Handloader October-November 2026

In 2019, the Nosler Mountain Carbon Rifle was announced at the SHOT Show, as many rifles and countless products make their debut at this large event. The rifle was instantly interesting, as many Nosler rifles have served in the field with distinction. My own personal experiences with Nosler rifles have been overwhelmingly positive and filled with success. From its introduction onward, this rifle has been working, and given its experience, it has quite a tale to tell. I am sure we can all say we’ve seen a lot in the last six years; this rifle can easily say the same. ...Read More >

Nobel Sport Vectan Ba9 1⁄2 is a fast-burning pistol powder. The company’s line of single-base powders begins with Vectan Ba10, with a burn rate approximating Alliant Bullseye, and ends with Ba6 1⁄2, which has a burn rate similar to Hodgdon H-110. By way of comparison, the company’s burn-rate chart suggests that Ba9 1⁄2 is close to Accurate Solo 1000 and Vihtavuori N320. ...Read More >

Q: I am pretty new to handloading. My dad handloaded a lot when I was growing up. But I was too busy with sports and other things to glean his knowledge. I enjoyed hunting and shooting, but did not get too involved in the technical aspect of handloading, and now regret not learning more from him. ...Read More >

When researching cartridge history, it is often found that the story of the gun firing the round is just as interesting as that of the cartridge itself. This is certainly true for the round the company called the 35 Winchester, 35 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) or simply “the 35.” ...Read More >

During the post World War II era, Colt further developed their I-frame (aka 41 frame) sixgun, or perhaps what is better known as the Colt Officers Model second model. Originally introduced in 1908, it boasted of New Service style updates with clockwise cylinder rotation and improved cylinder locking system. This gun was generally chambered in 38 Special and earned a top reputation for its overall quality and outstanding accuracy as it dominated in period slow-fire handgun matches. Engineering changes and improved metallurgy were needed for that gun to be chambered for the powerful, high-pressure 357 Magnum cartridge that became in high demand beginning in 1935 and remains so today. In addition to a thicker top strap, the front of the frame was lengthened to gain strength and durability, the finest “machine gun” steel was employed, and the firing pin was changed from being hammer-mounted to frame-mounted to better control the primer flow associated with 357 ammunition. ...Read More >

What manly man doesn’t appreciate finely made machines? For rich guys, maybe it’s cars and antique motorcycles; for humble me, it’s guns and reloading tools. My wife claims my pupils dilated when I opened the box and pulled out Hornady’s new Versa-Prime Bench Priming Tool, and I recall impulsively stroking the shiny little machine like it was a purring kitten. I think she was actually jealous for a moment. ...Read More >

I love the state of Alaska and had I known what I know now at a much younger age, what you are about to read would likely have been written there rather than here. Even though I have never lived in that great land, I have been fortunate to hunt there on numerous occasions. Long before my first Alaskan hunt, though, I read everything I could get my hands on about the state, and it all started when I was attending the 8th grade in school. ...Read More >

The young lady had the garage door open when I arrived, standing in front of a dozen plastic hampers piled high with books. ...Read More >

At various times in its 80-year career, the 257 Weatherby has been every thing from the last word in modern, toasted from coast to coast, to the last word in excess, exhibiting every vicious trait of bullets that are too light, moving too fast and do a lousy job when they get there. ...Read More >

It was a windy, cold day on the high plains of Wyoming as friend and fellow gun writer Clair Rees and I glassed the wide open rolling hill country for a trophy-class buck antelope. Remington had just introduced a new Model 700 Classic chambered in 7mm-08 and forwarded me an early example. ...Read More >

Colt handguns are legendary. The Colt Python, Boa, Cobra, Detective Special, 1911A1, Single Action Army…this list goes on and on. Few know that Colt once made a lever-action rifle that rivaled Winchester’s famous 1873. Even fewer know it was designed by a firearms genius who rivaled John M. Browning. He worked for Colt, Marlin and a slew of other companies, and had over 900 patents, including his famous folding shotgun. The inventor was Andrew Burgess, and the rifle is the Colt Burgess lever-action. ...Read More >

Anyone who has shot a flintlock fire-arm understands the significance of the centerfire primer. That tiny component is a huge part of the larger metallic cartridge equation. Every hand-loader understands this, made more pointed by recent shortages. ...Read More >

Almost every article written on the M1 Garand, including this one, cites George Patton’s assessment that it was “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” Designed by Quebec-born Jean Cantius Garand, the semiautomatic rifle, caliber .30 M1, became the primary infantry arm of the United States in the late 1930s and remained so for two decades. Chambered in 30-06 and fed by an eight-round en bloc clip, the gases from a fired cartridge drove the operating rod rearward, engaging the bolt inside the receiver. Two lugs rotate to unlock the action, allowing the bolt to slide back and eject the fired cartridge, then forward once more to lift and feed another round, rotating back into locked battery. The system was renowned for its reliability. ...Read More >