H
Enter HANDLOADERs 50th Anniversary Giveaway
RIFLES
ANDLOADER
See Inside for Details
Heavyweight
Hammer!
Revolver Cartridge .358 Norma
Crimping Tips
April 2017 No. 307
8 Uberti Single-
Action .45 Colt 38 Beginning Bullet
Bullets & Brass - Casting Part III
Brian Pearce Casting Good Bullets
Mike Venturino
On the cover . . .
14 3-Inch 20 Gauge
Part I
This Schultz & Larsen Model
65DL with a Zeiss scope is 44 Deer Bullets
Cartridge Board - chambered for the iconic for the .45-70
Gil Sengel .358 Norma Magnum. Photo Loading the Lyman
by Terry Wieland. Goulds 45-330
Express Bullet
18 Winchester 572
Propellant Profiles -
John Haviland
R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
48 .243 Winchester
New Powders
22 Revolver
Cartridge
and Bullets
for the Most
Crimping Tips Popular 6mm
From the Hip - Brian Pearce
Brian Pearce
56 Duplicating
26 .44 Special
Mikes Shootin Shack -
Factory
Ammunition
Mike Venturino Sometimes the reward
is worth the work.
28 .257 Wildcat
Wildcat Cartridges -
John Barsness
Richard Mann
64 Necking a Short
Magnum to 6.5
74 Premium Bullets
In Range - Page 38 . . .
Loads for a
Noncommercial WSM
Terry Wieland Rick Jamison
Page 44 . . .
W hen my wife, Roberta, came tory loads that keeps getting lon- Publishing Consultant Mark Harris
home and informed me of ger and longer. Editor in Chief Lee J. Hoots
Ken Waters passing recently, a That was true then, and its true Editor Emeritus Dave Scovill
lot of thoughts raced through now. Rest in peace, dear friend. Managing Editor Roberta Scovill
my mind, but it all boiled down Senior Art Director Gerald Hudson
Excerpts from the New Canaan Production Director Becky Pinkley
to one: It was an honor to work
Advertiser:
with such a remarkable man. The Contributing Editors
breadth of his lifes work as a Kenneth L. Waters, 99, John Barsness Gil Sengel
handloader covers an astonishing WW II Veteran, John Haviland Stan Trzoniec
variety of the usual rifles and car- Former Town Official Richard Mann R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
tridges, but it was his appreciation Brian Pearce Mike Venturino
and respect for his readers that set Kenneth L. Waters of New Ca-
Charles E. Petty Terry Wieland
him apart, not only for his volume naan died January 8, 2017, at his
of Pet Loads but also letters and home following a brief illness. Advertising
correspondence to readers across Born July 22, 1917, in Pound Advertising Director - Tammy Rossi
the world. It is funny now, but I Ridge, New York, the son of tammy@wolfepub.com
Advertising Representative - Tom Bowman
Hobart and Eleanor Waters, he bowman.t@sbcglobal.net
moved that same year to New Advertising Representative - James Dietsch
Canaan and attended school jamesdietsch@cox.net
Advertising Information: 1-800-899-7810
here, graduating from New
Canaan High in 1935, Circulation
following which he at- Circulation Manager Kendra Newell
tended Shorts Business circ@riflemag.com
Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810
School in Stamford. www.handloadermagazine.com
In 1939 he was ap-
Handloader (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bi-
pointed as a member monthly by Polacek Publishing Corporation, dba
of the New Canaan Wolfe Publishing Company (Don Polacek, Pres-
ident), 2180 Gulf-stream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona
Board of Assessors. 86301. Telephone: (928) 445-7810. Periodical Post-
age paid at Prescott, Arizona, and additional mail-
With the approach ing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions
of World War II in 1940, single issue, $5.99; 6 issues, $22.97; 12 issues,
$39.00. Foreign and Canada single issue, $5.99;
Ken sought appointment 6 issues $29.00; 12 issues, $51.00. Please allow 8-10
as a sub-lieutenant in the weeks for first issue. Advertising rates furnished
on request. All rights reserved.
Royal Navy for service aboard Change of address: Please give six weeks notice.
the 50 old destroyers being trans- Send both the old and new address, plus mailing
label if possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader
ferred from the U.S. Navy to the Magazine, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Ari-
was serious a few years ago when British under Lend-Lease. While zona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
Ken called, mentioning that he awaiting official acceptance from
to Handloader, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott,
Arizona 86301.
should retire, because he was run-
the British consulate, he was in- Canadian returns: PM #40612608. Pitney Bowes,
ning out of topics to cover in Pet
ducted in the U.S. Army on P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
Loads. I remarked, You cant re-
tire; theres probably some guy in
March 21, 1941. Wolfe Publishing Co.
Australia who wants information Married to Lois Ventres of 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A
Prescott, AZ 86301
about the .263 Express (a wildcat New Canaan on December 16, Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124
Ken designed in the mid-1950s that 1941, while on leave, he served Polacek Publishing Corporation
was popular in Australia for kan- successively in the 102nd and Publisher of Handloader is not responsible for
mishaps of any nature that might occur from use
garoo control, which was reincar- 91st Infantry regiments before of published loading data or from recommenda-
nated as the .260 Remington years being assigned to ships of the tions by any member of The Staff. No part of this
publication may be reproduced without written
later), and there isnt anyone else Army Mine Planter Service in permission from the publisher. Publisher assumes
on the planet to contact with your May 1942 because of his Coast all North American Rights upon acceptance and
payment for all manuscripts. Although all possible
knowledge of wildcats, let alone Guard Ships Operators License. care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept re-
the seemingly infinite list of fac- Following 18 months of ser- sponsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.
* * WARNING NOTICE * *
IMR-4895 for Reduced Loads
After my article Reduced Rifle contacted me with new informa- IMR-4895 for reduced loads, sug-
Loads appeared in Handloader tion. After considerable testing, gesting only H-4895 and Trail
No. 306 (February 2017), Hodgdon they recommend against using Boss. John Barsness
April-May 2017 www.handloadermagazine.com 7
Uberti single-action
.45 colt
BULLETS & BRASS by Brian Pearce
Q : I recently acquired a Uberti
Model 1873 Single Action .45
Colt with a 434 -inch barrel and in
The Uberti Model 1873 SAA pattern revolver has been steadily improved over
the years. Hodgdon Longshot powder will perform best with heavier bullets.
9mm Hi-PoWer
Q: I have a very early 1950s vin- ing load that has enough pressure
tage Browning Hi-Power in 9mm to reliably operate the slide and
that is in near mint condition. reach around 900 to 1,000 fps. Can
I have fired it very little as I am you suggest a powder and charge
aware of the barrel wear associ- weight?
ated with using jacketed bullets J.I., via e-mail
in quantity. Based on your sug-
A: Try 2.8 grains of Hodgdon Tite-
gestions, I would like to try cast
bullets, which should minimize group powder for around 930 fps
barrel wear and let me enjoy firing or 3.2 grains of Accurate No. 2
this classic pistol. I have on hand for 975 fps. Use a standard (non-
500 of Oregon Trails Laser-Cast magnum) primer, with these two
124-grain roundnose profile bul- loads being developed with a Win-
lets. I am only looking for a plink- chester Small Pistol primer.
ley, Oregon. I have a well-worn 33.5 grains for around 2,325 fps
Marlin .30-30 rifle that is used for (20-inch barrel), but you should
many purposes, but mostly to kill begin with a starting load of 31.0
preying coyotes. grains.
I am having two difficulties The somewhat square shoul-
with my .30-30 handloads and am der that you describe is probably
hoping you can offer solutions. I happening when you crimp the
have been handloading for my .44 cases. This can occur if the bullets
Magnum for several years without are seated and crimped as a single
too many problems but am still not operation. The problem becomes
a master at this art. most prevalent when crimping
First, occasionally some of the cases that vary in length using
fired .30-30 cases are sticking a traditional roll crimp, with the
in the chamber. I am using xx.x longer cases being over-crimped,
grains of Ramshot TAC powder which can cause the shoulder to
with Sierra 150-grain bullets. I slightly bulge as you describe. To
have owned the old Marlin Model confirm this diagnosis, try full-
36 for many years, and it doesnt length sizing cases and see if they
stick cases with factory loads. In all chamber with ease. If they do,
other instances loaded cartridges then the problem is occurring
stick in the chamber when I try to during the seating/crimping oper-
chamber them and must be forced ations. If they dont, you probably
when squeezing the lever closed. need to make additional adjust-
I can load a batch of ammo and ments to your sizing die.
some will easily chamber, but oth- Assuming this diagnosis is
ers will not and must be forced to correct, there are a couple of solu-
chamber. Some of the rounds that tions. First, trim all cases to the
do not want to chamber seem to same length, which will allow you
have a slight bulge or are some- to crimp uniformly, but be careful
what square at the base of the to not over-crimp, or the shoulder
shoulder, but others that were bulging will still occur. Another
loaded in the exact same process option is seating bullets to the
and same dies chamber normally. correct overall length, but do not
Any suggestions you can offer apply the crimp. Then, as a sepa-
would be appreciated. rate step, use a Lee Factory Crimp
B.T., Jordan Valley OR die. It offers reasonably uniform
A: First, your charge of Ramshot results with cases of different
TAC powder is excessive and prob- lengths, and neither will it cause
ably explains why fired cases are the shoulder to buckle or bulge.
sticking in the chamber. I would Good luck hunting those big
suggest a maximum charge of eastern Oregon coyotes.
12 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 307
3-incH 20 gaUge
Part i
CARTRIDGE BOARD by Gil Sengel
A friend recently questioned
why no shotgun cartridges
have been covered in this column.
awkward. A simple Number 12 was
adopted. This is why early shells
are headstamped No. 12 for 12
Good question. Perhaps it is just gauge, No. 16 for 16 gauge and so
that shotguns are so darn basic. on. Winchester-Western continued
Everybody interested in shoot- the practice into the plastic shell
ing has one . . . or two or three or era. The British and others later
more. Shotguns are also old. Hu- changed this to 12 bore, while
mans have been stuffing rocks, another following developed for
nails, bits of iron, glass and lead 12 gauge.
down smoothbore barrels for The 20 bore, 20 gauge, or what-
hundreds of years. Early citizens ever you want to call it, has a bore
fired their smoothbores at small diameter of exactly 0.615 inch. Of
edible birds and mammals, plus the many guns I have measured
annoying or predatory vermin. Of over the years using a dial gauge
course, these folks also regularly on the entire length of barrel, di-
fired their guns at each other for ameters ran from 0.615 to 0.619
the same reasons except, usu- inch on quality arms. Inexpen-
ally, the eating part. sive single shots vary all over the
At any rate, our interest here is place, from 0.618 to 0.635 inch. Early roll-crimped, 20-gauge shells
not muzzleloading guns, except to We now come to the 3-inch 20 (left to right): standard 2.5 inch, 3-inch
say that the rule for describing the gauge with no use of the word handload and a 3-inch empty case sold
size of the hole in large smooth- magnum. That word appeared to handloaders.
bore barrels far predates the car- in the eighteenth century and re-
tridge era. It goes back before the ferred to wine bottles of greater During the muzzleloading era,
percussion cap to the time when than normal capacity. Its meaning it was possible to use any amount
cannons fired only round, lead is the same when applied to car- of powder and shot desired, since
balls. A 3-pounder cannon fired tridges, but such use is quite re- both were poured loosely down
a ball weighing exactly 3 pounds. cent. Three-inch cases scale this the bore. The British did a lot of ex-
Early muskets were designated length from base to mouth of a perimenting and determined that
similarly. fired cartridge. Standard 20s mea- what was often called a square
It quickly became obvious that sured 2.75 inches beginning about shot charge (height of the charge
calling a gun having a bore such 1930 and 2.5 inches before that. equaled bore diameter) gave the
that 12 lead balls made one pound Date of introduction of the 3-inch best results. In the 20 gauge this
a one-twelfth pounder was a bit 20 gauge? Well, that depends. was 34 ounce. Also, the most ef-
ficient black-powder charge was
D F G one that equaled the shot charge
in volume, not weight. By use of
a ballistic pendulum, velocity of
these loads registered about 1,050
fps in muzzleloaders.
E
With the coming of self-con-
tained cartridges, the foregoing
rules remained pretty much un-
C changed. In America there was a
B
A tendency to increase powder and
Cartridge Dimensions D - Rim Thickness ...............0.050 shot charges a bit, but only in 12
A - Fired Length...................3.000 E - Rim Diameter .................0.758 and 10 bores. As the transition to
B - Crimp Length .................2.840 F - Case Base Diameter ......0.689 smokeless powder began, strange
C - Case Base Length .........0.700 G - Mouth Diameter .............0.675 things happened.
NOTE: Dimensions may vary among manufacturers.
The new, dense smokeless pow-
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O
n June 26, 1959, Swedens
Ingemar Johansson demol-
ished Floyd Patterson in
the third round of their first
heavyweight title fight in New York.
Johanssons main weapon in fact,
his only one was a devastating right
hand that boxing writers called the
Hammer of Thor.
By coincidence, in that same year, Norma Projek-
tilfabrik of Sweden introduced its own heavyweight
champion, the .358 Norma Magnum. For the next year,
comparisons were inevitable between Johanssons
Hammer of Thor and the .358s powerful 250-grain
bullet. As it turned out, having a great punch was not
enough for either one. Theres more to success than
merely landing a good one on the chin.
In Johanssons case, disdain for serious training
left him vulnerable when the superbly conditioned
Patterson came back a year later, gave him a dazzling
boxing lesson and reclaimed the title. Meanwhile,
the .358 Norma fizzled, for lack of a better term, be-
cause rifles were not readily available, ammunition
was expensive and hard to get, and it found itself in
direct competition with one of the great American
cartridges of the twentieth century, Winchesters .338
Magnum. In cartridges, as in boxing, what goes on be-
hind the scenes often determines the outcome.
In its early years of attempting Its now almost 60 years since the .358 Norma Mag-
to crack the American market, num came on the scene 60 years in which one writer
Norma marked its brass Re to
after another has sung its praises and bemoaned its
show it was not Berdan-primed
and so could be reloaded. fate. It hangs on, having established itself in various
small niches (the moose-hunting Yukon Territory, for
example) and with a handful of devotees, but with-
out ever gaining the status of a standard like the .375
H&H or .338 Winchester Magnum its two main com-
petitors through the years.
THE
HEAVYWEIGHT
.358 Norma
32 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 307
A Magnum Cartridge That Pulls No Punch
In any mass-production rifle, either the .375 or .338, Alas, to the best of my knowledge, its not imported
or both, will be found as a standard chambering. Not to the U.S.
so the .358 Norma. Today, it is strictly a custom prop- This raises the obvious question: Why, with so
osition unless one of the original rifles chambered for many modern cartridges around of more or less
it can be found. These were, primarily, the Schultz equal power, chambered in readily available rifles, is
& Larsen (Denmark), the Husqvarna (Sweden) and a there this lingering interest in, and loyalty to, the .358
few Browning High Powers made by FN in Belgium. Norma? What keeps it alive?
This list gives some idea of the .358 Normas status There are several reasons. First, it will do every-
today: Those rifles rarely seem to come on the mar- thing the .338 will, and a bit more. At the same time, it
ket. The fortunate few who own them want to keep will do almost everything the .375 will but with vastly
them, and these are the core admirers who make it more versatility. For the handloader, as the accompa-
worth Normas while to continue offering brass and nying table demonstrates, the .358 Norma Magnum
loaded ammunition. provides an almost unbelievable range of possibili-
Its also worth noting that, in spite of its relative ties, from loads light enough for gallery shooting to
obscurity, the cartridge appears in many of the most heavy enough for anything but elephant.
recent loading manuals, including Normas own, a Unlike either the .338 or .375, the .35 (.358-inch)
worthwhile addition to anyones reloading library. In has been a standard American caliber since 1900.
the entry on the .358 Norma, it maintains that, had From the .35 Winchester (1903), .35 Remington (1906)
Norma convinced a major American riflemaker to and .351 Winchester Self-Loading (1907) to the later
offer the chambering in the early years, it could .358 Winchester (1955) and .350 Remington Magnum
have become one of the greats. It also notes that (1965), there has always been at least one .35-caliber
the reconstituted Schultz & Larsen company is offer- cartridge in use. Griffin & Howe developed the semi-
ing the chambering in its Model 97 takedown rifle. wildcat .350 G&H based on the .375 H&H case, as well
as pioneering the .35 Whelen.
The nearest of any to the .358 Norma was the .35
Newton, which it closely resembles. Throw a belt on
the .35 Newton and you couldnt tell the difference
three feet away. The Newton was supposedly loaded,
by Western Cartridge, to 2,975 fps with a 250-grain
bullet, but I, for one, would want to see the chrono-
graph reading. An earlier Western Cartridge load de-
livered 2,660 fps, which I suspect is closer to the truth.
Left, Normas original spec sheet for the .358 Norma Magnum
when it was released in 1959 indicated the cartridges ballis-
tics. Below is a sampling of .35-caliber cast bullets offered by
Lyman/Ideal in the first half of the twentieth century. Over
the years, Lyman listed 47 different .358-caliber moulds
ranging in bullet weight from 70 to 282 grains.
.358 Norma
Either way, the Newton is the un-
belted twin of the .358 Norma.
As a result of all this activ-
ity, .358-inch diameter jacketed
rifle bullets are available in a
wide range of weights and styles,
from 150-grain semipointed to
200- grain roundnose, all the way
up to 310 grains for the heaviest
game. Not only that, many differ-
ent bullet moulds were made for
casting .358 bullets in some of
the most fanciful shapes. Lyman
lists 47 different moulds that were
available at one time or another,
ranging in bullet weight from 70
to 282 grains. Most were intended
for .38-caliber handguns, but any
bullet made for either the .38 Spe- Three rivals: (1) .338 Winchester From left: (1) .35 Remington, (2) .358
cial or .357 Magnum can be loaded Magnum, (2) .358 Norma Magnum Winchester and (3) .358 Norma Magnum.
and (3) .375 H&H. Of the three, only The .358 Norma can be loaded down to
and shot in the .358 Norma Mag-
the .358 Norma has not become a duplicate the performance of either of
num with varying degrees of suc- standard chambering. the two smaller cartridges.
cess. The better ones create mild
gallery or small-game loads that inch diameter bullets are a gold Although Norma failed in its
are economical, quiet, virtually mine. None of this can be said for attempts to have the .358 cham-
without recoil and best of all a either the .338 Winchester Mag- bered in an American rifle, it tried
lot of fun to shoot. num or the .375 H&H. In both car- to interest gunsmiths and shooters
For anyone with an experimen- tridges, versatility is limited more by providing complete specifica-
tal or fanciful turn of mind, the by the narrow range of bullets tions, as well as chamber ream-
.358 Norma and the many .358- available than by any other factor. ers, dummy cartridges and all the
wherewithal to produce custom
The .358 Norma established rifles. This succeeded, but only
its reputation in high-end
hunting rifles like this Schultz
to a degree, and provided a good
& Larsen Model 65DL. object lesson for future cartridge
designers.
The first time I ever hunted with
a .358 Norma Magnum, it was a
custom rifle built on a Mauser
Mark X action. I took it to Texas in
1989 and decked a nilgai at about
90 yards. The bullet went in be-
hind the near shoulder, struck the
far shoulder from the inside, and
the blue bull hit the ground with
a thud. It never got up. The guide
professed to be dumbstruck: I
never saw a nilgai knocked down
like that, he said, And we use
some big rifles here!
The bullet was the then-new
Trophy Bonded 250-grain Bear
Claw. As an experiment, I shot
the nilgai five or six more times
with different bullets, then hauled
Handloader 307
nosed bullets intended for the .35
Remington, and these fit a wide
range of uses.
With such a variety of bullets,
you would think the skys the limit
in terms of different loads, but
there are other factors to consider.
The major problem with light
loads is getting enough pressure to
provide a good gas seal. Powders
such as IMRs Trail Boss, Accu-
rates 5744 and IMRs discontin-
ued SR-4759 all work with lighter
bullets, and sometimes accuracy
is very good, even if the gas seal
is not. Since lack of a gas seal in
a low-pressure load is more of a
nuisance than a danger, it can be
ignored if you dont mind the soot.
With cast bullets, A-5744 and
Trail Boss are usually the best
choices, although H-4895 is a
good powder for midvelocity hunt-
1 2 3 4 5 ing loads. Any listing you find for
A cross-section of loads for the .358 Norma Magnum include the (1) Sierra H-4895 can be modified by loading
125-grain JHP, (2) Sierra 170 FMJ, (3) Speer 180, (4) 200-grain cast bullet and a only 60 percent of the published
(5) Sierra 200 roundnose. minimum to create some very
comfortable loads. From there,
the carcass back to the cleaning loads, turns the .358 Norma Mag- you can work up until you find a
station intact and carried out a num into a pussycat for recoil load that gives you the accuracy
necropsy. Of the bullets used, sev- but is easily capable of handling and velocity you want. The H-4895
eral performed extremely well, game such as black bears and load given in the table is not from
including the Bear Claw and a white-tailed deer out to 250 yards any manual but was worked up
Nosler 250-grain Partition. The or so. It can be the ballistic equiv- with the assistance of Hodgdon
Norma factory load, with Normas alent of the .30-06 with a 180-grain ballistician Ron Reiber.
own 250-grain bullet, performed bullet or, pushed the other way, it Its safe to say that of all the
poorly, coming apart in the chest can easily match the velocity of .358 Norma Magnum rifles in ex-
cavity. It was recovered in bits the .300 Weatherby Magnum with istence, there are more custom
and pieces. This was not the fac- the same weight bullet. Sierras than factory ones, and this makes
tory bullet from the 1960s, with 225-grain spitzer boat-tail, de- it tricky to load for in another way.
its mild-steel jacket, but a later signed for the .35 Whelen, is a stel- Original Schultz & Larsens had
one. How it would have done on lar performer in the .358 Norma. substantial freebore to keep pres-
a live animal is impossible to say. As well, most bullet manufactur- sures down, and Normas specifi-
Todays Norma factory ammuni- ers produce soft, 200-grain round- cations for the cartridge called for
tion is loaded with the companys
excellent bonded-core 250-grain
Oryx.
Among my own favorites for the
PMA Micro Die Adjuster
.358 Norma are the Nosler Parti-
tions in both 225 and 250 grains,
We wont say its the
Swift A-Frames (225, 250, 280) and
various Woodleighs, including the best thing to happen
unique 310-grain Weldcore. Any of to reloading . . . but
these will handle just about any you might!
big game one might hunt with a
.358 Norma, where you want to em-
ploy its ample knockdown power. PMA Tool Innovative Reloading
For more specialized uses, 260.246.5860 Equipment for the
Speer makes a 180-grain flatpoint www.pmatool.com Accurate Rifleman
(semispitzer) that, with reduced
April-May 2017 www.handloadermagazine.com 35
HEAVYWEIGHT .358 Norma
.358 Norma Magnum Select Loads
extreme
bullet powder charge velocity spread
(grains) (grains) (fps) (fps)
it. That does not mean that any terward. Frankly, I would not want
gunsmith who had his own ideas to be without them. Being able to
about velocity and accuracy might take off the scope and work with
not include it or go completely the iron sights, using cast bullets or
other way. For this reason, any- light jacketed bullets, adds an en-
one acquiring a .358 Norma should tirely new dimension to the rifle.
start low with every load and work In an age of ultra-specializatio
up slowly and carefully. in every field, and especially rifles,
With such a wide range of both such versatility is almost an anach-
cast and jacketed bullets available, ronism.
and todays variety in powders, the To return to our boxing anal-
.358 Norma has an embarrassment ogy, the .358 Norma Magnum not
of riches when it comes to load only has the Hammer of Thor,
possibilities. Short of a wounded but it also offers an excellent jab,
elephant or Cape buffalo in thick a good hook, a wicked uppercut
cover, there is no game I can think and a variety of feints. It can work
of for which you could not concoct in close or at a distance or dazzle
a load in the .358. you with footwork. Too bad Inge-
The original Schultz & Larsens mar Johansson was not so well
were sold without iron sights, and equipped. He, too, could have been
they were installed on my rifle af- one of the greats.
36 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 307
Beginning
BULLET CASTING
Mike Venturino
Photos by Yvonne Venturino
Part III
T Casting
his third installment of Be-
ginning Bullet Casting will
discuss the methods I use in
producing lead alloy bullets.
Some of the things I do might be pro-
Good
nounced obsolete by others. For in-
stance, upon beginning casting back
Bullets
in 1966, my mentors at Williamson,
West Virginias small gun club said
to drop a thumbnail-sized piece of
bullet lube, or section of candle, into
the pot for fluxing. Although there
now are commercial mixes for flux-
ing, I still use the old bullet lube/can-
dle wax method. To prevent excess
smoke, I keep a match handy to light
the melted flux.
A reader once commented to Mike that his goal was to cast such
good-looking bullets. For most handloaders, it takes years of practice.
BULLET
any alloy that looks like it is lead-
based. Lead, tin and antimony mix
well and can combine to produce
Part III
and the entire pot of alloy can
be rendered into a blend good for
nothing more than doorstops or
fall from a mould with wrinkles is paperweights. Know what alloy is
just about impossible to deal with: going into your lead pot, and this
The alloy has become contami- third wrinkle reason will never
nated. If the bullet moulds cavity be a problem.
is clean with alloy temperatures Rounded bands and rounded
properly high and bullets are still bases can be related problems
wrinkled, the culprit is the alloy. or totally separate. It is not un-
Ridges occur at the sprue scar if the The bullet base at left has the proper
caster uses too light a striking instrument type of sprue scar, but the one at right
or makes too light a blow when cutting appears to have been cut before the
the sprue. alloy was sufficiently hardened.
Despite no bullet inspection and no Groups like this from a .45 Colt SAA
extra care in handloading, Mike expects come easily without a tremendous
this sort of accuracy from his scoped amount of fuss and bother in the casting
M1903 Springfield .30-06. and loading processes.
his casting bench in order to keep pending on a given rifles bore con-
each bullet identical to the previ- dition and sighting equipment.
ous one. The key to getting away with
Now Id like to contradict my- casting quickly, and for quantity
self. The above paragraph refers instead of quality, is to make sure
to bullets used for competition, bullet bases are perfect. Whereas
whether meant for 1,000-yard minor wrinkles or flaws wont mat-
BPCR matches or 50-yard Bulls- ter except in precision competi-
eye pistol events. When casting tion, firing a bullet with a rounded
casual shooting or speed competi- base after one with a perfect base
tion bullets, I discard the cadence is likely to result in the two bullets
concept. Here we are talking landing far apart.
more about quantity than quality. A correlating factor here is the
For many years I strove to make dreaded divot in a bullets base
my handgun bullets just as per- as the sprue is cut. Again, this is
fect as my BPCR match bullets. more damaging for precision bul-
Machine rest handgun testing of lets than those meant for speed
many thousands of rounds over a competitions or for plinking. A
40-year period convinced me that plug pulled from the bullet base
small wrinkles and minor imper- is caused primarily in two ways.
fections in cast bullets make no It will happen if the alloy in the
difference whatsoever. In fact, for mould remains too hot when the
one test, some perfectly cast bul- sprue is cut. Not only will a plug
lets and some visually imperfect get pulled from the bullets base,
ones from the same mould were but alloy is also apt to get smeared
loaded exactly alike and fired across the block tops and even
from an S&W Model 29 with 612 - underneath the sprue plate. An-
inch barrel at 25 yards in 12-round other, more rare cause for plugs
groups. The flawed bullets actu- pulling from bullets bases can
ally cut the smaller group by a mi- arise from a heavily used mould,
nor amount. and the edges of the sprue hole can
This use of slightly flawed bul- become dull. Not many individual
lets carries over to rifles when moulds suffer that affliction.
speaking of shooting cast bullets In order to speed up production
in my collection of military bolt and keep from getting divots in
actions from 6.5mm to 8mm in cal- bullet bases and/or lead smeared
iber. Bullets are cast of straight Li- across mould tops, I keep a high-
notype in multiple-cavity moulds, speed manicurists fan to the
gas checked when sized properly left side of my lead pot. As soon
and then loaded. Most of my mil- as the mould is filled, it is set in
2020 W. Quail Avenue - Dept. HL itary rifles will put them in 114 - to front of the fan, which cools the
Phoenix, AZ 85027 2-MOA groups at 100 yards, de- sprue quickly. How many seconds
C
bullets are expensive, and recoil is cruel at the speeds
ontrary to the prevailing pref- required for them to expand on deer.
A few years ago my dilemma was solved by a cast
erence for large cartridges bullet designed well over a century ago. Lyman sells
that fire bullets fast enough its mould number 457122 for the bullet commonly
to shoot at dots of deer on known as the Goulds 45-330 Express. A.C. Gould was
the editor of Shooting and Fishing magazine in the
the far horizon, in recent years Ive late 1800s and set about to determine the best combi-
leaned toward deer hunting cartridges nation of bullet weight, velocity, trajectory, accuracy,
that require a closer approach, which manageable recoil and bullet expansion on game for
the .45-70. In his book Modern American Rifles, pub-
helps retain my enthusiasm for deer lished in 1892, Gould states:
hunting. I wrote the Ideal Manufacturing Co., of New Haven,
The .45-70 is one such cartridge that has sustained Conn., to make me several moulds for bullets weigh-
the excitement of the hunt. In searching for the ideal ing 350, 330, and 300 grains, all with hollow points,
.45-caliber deer bullet, Ive tried 400-grain cast bullets and in due time received them. I found the tools were
and 300- to 350-grain jacketed bullets. At the appro- very carefully made, and the bullets, when cast, were
priate velocity, heavy cast bullets create excessive re- apparently perfect. All of these bullets were tested in
W
hen Winchester intro-
duced the .243 Win-
chester in 1955, it quickly
became a best-selling
sporting cartridge. In the past 62
years, it has been chambered in a huge
variety of rifles and actions from doz-
ens of manufacturers and is con-
sistently one of the most reloaded
rifle cartridges. It is versatile, serving
as a top-notch, flat-shooting varmint
cartridge or as a big-game number ca-
pable of cleanly taking deer, antelope
and similar game, all while offering
modest recoil and excellent accuracy.
.243 WINCHESTER
The history of the .243 Winchester probably begins work by Winchester and the government as to bar-
with the 6mm Lee Navy cartridge (aka .236 Navy, Ball rel twist rates, velocities, bullet weights, profiles, etc.
Cartridge, 6mm, 6mm U.S.N.) as introduced by Win- This all set the stage for the .243 Winchester. (With
chester during 1894, and in 1895 in the Lee (straight small modifications, the 6mm Lee Navy was the par-
pull) rifle that utilized .244-inch bullets. In spite of ent case for the .220 Swift that Winchester introduced
being tested extensively and even adopted by the U.S. in 1935.)
Navy and Marines from 1895 through 1899 (with some It is unclear exactly when noted gun writer War-
sources indicating 1902), it was a cartridge that was ren Page began experimenting with 6mm/.243-inch
ahead of its time, which largely doomed it. For exam- wildcats, but it was probably during the early 1940s,
ple, barrel steels were not erosion resistant enough to which ultimately led to his necking down the .308
offer a long life, and period smokeless powders could Winchester case shortly after it was introduced in
not take advantage of the high-velocity potential the 1952. New powders significantly changed the future
small caliber offered, which resulted in excess barrel of this smallbore cartridge. Winchester quickly rec-
fouling that was reported to cause erratic pressures. ognized the value of Pages cartridge and the obvious
Nonetheless, there was considerable experimental caliber void in its line of sporting cartridges. During
Left, maximum
case length is 2.045
inches, while the
trim-to length is
2.035 inches. Right,
RCBS dies were
used to develop the
accompanying
handloads.
55 Nosler Ballistic Tip A-2700 45.0 2.610 3,408 58 Hornady V-MAX CFE 223 42.0 2.610 3,649
46.0 3,480 43.0 3,690
47.0 3,562 44.0 3,731
48.0 3,640 45.0 3,767
49.0 3,721 W-760 45.0 3,505
50.0 3,794 46.0 3,561
Big Game 45.0 3,485 47.0 3,648
46.0 3,548 48.0 3,730
47.0 3,611 49.0 3,798
48.0 3,710 H-4895 36.0 3,323
49.0 3,776 37.0 3,418
VV-N133 36.0 3,444 38.0 3,555
37.0 3,497 39.0 3,685
38.0 3,549 40.0 3,799
Varget 38.0 3,411 41.0 3,914
39.0 3,481 A-2520 35.0 3,220
40.0 3,559 36.0 3,280
41.0 3,650 37.0 3,346
42.0 3,736 38.0 3,415
43.0 3,824 39.0 3,484
44.0 3,890 40.0 3,549
45.0 3,985* 41.0 3,610
45.5 4,057 Varget 38.0 3,355
55 Sierra BlitzKing Benchmark 38.0 2.630 3,588 39.0 3,410
39.0 3,651 40.0 3,467
40.0 3,754 41.0 3,525
41.0 3,861 42.0 3,587
42.0 3,945 43.0 3,650
A-4064 40.0 3,260 44.0 3,708
41.0 3,349 44.5 3,760*
42.0 3,457 RL-15 38.0 3,180
43.0 3,561 39.0 3,254
44.0 3,677 40.0 3,335
45.0 3,789 41.0 3,417
46.0 3,884 42.0 3,501
H-4895 37.0 3,381 43.0 3,579
38.0 3,452 44.0 3,655
39.0 3,561 60 Sierra HP IMR-3031 36.0 2.610 3,325
40.0 3,644 37.0 3,417
41.0 3,760 38.0 3,519
42.0 3,861* 39.0 3,621
43.0 3,957 40.0 3,712
44.0 4,059 A-2700 45.5 3,455
45.0 4,146 46.5 3,534
58 Hornady V-MAX Big Game 44.0 2.610 3,472 47.5 3,621
45.0 3,515 48.5 3,709
46.0 3,565 49.5 3,785*
47.0 3,631 65 Hornady V-MAX IMR-4064 36.0 2.620 3,151
48.0 3,699 37.0 3,217
49.0 3,760 38.0 3,300
50.0 3,807 39.0 3,389
A-4064 42.0 3,487 40.0 3,464
43.0 3,534 41.0 3,559
44.0 3,648 42.0 3,678
45.0 3,740 43.0 3,785
46.0 3,835 44.0 3,884
46.5 3,922 IMR-4320 34.0 2,992
CFE 223 41.0 3,626 35.0 3,067
(Continued) (Continued on page 52)
65 Hornady V-MAX IMR-4320 36.0 2.620 3,148 70 Sierra BlitzKing Big Game 44.0 2.675 3,360
37.0 3,227 45.0 3,434
38.0 3,312 46.0 3,507
39.0 3,397 70 Speer TNT-HP RL-15 36.0 2.630 2,987
40.0 3,476 37.0 3,041
41.0 3,557 38.0 3,127
42.0 3,632 39.0 3,210
VV-N140 36.0 3,045 40.0 3,275*
37.0 3,118 H-380 40.0 3,001
38.0 3,196 41.0 3,140
39.0 3,274 42.0 3,261
40.0 3,357 43.0 3,319
41.0 3,441 44.0 3,388
41.8 3,517 45.0 3,470
42.5 3,588 46.0 3,528
Hunter 45.0 3,279 A-2700 40.0 2,902
46.0 3,335 41.0 3,003
47.0 3,407 42.0 3,100
48.0 3,475 43.0 3,211
49.0 3,540 44.0 3,307
50.0 3,588 45.0 3,397
50.5 3,618* 46.0 3,507
CFE 223 32.0 2,962 70 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR-4895 35.0 2.690 3,010
33.0 3,030 36.0 3,105
34.0 3,122 37.0 3,189
35.0 3,199 38.0 3,302
36.0 3,274 39.0 3,375
SUPERFORMANCE 47.0 3,413 40.0 3,455
48.0 3,460 Big Game 41.0 3,190
49.0 3,550 42.0 3,242
50.0 3,644 43.0 3,320
51.0 3,720 44.0 3,395
52.0 3,790 45.0 3,471
A-2700 44.0 3,453 46.0 3,530
45.0 3,517 Varget 36.0 3,088
46.0 3,601 37.0 3,178
47.0 3,685 38.0 3,240
48.0 3,752 39.0 3,333
70 Sierra BlitzKing Benchmark 35.5 2.675 3,200 40.0 3,425
36.5 3,312 41.0 3,498*
37.5 3,402 42.0 3,570
38.5 3,510 75 Hornady A-MAX IMR-4320 33.0 2.640 2,849
39.5 3,595 34.0 2,938
Varget 36.0 3,111 35.0 3,032
37.0 3,182 36.0 3,131
38.0 3,258 37.0 3,230
39.0 3,339 38.0 3,324
40.0 3,420 39.0 3,411*
41.0 3,493* A-2700 39.0 2,879
A-4064 37.0 2,956 40.0 2,947
38.0 3,052 41.0 3,020
39.0 3,163 42.0 3,093
40.0 3,259 43.0 3,171
Big Game 39.0 3,033 44.0 3,249
40.0 3,093 45.0 3,322
41.0 3,156 46.0 3,390
42.0 3,209 46.5 3,430
43.0 3,240 H-4350 43.0 3,069
(Continued) (Continued on page 53)
75 Hornady A-MAX H-4350 44.0 2.640 3,153 80 Barnes Tipped TSX W-760 37.0 2.640 2,711
45.0 3,247 38.0 2,781
46.0 3,341 39.0 2,854
47.0 3,425 40.0 2,952
SUPERFORMANCE 45.0 3,216 41.0 3,030
46.0 3,290 42.0 3,105
47.0 3,381 43.0 3,170
48.0 3,479 44.0 3,209
49.0 3,566 Hybrid 100V 38.0 2,832
50.0 3,648 39.0 2,896
75 Sierra HP W-760 42.0 2.625 3,090 40.0 2,965
43.0 3,185 41.0 3,039
44.0 3,291 42.0 3,113
45.0 3,395 43.0 3,177
46.0 3,488 VV-N160 37.0 2,676
VV-N135 34.0 3,092 38.0 2,736
35.0 3,163 39.0 2,801
36.0 3,239 40.0 2,871
37.0 3,320 41.0 2,942
38.0 3,401 42.0 3,006
39.0 3,472* 43.0 3,072
39.5 3,510 44.0 3,133*
75 Speer HP W-760 42.0 2.600 3,065 80 Nosler Ballistic Tip IMR-4350 39.0 2.690 2,766
43.0 3,149 40.0 2,832
44.0 3,250 41.0 2,926
45.0 3,369 42.0 2,997
46.0 3,461 43.0 3,065
IMR-4320 33.0 2,811 44.0 3,140
34.0 2,889 45.0 3,198
35.0 3,000 Varget 35.0 2,970
36.0 3,091 36.0 3,032
37.0 3,201 37.0 3,121
38.0 3,296 38.0 3,188
39.0 3,387* 39.0 3291
80 Hornady GMX A-2700 37.0 2.640 2,739 40.0 3,413*
38.0 2,805 A-2700 38.0 2,770
39.0 2,876 39.0 2,854
40.0 2,952 40.0 2,929
41.0 3,028 41.0 3,031
42.0 3,095 42.0 3,111
42.5 3,155 43.0 3,204
43.0 3,188 H-380 38.0 2,930
43.5 3,211* 39.0 2,987
SUPERFORMANCE 39.0 2,829 40.0 3,061
40.0 2,878 41.0 3,140
41.0 2,932 42.0 3,219
42.0 2,986 43.0 3,284
43.0 3,045 80 Sierra spitzer Big Game 38.0 2.650 2,870
44.0 3,104 boat-tail 39.0 2,977
45.0 3,158 40.0 3,044
46.0 3,207 41.0 3,100
RL-17 37.0 2,770 42.0 3,173
38.0 2,830 43.0 3,230*
39.0 2,911 IMR-4320 36.0 3,049
40.0 3,001 37.0 3,169
41.0 3,095 38.0 3,277
42.0 3,165 39.0 3,361
42.5 3,199 85 Hornady InterBond Power Pro 4000-MR 41.0 2.640 2,888
(Continued) (Continued on page 54)
85 Hornady Power Pro 4000-MR 42.0 2.640 2,970 90 Swift Scirocco II W-760 37.0 2.680 2,738
InterBond 43.0 3,044 38.0 2,793
44.0 3,101 39.0 2,875
45.0 3,176 40.0 2,955
46.0 3,262 41.0 3,023
47.0 3,315 95 Hornady SST A-2700 36.0 2.650 2,525
RL-17 41.0 2,998 37.0 2,590
42.0 3,079 38.0 2,666
43.0 3,199 39.0 2,750
44.0 3,298* 40.0 2,849
85 Sierra spitzer IMR-4895 34.0 2.640 2,904 41.0 2,913
boat-tail 35.0 2,980 Hybrid 100V 38.0 2,698
36.0 3,087 39.0 2,748
37.0 3,181* 40.0 2,818
38.0 3,255 41.0 2,880
Hunter 41.0 2,966 42.0 2,965
42.0 3,017 43.0 3,018
43.0 3,081 RL-17 37.0 2,649
44.0 3,155 38.0 2,713
45.0 3,222 39.0 2,805
46.0 3,275 40.0 2,880
87 Hornady V-MAX A-2520 29.0 2.640 2,470 41.0 2,948
30.0 2,558 42.0 3,031*
31.0 2,638 42.5 3,065
32.0 2,701 95 Nosler Partition IMR-7828 SSC 41.0 2.680 2,595
33.0 2,802 42.0 2,651
34.0 2,899 43.0 2,718
35.0 3,000* 44.0 2,794
Power Pro 4000-MR 40.0 2,832 45.0 2,855
41.0 2,880 46.0 2,929
42.0 2,951 Power Pro 4000-MR 40.0 2,733
43.0 3,021 41.0 2,790
44.0 3,105 42.0 2,868
45.0 3,166 43.0 2,955
46.0 3,230 44.0 3,029
90 Sierra FMJ-BT IMR-4895 32.0 2.670 2,690 45.0 3,091*
33.0 2,770 100 Sierra spitzer IMR-4895 32.0 2.650 2,588
34.0 2,852 boat-tail 33.0 2,669
35.0 2,965 34.0 2,739
36.0 3,077 35.0 2,849
37.0 3,162 36.0 2,912*
A-4350 38.0 2,695 36.5 2,955
39.0 2,733 A-2700 36.0 2,613
40.0 2,788 37.0 2,663
41.0 2,850 38.0 2,749
42.0 2,903* 39.0 2,834
42.5 2,946 40.0 2,892
90 Swift Scirocco II Power Pro 4000-MR 41.0 2.680 2,940 40.5 2,933
42.0 3,000 100 Nosler Partition H-4831SC 39.0 2.670 2,645
43.0 3,061 40.0 2,688
44.0 3,145 41.0 2,751
45.0 3,202 42.0 2,819
H-4895 32.0 2,821 43.0 2,890
33.0 2,870 44.0 2,951
34.0 2,944 45.0 3,001*
35.0 3,011 RL-19 38.0 2,591
36.0 3,092 39.0 2,640
37.0 3,158* 40.0 2,700
(Continued) (Continued on page 55)
100 Nosler Partition RL-19 41.0 2.670 2,755 100 Speer boat-tail VV-N165 48.0 2.640 2,998*
42.0 2,835 softpoint 49.0 3,061
43.0 2,878 105 Hornady A-MAX A-2700 37.0 2.640 2,588
43.5 2,905 38.0 2,656
100 Hornady boat-tail H-414 38.0 2.650 2,677 39.0 2,770
Spire Point 39.0 2,739 40.0 2,851*
40.0 2,839 Hybrid 100V 36.0 2,609
41.0 2,912 37.0 2,651
H-4350 38.0 2,666 38.0 2,712
39.0 2,733 39.0 2,771
40.0 2,826 40.0 2,840
41.0 2,903 41.0 2,895
Hybrid 100V 38.0 2,688 41.5 2,933
39.0 2,741 107 Sierra HPBT Power Pro 4000-MR 38.0 2.850 2,670
40.0 2,812 MatchKing 39.0 2,716
41.0 2,890 40.0 2,770
42.0 2,951 41.0 2,830
43.0 3,009 42.0 2,899
43.4 3,043 43.0 2,956
RL-17 37.0 2,630 43.5 2,977
38.0 2,691 H-4831SC 40.0 2,678
39.0 2,789 41.0 2,715
40.0 2,860 42.0 2,771
41.0 2,945 43.0 2,820*
42.0 3,025* RL-22 39.0 2,499
100 Speer boat-tail Power Pro 4000-MR 40.0 2.640 2,726 40.0 2,560
softpoint 41.0 2,779 41.0 2,640
42.0 2,851 42.0 2,731
43.0 2,940 43.0 2,803
44.0 3,000 43.5 2,844
44.8 3,070 * indicates potentially most accurate with that particular bullet
VV-N165 43.0 2,691 Notes: A 22-inch barreled Ruger M77RS was used to test-fire all loads. Federal
44.0 2,738 cases and Winchester Large Rifle primers were used throughout. Bullet diame-
45.0 2,801 ter: 6mm/.243 inch; maximum overall loaded length: 2.710 inches; maximum
case length: 2.045 inches; trim-to length: 2.035 inches.
46.0 2,880 Be Alert Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. Listed
47.0 2,935 loads are only valid in the test firearm used. Reduce initial powder charge by 10 percent and work
(Continued) up while watching for pressure signs.
bullets (55 to 58 grains), Hodgdon IMR-4895, IMR-4320; Alliant Re- vice also includes bonded bullets
H-4895 and Ramshot Big Game loder 15 and 17; Ramshot Big and common cup-and-core de-
reached velocities around 4,000 Game, Hunter; and several others signs. The bottom line is that the
fps. Big-game hunters who use 80- each produced top accuracy with bearing surface, profile and con-
to 100-grain bullets will be pleased a given bullet and load combina- struction differences will usually
with the velocities produced by tion. In working with the .243 Win- affect pressures. Use the data ex-
Accurate 2700 and 2520; Hodgdon chester, it seemed almost difficult actly as outlined. Do not reduce
SUPERFORMANCE, H-4895, Hy- to develop a load that didnt per- the starting charge weights, es-
brid 100V, Varget, H-4831SC, H-414, form reasonably well. pecially when loading spherical
Winchester 760, IMR-4350, IMR- Do not substitute bullets of the (Ball) powders, and never begin
4320; Alliant Reloder 17, Power same weight with a given powder with maximum powder charges.
Pro 4000-MR; Ramshot Big Game charge, as pressure will usually In spite of several excellent
and Hunter. change, sometimes significantly. .243/6mm cartridges being de-
Hodgdon Varget often displayed This is especially important when veloped to compete with the .243
top accuracy with several bullet using monolithic bullets, such Winchester, it has remained by
weights, but the margin by which as the Hornady 80-grain GMX or far the best-selling cartridge in
it edged out other powders was Barnes Tipped TSX-Bullet, which its category, and it doesnt appear
very small. Accurate 2700 and should be used with data devel- that it is going to lose that title
2520; Hodgdon 4895, H-4831SC, oped especially for them. This ad- anytime soon.
April-May 2017 www.handloadermagazine.com 55
Duplicating
John Barsness
H
alf a century ago, most
handloaders firmly knew
Factory
they could beat factory
ammunition in both ve-
locity and accuracy. Improved
accuracy was easily proven, but
Ammunition
velocity was a guess. Electronic
chronographs were so expensive
few existed outside major ballis-
tics laboratories. Shooters instead
depended on velocities listed in
ammunition catalogs and hand-
loading manuals, which were re- Sometimes the
garded somewhat like the National
Enquirer: Many people believed
reward is
everything printed inside, while
others suspected the facts might
worth the work.
be fiction.
Eventually the price of chronographs started This could be attributed to differences in in-
coming down. I purchased my first from a now-de- dividual rifles, but my .243 Winchester had a 22-
funct company in 1979. Considering inflation, it inch barrel, the same length as on the Winchester
cost about the same as an Oehler 35P or Labradar and Ruger 77 test rifles in Speers 9th and
today, something of a stretch for a college student 10th manuals. My handload also
but far less than the chronographs used by ammu- used exactly the same combi-
nition companies. nation of components:
Like many chronographs back then, reading Speer 105-grain Hot-
velocity involved turning a knob around a num- Cor spitzers, Win-
bered dial: If a light lit up next to a number, you chester cases, CCI
recorded that number. A complete turn of the dial 200 primers and
resulted in a multi-digit number, which was not IMR-4350 powder.
velocity. Instead you looked up the number in a In my Remington,
booklet, which converted it to velocity. The pro- 41.5 grains grouped
cess was slow but did result in non-fiction. best, and both manuals
The first ammunition chronographed was some indicated muzzle veloc-
.22 Long Rifle loads. The results came very close ity should be slightly under
to factory-listed velocities, so I chronographed 3,000 fps. Instead it averaged
some handloads. This could have taken all day, slightly under 2,800.
except I only owned three centerfire rifles: a pair My primary .270 load used
of Remington 700s (.243 and .270 Winchesters) the Hornady 150-grain Spire
and a sporterized 1903 Springfield with the mili- Point and 58.5 grains of H-4831.
tary .30-06 barrel. Hornadys recent manual listed 58.9
Only the .30-06s handload, a Nosler 200-grain
Partition combined with Hodgdons original mil-
surp H-4831, duplicated the velocities listed in my
old Speer Number 6 manual. (I also owned several Hornady Superformance .17 Hornet ammunition shot
newer manuals, but they only listed IMR-4831, not so well John couldnt really beat it with handloads in
H-4831.) Sadly, the .243 and .270 handloads ran his CZ 527, but he could match it by trying different
considerably slower than published data. powders and primers.
57
Duplicating than Alliant dot powders with col-
ored particles mixed in, powders
cant be positively identified by ap-
Factory
pearance, and most used in factory
rifle ammunition arent available to
handloaders anyway.
Ammunition
The powders we buy are nor-
mally blended from different manu-
facturing lots, to ensure reasonable
consistency in burn rate. Most am-
lets and rifles, but Ive also seen munition factories buy unblended
another factor at work: New brass powder that can vary considerably
is often straighter than cases re- from batch to batch, in cardboard
sized in a typical full-length die, barrels the size of 55-gallon drums.
where the expander ball can pull They can afford to use a pound to
the neck out of line with the case work up a new load, but dont take
body. New-brass forming is done
nearly as long as the typical hand- Remington factory ammunition shot
in a die resembling a typical full-
loader, since they normally have an well from a Tikka T3 Super Lite .260
length loading die without the ex-
pander. Unless the forming die is indoor range with pressure-testing Remington but didnt come anywhere
equipment and often an electronic near the factory advertised 2,750
worn by overuse, the necks of new fps. Alliant Reloder 23 and Nosler
cases come out very straight, so target. 140-grain AccuBonds beat the
bullets tend to be seated straighter On my first visit to a major am- accuracy and chronographed over
than in resized cases. munition factory years ago, one 2,700 fps from the 22-inch barrel.
When some handloaders chrono- of the ballisticians demonstrated
graph a zippy factory load, theyll working up a .270 Winchester arrive at a new powder charge for
disassemble a round, hoping to load, using powder from a barrel la- hundreds of thousands of rounds.
come up with a match for the pow- beled in a number unknown to hand- When handloaders want to work
der charge. This can help, but other loaders. It took less than an hour to up a really zippy load, the surest
Factory
loaded muzzle 100-yard
bullet powder charge length velocity group
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps) (inches)
.17 Hornady Hornet, CZ Model 527, 22-inch barrel
Ammunition
20 Hornady V-MAX SUPERFORMANCE FL* [3,650] 1.629 3,597 .57
A-1680 12.0 1.629 3,614 .43
(Handload used Hornady cases and Remington 7 12 primers.)
.17 Fireball, Remington 700, 24-inch barrel
less than an inch at 100 yards, 20 Remington Accu-Tip Remington FL [4,000] 1.811 3,810 .48
though muzzle velocity was over 20 Hornady V-MAX TAC 20.5 1.811 3,980 .47
200 fps slower than the advertised (Handload used Remington cases and Federal 205M primers.)
3,406 fps.
.204 Ruger, Remington 700, 24-inch barrel
Unfortunately, none of my early
40 Remington Accu-Tip Remington FL [3,900] 2.249 3,760 .75
handloads shot as well. Norma 40 Hornady V-MAX H-4895 27.5 2.330 3,806 .76
loads Weatherby factory ammuni-
(Handload used Remington cases and CCI 450 primers.)
tion, so I broke down a couple of
.223 Remington, Remington 700, 26-inch barrel
rounds, finding 51.0 grains of an
50 Nosler Ballistic Tip Black Hills FL [3,300] 2.245 3,451 .69
extruded powder. Normas load
50 Nosler Ballistic Tip TAC 26.0 2.245 3,476 .67
data for the 100-grain Partition
(Handload used Winchester cases and CCI BR-4 primers.)
showed charges of MRP (Mag-
.243 Winchester, Browning Low Wall, 24-inch barrel
num Rifle Powder) ranging from
100 Power Point Winchester FL [2,960] N/A* 2,956 1.09
50.0 to 53.0 grains, and the pow-
100 Nosler Partition RL-22 43.0 2.840 2,999 .91
der in the .240 rounds looked a lot
(Handload used Lapua cases and CCI 200 primers.)
like my supply of MRP. The max-
.240 Weatherby Magnum, Weatherby Mark V ULW, 24-inch barrel
imum listed charge of 53.0 grains
beat the factory ammunition by 100 Nosler Partition Weatherby FL [3,406] 3.146 3,181 .74
100 Nosler Partition MRP 53.0 3.146 3,311 .81
about 100 fps and came very
90 Nosler E-Tip Magnum 57.5 3.159 3,376 .84
close in accuracy. Still, neither
(Handloads used Weatherby cases and Federal 210M primers.)
load came anywhere near 3,406
fps, and whats the point of pack- .25-06 Remington, Ruger No. 1, 24-inch barrel
ing a slow Weatherby Magnum? 100 Core-Lokt Remington FL [3,230] 3.170 3,178 1.29
100 Barnes TTSX H-4350 52.0 3.206 3,312 .98
So I ran a data search and found a
(Handload used Remington cases and CCI 200 primers.)
.240 load using Accurate Magpro
that pushed the Barnes 85-grain .257 Weatherby Magnum, New Ultra Light Arms M28, 24-inch barrel
TSX 3,550 fps. I didnt have either 120 Nosler Partition Weatherby FL [3,305] 3.322 3,320 1.02
Magpro or 85-grain TSXs on hand 120 Nosler Partition RL-25 71.0 3.322 3,311 1.01
but did have some Nosler 90-grain (Handload used Weatherby cases and Federal 215 primers.)
E-Tips and Ramshot Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, Ruger Hawkeye, 26-inch barrel
which in Western Powders data of- 120 Hornady A-MAX Hornady FL [2,910] 2,891 .76
ten shows velocities right alongside 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunter 47.0 3,094 .78
Magpro. Consulting the Ramshot 140 Hornady A-MAX Hornady FL [2,710] 2,638 .63
staff resulted in an accurate load 140 Berger Hunting VLD Hunter 45.0 2,845 .94
close to the advertised velocity of (Handloads used Hornady cases and Federal 210M primers.)
the 100-grain factory ammunition, .260 Remington, Tikka T3, 22-inch barrel
but since the 90-grain E-Tip has a 140 Core-Lokt Remington FL [2,750] 2.762 2,548 .90
slightly higher ballistic coefficient 140 Nosler AccuBond RL-23 45.0 2.807 2,709 .72
than the 100-grain Partition, my (Handload used Lapua cases and CCI 200 primers.)
load shot flatter and drifted less in .264 Winchester Magnum, Model 70 Winchester, 26-inch barrel
the wind. 140 Power Point Winchester FL [3,030] 3.290 3,152 .97
Nosler also often uses canister 140 Speer Hot-Cor Magnum 68.0 3.337 3,193 .88
powders in its ammunition, be- (Handload used Norma cases and Federal 215M primers.)
cause Nosler knows which brands .26 Nosler, Nosler M48 Liberty, 26-inch barrel
work due to constant testing in 140 Nosler AccuBond Nosler FL [3,300] 3.303 3,298 .76
its indoor lab for reloading data. 140 Nosler AccuBond US 869 87.0 3.303 3,311 .75
Ive had excellent luck with Nos- (Handload used Nosler cases and CCI 250 primers.)
lers published data when dupli- .270 Winchester, Winchester Model 70 Classic, 22-inch barrel
cating factory ammunition, both 130 Hornady Spire Point Hornady FL [3,060] 3.350 3,066 .68
with standard rounds and the 130 Hornady Spire Point H-4831SC 62.0 3.350 3,052 .60
(Continued)
new Nosler cartridges. In fact, the
60 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 307
Duplicating Factory Ammunition (Continued)
overall
loaded muzzle 100-yard
bullet powder charge length velocity group
(grains) (grains) (inches) (fps) (inches)
.270 Winchester, Winchester Model 70 Classic, 22-inch barrel
150 Norma Oryx Norma FL [2,860] 3.138 2,760 .78
150 Nosler Partition MRP 56.5 3.391 2,859 .89
(Handloads used Winchester cases and Winchester LR primers.)
.270 WSM, Winchester Model 70 Classic, 24-inch barrel
130 Ballistic Silvertip Winchester FL [3,275] 2.904 3,348 1.45
130 Ballistic Tip H-4831SC 66.0 2.904 3,334 1.07
(Handload used Winchester cases and Federal 215 primers.)
.270 Weatherby Magnum, Weatherby Mark V, 26-inch barrel
130 Hornady Spire Point Weatherby FL [3,375] N/A 3,356 1.27
130 Nosler E-Tip Magnum 80.0 3.280 3,412 .72
(Handload used Weatherby cases and Federal 215 primers.)
7mm-08 Remington, Remington 700, 22-inch barrel
140 Trophy Bonded Federal High Energy FL N/A 2,725 1.08
139 Hornady Spire Point H-4350 50.0 2.815 2,790 .94
(Handload used Remington cases and CCI 200 primers.)
In this New Ultra Light Arms .257
7x57 Mauser, custom rifle, 24-inch barrel Weatherby Magnum, 71.0 grains of
139 Hornady BTSP Light Magnum FL [2,970] N/A 2,878 1.12 Alliant Reloder 25 matched factory
140 Nosler Partition H-4350 46.5 3.062 2,858 .94 muzzle velocity with the 120-grain
(Handload used Winchester cases and Winchester Large Rifle primers.) Nosler Partition.
7mm Weatherby Magnum, Weatherby Mark V ULW, 26-inch barrel
160 Nosler Partition Weatherby FL [3,200] 3.341 3,112 .82 140-grain handload for my .26 Nos-
160 Nosler Partition MRP 72.0 3.341 3,226 .87 ler uses almost exactly the same
(Handload used Weatherby cases and CCI 250 primers.) charge of Hodgdon US 869 that
.30-06, Ultra Light Arms M24, 24-inch barrel
Nosler used in its factory loads
when the cartridge first appeared.
150 Hornady Spire Point Light Magnum FL [3,100] 3.245 2,953 1.01
150 Swift Scirocco II Big Game 54.0 3.306 3,061 .72
The loads in the accompanying
180 Trophy Bonded Federal HE FL [2,880] 3.287 2,948 1.40
list include others Ive come up with
180 Speer Grand Slam H-4831 61.0 3.295 2,828 .78 over the decades to match or ex-
(Handloads used Federal cases and Federal 215 primers.)
ceed the performance of factory
180 Nosler Partition RL-19 59.0 3.330 2,896 1.31
ammunition. They include some
(Handload used Norma cases and Federal 210 primers.)
.300 Winchester Magnum, Heym SR-21, 24-inch barrel
165 Hornady GMX SUPERFORMANCE FL [3,260] 3,253 1.46
165 Nosler AccuBond Hunter 77.0 3.342 3,243 1.19
180 Core-Lokt Ultra HyperSonic FL [3,122] 3.306 3,070 1.10
180 Nosler Ballistic Tip H-1000 81.0 3.341 3,059 .74
(Handloads used Winchester cases and Winchester magnum primers.)
.300 Weatherby Magnum, Weatherby Vanguard, 24-inch barrel
200 Nosler Partition Weatherby FL [3,060] N/A 3,036 1.31
200 Nosler AccuBond Magnum 86.5 3.551 3,014 1.10
(Handload used Weatherby cases and Federal 215 primers.)
.338 Winchester Magnum, custom rifle, 22-inch barrel
250 Core-Lokt Remington FL [2,660] N/A 2,648 .81
250 Nosler Partition H-4831 71.5 3.312 2,667 .75
(Handload used Winchester cases and Federal 215 primers.)
.375 H&H, Mark X Mauser, 22-inch barrel
270 Core-Lokt Remington FL [2,690] N/A 2,685 1.25
270 Hornady Spire Point IMR-4895 68.0 3.610 2,673 1.06
(Handload used Remington cases and Federal 210 primers.)
* FL = factory load; N/A = not available
Notes: The number in brackets after FL is the advertised muzzle velocity, these days usually (but not always)
chronographed in a 24-inch barrel.
Be Alert Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. Listed loads are only valid in the test firearms
used. Reduce initial powder charge by 10 percent and work up while watching for pressure signs.
Giveaway valued
at over $9,600!
T
a wildcat, the desire to do so is usually preceded by
here are so many different attempts to justify it in ones mind. In my case, in
necking the .270 WSM down to 6.5mm was a hope for
rifle cartridges that there is lighter recoil, greater accuracy and possibly better
no tangible reason to add ex- ballistics at long range. I have been shooting the .270
pense and trouble by work- WSM a lot and have absolutely no complaint with it.
We all know, however, that the 6.5 and 7 metrics are
ing with a wildcat, but the intangibles reported to have some mystical ballistic advantage
attract us. The anticipation in plan- that allows them to fly flatter and deflect less in the
ning, the excitement in rounding up wind. This is known because some magazine articles
tell us so. It is true that .270s are not being outfitted
all the necessary dies and other equip- with an abundance of competition-class bullets. The
ment and the pleasurable expectation 6.5 and 7mms are used in long-range matches, as well
of how the round will perform can- as the .30s, but not the .277. I wondered if I could get
not be measured. The fact is, making better accuracy in a new 6.5 rifle and see if there was
some real ballistic advantage in the long, sleek 6.5
loads for any first-time cartridge is bullets so popular today in the 6.5-284 Norma, .260
satisfying and fun. Remington, 6.5 Grendel and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Necking a Short
t Magnum to 6.5
a bullet to gain velocity, and burning powder does Facing page, the
not reach peak pressure until a bullet travels some test rifle features
a Stiller action,
distance down a bore. For this reason, the attributes
NightForce NXS
of the WSM mentioned above are significant. Known 5.5-22x 56mm
from experience, with its long action, magazine and scope with MOAR
longer overall length, the leade of a .264 Winchester (minute of angle
Magnum, for example, washes out faster than I like. reticle) and a
If a person wants to practice by shooting 1,000 rounds Muzzlemaster
or more during a relatively short period, a rifles throat muzzle brake. The
stock is from H-S
needs to last.
Precision and the
The 6.5 WSM wildcat is not new or even obscure. trigger is a Timney.
It must be somewhat in demand as evidenced by the Right, bullets were
fact that Lee Precision, RCBS and Redding all list this seated for the short
cartridge among their limited production dies calling action and within
it the 6.5-300 WSM. A set of RCBS loading dies was SAAMI specified
purchased along with a neck ream die, and they are lengths for WSM
labeled 6.5-270 WSM, as requested. Getting a cham- cartridges.
bering reamer from Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool & Gauge
in White City, Oregon, was easy too.
Wildcats are not standardized. Frequently, there
Loads for a
Noncommercial WSM
65
A chamber cast of CERROSAFE was made to obtain chamber dimensions. While
there may be voids in the cast, it records the finest detail, including tool marks.
Accurate measurements can be taken using this method.
out to touch the lands while using receiver rather than on the trig- The chamber cast was gauged with an
the magazine. ger. The machining precision and optical comparator to gain the most
My interest for this cartridge is workmanship are second to none. precise measurements possible. The
in both target shooting at long dis- The action is drilled and tapped comparator shines a bright light on the
tance and hunting primarily mule for a one-piece rail-type scope chamber cast and projects a magnified
deer, my passion. (When ordering base that Stiller makes, which is and precise shadow profile. It has a
mechanism that translates table move-
the reamer, I was probably think- contoured beautifully with the re- ment and the chamber cast to inches
ing of a single-shot competition ceiver. by means of digital indicators.
rifle. I like to target shoot a lot and I bought 30mm rings from Night-
do not like recoil. I shoot more ac- Force and mounted the companys
curately with light-kicking rounds, 5.5-22x 56mm NXS scope with ded the action and recoil lug and
and it does not require a big hard- the MOAR reticle on the receiver. installed a Muzzlemaster muzzle
kicker to deliver ample velocity When used with a Gunwerks G7 brake of his patent. I always spec-
and energy, even to 1,000 yards, BR2 rangefinder, the combination ify a brake with no ports on the
as long as proper loads are used. works extremely well for address- bottom. If you have been blasted
A Predator action from Still- ing bullet drop at distance. The in the face, eyes and down your
ers Precision Firearms (www barrel is a Shilen match grade, shirt with dirt and debris while
.viperactions.com) was selected. one-in-8-inch twist, contoured to shooting prone, you know why.
It is designed to fit a stock for a replace a Remington varmint bar- One characteristic of wildcat
Remington Model 700, and the rel and was cut to 24 inches. The cartridges is that nearly all the
same triggers that fit the 700 fit stock is an H-S Precision with an load experimentation in years
the Predator. While the $975 price aluminum bedding block and a past was done without benefit of
tag might at first seem a bit rich, barrel channel to match the barrel pressure measuring equipment.
buying a Remington Model 700 ac- contour with plenty of clearance. Famous wildcatters like Rocky
tion, for example, then blueprint- A Timney trigger was installed as Gibbs, P.O. Ackley and the A&M
ing it, comes with an eye-opening well. Rifle Company reported figures
price too. The Stiller Predator fea- I have four other WSM rifles for loads that were not pressure
tures an M16-type extractor and a built with this same combination tested. The equipment during that
smaller loading port for a stiffer and love them all. Whats more, time was simply not available as it
action. The 316 -inch recoil lug is this blend of components makes is today. It is one thing to experi-
pinned to the receiver and an ex- for a simple rifle build. Richard ment with powder charges within
cellent, simple lever-type bolt re- Buss of Eugene, Oregon, fit and a range published in a recognized
lease is on the left side of the chambered the barrel, glass bed- load manual (nearly all of which
Necking a
Short
Magnum
to 6.5 This illustrates the specific chamber that Rick has in his rifle.
ZERO
lection was narrowed to those in a Whispers are developments of SSK Industries.
variety of weights and brands de- Custom barrels for Contenders, Encores,
signed specifically for hunting and bolt guns and semi-autos as well as com-
with the highest ballistic coeffi- plete guns and the cans to keep them
cients (BC). While longer, heavier quiet are available. SSK chambers over
400 calibers. Wild wildcat ideas welcomed.
bullets have higher BCs, there is
a velocity tradeoff; heavier bullets SSK Industries Zero Bullet Company, Inc.
start out slower. How they com- 590 Woodvue Lane P.O. Box 1188 Cullman, AL 35056
pare downrange varies. Some- Wintersville, OH 43953 Tel: 256-739-1606 Fax: 256-739-4683
times a lighter bullet at a higher Toll Free: 800-545-9376
Tel: 740-264-0176
initial velocity carries adequate www.zerobullets.com
velocity and energy, even to 1,000
www.sskindustries.com
120 Nosler Ballistic Tip RL-33 70.0 Winchester, once-fired 2.857 .111 3,189 .18 .61 .79
127 Barnes LRX BT H-50 BMG 66.0 Winchester, once-fired 2.855 .120 2,905 .82 .91 1.01
129 Nosler AccuBond LR H-1000 66.5 Winchester, new 2.859 .213 3,093 1.49 1.94 1.94
130 Nosler AccuBond IMR-7977 63.0 Nosler, new 2.855 .120 2,973 .75 1.19 1.57
130 Berger VLD Hunting Retumbo 68.0 Winchester, new 2.859 .195 3,104 .90 .90 1.28
130 Swift Scirocco II Retumbo 67.0 Winchester, new 2.857 .181 3,059 .87 1.55 2.90
140 Berger VLD Hunting IMR-7977 64.0 Winchester, new 2.853 .194 2,938 .36 .73 .86
142 Nosler AccuBond LR US 869 76.0 Winchester, once-fired 2.852 .195 3,044 .46 .59 1.26
143 Hornady ELD-X US 869 74.5 Winchester, once-fired 2.852 .226 3,003 .62 .73 1.12
143 Hornady ELD-X VV-N570 64.0 Winchester, once-fired 2.856 .222 2,968 .48 .49 .77
Notes: Loads were fired from a 24-inch Shilen match grade barrel with a one-in-8-inch twist. Federal 215 Magnum primers were used throughout.
All data taken from an Oehler Model 43 PBL. New .270 WSM cases were sized and neck-reamed with an RCBS ream die and reamer, then necks were trimmed. Bul-
let jump was determined with a Hornady Lock-N-Load OAL Gauge. Once-fired cases were partially neck-sized only. Redding Imperial Sizing Die Wax was used for
all case sizing.
This load data is for experienced handloaders only. Reduce charge weights accordingly and adjust the charge weight up or down as pressure signs indi-
cate. These loads and velocities should be considered maximum and were safe in the test rifle only. If your rifle has a shorter throat, these loads would
likely be over-maximum. No warranty is expressed or implied as to the suitability or safety of these loads in another firearm with any other component lots.
Be Alert Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. Listed loads are only valid in the test firearms used. Reduce initial powder charge by 10 percent and work up while
watching for pressure signs.
Ultimate Online
Reloading Manual
Over 311,000 Loads!
This 10-shot group was fired from a benchrest at 100 yards using Berger 140-grain
VLD Hunting bullets over 64.0 grains of IMR-7977 in a Winchester case with a
Federal 215 primer.
DARDAS CAST BULLETS
faster than the burning rate of Re- was made to tweak loads for ac- Dardas Shooters Supply, Inc.
loder 22, IMR-7828 and even Mag- curacy. 123 E. Hampton Rd. Essexville, MI 48732
Tel: 989-450-5396 Fax: 866-325-6525
Pro were below the margin for All the loads listed were kept Email: info@dardascastbullets.com
my case-filling criteria. Data for within the SAAMI standard length www.dardascastbullets.com
powders requiring less than 63.0 for the .270 WSM, thus ensuring
grains at maximum pressure were they would function through any
eliminated. Maximum pressure standard short action. Because of
Traditional Fair Chase
refers to pressure levels normally my rifles long throat, the bullet
Alaskan Game Hunts!
deemed to be the top acceptable jump required to reach the lands Brown Bear
by ammunition, powder and bul- was listed. Contrary to what is Black Bear
let companies. The loads published often printed, a deterioration in Moose
Ed StEvEnSon
here should all be deemed maxi- accuracy was not seen with the ShEEp RivER hunting CampS
mum and may be over maximum bullet jump listed. I tried seat- 1819 S. Henry Aaron Dr. Wasilla, AK 99623
907-745-0479 hunting@mtaonline.net
for a different 6.5 WSM rifle. The ing bullets out close to the lands www.alaskan-brown-bear-hunts.com
long throat likely allows greater and loading them singly in this 6.5
powder charge weights. If you re- WSM with no improvement in ac-
ceive velocities similar to these curacy or performance.
published velocities from a 24- Beyond this point, there is more
inch barrel, even if your powder that goes into the selection of a
charge is less, go no higher in long-range hunting load. One needs NOE Bullet Moulds is a
charge weight. to determine the downrange veloc- premium manufacturer of bullet
moulds and casting tools.
Ideal powders for this 6.5 WSM ity and energy to see that enough
are on the order of Reloder 33, energy is delivered at the target. My
US 869 or Retumbo. Two of these rule of thumb is 1,000 foot-pounds
propellants, along with VV-N570, (ft-lbs) of kinetic energy for deer
produced single-digit standard and 1,500 for elk. In addition, a cho-
deviations for 10-shot strings. Re- sen bullet must expand adequately Check Us Out,
tumbo and IMR-7977 produced at the downrange velocity. You Wont Be Disappointed!
an SD of 11. US 869 was the only Loading the 6.5mm WSM was
powder that completely filled the an interesting and enjoyable ex-
case with slight compression. Be- periment. It produces velocity on
sides velocity uniformity, the ac- par with the .264 Winchester Mag-
curacy received was a big plus. num and meets my criteria for a
Three of the 10 strings with bullets good long-range cartridge. How-
from Hornady, Berger and Nosler ever, with the existence of the .270
clustered under one inch for 10 WSM as a standard commercial NOE Bullet Moulds LLC
shots as can be seen in the table. cartridge, I prefer it for a hunting Use Code HL315 for 10% Discount
Also listed is group size for three round. And, by the way, the metric 801-377-7289
bullet diameter is not magic. www.noebulletmoulds.com
shots and five shots. No attempt
April-May 2017 www.handloadermagazine.com 69
Hayleys Deer Bullets doe standing below about 50 yards
away. The deer browsed along, fac-
Custom Ammunition
Specializing in the:
for the .45-70
(Continued from page 47)
ing away. I stepped over to a tree
and leaned against it to steady
myself and the rifle. When the
Weird Wacky & shooting 130-grain bullets from deer turned slightly and showed
Wonderful the same weight rifle. its shoulder, I shot it behind the
I had a doe license in my pocket shoulder. The deer jumped at the
P.O. Box 889 shot and made a mad dash for 30
211 North River during the first season I hunted
deer with the Marlin Guide Gun yards and fell over. Dressing the
Seymour, TX 76380 deer showed the bullet had hit at
loaded with the Goulds bullet. I
Tel: 940-888-3352 peeked over a slight rise and saw a the rear of the lungs, plowed for-
ward and exited the front of its far
shoulder. The bullet had expanded
well, with an entrance hole about
the size of a 25 piece, and the exit
hole was about the diameter of a
50 piece.
This past hunting season I sat
on a stump for about an hour
watching a timbered flat. A white-
tail doe finally trotted out of a
swamp, with a 10-point buck right
behind it. The range was about 250
yards. If I had been carrying my
.25-06 Remington, I could have
taken a steady rest and shot the
buck where it stood, but that shot
for the .45-70 was too far.
The buck chased the doe back
and forth for half an hour. The doe
had enough and bedded down. The
buck also bedded down. There was
my chance. Marking the bucks lo-
cation by a big stump, I crawled
into a shallow draw that led close
to the deer then hurried along in
a crouch and inched out of the
draw behind a tree. The buck saw
the movement and stood up at
about 80 yards. It was too late;
it collapsed at the shot. The bul-
let hit in the front of the near
shoulder, punched the front of
the lungs and plowed out behind
the far shoulder. The in-and-out
holes were neat with only some
slight bloodshot meat under the
far shoulder.
The Goulds 45-330 Express
bullet had been easy and inexpen-
sive to make and had expanded
perfectly. The .45-70s recoil had
been mild enough that I watched
through the scope as the buck
fell. The bullets trajectory was a
rainbow when compared to bul-
lets shot from modern cartridges,
and the shot required the close ap-
proach that keeps me enthusiastic
about deer hunting.
70 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 307
Mikes Shootin Shack inches high at 25 yards. For these
(Continued from page 26) revolvers, .44 Special handloads
idea was to get the .44 Special up carry any of the 200-grain bullets
to about 1,200 fps with 250-grain intended for .44-40 loading.
bullets. Nearly 30 years ago, upon One benefit the .44 Special has
buying an S&W Hand-Ejector 1st given since moving to our prop-
Model Target, I could not resist erty 30 years ago has been with my
trying his recommendation as to Colt SAA .44-40 Sheriffs Model Custom, odd, obsolete and specialty
a powerful handload. At first fir- with a 3-inch barrel. Using either cartridge cases
Wildcat cartridge development
ing, the cylinder fell open. I shot homemade shotshells or CCI fac-
Manufacturing OVER 450 calibers
it again and the cylinder fell open. tory shot loads, it has accounted Correct headstamped wildcat brass
Common sense overpowered stu- for more rattlesnakes than I care www.qual-cart.com
pidity at that point when I realized to remember. P.O. Box 445, Hollywood, MD 20636 (301) 373-3719
OEHLER 35P
live game of any size. A third cast
bullet design also works very well.
It is Lymans 429667, a 250-grain
IS BACK!
roundnose/flatpoint. It really shines
when .44 Specials are being used
in one or another of the leverguns
available.
Good .44 Special powders are Oehler is making a special,
most anything in burning rate be- limited run of the Model 35
tween Bullseye and Unique. Over Proof Chronograph.
the decades Ive determined that
4.5 grains of Bullseye, 4.7 grains of Call or go online for
Titegroup and 5.3 grains of W-231/ more information.
HP-38 will duplicate the factory
load velocity of approximately 750 Phone: 512-327-6900
fps with 240- to 250-grain lead bul- oehler-research.com
lets. To get that extra 100 fps of
velocity .44 Special factory loads
should have had in the first place,
6.0 grains of Unique suffices. As far
as Im concerned, jacketed bullets P.O. Box 9135
are wasted at .44 Special velocities.
One area where my own hand-
Austin, TX 78766
loads deviate from the above rec-
ipes is for rounds specifically
meant for my Colt SAA .44-40s
with .44 Special cylinders installed.
RESEARCH, INC.
Their sights are factory regulated
for 200-grain bullets, delivering
245- to 250-grain bullets several
April-May 2017 www.handloadermagazine.com 71
In Range were afflicted with the not in-
(Continued from page 74) vented here attitude. An excep-
a number of disastrous develop- tion was Norma, which had been
NewfouNdlaNd, CaNada loading Weatherby ammunition
Moose, Woodland Caribou & Black Bear Hunts ments, such as Winchesters ill-
Book now for 2017 & 2018 Tel/Fax: (877) 751-1681
fated Black Talon in 1993. for years using Hornady bullets in
dean.wheeler@nf.sympatico.ca www.biggamecanada.com
P.O. Box 159, York Harbour, NL, Canada A0L 1L0 Most ammunition companies standard loads and Nosler Parti-
tions for the more expensive ones.
Normas own bullets were good,
but the company began loading
On
ly Introducing the
.95
Partitions in its own line as a pre-
$3
9 GRX Recoil Lug for mium offering. Federal went fur-
ther; instead of trying to develop a
the Ruger 10/22! premium game bullet, it started of-
fering Partitions, Swift A-Frames
and Woodleighs (a fine Australian
The GRX solves the chronic accuracy problem bonded bullet) in its loaded am-
with the 10/22 platform by focusing the recoil munition. Federal later acquired
area to a lug similar to a centerfire rifle. the rights to manufacture Trophy
Bondeds, and that became its in-
Eliminates fliers and improves accuracy 15% to 20% house premium bullet.
Over the past 10 years, there
Simply installed by replacing the barrel retainer, have been any number of devel-
fitting and bedding the lug into the stock (instructions included) opments in the field. Ammunition
companies have designed their
own bullets or formed partner-
Little Crow Gunworks, LLC ships with bullet makers. The spe-
6593 113th Ave. NE, Suite C Spicer, MN 56288 cialty makers have come out with
Tel: (320) 796-0530 www.littlecrowgunworks.com one so-called premium bullet af-
ter another, some employing bond-
ing as the hook; others are using
composite tips, ribs or abandon-
ing lead cores. Most of these are
more expensive than standard
bullets, but are they any better, re-
ally, when it comes to hunting big
game? That was the question my
interlocutor was asking over lunch
that day in Kansas, and there was
simply no easy answer.
Lets look at it from a different
point of view. What is a premium
bullet supposed to accomplish?
The main goal is to utilize the
benefits of higher velocity with-
out having the bullet disintegrate
on impact.
With cartridges like the .30-30 or
.35 Remington, there is little ben-
efit that a premium bullet could
add. Their bullets are relatively
heavy, and at midrange velocities
(low, actually, by todays stan-
dards) they hold together, pene-
trate and generally do the job.
But take a .270 Winchester. A
normal 130-grain bullet at 3,100
fps is excellent for white-tailed
deer but is not going to hold to-
gether if you hit the shoulder of a
moose. Bond the core so that it re-
72 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 307
lets, looking for the best combi-
nation of accuracy and velocity.
Two of them were premium bul-
lets Nosler 130-grain Partition
and Swift 130-grain Scirocco II
but neither delivered the accuracy
I got with the old, proven, non-pre-
mium but still excellent Sierra
130-grain SBT GameKing. I went
with the Sierra and got two deer
with two shots. One, at 145 yards,
ran about 50 yards; the other, at
103 yards, dropped where it stood.
In the end, the use of premium
bullets is a lot like premium gas-
oline. In some cars it adds to per-
formance, while in others it either
adds nothing for the higher price
The Swift A-Frame, right, combines bonding with the partition principle, while the or actually detracts from perfor-
Scirocco II combines bonding with a tapered jacket to control expansion. mance. The same is true of bullets.
You have to match the bullet to the
tains 80 to 90 percent of its weight, hard to keep track. Some are genu- cartridge for the game being hunted
however, and it will both hold to- inely good, others not so good, and and the expected conditions.
gether when hitting bone and keep a few are outright frauds. The word Much of the time, none of us
its weight for deep penetration. bonded is tossed around so much need a premium bullet; at other
My new acquaintance with a it has become almost meaningless. times, theyre worth their weight
7mm Remington Magnum was When I was preparing a .270 in gold. There is, alas, no hard and
hunting Kansas white-tailed deer, Winchester for the Kansas hunt, fast rule that applies to every car-
using standard 140-grain bul- I worked with three different bul- tridge in every case.
lets. Using a tough premium bul-
let would probably work against AD INDEX
him since, with little resistance, it 4D Reamer Rentals, Ltd. .....................................71 Norma.................................................................27
could pass through without open- AASA ..................................................................43 Nosler ...................................................................5
ing up. It might well have killed Action Bullets, Inc. ..............................................69 Oehler Research, Inc. .........................................71
Anneal-Rite.........................................................36 Oregon Trail Bullet Company ..............................16
the deer eventually, but chances Berger Bullets ..................................................... 12 Otis Technology, Inc.......................................18-19
are it would be a long chase. This Berrys Mfg. ..........................................................2 Pacific Tool & Gauge, Inc. ...................................20
happened to me in Tanzania in Buchanan Precision Machine ..............................24 Patmarlins ..........................................................31
1990. I was using the then-new Buffalo Arms Company .......................................20 PMA Tool ............................................................35
Chatanooga Shooting Supplies / Natchez ...........37 Puff-Lon .............................................................43
Trophy Bonded 115-grain .257 Colorado Shooters Supply..................................24 Quality Cartridge ................................................71
bullet in a .257 Weatherby Mag- Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc. ......................75 Quinetics Corporation .........................................62
num. I nailed an impala at about Cutting Edge Bullet .............................................43 Rainier Ballistics .................................................70
Dale Fricke Holsters............................................70 Redding Reloading Equipment ......................29, 62
100 yards, but the bullet passed Dardas Cast Bullets ............................................69 RGB Bullet Company ...........................................31
between the ribs on both sides. Dillon Precision Products, Inc. ............................10 Rifledjag.com......................................................25
It did not expand at all, and the Ed Sager .............................................................36 Rigel Products ....................................................36
Gemmells Machine Works..................................30 Rim Rock Bullets ................................................24
impala dived into the long grass. GI Brass Locker ..................................................31 Sharp Shoot R Precision, Inc...............................43
We caught up to it an hour later, Gradient Lens Corporation .......................... 7, 9, 11 Sheep River Hunting Camps ...............................69
but it was a nerve-wracking ex- Graf & Sons, Inc..................................................42 ShootersProShop.com ........................................ 74
Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc.........................22 Shooting Chrony, Inc...........................................31
perience. With Weatherby ammu- Harvey Deprimer.................................................62 Shotgun Sports ...................................................72
nition loaded with the standard Hayleys Custom Ammunition .............................70 Sierra Bullets ......................................................25
Hornady 100-grain bullet, that im- High Plains Reboring & Barrels, LLC ...................30 Sinclair International, Inc. ...................................47
Hodgdon Powder Company...................................3 SouWester Outfitting .........................................72
pala would probably have dropped Hornady Manfuacturing Co. ................................21 SSK Industries ....................................................67
where it stood. Huntington Die Specialties ..................................20 Starline ...............................................................59
Conversely, on that trip I also King Shooters Supply, Inc. ..................................61 Stockys, LLC......................................................71
Leadheads Bullets ..............................................25 The Hawken Shop...............................................25
killed two zebras, a topi, a tsessebe, Lee Precision, Inc. ..............................................58 Timney Triggers, LLC ..........................................42
two warthogs and a wildebeest Little Crow Gunworks, LLC ...........................30, 72 Titan Reloading...................................................62
with the same rifle, and all dropped MEC Mayville Engineering Co., Inc......................15 Tru-Square Metal Products.................................29
Midsouth Shooters Supply Co. ..............................8 UniqueTek, Inc. ...................................................36
with one shot. Some ran a few Mike Bellms Bellm TCs ......................................69 Vista Outdoor Sales, LLC ..............................13, 76
yards, but none went far. Montana Bullet Works.........................................30 Western Powders....................................23, 40, 41
Today, there are so many pre- MTM Molded Products Company ........................17 Wolfe Publishing Company ...........................63, 69
NOE Bullet Moulds, LLC ......................................69 Zero Bullet Company, Inc. ...................................67
mium bullets on the market, its
April-May 2017 www.handloadermagazine.com 73
PremiUm bUllets
IN RANGE by Terry Wieland
I n a deer camp in Kansas last
year, the question was asked:
Are premium bullets worth the
ing to design a bullet that would
fulfill three requirements aside
from the usual one of acceptable
money, or is it all a scam? The man accuracy: An expanding bullet
asking the question was carrying needed to open up reliably at low
a 7mm Remington Magnum, using velocities, hold together at high ve-
factory ammunition loaded with locities and penetrate to the vitals
standard Remington bullets. Hed without coming apart. The ideal
been around, had hunted quite a was a mushroom shape.
bit, shooting animals of various The Partition has a copper wall
sizes. In his experience, he said, between two lead cores, front and
the old Core-Lokt worked just fine. back. The soft lead front core will
Why should he pay more? expand even at low velocities, but
There is no easy, all-inclusive once the jacket peels back to the
This is typical expansion of the original
answer to that question. In fact, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, recovered
partition, expansion stops, leaving
it raises a host of others: What from a game animal. about 60 percent of bullet weight
cartridge are you using? Bullet to continue on into the animal.
weight? Velocity? What distances In America, the first bullet that Typically, this truncated slug is
are you shooting at, and how big could be considered premium found under the skin on the far
are the beasts? Probably the most was the Nosler Partition, intro- side.
important question, however, and duced in 1948. The German RWS The next step was the Bitter-
the one that needs to be answered H-Mantel bullet, which is a very root bullet, developed and man-
first is, what exactly is a premium similar design, preceded the Par- ufactured by Bill Steigers. The
bullet? tition by 12 years, but since it was Bitterroot used a secret process
The word premium, which, ac- expensive, hard to find and made to bond the lead core and copper
cording to Oxford, dates back to mostly in odd sizes, it never be- jacket together, so that even as
1601, has several meanings, but came a real player in the U.S. The it expanded, the core and jacket
the one we are concerned with Partition did, and from the begin- never separated. These were great
is more than the usual value. In ning it was recognized as a better bullets, but they were expensive
other words, better than average hunting bullet. It was also more and, more critically, very hard to
but how much better? Anyone can expensive: A box of 50 cost about get because of small production
tack the word premium onto a as much as a box of 100 of any- runs.
product and not justify it in any thing else. It was this difficulty that led
way. There is no exact measure- For more than half a century, Jack Carter to develop the Tro-
ment. ammunition makers had been try- phy Bonded Bear Claw. Around
the same time, Lee Reed devel-
oped the Swift A-Frame that com-
bined the partition principle with a
bonded core. These developments
took place in the latter 1980s, and
by the mid-1990s, premium game
bullets were pretty well estab-
lished in the minds of knowledge-
able hunters. Not so, however, in
the minds that were guiding the
fortunes of big ammunition com-
panies. At first, they denied there
was any such thing as a premium
game bullet; later, they started
tacking the word premium onto
(Continued on page 72)