Handloader October - November 2025

As many have likely noticed over the last few “Reloaders Press” articles, there have been several tables with a larger-than-normal number of shots for a group. Either 20 or 25 shots along with a mean radius measurement. Over the past year or so, much testing has been conducted with these larger sample sizes in an effort to narrow down variables and increase the overall consistency and performance of handloaded ammunition. Whether that is done by reducing the mean radius, group size, or velocity variation, much experimenting and testing has been conducted and is still underway. ...Read More >

Even though it had ruled the battlefield for centuries, black powder was far from a perfect propellant. Because of its chemical makeup, less than half of its total mass was converted into gases capable of driving a projectile, which led to relatively low velocities. The solid products of its combustion created smoke, often thick enough to obscure the battlefield, and thick, sulfurous fouling that made weapons difficult to load and promoted rust. When the first of several new propellants that solved these shortcomings was created in 1884, the invention of smokeless propellants would drive a worldwide arms race that would change the face of modern warfare and lead directly to the carnage of World War I. ...Read More >

Q: A few years ago, I purchased a Smith & Wesson Model 329PD chambered in 44 Magnum. Due to its super-light 26 ounces, I like carrying it while fishing in Eastern Idaho trout streams where grizzly bears are prevalent. The drawback is that it really kicks hard, and I don’t shoot it much. However, the problem I’m having is keeping bullets from jumping out of the crimp. This has been a problem with both factory loads and my handloads. Apparently, I’m not the only one with this issue because the owner’s manual explains that I should load the gun with six cartridges of the type of ammunition that I want to use, but only fire five cartridges. ...Read More >

In the last “Cartridge Board” (Handloader 357, August 2025), we saw the development of the 22 Long Rifle (LR) using the old 22 Extra Long 40-grain bullet, 22 Long case and black powder. Muzzle velocity was sometimes listed at about 950 feet per second (fps) by 1900. The increased powder charge meant increased fouling left in the bore. Gallery shooters found the black-powder 22 LR to be less accurate at 50 and 75 feet than the black-powder 22 Short. Small-game hunters thought the power of the 22 LR adequate, but accuracy was poor after a few shots. Target shooters wanted far better groups at 100 and 200 yards than 8 to 12 inches. ...Read More >

The Smith & Wesson Combat Magnum, chambered in 357 Magnum, was introduced in 1955 and later became the Model 19 in 1957. For several reasons, the new sixgun was destined for widespread popularity and remained in continuous production through 1999. It was also offered in stainless steel beginning in 1970, which became the Model 66, but that model was discontinued in 2005. After a decade of absence and great demand, the K-frame Combat Magnum Model 66-8 was reintroduced in 2014, but with some notable engineering changes. With a returning interest in traditional blue-finished sixguns, the Model 19-10 has also been reintroduced. ...Read More >

Family-owned Hodgdon Powder Company recently acquired RCBS from conglomerate Vista Outdoors and has wasted no time in introducing new products that improve two mundane items on our loading benches: the powder funnel and powder measure. ...Read More >

The Lee Straight Pull rifle, developed by Winchester and adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1895, was chambered for the smokeless 6mm Lee cartridge loaded with a 112-grain bullet at a velocity of 2,560 feet per second (fps). A Sporting Rifle version with a nicely checkered walnut stock and a 24-inch barrel was introduced in 1897, but since fewer than 2,000 were sold, the American hunter obviously was not ready for a big-game rifle shooting such a small bullet. Winchester built the last Straight Pull rifles in 1916, and the availability of factory-loaded ammunition ended in 1935. If not for the later efforts of various wildcatters, the idea of using a 6mm cartridge for sporting purposes might have died then and there. ...Read More >

Science, said Lord Kelvin, is measurement or words to that effect. The noted Victorian scientist had a profound influence that lasts to this day. ...Read More >

I doubt the Super Bowl had more hoopla and media coverage than the Hornady 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) introduction. Media hype claimed it would end the 7mm Remington Magnum and the 28 Nosler! As I read the data on the 7mm PRC, it made sense. Older cartridges were limited by head height and barrel twist, which, in turn, influenced bullet design and weight. ...Read More >

After nearly 40 years of being a wildcat, the 260 Remington was formally introduced in 1997 and enthusiastically received by savvy riflemen and hunters. It offered many virtues, including modest recoil, flat trajectory, efficiency (in regards to powder charges, high ballistic coefficient [BC] bullets and velocities), and could be housed in 308 Winchester-length, short-action rifles. It proved its value in long-range competitions, and hunters found that it was an excellent open-country deer and antelope cartridge, but with heavier bullets, it is capable of taking larger game, including elk and moose. ...Read More >

There is much speculation, rumor and misinformation surrounding the tubular bullet, especially the reason manufacturer Precision Made Cartridges (PMC) discontinued its line of Ultramag ammunition after only a very short run in the late 1980s. Did ATF ban them as armor-piercing? Did they punch “cookie-cutter” holes in soft targets? Are they illegal to possess? ...Read More >

The 6mm GT was created in 2019 by George Gardner of GA Precision (GAP) and Tim Jacobs, owner of Vapor Trail Bullets. Their goal was to find an ideal balance in the world of Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and National Rifle League (NRL) precision rifle cartridges. Sitting neatly between the smaller 6mm Dasher and larger 6mm XC, the 6mm GT occupies a niche that some argue provides a slight competitive edge, slight being good enough in these highly demanding shooting disciplines to warrant interest. ...Read More >

In 1878, firearms history was made. That was the year Colt began chambering its Single Action Army revolver in 44-40, a cartridge introduced five years earlier in Winchester’s Model 1873 lever action. It was a brilliant move on Colt’s part, and ignited America’s love affair with rifles and pistols that use the same cartridge. It’s a love affair that has lasted. ...Read More >