chronic accuracy problem
with the 10/22 platform by focusing the recoil Fortunately there is a renewed
interest in these rifles today. I am
area to a lug similar to a centerfire rifle. told they are even being shot in in-
• Eliminates fliers and improves accuracy 15% to 20% formal competition in England,
the U.S. and Australia. Wouldn’t it
• Simply installed by replacing the barrel retainer, be wonderful if someone sold small
fitting and bedding the lug into the stock (instructions included) falling-block, Martini or break-
open actions today, so such rifles
could again be built? Perhaps we
Little Crow Gunworks, LLC could invent a lead bullet, black-
6593 113th Ave. NE, Suite C • Spicer, MN 56288 powder silhouette game in which
Tel: (320) 796-0530 • www.littlecrowgunworks.com the cut-outs were – what else –
rooks and rabbits. •
16 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 ACCURATE 2495
PROPELLANT PROFILES by R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
A ccurate Arms and Machine
was established as a custom
gun shop in 1946 in the Chicago
the introduction of a popular flake
shotshell powder, Nitro 100. Not
long after, a new extruded rifle
area. Thirty years on, in 1976, the powder was added to the line,
company expanded to include the 2495 BR.
sale of surplus powders purchased
from the U.S. government. Pack- This powder, a very fine one and
aging and shipping took place in still in the Accurate lineup, has
Lake Villa, Illinois. In 1980, the had a somewhat convoluted his-
company moved to a much larger tory. Initially manufactured in Is-
facility near McEwen, Tennessee. rael, as noted, an explosion at the
By 1983, the company had begun to factory ultimately forced Accurate
import newly manufactured pro- to switch its source to the Czech
pellants. By 1990, Accurate, now Republic. Interestingly, some lots
Accurate Arms Company, Inc., had of 2495 that reached American
a substantial line of smokeless shores were manufactured by Som-
canister powders for reloading. chem, a division of Denel (PTY)
The powders were manufactured Ltd. in South Africa. In 2005, there tana, purchased the smokeless
by Israel Military Industries (IMI) was an additional change as West- powder division of Accurate Arms
in Israel. That same year also saw ern Powders of Miles City, Mon- and all testing, packaging and dis-

18 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298

 single-base, extruded powder. Its
burning rate is similar to that of
IMR-4895. Prior to being manufac-
tured in Canada, 2495’s specifica-
tions were an average kernel length
of .068 inch and an average diam-
eter of .029 inch. Its bulk density
has been variously reported as
.880 gm/cc and .900 gm/cc. Neither
is a cause for alarm, as reported
density has always allowed for a
range, and both would be within
tribution were moved to Montana. specifications. With the move to
In recent years, Western has consol- Canada, however, specifications
idated its powder sources closer changed, giving the powder a short-
to home. Extruded powders, in- cut geometry and thereby improv-
cluding 2495, are now manufac- ing its metering qualities. Current
tured at the Ontario, Canada, plant dimensions, as close as I can meas-
where IMR powders are made. ure, suggest a diameter of .038 inch
Most, if not all, of Accurate’s ball and a length of .047 inch. Burning
powders are now made by St. rate, ostensibly, has not changed.
Marks Powders in Florida. Both
facilities are part of General Dy- Accurate 2495 is still a very ver-
namics. satile powder, finding a home in
a range of cartridges from the
In addition to its history of mul- .17 Remington to the .45-70. Both
tiple sources, the powder has gone Accurate and Hornady are good
through several iterations in its sources for laboratory-tested, pub-
name. It was originally introduced lished loading data, although nei-
as 2495 BR. Accurate literature sug- ther lists the source of its specific
gested it was the very best powder test lots of the powder. All my tests
for use with cast bullets in the
were conducted using a new lot
.45-70 cartridge. After the intro-
manufactured in Ontario, Canada,
duction of 5744, Accurate dropped
and is of the new “short-cut” vari-
this recommendation. The 1997
ation.
Accurate catalog showed a change
to an XMR prefix for all of its ex- Although sometimes listed with
truded powders. By 2000, the pre- the .223 and .22-250 Remington
fix had been dropped, and the cartridges, 2495 did not seem to
entire line of rifle powders simply me to be the best fit, so I began my
had a four digit name, e.g., 2495. review with the .243 Winchester.
Here the powder is quite good
Narrowing the focus, 2495 is a
with lighter-weight bullets, and I
selected a 58-grain Barnes. My re-
Selected Loads sults were consistent with pub-
Accurate 2495 lished Accurate data.
cartridge bullet charge velocity
(grains) (grains) (fps) When I moved to the .257 Rob-
erts, where 2495 also is best suited
.243 Winchester 58 40.0 3,447
to lighter-weight bullets, I restricted
.257 Roberts 87 37.5 2,888
my review to the use of the Hor-
.30-30 Winchester 170 32.0 2,094
nady 87-grain Spire Point (SP) bul-
.30-06 110 56.0 3,204
150 51.5 2,857 lets and promptly ran into my
.303 British 150 46.0 2,710 first problem. The Hornady Hand-
8mm Mauser 150 50.0 2,831 book of Cartridge Reloading, 9th
Notes: The .243 Winchester, .257 Roberts and
Edition clearly states its .257
8mm Mauser have 24-inch barrels. The .303 Roberts data was developed in
British and .30-06 have 22-inch barrels, and the cases marked “+P” and its powder
.30-30 Winchester has a 20-inch barrel. Federal
210 standard primers were used throughout.
charges designed to give “+P”
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors pressures. Standard SAAMI .257
in published load data.
Roberts maximum average pres-
October-November 2015
 sure is 51,000 psi; the .257 Roberts’ insist on adhering to Hornady’s
Q
C
uinetics
ORPORATION +P comparable limit is 54,000 psi. data; mine did not.
Hornady’s barrel length was 22
Made Next was the .303 British and a
in the inches. My custom Springfield
U.S.A.
sports a 24-inch tube and is long- similar discrepancy. Hornady’s data
throated to accept the heavier bul- was developed in a Lee Enfield
Quinetics’ lets without taking up available Mark 4 No. 2 with a 25 1⁄4-inch bar-
ULTIMATE BULLET powder space. In spite of the longer rel. Maximum powder charge with
PULLER with “NEW TWIST” barrel, I came no where near Hor- 2495 under a 150-grain bullet was
Chuck Assembly! nady’s projected velocities. Is this given as 38.8 grains for a projected
Phone/Fax: 830-693-0237 all the result of the long-throat 2,600 fps. Accurate also used the
www.quineticscorp.com chamber, or could different sources Hornady 150-grain SP but devel-
have contributed to the difference? oped its data in a Douglas test bar-
rel of 24 inches. Its maximum load
HOCH CUSTOM BULLET MOULDS From previous testing with this
cartridge, I suspect the throating was listed as 46.0 grains with a
is the culprit but also the over- projected velocity of 2,727 fps.
all cartridge length chosen. I’ll Since I chose to use a Ruger No.
need more powder to approach 1 with a 22-inch barrel, I felt com-
Hornady’s projected speeds even fortable using Accurate’s heavier
with my longer barrel. This would powder charges. My velocities were
Tool room quality, nose-pour, not be an option with a standard- just a tad short of Accurate’s, even
most standard or custom designs throated rifle. with the shorter barrel, and over-
made to order. Cylindrical all performance was excellent.
(straight) or tapered. Rifle & Older Accurate load data for the
pistol designs available. .30-30 Winchester used a 20-inch The final cartridge tested was
COLORADO SHOOTER’S SUPPLY test barrel. The most recent data the 8mm Mauser. I was limited to
Shop 575-627-1933 • Home 575-627-6156 was developed using a 24-inch Hornady data but we both used
910 N. Delaware • Roswell, NM 88201 pressure barrel, and allowable 24-inch barrels and, to make a long
[email protected]
powder charges have changed sig- story short, I was able to equal
www.hochmoulds.com nificantly. In both instances, a Hornady’s projections of muzzle
Model 94 Winchester produced velocity with a bit over a full grain
speeds with 170-grain bullets that of powder less than that listed as
fell right in line with Accurate’s maximum. Hornady’s 51.2 grains
projections, adjusting for differ- of 2495 was to give 2,800 fps; my
ences in barrel length where appli- load of 50.0 grains clocked 2,831
cable, of course. Accuracy was fps; a load of 51.0 grains gave an
consistently good. The most re- impressive 2,921 fps. Much like
cent data was used throughout.
the .303 British, overall perform-
In the .30-06, 110-grain bullets ance was outstanding.
compared favorably to Hornady’s,
This review of Accurate 2495 does
given that my barrel is 22 inches
point out several things of note.
versus 23 3⁄4 inches. With 150-grain
Powders with different sources
bullets, another problem came up.
Accurate’s older published maxi- certainly demand cautious hand-
mum powder charge was 51.5 loading with a particular emphasis
grains with a 150-grain bullet; the on beginning with starting loads.
latest Accurate data does not list Also, reloading source manuals can
2495 with the cartridge with any differ greatly in their approach,
bullet. Hornady’s maximum with the guns used and pressure levels
its 150-grain SP is 47.9 grains. Ac- found acceptable. One must read
curate’s barrel was 24 inches. Both carefully and begin low and work
Accurate and Hornady projected up carefully. All that said, I found
a 2,900 fps velocity. It appears the Accurate 2495 to be a very good
older Accurate data would have to powder, providing clean burning,
be followed to reach such speeds extreme velocity spreads that were
in my rifle. Here is an instance on the small side and groups from
where beginning with the starting acceptable to very good. Not bad
loads and carefully increasing for a powder that has seen four
charge weights as conditions war- sources, three names and two di-
rant is imperative. Your rifle may mensional standards. •
20 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 NOT ALL BRASS
MEASURES UP TO THE
NOSLER STANDARD.
AND THAT’S OK. THE WORLD NEEDS
DOORKNOBS, BELT BUCKLES,
AND FRENCH HORNS.

Premium Nosler Brass: Fully Prepped, Ready To Load.

Copper and zinc make it brass. Craftsmanship makes it Nosler Brass. We start with the Nosler.com/brass
highest quality material. We trim, chamfer and deburr it. We inspect it by hand. We weight 800.285.3701
sort it to within one-half grain. And only then do we put our name on it. What happens
to the brass that doesn’t make the cut? We’re sure someone will find a use for it.
 RIM ROCK CAST BULLETS
FROM THE HIP by Brian Pearce
F rank Brown began produc-
ing Rim Rock bullets in 2005
and eventually moved production
to a facility in Polson, Montana.
Over the years, with his wife, Susan,
and son Frankie and around two
dozen employees, he has expanded
the product line to include nearly
200 different bullet designs in four
distinct product lines known as
Cowboy, Standard Hard Cast, Pre-
mium Hard Cast and Premium Gas
Checked. They are produced in
popular calibers ranging from .25
through .50 for rifles and handguns Two top-notch .44-caliber bullets from Rim Rock include the 240-grain SWC-HP and
that include modern and tradi- the 255-grain SWC. Both feature gas checks and are excellent choices for assembling
tional designs. They offer some- accurate handloads in either the .44 Special or .44 Magnum.
thing for practically every shooter.
alloy blends for various applica- with an alloy consisting of 2 per-
One of the unique things about tions. For example, Cowboy and cent tin, 7 percent antimony and
Rim Rock is that it uses different Standard Hard Cast bullets are cast 91 percent lead, which results in
a Brinell hardness number (BHN)
of around 15. Premium Hard Cast
and most of the Gas Checked bul-
www.
Rim Rock Bullets .net lets are cast with a blend of 4
percent tin, 10 percent antimony
Premium Cast Lead Bullets and 86 percent lead for a BHN of
around 22. There are also other
specialized alloy formulas to en-
Cowboy Standard Gas-Check
hance performance of a given bul-
.25 85 GR. RNFP/500 $28.00 .32 Keith125 GR. SWC /500 $46.00 .38 158 GR. SWC-HP/100 $21.50 let.
.32 78 GR. RNFP/500 $25.00 .380 95 GR. RN /500 $30.00 .357 180 GR. LBT-WFN/100 $24.00
.38 120 GR. TC /500 $32.00 9mm 115 GR. RN /500 $31.50 .41 230 GR. SWC /100 $26.00 Rim Rock often produces one
.38 125 GR. RNFP/500 $33.00 9mm 125 GR. RN /500 $33.00 .44 240 GR. SWC-HP /100 $32.00 particular bullet for 10 days on
.38 130 GR. RNFP/500 $34.00 .38 148 GR. DEWC/500 $34.50 .44 240 GR. SWC /100 $32.00
.38-40 180 GR. RNFP/500 $42.00 .38 158 GR. SWC /500 $36.00 .44 305 GR. LBT-WFN/100 $39.00 four machines, which results in
.44-40 180 GR. RNFP/500 $42.00 .40 180 GR. RNFP /500 $41.00 .45LC 260 GR. SWC-HP/100 $37.00 around 1 million bullets being pro-
.45LC 160 GR. RNFP/500 $44.00 .45ACP 200 GR. SWC /500 $42.50 .45LC 325 GR. LBT-LWN/100 $41.00
.45LC 200 GR. RNFP/500 $44.50 .45ACP 230 GR. RN /500 $46.00 .458 430 GR. LBT-LWN/100 $49.00
duced during that time. This helps
.458 350 GR. RNFP/100 $26.00 .45LC 255 GR. SWC /500 $55.00 .500 440 GR. LBT-WFN/100 $61.00 eliminate variables in alloys, and
Prices subject to change without notice. along with mixing alloys in large
This is a good cross reference of the bullets we offer. We have about 144 sets of molds with new molds coming. quantities, it helps to keep bullets
Sixteen employees working 10 hr. a day shifts 4 days a week with 9 casters, 6 auto lubers and 12 star lubers unusually consistent. Several am-
gas checking every day.
We have bullets made with five different alloys that we order 40,000 - 60,000 lbs at a time a mixed per our munition companies are using Rim
set alloys. Rock bullets in rifle and handgun
Now in our new state-of-the-art 12,000 square foot facility!
loads and praise the accuracy and
Our Online Catalog Has Over 100 Different Bullets! consistency obtained with them.
Everything is in stock
Specialty Sizing Available Although there are many out-
Brinell Hardness from 4-22 standing bullets in Rim Rock’s
Rim Rock Bullets product line, there are two .44-
35675 Minesinger Trail • Polson, MT 59860 caliber bullets I have been ex-
(406) 883-1899 • Mon-Thurs, 8:00-5:00 p.m. MST tremely impressed with and be-
[email protected]
lieve that readers will likewise find
them interesting for use in .44 Spe-
22 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
Table I
.44 Magnum Handload Data
overall
loaded
bullet powder charge length velocity
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)

240 Rim Rock SWC-HP w/gc A-7 15.0 1.663 1,234

15.5 1,270
16.0 1,313
CFE Pistol 10.5 1,157 TARGETS - SMALL GAME - BIRDS
11.0 1,198
11.5 1,241
12.0 1,279 Cartridge adapters for most rifle calibers!
For wildcats, etc. You supply brass and loan FL dies. $45.00
2400 19.0 1,186 plus postage. B. Hammond, Box 41061, Yellowbird P.O.
20.0 1,252 Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6J6M7 • www.gamegetter.ca
21.0 1,348
21.5 1,394
255 Rim Rock SWC w/gc Longshot 10.5 1.663 1,118
11.0 1,165
11.5 1,218
12.0 1,266
A-7 15.0 1,218
15.5 1,265
16.0 1,321
2400 19.0 1,174
20.0 1,247
21.0 1,355
21.5 1,388
Notes: A Smith & Wesson Model 629-1 with a 6-inch barrel was used to test-fire the above loads. Star-
line cases and CCI 300 primers were used throughout. Bullet diameter: .430 inch; maximum case length:
1.285 inches; trim-to length: 1.275 inches.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

cial and .44 Magnum revolvers. and .45 calibers. The .38/.357 158
These include the 240-grain HP- grain and .45 caliber in 225-grain
SWC and 255-grain SWC, both fit- weight are cast with an extremely
ted with gas checks. Although Rim soft alloy containing 40 parts lead
Rock made the final design speci- and one part tin (for around a 6
fications, with Steve Brooks cut- BHN) that will reliably expand at
ting the moulds, Tim Sundles of velocities below 800 fps (similarly
Buffalo Bore Ammunition shared to a pure lead bullet), but with
in their design features and em- the gas check there are no barrel
ploys both bullets in his .44 Spe- leading problems. The .44-caliber,
cial and .44 Magnum factory loads. 240-grain SWC-HP (as well as the
.45-caliber, 260-grain SWC-HP) is
Rim Rock offers several hollow-
cast with a 12 BHN and features a
point cast bullets in .38/.357, .44
generously large and deep hollow-
point that reliably allows expan-
sion at velocities of 1,000 fps.
The .44-caliber, 240-grain SWC-HP
features a nose length around .375
inch, while the meplat measures
.325 inch wide. It also features
three driving bands with the for-
ward and middle bands measuring
.075 inch wide, while the lower
one is around .090 inch. The crimp
groove is unique, as it is square-
The Rim Rock 240-grain SWC-HP (left)
bottomed and measures around
and 255-grain SWC (right) feature gas
checks, generous square bottom crimp .016 inch deep and .050 inch wide.
grooves, meplats that measure around This allows a heavy roll crimp in
.325 inch and nose lengths of around neck-down style or the more tra-
.375 inch. ditional radius roll crimp. Properly
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 23
 WORLD’S FINEST PRODUCTION Table II
RIFLE BARRELS
.44 Special Handload Data
Handloads marked with an asterisk (*) are generating +P pressures and exceed
DOUGLAS SAAMI guidelines for the .44 Special that are currently established at 15,500 psi.
These loads should only be used in Smith & Wesson Model 1950 Target/Model
ULTRARIFLED 24, Ruger New Model Blackhawk, Freedom Arms Model 97 and guns designed to
handle pressures up to 25,000 psi.
BARRELS IN MOST SIZES, overall
SHAPES AND CALIBERS. loaded
• Stainless Steel or Chrome Moly • bullet powder charge length velocity
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)
–AFFORDABLE QUALITY–
Write for free information to: 240 Rim Rock SWC-HP w/gc Power Pistol 8.0 1.540 1,045
DOUGLAS BARRELS, INC. 8.6 1,108*
5504 Big Tyler Rd., HL10
Charleston, WV 25313
VV-3N37 8.0 931
304-776-1341 FAX 304-776-8560 8.5 980
9.0 1,055*
A-5 8.5 957

Polished
9.0 1,003
9.5 1,050
10.0 1,103*
A-7 11.0 1,070
11.5 1,110

PERFECTION Longshot

CFE Pistol
12.0
9.0
9.5
6.5
7.0
1,138*
1,129*
1,180*
890
947
IOSSO Case Polish 2400
7.5
16.0
1,006*
1,156*
• Cleans and Polishes to a 16.5 1,192*
High Luster. 17.0 1,233*
255 Rim Rock SWC w/gc Power Pistol 8.0 1.540 1,034
• Removes Powder Residue 8.6 1,094*
Discoloration and A-5 8.5 960
Oxidation. 9.0 1,000
• Drastically Reduces 9.5 1,046*
10.0 1,091*
Tumbling A-7 10.5 1,016
Time. 11.0 1,042
• Protects 11.5 1,082
from 12.0 1,123*
Longshot 9.0 1,122*
Future 9.5 1,164*
Tarnish. * see caveat above
• Available Notes: A Ruger Blackhawk, Clements Custom No. 5 with a 5 1⁄2-inch Douglas Premium barrel was used
to test-fire these loads. Starline cases and CCI 300 primers were used throughout. Bullet diameter: .430
in 8 oz. inch; maximum case length: 1.160 inches; trim-to length: 1.150 inches.
bottles Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

up to 55 gal. drums.
crimped, bullet creep is minimal, atively difficult to produce, as gas
NEW! and with any reasonable load bul- checks must be installed by hand,
Bio-Based Formula lets will not jump crimp. For ex- and since the alloy is too soft to
No Petroleum Distillates ample, when heavily crimped and be processed through automated
subjected to the repeated fast re- sizing machines, which cause de-
No Shipping Restrictions coil from full-house .44 Remington formation, the sizing/lubing oper-
Magnum loads fired in a Smith & ation is likewise done by hand. As
®

IOSSO PRODUCTS Wesson Model 329PD weighing a result, quality is high.

26.5 ounces, bullets stayed in
847.437.8400 place. The same cannot be said of
The .44-caliber, 255-grain SWC
“solid” bullet shares the same nose
www.iosso.com many jacketed bullets in popular
length, crimp groove and profile
factory loads.
MADE as the above 240-grain hollowpoint
IN THE From a production standpoint, bullet, but being heavier and longer,
U.S.A.
the above hollowpoint is compar- it seats approximately .048 inch
24 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 sult it usually produces around bullets are excellent choices for
25 to 50 fps greater velocity than general-purpose use in .44 Special
most “production” .44 Specials with and .44 Magnum sixguns. They are
the same barrel length. well designed, accurate and per-
form well on game and can be pur-
With select loads, several 25-yard
chased factory direct at www.rim
groups clustered into a ragged hole
rockbullets.net. •
using both the 240-grain SWC-HP
and 255-grain SWC bullets. Se-
lect examples using the 240-grain Easy to Make
SWC-HP bullet include 8.6 grains C o ntend er &
of Alliant Power Pistol (1,108 fps), Enc o r e Ba rrels
10.0 grains of Accurate No. 5 (1,103 for Fun or Profit
Brian found Rim Rock bullets to offer fps), 9.5 grains of Hodgdon Long- 360-432-2339 • Mon-Sat 9:00-6:00 PT
unusual accuracy, with many 25-yard www.eagleviewarms.com
groups measuring under one inch in
shot (1,180 fps) and 17.0 grains of
the Smith & Wesson Model 629-1 .44 2400 (1,233 fps). Switching to the
Magnum and custom Ruger Keith 255-grain SWC bullet 12.0 grains
Number 5 .44 Special. of Accurate No. 7 (1,123 fps), 9.5
grains of Longshot (1,164 fps) and
deeper into the case and is cast 8.6 grains of Power Pistol (1,094
harder with a BHN of 22. Several fps) gave outstanding results.
years ago, when I first saw this
Please note that many of the
bullet, I was impressed with its
loads in Table II exceed current in-
features and design. I have tried it
dustry pressure limits as estab-
at velocities ranging from 850 to lished by SAAMI at 15,500 psi –
1,500 fps and at distances out to and are marked with an asterisk
400 yards, and it has proven to be (*). These loads should only be
a stable design. It certainly has used in guns designed to handle
similarities to the classic Lyman/ the increased pressures, such as
Thompson-designed bullet 429244 the Smith & Wesson Model 1950
but with a slightly larger meplat Target (aka Model 24), Ruger New
and a deeper and larger crimp Model Blackhawk, Freedom Arms
groove. Model 97 and revolvers with simi-
There has been much discussion lar strength.
and many debates on gas check For developing .44 Magnum data,
versus plain-base cast bullets in a Smith & Wesson Model 629-1
sixguns. Both can work extremely with 6-inch barrel was used. With
well; however, for guns that are the 240-grain SWC-HP, the best
prone to barrel leading due to a groups easily stayed within one
rough bore, a tight fitting frame/ inch at 25 yards and were ob-
barrel junction that can cause tained with velocities that hovered
a bore constriction or incorrect around 1,300 fps. This seemed
throat sizes, a gas check is a great to be a “sweet spot,” if you will.
option. Furthermore, a gas check Loads included 16.0 grains of
allows a comparatively soft alloy Accurate No. 7 or 12.0 grains of
to be used, such as with the above Hodgdon CFE Pistol. Alliant 2400
hollowpoint bullets, which helps gave the highest velocity with 21.5
prevent leading while permitting grains reaching nearly 1,400 fps
rapid expansion. and groups still hovered close to
Loads were developed for the .44 an inch. Switching to the 255-grain
Special using a custom built Ruger SWC bullet, loads in Table I pro-
Blackhawk converted to a Keith duced velocities ranging from 1,150
Number 5 pattern (by Clements to almost 1,400 fps. The accuracy
Custom Guns) with a line-bored differences were minimal with most
loads grouping around one inch.
cylinder and 5 1⁄2 -inch octagonal
The single tightest group was pro-
barrel. This gun features minimum
duced using 15.5 grains of Accu-
dimension chambers, .430-inch
rate No. 7 for 1,265 fps.
throats, a tight barrel/cylinder gap
and a match-grade barrel. As a re- The Rim Rock SWC gas check
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 25
 BOTTLENECK HANDGUN
CARTRIDGES
MIKE’S SHOOTIN’ SHACK by Mike Venturino
B ottlenecked handgun car-
tridges are an interesting sub-
ject, at least those meant for
case of .85 inch taking
a 93-grain metal-jack-
eted bullet. A couple
The first truly successful auto-
loading pistol – the Mauser
Model 96 – used the bottle-
repeating handguns, not the single of years later, some- necked 7.63mm Mauser.
shots that can accommodate about one decided to blow
anything. My thoughts here are of that case out straight,
rounds such as .30 Mauser, .30 cut it back to .754
Luger, 8mm Nambu, 7.62x25mm inch, fit it with .355-
Tokarov and the much later .357 inch bullets and call it
SIG. the 9mm Parabellum.
Since 1893, the 7.63mm Mauser Let’s go farther back
(aka, .30 Mauser) can be considered in history to 1873, when
the beginning of bottlenecked auto- Winchester Repeating Arms
loading pistol cartridges. For per- introduced its first centerfire
spective, consider this: Colt did not cartridge, the .44 Winchester
warranty the famous Single Ac- Centerfire (.44 WCF). Then in
tion Army/Peacemaker for smoke- 1879, the company squeezed
less powders until 1900. Some it down to take .400-inch That may happen with
readers might be thinking that bullets and called it the .38 more recent high-perfor-
the Broomhandle Mauser didn’t WCF. Now, it is hard to claim mance bottleneck cartridges,
come out until 1896, which is true, that the .44 WCF is truly a such as .256 Winchester or .22
but the huge, toggle-link pistol de- bottlenecked case, although Jet, but the .38 WCF has never
signed by Hugo Borchardt was in strict parlance it is. However, been problematic in the dozens of
earlier still. It chambered the .30 the .38 WCF is most certainly bot- Colt revolvers I’ve fired it through.
Mauser. tlenecked. Never, nary once, has a .38 WCF
revolver cylinder demonstrated
In 1900 the semiautomatic pistol A bottleneck case shape is sup-
the slightest hesitation when I
that came to be ultrafamous as posed to be troublesome in re-
asked it to turn.
the “Luger,” (although none were volvers, because the cases are
so stamped) was introduced. Its forced back in the chambers as Back to autoloaders: Cartridge
initial caliber was 7.65mm Para- they expand, consequently tying up designers for those earliest auto-
bellum (.30 Luger), a bottlenecked against the frames’ recoil shields. loaders evidently figured a bottle-

1 2 3 4

Some of the early bottlenecked autoloading pistol cartridges Two modern bottlenecked autoloading pistol cartridges are:
are (left to right): 7.63mm Mauser (.30 Mauser), 7.65mm (1) .357 SIG and its (2) .40 S&W parent round. At right are
Parabellum (.30 Luger), Japanese 8mm Nambu and Soviet the proprietary (3) .440 Cor-Bon and its (4) .45 ACP parent
7.62x25mm Tokarov. round.
26 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
necked case could headspace on case and renamed it 7.62x25mm
the case shoulder, as did early Tokarov when it was put into the
rifle rounds, such as 7mm Mauser country’s TT30 and TT33 pistols.
and 7.9x57mm, which gained the Indeed they did soup it up a
misnomer “8mm Mauser” in this bit, so despite the almost exactly
country. This would allow case shared dimensions, the Russian-
mouths to be crimped into bullet and later Soviet bloc-manufactured
cannelures if the manufacturer 7.62x25mm Tokarov should never
so desired. The cases could be be fired in old Model 1896 Mauser
rimless, which never hurts func- pistols.
tioning in autoloading firearms. Now fast-forward a good six dec- NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA
(Actually .30 Mauser and 7.65mm ades, and we have firearms and/or
Moose, Woodland Caribou & Black Bear Hunts
Book now for 2015 & 2016 • Tel/Fax: (877) 751-1681
Parabellum have a tiny bit of rim ammunition makers returning to [email protected] www.biggamecanada.com
P.O. Box 159, York Harbour, NL, Canada A0L 1L0
extending past the case body, but bottlenecked cartridges for auto-
it’s a matter of a few thousandths loading pistols. Sig and Federal
inch at most.) collaborated on the .357 SIG for
As the Japanese were wont to its 1994 introduction. In essence it
do in the early decades of their is the .40 S&W case bottlenecked
modernization, they managed to down to take .355 inch (not .357-
copy the western nations while inch) bullets. It has been well re-
retaining some national individu- ceived in law enforcement circles.
ality. By that I mean that Japan’s Interestingly, however, those com-
8mm Nambu pistol cartridge, in- panies chose to design the .357 SIG
troduced circa 1904, leaned heav- to headspace on its case mouth,
ily on the contemporary 7.63mm as do rounds like .45 ACP, 9mm
Mauser and 7.65mm Parabellum Luger and .40 S&W, instead of on
case shapes but in no way shared its case shoulder. Of course, that
their dimensions. The two Euro- precludes a roll crimp and, to me
pean rounds have rim diameters at least, seems like an odd move.
of .393 inch according to Lyman’s
Reloading Handbook #49, but ac- There have been other bottle-
cording to Cartridges of the World necked autoloader cartridges
9th Edition, the 8mm Nambu’s rim dreamed up by wildcatters over
diameter is .413 inch. The Mauser the years. The .45 ACP necked
and Parabellum rounds both used down to .38 caliber is perhaps the
.308-inch bullets, but the Nambu’s best known. I even found some
is .320 inch. cases so formed in my ammo/
The Russians also have never bullet/powder shed, although I
been bashful about copying, so in have no memory of ever even see-
1930 they took the 7.63mm Mauser ing a .38/.45 pistol.
In the arena of proprietary car-
tridges, there have been some
bottlenecked autoloader pistol de-
velopments. About the same time
the .357 SIG was developed, am-
munition maker Cor-Bon came out
with a .440 Cor-Bon. It’s the .45
ACP necked down to .40 caliber. I
also found some of that factory
ammunition in my shed and like-
wise don’t remember ever viewing
a pistol so chambered.
I have done extensive shooting
with the earlier bottlenecked auto-
loader rounds: Mauser, Parabel-
lum, Tokarov and Nambu and even
Mike considers the .38 WCF (.38-40) as a modicum of reloading with a
the only truly successful bottlenecked .357 SIG. They have all worked
cartridge used in revolvers. well. •
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 27
 FROM THE RANGE
PISTOL POINTERS by Charles E. Petty
E ver since I donned Air Force
blue in my teens, my life has
revolved around some form of
opened the door that I pass through
every day and gained access to
people and places I would have
scores, and he talked openly about
what he would have to shoot the
next day in the .45 match to win
shooting – mostly bullseye pistol only dreamt of. Most serious com- the National Championship. The
or, later, IPSC and PPC but also petitive shooters wouldn’t stand score he mentioned was, at least
a little high-power rifle and a good out in a crowd, but a short con- in my world, stratospheric, but the
bit of skeet. I’ve spent days and versation will usually reveal the next day he beat it by a point or
weeks at ranges all around the difference between real and Mem- two and won Camp Perry.
country and some of the world. I orex. There is a special commu-
got to breathe the rare air with nity where the guy whose goal in The first major saying I remem-
the best of the best at the USAF life is to beat you will lend you a ber was uttered by my coach, the
Marksmanship School and learn gun if yours goes down or offer late MSgt Fred McFarland. He
from, and eventually compete with, advice that might help you beat would stand beside me looking
them too. Of course, we had to him. through the scope and say, “Call
compete against men just as seri- that shot.” More than once I cried,
Serious competitive shooting is “Come back!” when the front sight
ous, whose only flaw was that
largely a mental endeavor, because took a nosedive as I jerked the
they joined another branch of the
it is ever so easy to talk yourself
service. trigger.
out of a good score. Many years
The experience of building and ago I stood beside the late Maj. There was a monthly 2,700-point
shooting serious target pistols Frank Green as we looked at posted match at Lackland, and I shot

28 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298

them all, and several times a year finger now. The result will almost as proof of a virtually bottomless
we’d get TDY to shoot somewhere always be bad. market, and then I see custom shop
else. The guys on the big team We often are told about the de- prices hover near $5,000 and shake
traveled a lot more, starting in sirability of a “surprise break.” The my head in wonder.
Florida in February or March and term is a little misleading, because I have quite a few pistols built in
ending at Camp Perry in the sum- surprises often trigger the startle the 1970s to 1980s that would com-
mer. There were also big matches reflex, which we don’t want. A pete well with anything today in
like the All Air Force, usually held better way to think of it is that if terms of accuracy and function.
at Lackland, and the Inter Service, we know the instant the gun will Cosmetics have come a long way
which moved around. When I left fire, we jerked the trigger. If we since then, and lots of folks buy
I was the proud owner of a Master put enough pressure on the trigger those. I’ve seen some custom pis-
card from the NRA, but a terror in and hold it, however, the recoil tols that were truly works of art,
the Expert class becomes an also- will sort of sneak up on us with no but there is also an element that
ran master until the skills improve harm. equates cost with quality. “How
. . . a bunch.
The best saying on the subject much you paid for the gun has
The ability to call a shot is key to came from the late Carlos Hath- nothing to do with whether or not
any degree of precision in launch- cock: “Press the trigger, wait for you can shoot.” I’ve always liked,
ing bullets. It is one of those things the recoil.” It applies equally to “You can’t buy skill.”
far easier said than done and re- rifles or handguns and is the most I was participating in a class with
quires one to know the relation of basic of truths. A similar saying at- new shooters, almost all of whom
the sight to the target at the mo- tributed to Jeff Cooper is, “Front were women, and one of them
ment the shot breaks. sight . . . press.” asked the instructor about the .380.
This also leads to the cardinal sin The undying popularity of Mr. He began his answer with it wasn’t
of shooting: jerking the trigger. As Browning’s 1911 and its .45 ACP powerful enough, and I still can’t
we learn to shoot, we know where cartridge makes it a huge seller in believe I interrupted with “B...s...,
the sight should be when the gun every segment of the market. When the gun you have when you really
fires, so there is an incredible urge Ruger and Remington started of- need one is the best gun in the
from the brain to tell the trigger fering 1911-style pistols, I saw that world.”
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 29
• Gas Checked & Plain Base Match Grade Cast Bullets We supply all of CorBon’s Sometimes good sayings emerge
• Everything from 7mm to .500 S&W, 20-22 BHN cast bullets! by accident. I’ve spoken of the 14-
• Real Keith Bullets - .357, .41, .44 & .45 inch diameter steel gong that lives
440, 465 & 500 Gr. in .500 S&W, .460 S&W - 395 Gr. 70 yards away at my range. We
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Tel: 620-549-6475
shoot at it regularly. One day a new
Website: www.proshootpro.com shooter wandered up just as a
friend nailed the gong solidly. “He
hit it,” the guy exclaimed. The little
• Custom, odd, obsolete and specialty Single-Shot Rifles devil sitting on my shoulder said,
cartridge cases
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One of the highlights of my serv-
www.qual-cart.com 1523 W. Hwy. 34 • Loveland, CO 80537 ice was to get to know and hunt
P.O. Box 445, Hollywood, MD 20636 (301) 373-3719 Tel: 970-365-2409 (Mon-Fri) with the late Jim Clark. In my new
career, he became a valuable re-
source, and he always had an hour
or more for talks at the SHOT
Show. One subject was whether or
not those newfangled weights and
comps really worked. “If you think
it helps, it does,” he said.
That was in the early days of
IPSC, which were closely followed
by the craze for magazine capac-
ity. Even though the Browning
P-35 with 13 rounds was known
and loved, it got no traction in
IPSC, because it was a “minor”
caliber.
The first thing we saw were
longer magazines that stuck out
the bottom of the pistol and then
came wide bodies of all sorts.
Pretty soon consumers were ask-
ing for the highest magazine ca-
pacity as a buying guide. All of
this prompted Safariland’s great
shooter Tommy Campbell to ask,
“Are you planning on missing a
lot?”
One saying I just heard must re-
main anonymous to avoid embar-
rassment to the speaker, but it’s
too good to leave out. Not long
ago, a friend who is a very good
shot was shooting a custom 1911
9mm and was having numerous
malfunctions and poor accuracy.
We cleaned and lubed the pistol,
but the problem remained.
Some time later he walked by my
bench and put down a box of am-
munition. As I picked up the box
of .380, he said, “But you still have
to use the right stuff.”
Perhaps the ultimate indoor range
command that blasts out of the PA
system is, “Lane five . . . go home!” •
30 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
John Haviland

A
rmscor USA/Rock Island Ar-
mory has enjoyed some suc-
cess the last few years cham-
bering its .22 TCM center-
fire cartridge in several versions of its
autoloading handguns. It’s only natu-
ral then that Armscor would chamber
the .22 TCM in a rifle to take advan-
tage of the cartridge’s full potential.
According to Martin Tuason, pres-
ident of Rock Island Armory and
Armscor Precision International, the
.22 TCM rifle “. . . is a must have for
hunters looking for maximum veloc-
ity and stopping power in a .22-caliber
firearm.” That might be stretching the
cartridge’s performance more than a
bit, because it is essentially a short-
ened .223 Remington.

.22 Handloads
for a Rifle
TCM
Tuason and firearms engineer Fred Craig developed
“over 2,800” fps from a 22.75-
inch rifle barrel. Factory load
pressure is about 40,000 psi.
the cartridge, and TCM stands for Tuason Craig Mag-
num. The case is a .223 Remington shortened about The rifle is the first of a new
.73 inch with a slightly deeper extractor groove .049 line of centerfire rifles for Rock
inch in diameter and a thicker rim .050 inch in diame- Island Armory. The model num-
ter. The neck wall thickness of TCM cases measured ber is 22 TCM BA, but it is not
.015 inch. Ten .22 TCM cases weighed an average of shown on the rifle. Stamped on
72.1 grains, compared to 92.0 grains for Winchester the left rear receiver wall is
.223 cases. Armscor puts the velocity of its 40-grain “APINTL-PAHRUMPNV,” which
jacketed hollowpoint from its Precision .22 TCM fac- stands for Armscor Precision
tory loads at 1,875 fps from a 5-inch pistol barrel and International – Pahrump, Ne-
32 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 the receiver, tapering to .75 inch at
the muzzle. Trigger pull is four
pounds. A five-round detachable
magazine comes with the rifle, and
the .22 TCM 17-round pistol maga-
zine also fits in the rifle.
The grooved top of the receiver
accepts clamp-on scope rings. I
tried several high-magnification
scopes on the rifle, but their wide
ocular lens housing blocked move-
ment of the bolt handle. A Leupold
M8 4x had a narrow enough hous-
ing to clear the handle.
At the 2015 SHOT Show Media
Day, folks were shooting Rock Is-
land TCM autoloading pistols cham-
The Rock Island .22 TCM rifle bered in .22 TCM. Empty cases
worked well on ground squirrels. flew through the air and landed at
The cartridge generates next to my feet like a gift from the heav-
no recoil from the 8-pound rifle. ens, so I gathered up a pile of them.
Armscor factory Precision .22
TCM cartridges loaded with 40-
grain bullets and brass are avail-
able from www.ammosupplyware
house.com.
At home I set about preparing
the cases for reloading, but even
basic reloading information was
unavailable for the cartridge. An-
other writer has shot Armscor
USA .22 TCM cartridges in a Rock
Island autoloading pistol and es-
tablished a 1.030-inch maximum
length for cases. Redding dies were
on hand for full-length sizing, and
cases were trimmed to a length of
Above, the bolt face is recessed on 1.020 inches.
the Rock Island Armory .22 TCM rifle.
No established powder weight
Right, the rifle has a single locking lug
located at the back of the bolt. data is available for the .22 TCM.
To develop information for suit-
able powders and powder weights,
I searched for an established case
vada. Below that is stamped “ACP recessed bolt face has a Sako-style
of similar capacity. The total ca-
Philippines,” which stands for Arms extractor, and a case pulled from
pacity of the .22 TCM case is simi-
Corporation of the Philippines. On the chamber hits the head of a pin,
lar to the .22 Hornet. In fact, TCM
the right, the receiver is stamped positioned at the left rear of the
cases hold .4 grain more water than
“ROCK ISLAND Armory.” ejection port, to eject the case.
Prvi Partizan .22 Hornet cases. The
The action is designed for low- The stock is a Philippine hard- shape of the two cases, however,
pressure cartridges, because its wood with a black forearm tip and is entirely different. The Hornet
single locking lug, located at the point-pattern checkering panels case is long with a slender shoul-
rear of the bolt, latches into the on both sides of the grip and fore- der and rim compared to the short
side of the receiver wall. With the arm. A Parkerized finish covers the TCM rimless case with a sharp
.22 TCM’s mild pressure, that is metal, and the barrel is fairly heavy shoulder. Hornet starting loads
probably enough of a fastener. Its at .90 inch in diameter in front of listed in various handloading man-
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 33
.22
TCM
Left, the .22 TCM (left) has about the
same total case capacity as the .22
Hornet (center) and is essentially a
shortened .223 Remington (right). The
TCM also has a deeper extractor
groove and thicker rim than the .223.
Above, trim length is 1.020 inches for
.22 TCM cases.

Pistol primers solved the problem,

and all of them fired.
of 1.275 inches, which is the same The .22 TCM delivered much
as the .45 ACP. That short length higher speeds with Lil’Gun than
ruled out any bullet over 40 grains those stated for the .22 Hornet in
The .22 TCM’s short cartridge length with a pointed nose. Even the various reloading manuals. For in-
limits suitable bullets; these three bullets
fit (left to right): Nosler 40-grain HP nose of the Berger 30-grain Flat stance, Hornady 45-grain Bee hol-
Varmageddon, Hornady 45-grain HP Base Varmint bullet is too pointed, lowpoints turned in a velocity of
Bee and Speer 46-grain Bee FNSP. and the full diameter of the bullet 2,670 fps with 10.0 grains of Lil’-
sits below the bottom of the case Gun. The Hornady Handbook of
uals looked like a prudent place to neck with a cartridge length of Cartridge Reloading 9th Edition
begin loading the .22 TCM. There 1.275 inches. Nosler 40-grain Var- lists a velocity of 2,400 fps from
would be no hot-rodding the car- mageddon hollowpoints fit, but 10.2 grains of Lil’Gun for the Hor-
tridge because of the single lock- barely. Assembled cartridges looked net. Nosler 40-grain Varmageddon
ing lug at the rear of the bolt. weird, because the bullets’ ogives hollowpoints reached 2,780 fps
The .22 TCM is limited in its use- sit below the case mouths. The from the .22 TCM burning 10.0
fulness because the short cartridge only bullets that fit correctly are grains of Lil’Gun, but the Nosler
length can only be loaded with designed for the .218 Bee. Bullets
lightweight and blunt-nose bullets. on hand included the Hornady 45-
The rifle’s magazine will accept grain Bee hollowpoint and Speer
cartridges with a maximum length 46-grain Bee FNSP.
The .22 TCM was loaded with
Redding makes reloading dies for the powders commonly used in the
.22 TCM, and a .223 Remington shell-
holder fits the case.
.22 Hornet, such as Accurate 1680,
Ramshot Enforcer, Alliant Power
Pro 300-MP and 2400 and Hodgdon
Lil’Gun and H-4198. Winchester
296 would also be an appropriate
powder, but it has been absent
from sporting goods store shelves
for more than a year.
The first batch of .22 TCM car-
tridges were loaded with CCI
Small Rifle BR4 primers. About a
third of the primers failed to fire The .22 TCM cartridge must be kept to
due to a light strike of the firing a length of 1.275 inches to fit in the mag-
pin. Switching to Winchester Small azine of the Rock Island Armory rifle.
34 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 .22 TCM Handloads for Rifles
overall
loaded
bullet powder charge length velocity group
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps) (inches)

40 Nosler HP Varmageddon 2400 8.8 1.275 2,215 1.03*

A-1680 11.0 2,173 3.02, 1.42*
12.0 2,440 –
Enforcer 8.5 2,280 .65*
Lil’Gun 10.0 2,780 1.25, .65*
10.3 2,845 .34*
45 Hornady HP Bee Power Pro 300-MP 10.3 1.275 2,551 1.55
2400 8.0 1,956 3.08
Above, the rifle printed this group at Lil’Gun 10.0 2,670 1.78
50 yards shooting Nosler 40-grain HP H-4198 10.5 1,900 2.60
Varmageddon bullets over 10.0 grains 46 Speer Bee FNSP Power Pro 300-MP 10.3 1.275 2,496 2.68
of Hodgdon Lil’Gun powder. The group 2400 8.0 1,876 3.62
below, shot at 100 yards, used Speer Lil’Gun 10.0 2,644 1.83
46-grain Bee FNSP bullets and Lil’Gun. H-4198 10.3 1,749 1.95
10.5 1,815 2.33
* Groups shot at 50 yards. All others were shot at 100 yards.
Notes: All loads were assembled with Armscor Precision cases and Winchester Small Pistol primers.
Cases were trimmed to a length of 1.020 inches. Velocities were recorded 10 feet in front of the Rock
Island rifle’s 22-inch barrel.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

ing and being resized in the Red- The Rock Island Armory rifle
ding full-length sizing die. They shot adequately at 50 and 100
grew from 1.020 to 1.030 inches yards from a bench over five dif-
and longer. ferent days. The rifle would shoot

Reloading Guide 7 indicates 2,466

fps for the same bullet loaded in
the Hornet with the same powder
charge. Of course, different cases,
primers, bullets and rifles were
used for the .22 TCM and .22 Hor-
net loads, but a 300 fps difference
between cases with nearly the
same volume is significant. This
shows one should proceed cau-
tiously when developing loads by
the seat of one’s pants.
Other powders, like Accurate
1680 and Ramshot Enforcer, fired
from the .22 TCM, though, were
fairly close to the speeds listed for
the .22 Hornet. Alliant 2400 pro-
duced sluggish velocities.
Lil’Gun and Power Pro 300-MP
are the powders for top speeds in
the .22 TCM. The loads listed for
those two powders in the accom-
panying table should be consid-
ered the absolute maximum for
the Rock Island Armory rifle.
Bolt lift was very stiff after firing
these cartridges. Cases fired with
Lil’Gun and Power Pro 300-MP
stretched quite a bit after one fir-
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 35
 a nice round group one time, but small cartridge like the .22 TCM.
bullets from the same load shot a Nosler 40-grain Varmageddon bul-
second time would spread up or lets varied 65 fps between 10.0 and
sideways a good 3 inches. The 10.3 grains of Lil’Gun. Speer 46-
rifle definitely preferred Lil’Gun grain bullets varied 66 fps between
with all the bullets used and 10.3 and 10.5 grains of H-4198.
Power Pro 300-MP with Hornady
45-grain Bee bullets. A scope higher Even though each powder charge
than 4x would have allowed a more was weighed on a balance beam
precise aim and perhaps shrunk scale, velocity spread was quite
group sizes. high with some powders. Alliant
2400 varied up to 119 fps; Power
Even a few tenths of a grain dif- Pro 300-MP, up to 150 fps; Ac-
ference in powder can cause a curate 1680 and Lil’Gun ranged
wide difference in velocity in a 78 fps.
This past spring my son and I
shot the rifle at ground squirrels.
Cartridges loaded with Nosler 40-
grain Varmageddon hollowpoints
cycled without a hitch from the
magazine and into the chamber,
even though the bullets’ ogives sat
below the case mouths. A gentle
pull on the bolt usually left fired
Claro and cases in the action. A hard pull
English threw them clear of the rifle. We
Walnut shot out to 75 yards or so with the
Gun Stock
Blanks rifle supported on shooting sticks;
Highly Figured we missed a few and hit a few.
and Plain Grain There was no doubt of a hit, even
Cultivating Nature’s Beauty! at the mild velocities produced
9009 River Road, Chico, CA 95928
with the Varmageddon bullets
Tel: 530-345-4012 Fax: 530-345-0990 seated over Lil’Gun. Recoil from
www.winelandwalnut.com the load was next to nonexistent
[email protected] in the 8-pound rifle (with Leupold
scope). With no recoil to jar the
sights off the target, it was fun to
see all the action.
If the rifle was mine, I would
NOE Bullet Moulds is a chop about 5 inches off the fore-
premium manufacturer of bullet arm and slim the grip to make the
moulds and casting tools. rifle handier. The .22 TCM was fun
to shoot, and reloading cartridges
was easy and straightforward. How-
ever, acceptance of the .22 TCM as
a rifle cartridge will depend on
.302 .338 .375 .416 Che ck Us Out , other rifle companies chambering
Whispers® are developments of SSK Industries. Yo u Wo n’t Be D isap po inted! the cartridge. Cartridges smaller
Custom barrels for Contenders, Encores, than the .223 Remington have not
bolt guns and semi-autos as well as com- fared well. The .221 Remington
plete guns and the cans to keep them Fireball is a more useful cartridge,
quiet are available. SSK chambers over because it can be loaded with
400 calibers. Wild wildcat ideas welcomed.
pointed bullets and heavier bullets
SSK Industries than the .22 TCM. The Fireball also
shoots a good 500 fps faster with
590 Woodvue Lane
only a few grains more powder,
Wintersville, OH 43953 NOE Bullet Moulds LLC
Use Code HL315 for 10% Discount but it is on its last legs. Perhaps
Tel: 740-264-0176 801-377-7289 the .22 TCM’s brightest future re-
www.sskindustries.com www.noebulletmoulds.com mains as a handgun cartridge. •
36 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
Brian Pearce

A
series of excellent groups at
25 yards using a Ruger New
Model Blackhawk .41 Mag-
num (stainless steel Bisley)
and carefully assembled handloads in-
cluded the tightest individual group
ever achieved with this sixgun. This
is significant, as the revolver has been
used to evaluate several prototype
factory loads and develop hundreds
of different handloads with a large va-
riety of cast and jacketed bullets with
hundreds of powder combinations.
The above handload consisted of Starline cases, 15.0
grains of Accurate No. 7 powder and a bullet some
handloaders may have never heard of, the Cutting
Edge 180-grain Handgun Raptor hollowpoint. Pushed
to a muzzle velocity of just over 1,400 fps, all five shots
were touching in a ragged hole and measured .62 inch
center to center. Moving out to 200 yards, this load
again turned in top accuracy, proving proper stabiliza-
tion. Next the bullets were checked for expansion, but
I am getting ahead of myself.
Cutting Edge handgun bullets are machined from
solid copper and have some important design fea-
tures. They are available in hollowpoint versions
known as the Handgun Raptor and Handgun Solid
that are available in .380, 9mm, .357, .40, .41, .44, .45
(for .45 ACP and .454 Casull), .475 and .500 S&W cal-
ibers and in multiple bullet weights.
Cutting Edge states all Raptor bullets will reliably ex-
Solid Copper
pand at 900 fps, but in my testing, expansion was reli-
able at velocities as low as 800 fps with select bullets,
such as the 110-grain .357 and 150-grain .45 caliber
Hollowpoints
(designed specifically for the .45 ACP). Each of the

Cutting Edge
Handgun Bullets
38 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 sixguns and have a tremendous amount of respect for
how well solid bullets with large meplats perform.
They help to create a large and long wound channel,
deliver shock to the nervous system and generally
exit the offside of most animals, leaving an
easy blood trail. On heavy game they can
break bone and still reach the vitals.
The meplat of the .357-caliber, 165-
grain bullet measures around .275
inch (difficult to measure ex-
actly as the edges are slightly
rounded), the .41-caliber
220 grain measures
.320 inch, while
the .44-caliber 240
grain’s meplat is
.290 inch. Inci-
dentally, the
.357- and

Cutting Edge bullets proved accurate from a Ruger SR1911.

Below, the .357-caliber, 105-grain Raptor bullet features an
unusually deep hollowpoint that is precut for reliable and
rapid expansion at velocities of 900 fps or more.

bullets’ four petals peel back and break off, leaving the
solid shank resembling a wadcutter profile to push
forward for deep penetration. Interestingly, bullets
recovered from ballistic gelatin looked the same
when recovered at 900 fps or 1,400 fps, and expansion
started almost immediately upon impact. Cutting Edge
has designed these for personal protection and hunt-
ing applications, where both expansion and penetra-
tion are desired.
Cutting Edge Solids will find favor among those look-
ing for a bullet to be used on big game and especially
heavy game. I have taken much game with big-bore
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 39
Cutting Edge
Handgun Bullets
.41-caliber bullets feature rounded
ogives, while the .44 is a truncated
cone design.
Cutting Edge Raptor and Solid
bullets are fully machined and dis-
play outstanding precision and
uniformity. Often I could weigh 10 In spite of Cutting Edge bullets having
bullets that displayed virtually no circumferential rings to reduce bore
friction and bearing surface, rifling
weight variance. Being constructed
contacted most of the bullet’s shank,
of solid copper, they are long when as seen on this .357 Magnum The Raptor HP features four precut
compared to a traditional cup-and- 165-grain Solid. relief slots to allow expansion upon
core jacketed bullet of the same impact, which results in four petals
weight, which can pose challenges is that they seat deeper into the breaking off with a solid shank (right)
to handloaders. For example, the case (when maintaining industry offering penetration.
increased bearing surface can overall cartridge lengths), which
make it difficult for many handgun significantly reduces powder ca- bullet feature that makes develop-
cartridges, especially those with pacity. This has a huge effect on ing handload data challenging is
lower pressures or loads that con- suitable loads and powder charges. the deep-cut Raptor hollowpoints
tain limited powder charges, to As a result, load data developed that result in very long for weight
reliably push the bullet out the with cup-and-core bullets that bullets. For example, when com-
barrel. This long surface can also are of the same weight cannot be pared, the .44-caliber (.430 inch),
increase pressure and almost al- used interchangeably with Cutting 200-grain Raptor and the .44-cal-
ways reduces velocities. Cutting Edge bullets. In fact, in many in- iber, 240-grain Solid share the
Edge has helped minimize this stances, such loads using popu- same length of .837 inch and have
problem by placing circumferen- lar ball (spherical) powders in identical bearing surfaces of .600
tial rings around the bullet’s shank magnum revolver cartridges were inch. Switching to .357 caliber, the
(similar to Barnes TSX rifle bul- either not possible or heavily com- 140-grain Raptor measures .839
lets), which are usually cut around pressed, which can produce er- inch long, while the 165-grain Solid
.005 to .007 inch deep, depending ratic pressures and is generally measures .788, with the heavier
on caliber. not advised. bullet having notably less bearing
Another feature of “long” bullets Another unusual Cutting Edge surface. As a result, load data had
to be specifically developed with
The guns used to develop handloads included (1) a Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum, each bullet used and was not pre-
(2) Ruger New Model Blackhawk (Bisley) .41 Magnum, (3) Ruger New Model dictable based on weight.
Blackhawk (Bisley) .44 Magnum, (4) Ruger SR1911 .45 ACP and (5) Freedom Arms
Model 83 .454 Casull. The .357 Magnum data was de-
veloped using Raptor 105- and
140-grain bullets and the 165-grain
Solid, with each featuring a small
front driving band that measured
1 .358 inch. Cases were roll crimped,
using an RCBS die, to the bottom
4 of the crimp groove that measures
around .010 inch deep. All bullets
were seated with an overall car-
2 tridge length of 1.570 inches.
There are published loads for
Cutting Edge bullets in the .357,
5 but much of this was completely
unsuitable. In many instances the
powder charges using slow-burn-
3 ing powders were too low, which
caused squib loads and even stuck
bullets in the bore. For these rea-
40 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 gave plenty of bullet pull to achieve Power Pistol and Longshot pow-
reliable ignition and to prevent ders. Although it was not quite as
bullets from jumping crimp. accurate as the 180-grain version,
I generally don’t favor light-for- it still produced several groups
caliber bullets in sixguns, but the that measured around one inch at
135-grain Raptor was impressive, 25 yards.
as it reached over 1,700 fps using As previously indicated, the 180-

Table I
.357 Magnum Handloads
overall
loaded
bullet powder charge length velocity comments
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)

It is important to not reduce suggested 105 Cutting Edge Raptor HP Power Pistol 8.5 1.570 1,384
“start” loads or bullets can stick in the 9.0 1,433
bore, which happened several times 9.5 1,509
throughout testing, and is potentially 10.0 1,565
dangerous. A-7 11.0 1,317
12.0 1,351
sons, loads for the .357 Magnum, 13.0 1,399
as well as all cartridges included 2400 13.2 1,078
here, should not be reduced below 13.7 1,147
the “start” loads. 14.2 1,202
15.0 1,317
I did manage to develop data 15.5 1,388
using traditional magnum revolver 16.0 1,485
powders, including Alliant 2400, Enforcer 14.5 1,099
Ramshot Enforcer and Accurate 15.0 1,184
No. 9, that was consistent, accu- 15.5 1,264
16.0 1,307
rate and within industry pressure
16.5 1,362
limits at 35,000 psi. Nonetheless, A-9 13.5 1,218
select faster-burning powders pro- 14.0 1,259
duced higher velocities and top- 14.5 1,310
notch accuracy. For example, 9.5 15.0 1,399
and 10.0 grains of Alliant Power 15.5 1,465
Pistol reached 1,509 and 1,565 fps, Longshot 9.0 1,421
respectively, using the 105-grain 9.5 1,455
Raptor bullet, while 10.5 grains of 10.0 1,491
Hodgdon Longshot reached 1,544 10.5 1,544
fps and consistently kept five 11.0 1,578
140 Cutting Edge Raptor HP VV-N105 9.5 1.570 1,020
shots inside .75 to 1.0 inch at 25
10.0 1,091
yards when fired from the Ruger 10.5 1,195
GP100 test gun. 11.0 1,275
Moving up to the 140-grain Rap- 11.5 1,330
tor bullet, notable performance 12.0 1,401
A-9 13.0 1,215
was achieved using Accurate No.
14.0 1,356
9 and Vihtavuori N105 powders, 14.8 1,437 maximum
with both loads reaching over A-7 11.7 1,338
1,400 fps. The 165-grain Solid was 165 Cutting Edge Solid H-110 15.5 * 1.570 1,076 do not reduce
tried with several powders, but 16.0 * 1,162
the best performers included Al- 2400 12.5 1,022 do not reduce
liant 2400, Hodgdon H-110 and 13.0 1,070
Longshot. 13.5 1,113
14.0 1,171
Three bullets were tested in the Longshot 8.0 1,034
.41 Magnum: the 135- and 180- 9.0 1,160
grain Raptors and 220-grain Solid. * CCI 550 primers were used for these two loads only.
Cases were roll crimped into the Notes: A Ruger GP100 with a 6-inch barrel was used to test-fire the loads. Starline cases and CCI 500
bottom of the .010 inch deep crimp primers were used throughout, except where noted by an asterisk (*). Bullet diameter: .357 inch; max-
groove, which when combined imum case length: 1.290 inches; trim-to length: 1.280 inches.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.
with the strength of Starline cases,
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 41
Cutting Edge The 220-grain Solid easily reached
1,250 fps and is an outstanding
game where deep penetration is
important. Accurate No. 7 and Al-
Handgun Bullets choice for hunting large, heavy liant 2400 gave the best accuracy.

grain Raptor gave outstanding ac- Table II

curacy with several powders, in-
.41 Magnum Handloads
cluding Accurate No. 7, Alliant overall
loaded
2400, Power Pistol and Hodgdon bullet powder charge length velocity comments
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)
Longshot. It was generally pushed
to around 1,400 fps and should 135 Cutting Edge Raptor HP Power Pistol 13.0 1.588 1,635
prove capable of most tasks from 13.5 1,666
defense to hunting deer, making it 14.0 1,719
a great all-purpose bullet. Inciden- 14.5 1,750
tally, the recovered shank from A-9 19.0 1,565
19.5 1,570
ballistic gelatin, which was void
20.0 1,591
of the four precut, hollowpoint’s 20.5 1,596
petals, weighed 134 grains. Longshot 13.5 1,702
14.0 1,721
180 Cutting Edge Raptor HP A-7 13.0 1,232
13.5 1,271
SHEEP RIVER HUNTING CAMPS 14.0 1,321
Traditional Fair Chase Alaskan Game Hunts! 14.5 1,381
•Brown Bear 15.0 1,424
2400 15.0 1,143 do not reduce
•Black Bear 16.0 1,242
•Moose 17.0 1,322
Ed Stevenson Enforcer 16.5 1,165
1819 S. Henry Aaron Dr. • Wasilla, AK 99623 17.0 1,211
907-745-0479 • [email protected]
www.alaskan-brown-bear-hunts.com 17.5 1,283
18.0 1,327
Longshot 11.0 1,352
11.5 1,371
12.0 1,381
12.5 1,403
Power Pistol 10.0 1,246
10.5 1,281
11.0 1,342
11.5 1,377
220 Cutting Edge Solid H-110 18.0 * 1.588 1,063
19.0 * 1,151
20.0 * 1,246
2400 16.0 1,066
16.5 1,145
17.0 1,215
17.5 1,276
Power Pistol 9.5 1,047
10.0 1,079
10.5 1,156
11.1 1,201
A-7 13.0 1,083
13.5 1,121
14.0 1,202
14.5 1,248
Enforcer 16.0 1,104 do not reduce
16.5 1,121
17.0 1,162
17.5 1,180
* CCI 350 primers used for these three loads only.
Notes: A Ruger New Model Blackhawk (stainless Bisley) with a 5 1⁄2-inch barrel was used to test-fire
these loads. Starline cases were used throughout. CCI 300 primers were used in all loads except those
indicated by an asterisk (*). Bullet diameter: .410 inch; maximum case length: 1.290 inches; trim-to
length: 1.280 inches..
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

42 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298

 The 200-grain, .44-caliber Raptor der, recoil was comparatively mild
could be pushed 1,500 fps in the and allowed for fast double-action
.44 Remington Magnum using 21.0 work from a Smith & Wesson
grains of Accurate No. 9 in the Model 629 Mountain Gun, which
Ruger New Model Blackhawk Bis- opens up its use for personal de-
ley with a 5 1⁄2-inch barrel. It ap- fense possibilities. Virtually all
pears to be a credible load for loads listed were accurate, with
hunting deer and similar game. most groups hovering around one
When loaded down to around 1,250 inch at 25 yards. The solid shank,
fps using 11.0 grains of Power Pis- with the petals broken off from
tol or 11.5 grains of Longshot pow- expansion, weighed 147 grains.

Table III
.44 Magnum Handloads
overall
loaded
bullet powder charge length velocity
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)

200 Cutting Edge Raptor HP Power Pistol 11.0 1.610 1,254

11.5 1,282
12.0 1,317
12.5 1,369
13.0 1,409
13.5 1,441
A-9 19.0 1,337
20.0 1,406
21.0 1,499
2400 19.0 1,368
20.0 1,409
21.0 1,479
Longshot 11.5 1,275
12.0 1,300
12.5 1,339
13.0 1,371
13.5 1,394
240 Cutting Edge Solid A-9 17.0 1.610 1,131
17.5 1,166
18.0 1,222
18.5 1,269
19.0 1,305
H-110 21.0 * 1,195
22.0 * 1,240
23.0 * 1,310
2400 16.0 1,012
17.0 1,090
18.0 1,196
19.0 1,274 Pistol Bullets
VV-N105 14.0 1,114 and
and
14.5
15.0
1,155
1,231
Ammunition
15.5 1,278
Longshot 12.0 1,202
12.5 1,203

Power Pistol
13.0
13.5
11.0
1,237
1,255
1,128
ZERO
11.5 1,160
12.0 1,213
12.5 1,244
* CCI 350 pimers were used for these three loads only.
Zero Bullet Company, Inc.
Notes: A Ruger New Model Blackhawk (stainless Bisley) with a 51⁄2-inch barrel was used to test-fire
P.O. Box 1188 • Cullman, AL 35056
these loads. Starline cases were used throughout. CCI 300 primers were used in all loads, except those Tel: 256-739-1606 • Fax: 256-739-4683
indicated with an asterisk (*). Bullet diameter: .430 inch; maximum case length: 1.285 inches; trim-to Toll Free: 800-545-9376
length: 1.275 inches.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. www.zerobullets.com

October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 43

High Plains
Reboring & Barrels, L.L.C.
Cutting Edge Handgun Bullets
Offering Button and Table IV
.45 ACP +P (23,000 psi) Handloads
Cut-Rifled Barrels. overall
• Most calibers and twist rates loaded
• Some AR-15 barrels available bullet powder charge length velocity
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)
Contact: Norman Johnson
[email protected] 150 Cutting Edge Raptor HP Power Pistol 7.5 1.215 983
Phone: 701-448-9188 8.0 1,044
243 14th Avenue NW 8.5 1,129
Turtle Lake, ND 58575 9.0 1,190
9.2 1,203
Longshot 9.0 1,231
9.2 1,266
A-7 10.5 974
11.0 1,013
11.5 1,071
12.0 1,119
12.3 1,157
Unique 6.5 1,018
7.0 1,079
7.5 1,164
8.0 1,233
Bullseye 5.5 942
6.0 1,014
6.5 1,095
A-5 8.5 928
9.0 981
9.5 1,063
10.0 1,116
Notes: A Ruger SR1911 with a 5-inch barrel was used to test-fire these loads. Starline cases and Rem-
ington 2 1⁄2 Large Pistol primers were used throughout. Bullet diameter: .451/.452 inch; maximum case
length: .898 inch; trim-to length: .893 inch.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

The 240-grain Solid could be eye powder, velocity was 1,014

pushed around 1,300 fps with fps, which produced the single
most powders, but No. 9, 2400 and tightest group, but most loads
VV-N105 gave top accuracy. This yielded similar accuracy. Hodgdon
bullet is certain to find favor Longshot, Alliant Power Pistol
among Alaskan guides and hand- and Unique each reached over
gun hunters looking for reliable 1,200 fps and are listed as +P loads
penetration on heavy game. The with pressures currently estab-
.44 Magnum cases were also roll lished at 23,000 psi.
crimped to the bottom of the crimp
The 150-grain Raptor expands at
groove, which resulted in enough
just 800 fps, and with petals bro-
bullet pull to prevent their jump-
ken off, the shank weighs around
ing crimp and helped achieve uni-
85 grains. When pushed just over
form powder ignition.
900 fps, a Ruger SR1911 pistol
The .45-caliber, 150-grain Raptor functioned reliably, and recoil was
was designed specifically for the comparatively modest. Such loads
.45 ACP (aka, .45 Auto) cartridge. may prove especially interesting
After seating bullets to an overall for the recoil sensitive wanting an
cartridge length of 1.215 inches, as effective defense load.
a separate step, they were taper-
The only bullet tried in the .454
crimped in place, with the case
Casull was the 240-grain Raptor,
mouth measuring .470 inch for
but a 300-grain Solid is produced
proper headspace control in guns
by Cutting Edge that should be
with correct chamber dimensions.
of special interest to big-game
Using 6.0 grains of Alliant Bulls- hunters. Unfortunately, I had no
44 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
Table V
.454 Casull Handloads ROCKDock™
Reloading Bench Docking
Mount System
overall
loaded
™
bullet powder charge length velocity
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps)
Gas Check Forming
240 Cutting Edge Raptor HP 2400 23.0 1.748 1,390 Dies
Patmarlins™
24.0 1,430
25.0 1,501
H-110 26.0 1,258 Patmarlins.com
27.0 1,344
28.0 1,474
29.0 1,582
30.0 1,671
A-9 23.0 1,448
24.0 1,502
25.0 1,582
26.0 1,637
A-7 21.5 1,568
22.0 1,577
22.5 1,618
23.0 1,653
23.5 1,675
Enforcer 25.0 1,478
26.0 1,511
27.0 1,566
28.0 1,614
Power Pistol 17.0 1,535
17.5 1,542
18.0 1,569
BRASSTECH RESIZER
• True full-length resizing.
18.5 1,579
Longshot 18.0 1,538

• Removes “bulge” from

19.0 1,553
20.0 1,588

• Cannot distort
Notes: A Freedom Arms Model 83 with a 7 1⁄2-inch barrel was used to test-fire the above loads. Starline
pistol brass.
cases and Remington 7 1⁄2 Small Rifle primers were used throughout. Bullet diameter: .452 inch; maxi-
mum case length: 1.383 inches; trim-to length: 1.373 inches. base of rifle
• Superior leverage
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. brass.

• Uses standard
samples. The 240-grain Raptor per- not be suitable for use in rifles, for easier use.
formed well and produced its best and it is strongly suggested to not

• For more info go to

accuracy with highest velocity reduce starting loads, or pressures resizing dies.
loads, such as 30.0 grains of Hodg- may not be adequate to keep bul-
don H-110, 23.5 grains of Accurate lets from sticking in the bore. http://youtu.be/Syvt6PHBV1g
No. 7 or 26.0 grains of Accurate Overall I was impressed with Cut- Patent
No. 9, which were approaching ting Edge bullet designs, quality,
AASA, Inc. Pending
Tel: (256) 527-0872
1,700 fps from a Freedom Arms performance and accuracy. • E-Mail: [email protected]
Model 83 revolver with a 7 1⁄2-inch 2759 Deford Mill Rd. • Hampton Cove, AL 35763
barrel. When fired into ballistic
gelatin at around 1,700 fps, the re-
covered bullet shank weighed just
over 182 grains.
The .454 Casull requires a heavy
crimp to prevent bullets from
jumping crimp when subjected to
recoil. An RCBS roll crimp die that
produces the standard radius-style
crimp worked fine. However, to
develop the accompanying hand-
load data, an RCBS crimp die that
produces a chamfer-style “neck-
down” crimp was used.
Some of the “start” loads may
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 45
 Webley’s
Patented
“Man-Stopper”
Bullet

Terry Wieland Think about that. The standard .45 Auto military
hardball load (230-grain FMJ, 855 fps) generates 405

W
hile Rocky Marciano was ft-lbs. You don’t get to 700 ft-lbs until the lower rungs
of .44 Remington Magnum factory loads (210-grain
a heavyweight boxing JHP, 1,250 fps, 729 ft-lbs), and it takes a hot .44 to hit
champion, there was a 925 (200-grain JHP, 1,450 fps, 934 ft-lbs).
lot of speculation about No one is suggesting that absorbing a solid right from
exactly how powerful his punch was. Marciano is the equal of getting hit in the chest by a
.44 Magnum, but – and it is a very important but – in
Various researchers developed meth- terms of stopping power, they are very comparable.
ods of measuring punching power. Take a right from The Rock anywhere in the body, and
They calculated that an uppercut that you will stop whatever it was you were doing. Same
with the .44 Magnum.
would lift a heavyweight off his feet
The essential consideration here is not lethality but
required 700 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) of stopping power. When discussing handgun loads for
energy. In tests using a ballistic pen- self-defense, what counts is stopping power not killing
dulum at a military facility, wearing power.
a 12-ounce glove, Marciano’s right – Another important consideration is the fact that Mar-
ciano’s fist hit his opponent and stopped, delivering
the old Suzi-Q – was measured at 925 virtually all its energy to his body. A small, nonexpand-
ft-lbs. ing bullet at high velocity, such as the 9mm Luger,
46 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 Considerations
for Carry Guns

Left, getting a good self-defense load in a snub-nosed .38

Special can be difficult. Bob Hayley’s 140-grain version of
the Webley “Man-Stopper” delivers excellent expansion at
velocities attainable in a short barrel. Above (left to right):
modern .45-caliber “Man-Stopper,” .455 Colt Mk. I, .455
Colt Mk. II, early .45 Colt factory load and the .45 Colt
loaded with the “Man-Stopper” bullet.

the purpose is not to kill an assailant, it’s to stop him

from doing whatever he’s doing. This is the opposite
of hunting. With dangerous game like Cape buffalo,
the primary aim is to kill the animal. You may then find
yourself having to stop a charge, but that’s another
could hit in the middle of a body but zip through, de- matter. You may think this is getting into legalities
livering neither great energy on impact nor immediate better argued in court and trot out the “judged by 12
organ damage. Your assailant might die eventually, but rather than carried by 6” argument. The point is that
you might well die first. the best pistol/cartridge combination for killing an as-
sailant may not be the best one for stopping him.
Serious study of stopping power and wound ballis-
tics began in 1900, after American encounters with In his classic African Rifles and Cartridges, John
Moro tribesmen in the Philippines. The army sidearm Taylor praised the old, soft, pure-lead bullets from
was the .38 Long Colt, and it displayed an alarming large-caliber rifles as tremendous game-getters. Not
lack of stopping power. After considerable research, only did they expand readily, but pure lead is very elas-
the army adopted the Colt 1911 .45 Auto. No one, to tic, not brittle like lead alloys. Pure lead forms beauti-
this day and through a half-dozen wars, has ever com- ful mushrooms, and this wider surface area delivers a
plained about its stopping power. heck of a punch. It transfers all its energy to the target,
not unlike a boxing glove on the hand of a heavy-
All this would be of academic interest if we could all
weight.
carry .45 Autos or .44 Remington Magnums, but this is
rarely practical for concealed carry. Right here, it Researchers into stopping power after 1900 came to
should be pointed out that the purpose of a concealed- the same conclusion. Military ballisticians were inter-
carry gun is to get you out of trouble. Sometimes just ested in effective differences between the new, small-
showing the gun will cause a villain to back away; bore bullets used in smokeless powder cartridges and
knowing you’re armed and serious, few thugs are big, lead slugs from rifles like the Martini-Henry. They
likely to follow you. There are exceptions, obviously. extended their research to handguns as well.
The other major point is that, acting in self-defense, The British Army used the Webley revolver cham-
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 47
“Man-Stopper” 1 2 3 4 5

Bullet
bered in .455. The bullet was 265
grains, pure lead, with a long, ta-
pering roundnose. Muzzle velocity
was 600 fps, for 220 ft-lbs of en-
ergy. Like the Americans in the
Philippines, they found it lacked Factory .38 Special loads fired from the 2-inch barreled S&W Model 60 fell far
effectiveness against wild tribes- short of published velocities, and four did not expand at all: (1) Hornady Critical
men. In 1898, T.W. Webley designed Defense Lite 90-grain FTX, (2) Hornady Critical Defense 110 FTX, (3) Federal
and patented a bullet for the .455 Hydra-Shok Personal Defense Low Recoil 110 JHP, (4) Winchester Train & Defend
Colt cartridge that came to be 130 JHP and (5) Magtech 158 SJHP.
known as the “Man-Stopper” in the
Table I
British War Office. It was a 218- Webley “Man-Stopper” Penetration Results
grain .45 loaded in Webley .455 extreme retained
Mk. III ammunition. The Mk. III cartridge powder charge velocity spread penetration expansion weight
(grains) (grains) (fps) (fps) (inches) (grains)
was in use for only a couple of
years. It was judged to be in con- 140 .38 Special Bullseye 3.5 772 7 13.0 almost none 140
travention of the Hague Conven- 3.7 808 51 8.5 .595 115
tion of 1899 prohibiting expanding 3.9 822 27 8.5 .600 135
bullets for military use and was re- 230 .45 Colt Unique 6.0 590 72 10.5 negligible 230
6.5 656 74 7.5 .807 228
moved from service in 1902.
7.0 727 91 8.0 .800 227
Bullet companies have expended Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

huge amounts of money and effort

in recent years to develop serious factory self-defense rounds were the velocity necessary for the bul-
self-defense bullets, for both fac- not available. Delving into history, let to expand properly. Chrono-
tory ammunition and reloading. he commissioned a mould-maker graph tests of factory ammunition
They are almost all jacketed hol- to produce moulds for the old from these guns prove they often
lowpoints. On ballistic gelatin, at British “Man-Stopper,” in the orig- fall far short of the velocities
recommended velocities, they be- inal .45 (but slightly heavier at 230 listed. It is up to handloaders to
have admirably. There are, how- grains) and also in .38 (140 grains). load ammunition using suitable
ever, a few problems. If the nec- powders to get something ap-
The latter is particularly interest-
essary velocity is not attained, proaching useful velocities. Even
ing because, while the .38 Special
some do not expand at all; others then, they may produce spotty ter-
is, in many ways, an ideal carry-
misbehave on impact with differ- minal results with JHP bullets.
gun cartridge, its performance
ent fabrics, like leather or thick The purpose here was to develop
varies from gun to gun. Today, .38
wool. a load for a snubby.
Special ammunition is available
Bob Hayley, the Seymour, Texas, in both standard and +P loads With such a short barrel, one
custom bullet-caster, in response with excellent JHP bullets. The of the best powders in the .38 is
to requests from clients, set out to problem is that small, short-bar- also the oldest: Alliant Bullseye.
find a cast bullet that would per- reled revolvers like the Smith & The goal was to reach a velocity
form in pistols for which suitable Wesson J-frame may not generate that gave good expansion with the

Left, Hayley’s 140-grain, .38-caliber bullet is patterned after a Webley

bullet from 1898 and is designed to deliver optimum expansion, even at
lower velocities. Below, .38-caliber bullets: (1) unfired, (2) shot at insuffi-
cient velocity, (3) shot at borderline velocity and (4) at optimum velocity.

1 2 3 4
48 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 Table II
.38 Special Factory Load
Penetration Results
published measured extreme
bullet velocity velocity spread difference penetration expansion
(grains) (fps) (fps) (fps) (fps) (inches) (inch)

90 Hornady Critical Defense 1,200 960* 25 240 8.5 .524

Lite FTX
110 Federal Low Recoil 980 869 23 111 16+ none
Hydra-Shok
110 Hornady Critical 1,010 896 12 114 17+ none
Defense FTX
130 Winchester Train & 900 772 18 128 18+ none
Defend JHP
158 Magtech 38E SJHP 807 772* 31 35 16+ none
* 4-inch barrel
Notes: All published and measured velocities were fired from a 2-inch barrel, except where noted with
an asterisk (*).
Fired into penetration boxes for control
purposes, Federal 9mm 147-grain
Hydra-Shok Tactical from a 4-inch and without reaching +P pressures. At the same time, the .45-caliber,
barreled Walther P-38 penetrated 9 In the past, I have done that using Webley-style bullet was tested in
inches and retained 146 grains of an inverted hollowbase wadcutter. a conventional Colt New Frontier
weight. Since this is typical performance This worked well enough, but that with a 5.5-inch barrel. There are
for this ammunition, it indicates the no particular problems associated
boxes and methods used are a valid test. bullet is, if anything, too soft, and
its skirts are too thin. It reached with that combination, but it pro-
“Man-Stopper” but not exceed it. optimal expansion well short of vided another basis for compar-
We were looking for a balance of maximum velocity. A tougher bul- ison.
genuine stopping power with man- let at higher velocity but with the Table I shows the performance
ageable recoil for follow-up shots same expansion is a better option. of the different loads. Starting with

October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 49

 Scan
code
3.5 grains of Bullseye, the 140-
for
more
grain bullet achieved 772 fps but
info. failed to expand appreciably in the
penetration box. Upping the charge
to 3.7 grains gave an additional 35
We Carry All Your Reloading Supplies fps, and the bullet expanded into
From All The Companies You Trust! a perfect mushroom. Recoil was
moderate with both loads.
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As can be seen, however, the dif-
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ability
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ference in average velocity be-
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expansion was about the same as
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Visit our retail store in Houston, TX powerful load. The powder charge
was increased to 3.9 grains, and
this delivered an average velocity
of 822 fps, with an extreme spread
of only 27 fps – and a beautiful
mushroom.
For comparison sake, I also took
five factory self-defense rounds,
chosen more or less at random,
looking for a variety of loads that
might logically be chosen for a
short-barreled J-frame. All but one
fell far short of advertised veloci-
ties, which were usually achieved
with a 4-inch barrel as opposed to
the J-frame’s 2-inch barrel. When
fired into the penetration box, only
one expanded at all. This was
Hornady’s Critical Defense Lite, a
high-velocity load with a 90-grain
hollowpoint bullet. Although its
velocity was 240 fps lower with
the short barrel, it still expanded
beautifully. Every one of the other
bullets could have been reloaded
and shot again.
The 230-grain, .45-caliber “Man-
Stopper” performed well consis-
tently at velocities around 700 fps.
My only complaint about the loads
used is the extreme spread. This
reached 91 fps, which offends my
sense of order. For future develop-
PMA Micro Die Adjuster ment, I would try different pow-
ders, such as Titegroup or CFE
Pistol.
We won’t say it’s the Although not included in the ta-
best thing to happen bles, as a test of the penetra-
to reloading . . . but tion boxes themselves (clay-target
you might! boxes packed tightly with corru-
gated cardboard dividers, satu-
rated with water), I also fired two
Innovative Reloading shots from a Walther P-38. With a
PMA Tool 4-inch barrel, it delivers velocity
260.246.5860 Equipment for the
as advertised with Federal 147-
www.pmatool.com Accurate Rifleman
Handloader 298
 Introducing
Wolfe Publishing’s
Newest Firearm
The two 230-grain, .45-caliber bullets
at right were fired at sufficient veloci-
ties from a Colt New Frontier with a
Journal!
5.5-inch barrel. The bottom left bullet
is a result of insufficient velocity.

grain Hydra-Shok Tactical JHP

ammunition (990 fps). Both bul-
lets penetrated 9 inches, ex-
panded perfectly and weighed 146
grains when recovered.
In the past, I have used soaked
newsprint packed into 4-foot ply-
wood boxes. In comparison tests
with identical loads fired into those
boxes, and into Cape buffalo, I
concluded that soaked newsprint
provides a reasonable facsimile
for bullet-testing purposes. Com-
paring bullets from those boxes,
and from the saturated cardboard
used in this test, I believe for com-
parison purposes between bullets,
they provide a valid result.
In the S&W Model 60 with a 2-
inch barrel, it is easy to get con-
sistent 800+ fps with the 140-grain
“Man-Stopper,” with excellent ex-
pansion and penetration and only
moderate recoil. Of the factory The Black Powder Cartridge magazine has joined
self-defense loads tested, the only
one I would use in that gun is the
the Wolfe family of outstanding sportsmen’s
Hornady Critical Defense Lite. Hay- publications. It is written by shooters for shooters.
ley’s .45-caliber bullet performed Black-powder enthusiasts will value the in-depth
beautifully at 700 fps, and in a Colt features and columns whether they are hunting,
New Frontier with a 5.5-inch bar-
rel, recoil was no problem. collecting or competing. Published quarterly, the
The final test – admittedly not one Black Powder Cartridge provides all the reliable
that can be scientifically measured information you need to enjoy these revered firearms.
– was on heavy steel “pop-up” tar-
gets. Where factory jacketed bul- SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 1 year (4 issues)
lets from the .38 failed to knock U.S.-$25.00 • Canada-$42.00 • International-$63.00
them down, the 140-grain “Man-
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to its ready flattening qualities,
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plate shooters know how this Toll Free: 800-899-7810 • Fax: 928-778-5124
works. For that matter, so did www.riflemagazine.com
Rocky Marciano. •
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 51
 John Barsness

O
ne spring in the early 1990s,
a certain handloader’s sup-
ply of a spherical powder
started running low. At the
Testing time this powder was so popular for
the .223 Remington – the most hand-

Lot-to-Lot loaded cartridge in America – that

when prairie dog hunters asked other
prairie dog hunters for their .223 rec-
Variances ipe, the answer was often “twenty-
eight grains with a fifty,” because so
many used this Magic Powder.

Different Batches,
52 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 to produce more. The new stuff
Alliant Power Pro 300 MP (Magnum Pistol) turned out to be somewhat faster
performed extremely well in a Ruger No. 1B burning. About the same time,
.22 Hornet.
DuPont IMR-4831 appeared, which
was even faster burning than the
H-4831 made in Scotland. The
pages of shooting magazines regu-
larly ran articles warning hand-
loaders about the “hotter” new
4831s.
So the handloader went to his fa- Even when powder is made in the
vorite local store and bought a few same plant, however, it’s appar-
pounds of Magic Powder and ently impossible to make smoke-
loaded up a bunch of ammunition less powder exactly the same from
with 28.5 grains and Nosler 50- batch to batch, due to variations
grain Ballistic Tips, the load he’d in ambient humidity and the or-
been using in his .223 Remington ganic compounds composing most
for several years. When he went to of the powder. Only rarely, how-
the range with some of the hand- ever, do powder companies release
loads to sight in for the upcoming manufacturing lots differing sig-
prairie dog season, his chrono- nificantly from past lots. If a
ally mentioned a possible differ-
graph showed over 3,700 fps, more new batch differs considerably, it’s
ence of 2 to 3 percent from one
like the .22-250 Remington than
batch to another. The mystery was- blended with faster or slower pow-
the .223 Remington.
n’t solved until a decade later, after der from older lots to produce a
He thought this was a glitch in I started writing regularly for gun consistent “canister” powder for
the light screens, but another cou- magazines and mentioned the inci- handloaders.
ple of shots showed velocities in dent with the Magic .223 Powder in
Powders used by ammunition
the same range. He thought maybe one of my articles.
companies, on the other hand, are
the chronograph’s battery was low
Soon the head ballistician at the usually – though not always – un-
until he noticed a black smudge
powder company called, saying blended so can vary considerably.
around one of the primers. Only
the reason for the variation was This powder normally comes in
then (duh!) did he realize the new
the company finally running out of barrels the size of oil drums with
batch of powder was a lot hotter.
a huge batch of military surplus labels most handloaders wouldn’t
Back in the loading room, all the powder they’d been selling for recognize. New batches are tested
bullets were pulled from the re- decades. The powder purchased at in the ammunition maker’s ballis-
maining handloads, and he did my local store turned out to be tics lab to determine what powder
some calculating, reloading them newly manufactured powder that charge produces the results de-
with much lower charges. It turned supposedly matched the old stuff sired in pressure, velocity and ac-
out 26.5 grains of powder matched in burn rate – but didn’t. curacy.
the velocity and accuracy of his
Most significant differences in In early 2015, I was performing a
loads with the previous batch of
lot-to-lot burn rate are due to sim- periodic inventory of my rifle pow-
powder, a difference of 7.5 percent
ilar switches by powder manufac- der supply, partly because The
in the powder charge.
turers. When in the 1970s Hodgdon Great Obama Shortage of reload-
Of course, I knew powder could ran out of the old military-surplus ing components had caused some
vary from lot to lot but had never H-4831, produced by DuPont for difficulties. When gun writers get
experienced anything like this be- 20mm cannon ammunition during low on powder and can’t find any
fore. The few powder companies World War II, it contracted with a locally, they normally call the spe-
admitting their powder varied usu- powder manufacturer in Scotland cific powder company and have

“Same” Powder
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 53
 Left, two lots of IMR-4451
performed a little differently,
but IMR-7977 was very
consistent. Right, a big can
of IMR-4227 that has been
around a while didn’t per-
form very differently than
a new pound purchased
in 2015. The two lots of
IMR-4227 were made in
the same Canadian factory,
even though the IMR Powder
Company changed hands
in between.

sent some of the new IMR Enduron enough to come in metal cans,
Different Batches, powder to test, and it worked so
well I bought a bunch more before
rather than the plastic canisters
that have been used for several
“Same” Powder anybody else found out about it
and bought up the supply.
years now, indicating a consid-
erable difference in age, even
some more shipped, but even though all were labeled “Made in
many powder companies simply Therefore, I’d ended up with
different manufacturing lots of Canada.”
didn’t have any, because powder
companies usually don’t actually several powders, including an un- It finally occurred to me this
make powder. Instead they buy opened can of the old military sur- stash of varied powder might pro-
surplus powder or contract with plus H-4831. There’s a surprising duce some interesting ballistic
factories to make it. Since some amount of this still around, partly tests, not only of how much pow-
powder companies had difficulty because so much was made. Ap- der can vary from lot to lot but also
obtaining more powder from their parently, during the peak of World how the original H-4831 compares
regular manufacturers (factories War II, DuPont’s powder plant with today’s, an Australian-made
can only produce so much, so was producing up to a million version Hodgdon calls Extreme
mainly make the most popular pounds of rifle powder a day, due to its temperature resistance.
stuff), they contracted with other much of it the stuff Bruce Hodg-
don started selling after the war In addition, rumors constantly
powder manufacturers, apparently float around the handloading com-
as H-110, H-4895 and H-4831. (Yes,
not so busy, to make new powders. munity about how certain pow-
H-110 started out as a “rifle” pow-
As a result, my supply was re- der for the .30 Carbine round, not ders from various companies are
newed in any way possible short as a handgun powder.) I also ended actually exactly the same powder
of theft. I stalked Internet sites up with different lots of two of the under different names. Hodgdon
and local stores regularly, buying Enduron powders, made at the confirmed some of this when it ac-
powder needed whenever it showed General Dynamics plant in Que- quired the rights to the Winchester
up but also acquired some through bec that also makes other IMR powders a few years ago. While
trades or at yard or estate sales. extruded powders. Some of the many handloading manuals list
Toward the end of 2014, Hodgdon IMR powders on hand were old different data for Hodgdon H-110
and Winchester 296, Hodgdon now
lists exactly the same data for
both powders, because they are
the same. The only reason data in
other manuals varies a little is be-
cause of, once again, differences
in manufacturing lots.
Similarly, the Hodgdon Extreme
powders are sold in Australia under
their original designations, mostly
numbers instead of catchy names
like Varget and Retumbo. Down
Under, the powder Americans know
as Hodgdon H-4831SC is AR-2213SC.
One long-time rumor is that many
54 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
of the Alliant Reloder series of rifle
powders and Norma rifle powders
are exactly the same, since they
come out of the same Bofors fac-
tory in Sweden. One Internet site
even included a list supposedly re-
vealing exactly which Reloder
powders were which Norma pow-
ders. Since I also happened to
have a bunch of new Norma pow-
der on hand, along with the nor-
mal selection of Reloder powders,
some research and testing might The appearance of powders was also compared. Alliant Reloder 22 (right) and
be in order there as well. Norma MRP (left) not only performed extremely similarly but also looked identical.

Lot-to-Lot Powder Comparisons

overall
loaded muzzle 100-yard
bullet powder charge primer case length velocity group
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps) (inches)

.17 Hornet, CZ Model 527, 22-inch barrel, 1-in-9-inch twist:

20 Nosler Varmint HP A-1680 lot 1 12.0 Remington 7 1⁄2 Hornady 1.629 3,628 .43
A-1680 lot 2 12.0 3,612 .62
A-1680 lot 3 12.0 3,621 .55
25 Hornady V-MAX N-200 10.8 1.735 2,944 .51
RL-7 10.8 3,076 .59
.204 Ruger, Remington 700, 24-inch barrel, 1-in-12-inch twist:
32 Nosler Ballistic Tip TAC lot 1 29.0 CCI 450 Remington 2.242 3,959 .65
TAC lot 2 3,983 .72
40 Hornady V-MAX H-4895 lot 1 27.5 2.259 3,827 .88
H-4895 lot 2 27.5 3,811 1.38
H-4895 lot 3 27.5 3,806 .76
.22 Hornet, Ruger No. 1B, 26-inch barrel, 1-in-14-inch twist:
40 Nosler Ballistic Tip 300-MP lot 1 11.7 CCI 450 Winchester 1.934 2,765 1.15
300 MP lot 2 11.7 2,743 1.12
.25-20 WCF Savage 23B, 24-inch barrel, 1-in-14-inch twist:
60 Hornady FN IMR-4227 lot 1 12.0 CCI 400 Winchester 1.569 2,079 2.69*
IMR-4227 lot 2 12.0 2,025 2.69*
.257 Roberts Remington 722, 24-inch barrel, 1-in-10-inch twist:
100 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR-4350 45.0 CCI 200 Winchester 2.832 3,083 1.35
A-4350 45.0 2,917 1.88
H-4350 45.0 2,980 1.12
IMR-4451 lot 1 46.0 3,052 1.49
IMR-4451 lot 2 46.0 3,104 1.03
.270 Winchester Model 70 Classic, 22-inch barrel, 1-in-10-inch twist:
130 Hornady Spire Point H-4831SC 61.0 WLR Winchester 3.345 3,029 1.26
H-4831 original 61.0 3,118 .97
130 Nosler Ballistic Tip Magnum lot 1 65.0 3.342 3,015 .98
Magnum lot 2 65.0 3,042 .87
150 Sierra GameKing MRP 57.5 3.376 2,926 1.02
RL-22 57.5 2,942 .99
150 Hornady Spire Point IMR-7977 lot 1 60.0 3.345 2,816 1.65
IMR-7977 lot 2 60.0 2,813 1.00
.338 Winchester Magnum custom FN Mauser, 22-inch barrel, 1-in-10-inch twist:
200 Nosler Ballistic Tip RL-15 67.0 Federal 215 Winchester 3.316 2,933 .93
N-203B 67.0 2,911 .93
* All 10 shots in 2.69 inches.
Notes: Group size is the average of five shots.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 55

Different Batches,
“Same” Powder
Some comments are in order on
the test results. A 3 percent dif-
ference in burn rate amounts to
about a 90 fps difference in veloc-
ity, with the same powder charge
in rifle cartridges with about a
3,000 fps muzzle velocity. Any-
thing less than that amounts to
“not much,” a technical term often
used even by ballistic lab techni-
cians. In fact, with the typical
chronographs used by most hand-
loaders, with relatively short dis-
tances between the sensors, we’ll
often see the same load differ in
average muzzle velocity as much The unopened can of old H-4831 (right) performed very similarly to the powder
as 50 fps in two different strings John used in the 1970s, despite the warning (inset) on the cardboard canister.
shot during the same range session.
Also, powders can act a little dif- in another round. All handloading Some other Alliant Reloder and
ferently in different cartridges. data specifically applies to a cer- Norma powders could have been
Just because two batches of pow- tain rifle on a certain day, not all tested, but simply comparing the
der differ by 75 fps in one load in other rifles and cartridges, the rea- loading data for each indicated
one cartridge doesn’t mean the son we use it as a guideline, not an they were not the same powder.
difference won’t be more or less absolute. A good example is Alliant Reloder

56 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298

19 and Norma 204, which accord-
ing to the list published on the
Rifle Tang Peep Sight Mike Bellm’s TCs
• Adjustable for Windage and Elevation Encore & Contender/G2
Internet are exactly the same pow- • Fits Most Lever-Action Rifles
der. While data shot in different Custom Parts, Tools & Advice Since 1979
• Blued Steel Finish Tel: 970-433-9525
laboratories varies somewhat, Al- • Made in the U.S.A.
liant’s data for RL-19 and Norma WWW.THEHAWKENSHOP.COM www.bellmtcs.com
data for 204 are so different I didn’t
even bother to comparison-shoot
Reloading Equipment,
those powders.
Components, and Shooting
However, it looks like Alliant RL- Accessories for
15 and Norma 203B just might be Discriminating Shooters
the same powder, or at least close www.gunstop.com Check Our Web Site for Monthly Specials
cousins. I’ve been using the .338
Brass: Multimedia:
Winchester Magnum load listed in Hornady, Lapua, Norma, Nosler, Remington, Starline, Reloading DVD’s, Reloading Manuals, Reloading
the accompanying table for many Weatherby, and Winchester Software, and Historical and Reference Books.
Bullets: Reloading Accessories:
years now, and when I substituted Barnes, Berger, Hornady, Lapua, Nosler, Sierra, Speer, CH Tool and Die, Dillon, Forster, Frankford Arsenal,
Norma 203B, even the group size and Swift Gracey, Hornady, K&M Precision Shooting Products,
Chronographs and Timers: Lee, Lyman, MTM, PACT, Possum Hollow, RCBS,
was identical! Reloder 22 and Competitive Edge Dynamics, Competition Electronics, Redding, Satern Custom Machining, Sinclair, Smart
MRP also appear to be close to the PACT, and Shooting Chrony Reloader, and L.E. Wilson.
Maintenance Products: Reloading Dies and Presses:
same stuff, but RL-7 and Norma Dillon, Forster, Harrell’s Precision, Hornady, K&M
Ballistol, Barnes, Birchwood-Casey, Bore Tech., Break
200 aren’t – or at least my two lots Free, Dewey, Forster, Hoppe’s, Kano Labs, Kleenbore, Precision Shooting Products, Lyman, Possum Hollow,
Lyman, MTM, Possum Hollow, Pro Shot, Remington, RCBS, Redding, Sinclair, and L.E. Wilson.
aren’t.
Rig, Sharp SharpShoot-R™ Precision Products, Shooting Accessories:
Shooters Choice, Slip 2000, Sweets, Tipton, and Caldwell, Dillon, Jewell, Leupold, MTM, Peltor,
Along with chronograph tests, Wheeler Engineering. Possum Hollow, Pro Ears, Protektor Model, Rifle
the physical appearance of the Basix, and Smart Reloader.
powders was also compared. My Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc. For Our Current Catalog:
particular lots of Alliant Reloder 14704 Excelsior Blvd. • Minnetonka, MN 55345 Call: 1-800-645-7644 or Fax: 952-474-0211
1-800-645-7644 Download a copy at www.gunstop.com
22 and Norma MRP looked ex- Mon.- Fri. 8am to 6pm, Sat. 8am to 4pm Central Time E-mail: [email protected]
actly the same, but a friend has
batches that look slightly differ-
ent. This apparently isn’t uncom-
mon. The two batches of IMR-4227
were very similar in grain size, but OEHLER 35P
IS BACK!
the new batch purchased early in
2015 was definitely duller in finish.
Comparing the two lots of IMR-
4451 proved interesting. The “test Oehler is making a special,
platform” was the Remington 722 limited run of the Model 35
.257 Roberts inherited from my
grandmother. One lot was defi- Proof Chronograph.
nitely a little warmer than the Call or go online for
other, and accuracy was better
with the warmer lot. This agrees more information.
with my long experience with the Phone: 512-327-6900
.257 Roberts. In general, so-called
+P data results in better accuracy.
oehler-research.com
I suspect this is because “stan-
dard” .257 Roberts data is so
wimpy that modern powders don’t
reach the pressure level where P.O. Box 9135
they’re designed to burn most con-
sistently. In loading for at least a Austin, TX 78766
dozen .257s, usually +P loads – or
loads even exceeding +P by a
grain or so – usually shoot smaller
groups. (Nobody really knows
why the SAAMI pressure level for
the .257 Roberts is so low. Even
the +P data is only limited to
RESEARCH, INC.
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 57
 Hayley’s Different Batches, which is really wimpy. My guess is
adding another grain or two
Custom Ammunition “Same” Powder would result in better accuracy.
Specializing in the: With one exception, the .25-20/
58,000 psi, even lower than for the
IMR-4227 test, the groups are all
• Weird • Wacky & .30-06, a much older round.)
five shots, partly because five is
• Wonderful I also ended up with three 4350 a much better indication of po-
P.O. Box 889 powders so decided to see how tential accuracy than the typical
211 North River they differed in the .257 Roberts. three-shot groups fired these days,
Seymour, TX 76380 The 45.0-grain charge with 100- and partly because five shots also
grain bullets is not +P, though it provides a much better indication
Tel: 940-888-3352
exceeds by half a grain the maxi- of average velocity. (Usually three-
mum load listed for Accurate 4350, shot groups end up about two-
thirds the size of five-shot groups,
and no, this is not normally caused
by “fliers” due to the barrel heat-
ing up but the laws of chance. The
fact is, three shots don’t provide
any idea of the real accuracy po-
tential of a load.) The brass was
all either new or once-fired, and
like the primers all came from the
same lot.
The shooting took place during
two range sessions, the first under
some relatively windy conditions
with a gusty breeze varying from 3
to 10 mph, more than I normally
choose to shoot in during accu-
racy testing. But the primary focus
was velocity, not accuracy, and it
was springtime in Montana, when
we can’t always pick ideal range
conditions. Some of the groups
were no doubt affected by the
breeze, the .25-20 groups most of
all, with the 10 shots stringing out
horizontally but only spreading
about 1.5 inches vertically. The
.17 Hornet did extremely well in
the wind, which many shooters
wouldn’t expect, but the ballistic
truth is that ballistic coefficient
and velocity are the only factors in
wind drift, not bullet weight.
The most interesting result from
all the shooting to me was old H-
4831 compared to new H-4831SC.
This particular batch of the old
powder was definitely warmer,
contrary to the tribal knowledge
(still passed down by older hand-
loaders and even some younger
ones) that “new” H-4831 is hotter
than the old military stuff. The
old H-4831 may have dried out a
little over the years in its card-
board canister but performed very
much like the same powder I shot
58 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 Above left, using a CZ 527 .17 Hornet, three different lots of Accurate 1680 were
throughout the 1970s and even the extremely close in performance, but contrary to rumor, Reloder 7 didn’t prove to
1980s, thanks to an older hand- be the same as Norma 200, with velocity differing around 4.5 percent. Right, results
with the same load of Reloder 15 and Norma 203B were so close, groups were
loader giving me a few pounds even exactly the same size.
when he quit hunting big game.
Some handloaders will take ex- but he reduced the load to 60.0 good job of producing different
ception to my exceeding the re- when writing about it. Hornady’s lots of powder that perform simi-
vered “Jack O’Connor maximum” present 9th edition Handbook of larly to other lots. Since the Magic
of 60.0 grains of H-4831 with a 130- Cartridge Reloading lists 62.0 .223 Powder experience, I still
grain bullet in the .270 Winchester. grains of H-4831 as maximum with test-shoot any new lot of powder
However, O’Connor worked up to any of its 130-grain bullets. to see how it compares to an older
62.0 grains with no problems with lot but so far have never experi-
the military-surplus powder before The results indicate that today’s enced any difference nearly as
there was pressure-tested data, powder manufacturers do a very dramatic—and hope not to! •

October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 59

Charles E. Petty

.300 Blackout
S
ome years ago I spent some
time shooting with J.D. Jones’s
.300 Whisper wildcat. He took
a small cartridge – the .221
Fireball – blew it out to .30 caliber and,
Loads for a
using heavy bullets, turned it into an
accurate round that did some neat Bolt Rifle
stuff.

Whisper to
Blackout
The problem, of course, is that the Whisper cartridges
are wildcats, and while there’s absolutely nothing
wrong with them, the average shooter wants a gun and
cartridge that he can buy off the shelf without resort-
ing to custom guns and handloaded ammunition. So,
in 2011 the Whisper was reborn as Advanced Arma-
ment Corporation’s .300 AAC Blackout and introduced
as a SAAMI standard cartridge by Remington.
There often is neither rhyme nor reason for the nam-
ing of cartridges, and more than a few have asked how
it came to be called Blackout. The last time that word
was a common part of the vocabulary was during
World War II when cities turned off the lights to foil
enemy attack.
The .300 Whisper was originally found in single-shot
handguns and AR-15 rifles, so it is not entirely surpris-
ing that the Blackout appeared in a host of AR-15 type
carbines. The rifle’s semiautomatic action does place
some restrictions on what the cartridge has to do for
the rifle to function, so it was a very pleasant surprise
to learn that Remington was once using it in the Model
700 LTR (Light Tactical Rifle), now discontinued.
Even though the rifle has a 16-inch barrel, the 0.85-
inch diameter at the muzzle would qualify as “heavy”
to most, and when topped with a Meopta ZD 4-16x
Tactical scope I had on loan, the rifle weighed an even
60 www.handloadermagazine.com
10 pounds. I quickly came to view graduated in the metric system of nent availability would have been
that as a blessing in disguise, be- 0.5 cm at 100 meters, which con- impossible had I not already been
cause the combination of a small verts to 0.2 inch at 109 yards, a fan of the Whisper and had every-
cartridge and moderate weight re- which is between 1⁄4- and 1⁄8-minute thing needed to get started. My orig-
sults in minimal recoil even with click value. Practically speaking, inal Whisper ammunition was made
top loads and heavy bullets. Not to it was not a problem, although it from .221 Fireball brass, either by
mention that the bolt action opens might be a good idea to tape a fireforming in the Whisper cham-
a whole new world of bullet choices small conversion chart to the scope ber or by using expanding dies. Fire-
for reloaders, because there is no for field use. forming was done in a Contender
worry about enough energy to work barrel using a charge of 5.0 grains
Trying to work with a specific
the action.
cartridge during the current Ice of Bullseye and then filling the
The scope has adjustment clicks Age of ammunition and compo- case up to the neck with Cream of

The Remington .300 AAC Blackout was fitted with a Meopta 4x16 Tactical scope.
The Remington’s muzzle is threaded to accept a suppressor.

Wheat topped by a plug of toilet

paper.
Normally groups are shot first
with factory loads as a basis for
comparison, but that wasn’t possi-
ble. I was able to score one box of
Remington .300 Blackout ammuni-
tion with a 220-grain bullet and
had some old Cor-Bon Whisper

For comparison (left to right): .221

Remington Fireball, .300 AAC Blackout
and .223 Remington.

61
 Whisper to Blackout
Table I .300 Blackout Supersonic Loads
velocity
bullet powder charge velocity spread accuracy
(grains) (grains) (fps) (fps) (inches)

125 Nosler Ballistic Tip H-110 18.0 2,156 65 1.01

Lil’Gun 16.0 1,846 46 0.74
135 Sierra Match H-110 17.8 2,136 43 0.85
Lil’Gun 15.5 2,026 28 0.56
150 Nosler Ballistic Tip H-110 17.0 2,015 42 1.25
Lil’Gun 15.0 1,955 32 0.91
155 Sierra Match H-110 17.0 1,995 33 0.88
Lil’Gun 14.5 1,877 26 0.93
168 Sierra Match H-110 15.0 1,788 56 0.59
Lil’Gun 14.0 1,810 12 0.49
Notes: All loads were shot with a Remington LTR rifle. Velocity readings are five-shot strings at 12 feet.
Accuracy results are five-shot groups at 100 yards.
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

ammunition with 125-, 150- and With the current shortage of com-
220-grain bullets, but they were ponents, Blackout shooters are
only used for velocity reference. making cases by cutting down
Factory loads then available fo- 5.56 or .223 Remington brass. Siz-
cused on either light or heavy ing can be done in standard dies
bullets, leaving quite a bit of unex- and then the cases trimmed to
plored territory to visit. length and chamfered. A word of
warning here: GI brass is almost
always heavier than the commer-
cial stuff, and that means it has a
smaller powder capacity. The old
advice of reducing charges a bit is
still valid. My thought is that pub-
lished starting loads will be fine,
but work up slowly from there.
With the knowledge that the only
difference between the Whisper
and Blackout is the name, I was
able to round up quite a bit of load-
ing data with Internet searches.
Most of those were meant for AR-
type rifles, and since I didn’t have
to worry about making the gun
function, I was free to use any .30-
caliber bullet and, since I had no
desire to set new speed records,
was able to cautiously infer or de-
duce loads for most of the weights
I wanted to try.
Load development for the bolt-
action rifle included bullets from
110 up to 220 grains and velocities
from 2,400 fps down to less than
900. The research was divided into
supersonic and subsonic loads
with the basic goal of finding the
best accuracy combinations for
each. Since some of my re-formed
62 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
Fireball brass was a bit long in ing with some loads using light weights of 168 and 175 grains.
the tooth, it was trimmed to 1.360 bullets, I gradually expanded the Obviously the two classes of am-
inches with an RCBS Trim Pro search. Earlier work had used a munition need vastly different
power case trimmer. good bit of H-110, and I found some scope adjustments, so I began with
more recent data with Lil’Gun. That
Because I simply couldn’t find
turned out to be a great choice.
enough factory ammunition to es-
tablish any sort of baseline, the Experience has taught me that
best I could do was to look at cat- neck sizing is a good thing in bolt
alog data and try to come close guns, so I ordered a set of Redding
with velocities. I also dug up data dies for both full-length and neck
from a long-ago Whisper story and sizing, and loading was done using
started there, and once I got go- re-formed Fireball cases that were
fired in the Remington and then
neck sized. Federal Match primers
were used.
The Remington’s muzzle was
thoughtfully threaded, and I hap-
pened to have a surpressor. While
factory loads are limited to 110-
to 115-grain or 204- to 220-grain
bullets, I wanted to see how
some of the other weights would
work, especially the common match

Left, old brass was trimmed on an RCBS

Tri-Pro trimmer using its clever three-
way cutter that also chamfers and
deburrs the case. Right, all loads were
assembled on a Redding turret press.
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 63
 The NEW
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RGB BULLET CO.
Quality Hard-Cast Bullets
Whisper to
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• BHN 5-22 •
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Cartridge 661-998-3164 • WWW.RGBBULLETS.COM
the faster loads, and the work
Gage progressed without event. With
subsonic loads things got compli-
“The Gage
That Works!” $15000 ULTIMATE CARTRIDGE CHECK SYSTEM cated. My normal practice is to
This is a gage to measure con-
PERFORMS 14 MEASURMENTS
sistency of rim thickness on
chronograph a bunch of handloads
Enterprise
.22 rimfire ammunition (a .22 Services, LLC NOW then shoot groups with those that
rimfire rifle’s headspace is deter- .95 $79
mined by case rim thickness).
show promise, but when I moved
www.uccsystem.com
The more consistent the rim to the 100-yard range, I simply ran
thickness, the more consistent (479) 629-5566
the ignition of the primer and the powder out of elevation adjustment.
charge in the case. In other words, the fir- Satisfaction
ing pin will fall the same distance every While I could easily get decent
time if the same rim thickness is used on
Guaranteed!
every case being fired for a particular hits using the mil dots in the
group. By sorting the shells into various
groups by rim thickness, a reduction in
Meopta scope, that really isn’t pre-
group size of up to 25% can be realized cise enough for shooting groups.
in some IF NOT MOST rimfire rifles. This VICKERMAN
information about group reduction comes
So the next step was to order a
from the .22 rimfire benchrest partici- Inline Window
pants who compete in the extremely diffi-
long-range base that gave an extra
cult BR-50 matches. All of the top
Seating Die 15 MOA elevation. To my surprise,
shooters sort their shells into groups by
checking rims and weighing the unfired
• For Extremely that wasn’t quite enough either.
cartridges. Accurate Seating
This is really one of those situa-
• 100% Guarantee
Gebhardt Machine Co. Dayton Machine Shop, LLC
tions that happens when one ven-
101 Allison St. tures outside the box. My range
Lock Haven, PA 17745 P.O. Box 25 • Dayton, WA 99328
TEL (570) 748-6772 is limited to 300 yards, and those
Bill Gebhardt, Owner
(NRA Benefactor Member - IBS Life Member)
509-382-4159 powder-puff Trail Boss loads I
vickermandies.com
like so much have never chal-
lenged a scope’s elevation range,
but a ballistics program indicated
my subsonic loads for the Black-
out were blazing along at 800 to
900 fps and would probably break
new ground for parabolic trajecto-
ries. The scope would have to be
shimmed.
In the meantime, preliminary test-
ing suggested that H-110 (or W-296)
and Lil’Gun did well in the Black-
out, so I embarked on load devel-
opment for both supersonic and
subsonic velocities. Bullet choices
were really dictated by the speeds
I wanted, so the supersonic loads
used weights of 125 to 168 grains,
and the subsonics used 168- to
220-grain bullets.
That wasn’t an entirely arbitrary
choice, because the first few sub-
sonic loads with lighter bullets
wouldn’t hit the proverbial barn.
After firing a few shots and finding
no bullet holes on the paper, I fi-
nally spotted a single oblong hole
at the bottom of the target. The
meandering velocities simply were
not enough to stabilize the short,
64 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
Table II .300 Blackout Subsonic Loads
velocity
bullet powder charge velocity spread accuracy
(grains) (grains) (fps) (fps) (inches)

165 Cutting Edge H-110 9.0 1,066 34 1.36

Lil’Gun 8.0 1,044 40 0.90
168 Sierra Match H-110 9.0 1,028 64 1.16
Lil’Gun 8.0 1,059 56 1.02
175 Sierra Match H-110 9.0 1,034 100 1.03
Lil’Gun 8.0 1,070 52 1.02
175 Berger OTM H-110 8.5 1,021 55 0.45 Redding AAC Blackout and RCBS
9.0 1,065 76 0.84 Whisper dies were interchangeable.
Lil’Gun 7.5 1,034 76 0.75
190 Sierra Match H-110 8.5 1,049 58 0.83 The Meopta was left with the el-
Lil’Gun 7.5 1,018 31 1.62 evation cranked all the way up, so
8.0 1,131 44 1.09
I counted how many clicks it took
200 Sierra Match H-110 8.5 954 85 1.61
to reach the bottom – 266 – then
Lil’Gun 7.5 914 70 1.21
brought it back up halfway for a
Notes: All loads were shot with a Remington LTR rifle. Velocity readings are five-shot strings at 12 feet.
Accuracy results are five-shot groups at 100 yards. starting point. With a 0.010-inch
Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. shim installed, I checked it with
the bore sighter and made a very
light bullets, even with the rifle’s only done this once or twice in the small adjustment. At the range,
one-in-7-inch twist. distant past, I decided to make the very first shot was a couple of
shims of 0.005, 0.010 and 0.015 inches high of point of aim. Don’t
Even though I had a 100-yard inch and started with the 0.010 you just love it when something
zero, I didn’t solve the scope issue. inch but took the others, plus turns out the way you want? When
To raise point of impact, shims everything needed to make more, the scope was returned, it was re-
were added to the mount. Having to the range. placed with a Leupold 16x Mk IV. •

October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 65

Hand-Held Depriming Tool Bullets & Brass
• Fits cartridges with normal flash holes (Continued from page 12)
from .20 cal. to .300 ultra mag, .460 work up to a maximum charge of
Weatherby Magnum and .45-100
• No dies or shell holders needed 54.5 to not over 55.0 grains for
• Machined from aluminum 2,850 fps.
• Black anodized finish Regarding data with the Barnes
Now selling
internationally! 140-grain TTSX bullet, start with
Harvey Deprimer 54.0 grains of IMR-4831 and
115 Airport Road work up to a maximum charge of
Lebanon, OR 97355 58.0 grains, which should yield
www.harveydeprimer.com over 3,000 fps. Another option is
to start with 54.0 grains of Al-
liant RL-22 and work up to a
Merit maximum charge of 59.5 grains
Iris Apertures for almost the same velocity.
“We recommend to all who
I hope you have a successful elk
are having Hodgdon H-110 powder is a good
season.
trouble with choice for duplicating factory loads in
vision of the .50 ACTION EXPRESS the .50 Action Express.
sights to try
Q: Ammunition for many of the look forward to each issue of
the Merit Iris calibers that I shoot are not avail- Handloader magazine and con-
Shutter Disk” able anywhere. For this reason, I sider it the only magazine that pro-
- Elmer Keith, Sixguns by Keith took up handloading about two vides truly useful information for
518-346-1420 years ago. I have been having so handloaders.
meritcorporation.com much fun and have learned so
I do have a question that I hope
Merit Corporation much that I wish I would have
P.O. Box 9044 taken it up 20 years ago. And I you can help me with. I have a
Schenectady, NY 12309 Desert Eagle .50 Action Express
and have had a difficult time get-
ting good data. I found some using
Alliant Unique, but most of the
rounds won’t cycle reliably. They
chamber correctly, but when fired
there doesn’t seem to be enough
recoil to open the action and eject
the empty case or feed a new one.
Can you suggest a load for the
Speer 325-grain hollowpoint bullet
that will function correctly? Thanks.
– B.H., via e-mail
A: It sounds like your load is fail-
ing to function due to a powder
that is burning too fast and is
not producing enough gas energy
to reliably cycle the action. To du-
plicate the velocity and pressures
from Speer factory loads, I sug-
gest using 32.0 to not over 33.0
grains of Hodgdon H-110 powder
with the Speer 325-grain plated
HP bullet and cap it with a
CCI 350 Large Pistol Magnum
primer. This will reach around
1,425 to 1,450 fps, should func-
tion reliably in your pistol and is
within industry pressure guide-
lines that are currently estab-
lished at 35,000 psi. •
66 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
Reloader’s Press on it.” In the noise of the crowded Skeeter’s fictional friend Dobe
(Continued from page 9) aisle, I sort of mistook what he said Grant in so many great stories, has
as that he had a bullet with my one of my wildcats on the Shipp
many years ago, “Guns I Should
name on it, or some such, and was Ranch. You can’t make this up.
Have Kept.”
a bit startled. I must have had a
In retrospect, the S&W .44 Target pretty blank look on my face, as Fortunately, PJS, then-publisher
may have been the most accurate he extended his right hand, re- of ST, saw fit to reprint many,
handgun I have ever used, although peating “I have a rifle with your if not most, of Skelton’s work in
the Patridge/Call Gold Bead front name on it.” I quipped back, “It’s a two books and one paperback
sight was a bit too wide for my pleasure to meet you, what name magazine-sized publication, Good
liking, or the rear notch was a bit is that?” – not thinking about the Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey
to narrow, take your pick. For wildcat(s) that Bob Fulton (Hawk (1988); Hoglegs, Hipshots and Jala-
arget shooting it was fine when Bullets) and I developed a number peños (1991); and Skeeter Skelton
there was plenty of time to acquire of years ago. I managed to ask how on Handguns (1980), respectively.
a perfect sight picture, but for he came by it, which he explained Sally Jim’s book, I Remember
hunting, the sights were a bit too was a gift from a friend. The crowd Skeeter (1997), which represents
confined. closed in, and Evan and Bart de- an artful undertaking by a won-
The Colt SAA .44 Special was used parted as quickly as they had ar- derful lady, was long ago sold out,
for handgun silhouette competition rived, leaving me a bit stunned and but it and the others might be
for a couple of years, where it was thinking holy cow, Evan Quiros, found on Amazon or whatever out-
openly condemned by many as who in some measure served as of-print book outlets. •
an obsolete cowboy gun by the
boys with the big guns, mostly
BRASS MASTER
BL ’S
M ER
ER

Dan Wessons, S&Ws and Rugers,

TU UML

that were so popular at the time.

ULTRA VIBE CASE CLEANERS
TH

It seemed to take forever for the

.44 Special slug to arc out over 200 Made of durable steel construc-
yards, but the distinct “clunk” when tion - heavy polyethylene bowl -
that cast bullet plunked steel was heavyduty, sealed ballbearing
worth more than words can ex- motors - thermally protected - fast,
press in terms of “stuffing it” to the quiet operation - 3⁄4 to 43⁄4 gallon
capacity - industrial and rotary
ever-present critics. In mixed com- models available.
pany, accuracy with the Colt .44 Send for our free brochure!
was explained simply as, “If you TRU-SQUARE METAL PRODUCTS, INC.
toss enough lead in the air, sooner P.O. Box 585, Auburn, Washington 98071
or later you will hit something.” TEL (253) 833-2310 or Toll Free 1-(800) 225-1017 FAX (253) 833-2349
“Manufacturers of quality case cleaners, deburring and tumbling equipment since 1959”
I’m somewhat humbled to have
crossed paths with Elmer Keith,
who signed two of his books for
my birthday in 1979, and Bill Jor-
dan, who dazzled me with his quick-
ness and accuracy on the TV show
“You Asked for It” nearly 60 years
ago. Which is not to ignore all the
fine writers who have contributed
to the magazines over the years.
I never met Skeeter, albeit I did
meet his friend Evan Quiros, the
owner of the Shipp Ranch that
Skelton mentioned so often in his
writing.
I was standing to the side of a
crowded aisle at a trade show
when I spotted Bart Skelton (Skeet-
er’s son) and waited until he ap-
proached to say hello. Another man
with Bart was wearing a name
tag, Evan Quiros, who walked up,
looked me straight in the eye and
said, “I have a rifle with your name
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 67
 In Range
Get Trim . . . (Continued from page 70)

. . .with the vestment. You can tell almost at a

glance if it has been abused, but
since each operation is done by
“World’s Finest Trimmer”
6593 113th Ave. NE, Suite C The WFT is designed for
hand, one stroke at a time, it takes
Spicer, MN 56288 trimming bottle-neck some pretty serious maltreatment
Tel: (320) 796-0530 cartridges powered by to render such a machine unus-
[email protected] your hand held drill. able. Buy it, fasten it to a sheet of
scrap plywood, and when the time
• The Original WFT – comes, simply clamp it to your
Single caliber trimmer (3/8” shaft)
available for .17 through .338 bench. When not in use, it can be
calibers. $69.95 stuck in a corner, out of the way.
• The WFT2 –
Interchangeable caliber trimmer Before the Lee Loader, the hand-
(1/2” shaft) available for .17
through .45 calibers. tool universe was ruled by the
Housing Assembly - $69.95 Lyman 310 “tong tool,” a device
Chambers sold separately - $24.95
• The “Big Boy” WFT –
that resembled a hefty pliers with
50 BMG model also available a die attached. The Lee, vastly sim-
We currently manufacture more pler and cheaper, displaced the
than 150 different calibers Lyman.
WFT provides accurate
and consistent results, Starting at Through the 1960s and 1970s, the
GUARANTEED!
After a dozen cases you
$69.95 Lee Loader was regarded as the
should be an expert!
tool of the beginner or once-a-year
deer hunter. Since it neck-sized
Visit our website
only, it was pretty basic. Each
www.littlecrowgunworks.com implement could be turned on a
to order and view video demonstrations, lathe, and it came with a small
instructions and additional products. powder scoop. A chart was in-
cluded showing the appropriate
powder for that scoop, using dif-
ferent bullet weights. The shotshell
kits were a little more elaborate
and included shot scoops as well.
Lee Loaders got a boost from an
unexpected quarter as benchrest
shooting gained popularity. The
most serious target shooters real-
ized they could get better accu-
racy by neck-sizing only – and still
better using the same case and re-
loading after each shot. You could
take your Lee Loader to the range
and do all the operations right
there, throughout the match.
Lee responded with a more elab-
orate target model, which included
an inside neck reaming tool, primer
pocket reamer and a few other
goodies. These kits were about
twice the price of the standard –
$20 versus $10 – but they worked
extremely well. More than one
benchrest match was won by a
shooter using a Lee tool to pro-
duce super-precise ammunition.
Through the same period, shot-
shell reloading went a completely
68 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 298
 number of experimenters in shot- There is another interesting as-
shell loads is limited. pect to the American market,
Looking around, though, I found whether it is for guns, ammuni-
a couple of small manufacturers tion, loading equipment, sights or
listed online. One is Lane’s Reload- anything else. Every time an aging
ing in Michigan (www.lanesreload gunshop closes up, all kinds of
ing.com) and another is Paco Kelly artifacts surface. This is why, peri-
in Arizona (www.pacotools.com). odically, we see stuff for sale billed
These are shotshell loaders only; “new in the box,” yet it has not
Lane offers gauges from 10 to been manufactured for 50 years.
.410, while Kelly makes only 28 There are myriad goodies tucked
Although Texan is long-since out of gauge and .410. Both follow the away on store-room shelves col-
business, used machines can be found Lee approach, and both are vastly lecting dust, waiting to be cleared
on eBay, various loading websites or cheaper than buying a new Pons- out. Whatever you’re looking for,
for sale at gun clubs. They usually cost ness-Warren every time you want if you’re patient, it’s almost certain
only a few bucks.
to try a different load. to come along eventually. •
different direction. With no shot-
shell equivalent of benchrest, the
Lee Loader fell into disfavor as
the emphasis was placed on speed
and quantity. Where a benchrest
shooter might fire 5 or 10 precise
shots, a trap shooter would burn
through 500.
At one time, I owned three Lee
Loaders (target model in .300
Weatherby Magnum and .222 Rem-
ington Magnum and standard in
.30-06), and even went so far as to
buy the complete set of scoops to
allow maximum flexibility in pow-
der charges. They all disappeared
somewhere along the line, but so 4D Reamer Rentals, Ltd. ................................23 Midsouth Shooters Supply Co........................10
did the rifles they were used for. I AASA, Inc. ......................................................45 Mike Bellm’s TCs ............................................57
Action Bullets, Inc. .........................................16 MTM Molded Products Company ...................35
never did own a shotshell kit. Ammo Up .......................................................58 NOE Bullet Moulds, LLC .................................36
Berger Bullets .................................................12 Norma ............................................................19
A quick look on eBay, where Berry’s Mfg.......................................................2 Nosler.............................................................21
Black Widow Shooters ...................................64 Oehler Research, Inc. .....................................57
you can buy practically anything, Bullets.com ........................................23, 25, 27 Oregon Trail Bullet Company ..........................63
showed exactly one (1) shotshell Colorado Shooter’s Supply .............................20 Pacific Tool & Gauge, Inc. ..............................66
Conetrol Scope Mounts ............................27, 36 Patmarlins ......................................................45
kit for sale, in 20 gauge, and it sold Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc. ..................37 PMA Tool........................................................50
for $46.50 – almost five times its Cutting Edge Bullets .......................................45 Precision Reloading, LLC ...............................59
Dale Fricke Holsters........................................54 Puff-Lon .........................................................36
original price, and there were a Dave Manson Precision Reamers ...................50 Quality Cartridge.............................................30
Dillon Precision Products, Inc. .......................20 Quinetics Corporation.....................................20
dozen guys bidding on it. Two days Douglas Barrels, Inc. ......................................24
Eagle View Arms.............................................25
Redding Reloading Equipment .......................30
RGB Bullet Company ......................................64
AD INDE X
later, there were two dozen kits Enterprise Services, LLC ................................64 Rigel Products................................................36
listed, for various gauges and cal- Gebhardt Machine Company ..........................64 Rim Rock Bullets ............................................22
Gemmell’s Machine Works .............................64 Schuetzen Gun Company, LLC .......................30
ibers. When something obscure Gradient Lens Corporation .....................7, 9, 11 Sharp Shoot R Precision, Inc. ........................67
sells for good money, suddenly Graf & Sons, Inc.............................................42 Sheep River Hunting Camps...........................42
Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc. ..................57 Shooting Chrony, Inc......................................14
a bunch appear out of the wood- Hammond Game Getter ..................................23 Shotgun Sports ..............................................68
Harrells Precision .............................................6 Sierra Bullets ....................................................8
work. Harris Engineering..........................................62 Sinclair International, Inc................................28
Harvey Deprimer ............................................66 Sou’Wester Outfitting .....................................27
For benchrest shooters, a selec- Hayley’s Custom Ammunition.........................58 SPG Lubricants ..............................................44
High Plains Reboring & Barrels, LLC..............44 SSK Industries................................................36
tion of specialized, portable tools Hodgdon Powder Company..............................5 Starline ...........................................................15
replaced the Lee Loader. Shotshell Hornady Manufacturing Co.............................31 Stocky’s, LLC..................................................70
Huntington Die Specialties .......................43, 45 Swift Bullet Company .....................................17
loaders, however, were out of luck IMR Powder Company .....................................3 The Hawken Shop...........................................57
after Lee ceased production of the IOSSO Products .............................................24 Timney Triggers, LLC......................................16
Johnson Design Specialties..............................8 Tru-Square Metal Products.............................67
handy gadget around 1988. Since King Shooters Supply, Inc. .............................44 UniqueTek, Inc................................................62
Lawrence Brand Hardcast Bullets ...................50 Vais Arms, Inc. ...............................................69
the low price of target shotshells Leadheads Bullets ..........................................30 Vista Outdoor Sales, LLC..........................13, 72
is having an impact even on high- Little Crow Gunworks, LLC.......................16, 68 Western Powders .........................18, 49, 56, 65
Lohman Arms.................................................50 Wineland Walnut ............................................36
capacity reloading, there is mini- Lyman Products Corporation..........................29 Wolfe Publishing Co. ................................51, 71
Merit Corporation ...........................................66 Zero Bullet Company, Inc. ..............................43
mal demand for a hand tool. The
October-November 2015 www.handloadermagazine.com 69
 WHEN SIMPLER IS FAR BETTER
IN RANGE by Terry Wieland
A friend has solved the con-
tinuing problem of reloading
shotshells in a variety of gauges
gressive tools are designed to pro-
duce large quantities of one load
quickly. For a trap shooter who
and charge weights: Every time he goes through several hundred
wants a new load, he buys another rounds in a day, and sticks with
progressive reloading machine (usu- just one load, this is great. For the
ally a Ponsness-Warren or Hornady multigun man, who hunts, shoots
366) and sets it up, permanently targets, occasionally spends time
adjusted to one load only. at a patterning board and likes to
tinker with wad and shot combi-
Needless to say, he has a little
nations, it’s a recipe for madness.
more space than you or I. His re-
loading room is the size of a small Years ago, many shooters who
house, and a dozen loading ma- reloaded shotshells could date
chines occupy a bench stretching their education to an early expe-
into the distance. Each machine is rience with the Lee Loader, a sys-
flanked by bins containing hulls tem so basic it almost defies
and wads, and the shelves above belief. Every single operation is
hold the other components. performed by hand, using the sim-
This admittedly idiosyncratic be- plest of tools. In fact, anyone with
havior might be explained by too an eye to history can trace the an-
much money or not enough pa- cestry of the Lee Loader to the
Antique single-stage shotshell presses, capping and decapping tools, wad
tience, but in reality it reflects a
like this Texan 20 gauge, are useful for
healthy realization that shotshell experimental loads and small runs of
seaters and crimping tools used
reloading, using modern progres- specialty loads. in the 1800s to load black-powder
sive presses, does not lend itself to cartridges, one at a time. Even
either experimentation or small tempting to adjust certain settings. those were more complicated than
runs of specialty loads. Since most machines come from the Lee Loader, the basic oper-
the factory preset for Winchester ation of which is provided by a
Anyone who has ever converted
AA hulls and standard target loads, mallet.
a big progressive from a load using
anyone wanting anything else is
one hull and wad combination Those of us who grew up with
condemned to venture into the
to another knows the difficulties Lee Loaders spent much of our
arcane world of machine adjust-
involved. In fact, many loading tedious loading time wishing for
ments.
manuals, and even the machine’s something faster. I know I did.
instructions, caution against at- Like modern CNC machines, pro- Only now, using a Hornady or
Ponsness-Warren, do I really ap-
preciate the virtues of simplicity
when it comes to producing small
lots of specialty cartridges.
Of course, you don’t have to re-
sort to a Lee Loader to get simplic-
ity, which is fortunate, because
they are no longer made for shot-
shells. In between lie the simpler
MEC machines, and there are even
old ones like the Texan that can
be put to use. These are found on
eBay or on the “take it, cheap”
counter in gun clubs. At $50 or
$60, such a machine is a good in-
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