Handloader April-May 2026

Since the beginning, when man first started launching projectiles from barrels, there have been countless calibers that have risen and fallen. On occasion, we see these calibers fade a bit in popularity only to be revitalized later. We have seen this with the introduction of cartridges such as 27 Nosler and 6.8 Western. These cartridges also brought along updated bullet technology, with longer, sleeker projectiles with higher ballistic coefficients, which increased downrange performance. We are on the cusp of the very same thing happening in .25 caliber, thanks to Hornady’s introduction of the 25 Creedmoor and their new bullets to go along with it. ...Read More >

Everyone has heard of this hot, relatively new 6.5mm cartridge. It has gained popularity faster than any other round, excepting those adopted by the U.S. military. Most every rifle made or imported chambers it. ...Read More >

The ninth shot, the one that completed my third group, looked pretty good through the old Leupold Vari-X III. Hours of doing the type of handloading I like to avoid, neck turning, trueing and fireforming cases for concentricity, had actually paid off. The last shot from my Remington PSS heavy-barreled 308 Winchester had produced 2,663 feet per second (fps), right in the middle of the average velocity for the previous eight rounds. The extreme spread had been a pleasant 9 fps. All three groups were substantially under one inch. Thank you, Vihtavuori N150. It has been great getting to know you. ...Read More >

I have enjoyed the content of Handloader magazine for many years, and especially your insight and details of developing loads for handgun cartridges. Today, I am hoping you can help me with a less popular rifle cartridge, the 9.3x62mm. Many years ago, I acquired a one-of-a-kind, high-grade European example built on a commercial Mauser 98 action. I have no idea of the manufacturer, but it is engraved and fitted with a stunning stock. It has literally been too nice to hunt with, so a few years back I purchased a Ruger No. 1 in the same caliber. ...Read More >

The new Ruger RXM is intended to compete head-to-head with the Glock 19, which is the world’s most popular 9mm pistol, but it is much more than just a copy, as it has several significant improvements and boasts a notably lower price. ...Read More >

Years ago, just after I bought my milsurp M1 Garand from the US Army’s Director of Civilian Marksmanship ($162, with shipping) and hadn’t yet shot it, I made an impulse purchase of a box of Lapua .309-inch rebated boat-tail bullets from a retail vendor at a High Power Rifle match. I intended them as a contingency in case the Garand’s bore was excessively worn, and I thought at the moment the extra .001 inch of bullet might overcome that by fitting the bore more tightly. Such is the logical, if somewhat flawed, thinking of a young handloading newbie. ...Read More >

As Mexican lore has it, soldiers who followed Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution would tether chickens, turkeys, pigs and goats at various distances and take turns shooting at them with their 7mm Mauser rifles. The final shot fired was followed by music, dancing and a barbecue of the deceased. Those shoots continued beyond the Revolution, with life-size steel targets first replacing live critters during a 1948 match in Mexico City. The first championship match took place there in 1952. Thirty off-hand shots were fired in a match, 10 each at the steel chickens (200 meters), turkeys (385 meters) and rams at 500 meters. ...Read More >

The late Bob Hayley introduced himself to me twenty years ago as a guy who produced “the weird, the wacky and the wonderful” in the way of bullets, brass and loaded ammunition for people with – shall we say? – esoteric tastes. ...Read More >

In spite of several new cartridges of the same caliber being developed over the past couple of decades, the 270 Weatherby Magnum is still outstanding and offers impressive performance for big game hunters. In addition to offering a super flat trajectory at practical hunting distances (more on that in a moment), it offers moderate recoil and is easy to shoot well. It holds the distinction of being Roy Weatherbys’ first cartridge that led to the development of many cartridges and literally served as the primer for a brand new company 81 years ago. Today, the 270 Weatherby is better than ever, especially if handloaded. With new powders, it can reach higher velocities, and when mated with modern hunting bullets, it performs better on game than ever before. ...Read More >

An old cigarette ad from years ago targeting women smokers touted, “You’ve come a long way, baby!” The same ditty can be used to describe the evolution of munitions and firearms. For about 150 years now, most firearms have fired “fixed” ammunition, i.e., the primer, propellant and bullet are assembled into a typically copper or copper alloy (brass) cartridge case. ...Read More >

I have a dream. It is a powerful motivator. I want to walk the prize table at an NRL Hunter match. No, not because of the fantastic prizes that await the shooters. I want to compete in a match that makes me a better hunter and pushes me beyond my limits. That’s what an NRL Hunter match is to me. You may think it’s a huge mistake for someone past 60 and partially disabled, but the lust to ring steel out to 1,000 yards is a siren song. ...Read More >

In an industry that has given us the 350 Legend, 360 Buckhammer and 400 Legend, there is really little need for the ancient 30-30 Winchester in today’s deer woods. Like the venerable 300 Savage, 35 Remington and 45-70 Government, the 30-30 Winchester persists because there are so darn many rifles chambered for them still floating around (7-plus million Winchester Model 94s alone, by some estimates). Also, because they have worked just fine for several generations of deer, wild hog and black bear hunters who hold to an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude. This says nothing of the nostalgia factor… ...Read More >

It is impossible, 140 years later, to say exactly who first concluded that a bullet of 6.5mm diameter, .264 in imperial measure, was the perfect caliber for a rifle. ...Read More >