Handloaders are by and large creatures of habit, following a fairly strict routine with each cartridge, bullet or powder. The “process” helps to avoid unforeseen problems that might result in excess pressure with self-ejecting primers or little or no powder in the case, which usually means the end of the day at the range to go home and prod the stuck bullet out of the bore. I’ve managed to accomplish both in the same rifle, the same powder, primer and brass in the same week . . . way back in the early 1970s. ...Read More >

The usual focus in handloading for a rifle is to get good accuracy at high velocity for the advantages the two provide at distance. However, not all shooting is at long distance, and you may have good reason to reduce a bullet’s velocity. Lower velocity is accomplished with a faster burning powder, and less of it. Less velocity and powder make for less recoil and less flinch-inducing blast. Less recoil and blast make for more pleasant shooting. More pleasant shooting results in more shooting, and more shooting improves marksmanship. ...Read More >

Q: A friend recommended that I try cast bullets from RCBS mould No. 45-250-FN to obtain better accuracy in my USFA Pre-War model .45 Colt. He gave me a few handfuls of unsized bullets to try. However, when I went to load them, I noticed that their weight was actually 264 grains instead of the indicated 250 grains. Should I reduce my normal 6.0-grain charge of Alliant Red Dot powder? If so, by how much? ...Read More >

Shooters World, the relatively “new kid on block” in the canister propellant marketplace, continues to expand its propellant line with a clear focus on optimizing propellants for specific cartridge applications. This is not meant to imply the application of a given propellant is limited to a few specific cartridges. Rather, the propellants are suitable for a broad range of cartridges but offer enhanced performance for a number of specific cartridges. ...Read More >