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.280 Ross

The First Big Seven!

RIFLE’S

ANDLOADER

Ammunition Reloading Journal

Loads for the

.45 ACP 100-Yard Obsession! Winchester’s New 572 Powder October 2017

No. 310

Sitek Arms Custom 1911

Display until 11/13/17

Printed in USA

FEATURES

COLUMNS

.45 Colt Myths Reloader’s Press -

Handloading for Flexibility and Accuracy

Dave Scovill

Long Range Shooting Part I: Cartridge Selection Factors Practical Handloading Rick Jamison

.270 WSM Bore Specifications Bullets & Brass -

Brian Pearce

42 A pre-1914 Ross Model 10 .280 Ross. Photo by Terry Wieland. Wilson Combat Protector .45 ACP and Sitek Arms custom 1911 .45 ACP. Photos by Brian Pearce.

.280 Ross

The First Big Seven and the Pursuit of Velocity Terry Wieland

On the cover . . .

100-Yard Obsession

Testing Handloads at Nonstandard Distances John Barsness

Brian Pearce

Loading the .45 ACP

.327 Federal Magnum

Cartridge Board Gil Sengel

Accurate 2230

Page 54 . . .

Propellant Profiles R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

Sitek Arms Custom 1911 .45 ACP

A New Powder for 20-, 16- and 12-Gauge Loads

Page 34 . . .

From the Hip -

John Haviland

Brian Pearce

Page 18 . . .

26 Page 48 . . .

Winchester 572 Powder

Accurate 5744

Mike’s Shootin’ Shack Mike Venturino

.300 H&H Ackley Improved (30 Degree)

Beginning Bullet Casting - Part IV Assembling Usable, Accurate Handloads Mike Venturino

Page 10 . . .

Wildcat Cartridges John Haviland

Ruger Mk IV .22 Long Rif le and Forster 3-1 Case Cutter

Page 14 . . .

Product Tests -

Squeaky-Clean Brass In Range -

Terry Wieland 4

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Handloader 310

.45 Colt Myths RELOADER’S PRESS by Dave Scovill

few years ago, I decided to do a second book about Colt single actions and get some answers to some of the questions surrounding the development of the .45 Colt. I ran into several stumbling blocks that up until then persisted in spite of the fact that some were mostly hearsay, fact and fiction rolled into one, and passed on from one generation of writers to the next. Research suggests one of the myths seemed to originate with Hatcher’s Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers in 1935 and to some degree J.R. Mattern in Handloading Ammunition in 1926. Both writers hedged around the edges regarding dates of manufacture, etc., but Hatcher stated, “. . . the cartridge was originally loaded with 40-grains of black powder.” Mattern said nothing of the sort but did describe the original Frankford Arsenal load (circa 1873-74) with a 250-grain bullet seated over 30 grains of black powder. The question remained: If there was indeed an “original” load with 40 grains of black powder, when and by whom was it introduced? I started with my neighbor Val Christmann’s extensive collection of gun books, textbooks and catalogs. I purloined a variety of catalogs from Remington, Winchester, DWM, Dominion, etc., in search of

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the “original” .45 Colt load. Only one, the Remington-UMC 1910 catalog, mentioned 40 grains of black powder with a 250-grain bullet. Daniel Shuey’s, W.R.A. Co. Headstamped Cartridges and Their Variations first volume (1999) covers cartridges up to .38 caliber; the second volume (2003) continues up to the .50s. In the second volume, the section on the .45 Colt doesn’t mention 40 grains of black powder, but it does chronicle WRA loads with a 260-grain bullet seated over 30 grains of black in 1877, and 35 grains of black in 1882 and 38 grains in 1898, both with a 255-grain bullet. I also ordered a copy of C. Kenneth Moore’s book, Colt Single Action Army Revolver Study: New Discoveries (2003), in which the author cites correspondence among the U.S. Army, Frankford Arsenal and Colt regarding development and testing of the new .45 Colt load, none of which mentions 40 grains of powder. Val also introduced me to our new neighbor Pete deCoux, who along with his wife, Gaye, are among the world’s foremost authorities on cartridges, with an extensive collection of both military and domestic samples. Pete is also on the board of the International Ammunition Association (IAA) and mentioned a website with ammunition catalogs, namely UMC, which merged with Remington in 1912 or so, albeit Pete noted the merger took several years to complete, which helps explain the three different headstamps: UMC, Rem-UMC and Remington. At the time, the above-mentioned Remington load in its 1910 catalog was the earliest listing I could find for a 40-grain charge, which also listed 35- and 30-grain black-powder loads, and another listing for the

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Ammunition Reloading Journal

ISSN 0017-7393

Volume 52 Issue No. 310

Number 5 October 2017

Publisher/President – Don Polacek Publishing Consultant – Mark Harris Editor in Chief – Lee J. Hoots Editor Emeritus – Dave Scovill Managing Editor – Roberta Scovill Copy Editor – Andrew Buskey Senior Art Director – Gerald Hudson Production Director – Becky Pinkley

Contributing Editors John Barsness

Gil Sengel

John Haviland

Stan Trzoniec

Richard Mann

R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

Brian Pearce

Mike Venturino

Charles E. Petty

Terry Wieland

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Circulation Circulation Manager – Marie Wolf marie@wolfepub.com Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader® (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bimonthly by Polacek Publishing Corporation, dba Wolfe Publishing Company (Don Polacek, President), 2180 Gulf-stream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. Telephone: (928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions – single issue, $5.99; 6 issues, $22.97; 12 issues, $39.00. Foreign and Canada – single issue, $5.99; 6 issues $29.00; 12 issues, $51.00. Please allow 8-10 weeks for first issue. Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights reserved. Change of address: Please give six weeks notice. Send both the old and new address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader® Magazine, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Handloader®, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. Canadian returns: PM #40612608. Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

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Handloader 310

.45 S&W with a 250-grain bullet over 28 grains of black. Noted authority Mike Venturino also mentioned the Remington 1878 catalog did not list the .45 Colt. Looking over a printout of the UMC catalogs, there it was in 1880 – a 250-grain bullet seated over 40 grains of black powder in a 1.25inch case. The same load was listed until 1914, 34 years, which also threw a rock at the assumption that the 40-grain charge was discontinued because it was too strong for the Colt SAA. Pete also allowed me to sift through an inventory of older revolver and rifle cartridges, whereupon I ended up with a couple dozen .45 Colt samples, most of which did not have a cannelure at the base of the bullet, indicating black-powder loads. Following the discovery of the UMC catalogs, and rummaging through Pete’s collection of “extras,” there was still some concern that something had been missed in the historical record created by October-November 2017

various authors, which led to another review of Mattern, Hatcher, Skelton, Roper, Keith, etc. The only writer, it seems, who actually used the Remington 40-grain loads was Elmer Keith, who coincidentally, does not appear to have used the word “original” or a date of origin in Sixguns by Keith, Hell, I Was There! or his “Gun Notes” columns in G&A.

Prior to most of the above, in the summer of 2009, Roberta and I attended a “Shootist” get together, basically a collection of folks in the industry and gun press, in Buena Vista, Colorado. While I was busy admiring a Colt New Service Target .45 Colt, Roberta wandered off to watch folks on the firing line, one of whom was Charlie Hanna shooting his Colt SAA .41 Colt. Mr.

There is no official record suggesting the Frankford Arsenal ever produced a .45 Colt 40-grain black-powder load.

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Hanna is a retired Kansas state trooper with an avid interest in western history, which naturally included all sorts of firearms and cartridges. While I watched, Charlie and Roberta struck up a conversation, and within minutes, she was shooting his Colt. Since then, Charlie and I have corresponded, owing our common interest in Colts and handguns in general, and he has shared his research into a long list of handguns and cartridges reportedly used by some famous and not-sofamous lawmen and desperados. Some of the records come from newspapers but are largely from excerpts by various authors, a few of which include comments regarding the infamous .45 Colt with the 40-grain charge of black powder. This all gets very interesting since most accounts, except by extrapolation from the year, revolver and gunmen involved, rarely give ammunition details. As an example, Elmer Keith was born 19 years after the UMC 40-grain load was listed in its catalog, and he may have known the folks involved in the accounts he mentioned over the years, but prior to 1880, any given .45 Colt SAA could have been loaded with any one of a vari-

ety of loads available after 1873, or if the incident occurred after 1880, it could have been any of those early loads, plus the UMC 40-grain load – or the Winchester 38-grain load with a 255-grain bullet after 1898. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral is an interesting incident, because it occurred on October 26, 1881, and some folks involved may have had access to the UMC load, but Wyatt Earp was, according to witnesses, armed with a Smith & Wesson, the same gun he clobbered Tom McLaury with the night before the infamous gunfight, that could only have been used with the early government load or a factory load with a 250-grain bullet seated over 30 grains of black powder in the 1.1-inch case after 1875. Who knows what ammunition Wyatt, Doc Holliday, Texas Jack Vermillion, Turkey Creek Johnson, et al., were shooting during the rampage to eradicate the “red legs” following the murder and attempted murder of brothers Morgan and Virgil, respectively. Another interesting fact is that Arizona was still a territory in 1881. The Arizona-New Mexico Territory was crawling with U.S. Army personnel, and the Frankford .45 Colt load (250-grain bulReloading Equipment, Components, and Shooting Accessories for Discriminating Shooters

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let over 30 grains of black powder in an inside-primed copper case) was available from U.S. government stores in San Antonio or local military establishments for federal marshals, county sheriffs and constables. As such, folks involved in the O.K. Corral shootout could have been using government ammunition or any of a few other possibilities. Charlie Hanna recently mentioned a gunfight in Kansas between Bat Masterson and some ner-do-well on a train platform in 1881. News accounts helped determine that Masterson fired the bullet that killed the thug, but there was no way to determine what was in Masterson’s Colt, because the coroner’s report didn’t address the issue. Timewise, it is possible that Masterson was using the UMC 40-grain load, but he might not have been aware of its existence so soon after its introduction. An account on March 23, 1894, (received from Charlie) cites a local drunk named Cunningham armed with a .38 WCF rifle and a cowman named McClure with a .45 Colt. The perp advanced toward McClure while receiving five shots from the .45, finally dropping from a clubbing with McClure’s revolver. Charlie, ever the lawman, notes that the bad guy had been drinking heavily and represents the mindset of an adversary who refuses to go down. Call it warrior spirit, drugs, alcohol, determination, take your pick. The whop of a .45 Colt slug, which could have been loaded with any of a number of black-powder loads at the time, failed to stop him, and it was probably just plain luck that McClure’s first shot disabled the perp’s right arm, so he couldn’t shoot the Winchester. Charlie summarized what a determined adversary is capable of, regardless of what you shoot him with – in the wrong place. Shot placement is everything. Regardless of what a modern writer might assume, it is quite likely that a good number of gunfights conducted with a .45 Colt Handloader 310

did not include the UMC or RemUMC 40-grain loads. Owing to lack of details, however, it has been routine, apparently, to assume the load in the gun was the one-shot man-stopper by Remington. After1880, it could have been one of a number of loads from UMC, Remington, Winchester and U.S. Cartridge Co. or even Dominion. There were, by my count, at least nine other possibilities. Still another story involves 2nd Lt. George S. Patton on March 14, 1916, in a gunfight with villistas at the San Miguelito Ranch in Mexico. There are two versions, but both involve Patton being advised by former Texas Ranger Dave Allison that when involved in a fight with cavalry, shoot the horse, so Patton shot the horse out from under a combatant with his .45 Colt. In 1916 Patton could have been using any one of a number of loads, black powder or smokeless. The .45 Colt 40-grain load was never standard issue for the U.S. Army, but both reports state the bullet October-November 2017

broke the mount’s hip, substantial performance for a 250- or 255-grain lead alloy slug launched from a SAA with a 4.75-inch barrel. Folks can only speculate about what load was chambered in Patton’s Colt. *** Lyman Deluxe Carbide Expander/Decap Rod Correction In the “Product Test” on the Lyman Deluxe Carbide Expander/ Decap Rod on page 65 in Handloader No. 308 (June/July 2017), I stated that, using the Lyman adapter, the assembly would fit Redding dies as well. I should have said the Lyman adapter fits Redding dies having 9⁄16x18 threads in the die body. Some do not, instead having 1⁄2 x20 threads, and the Lyman tool will not fit these dies. Redding offers a similar product that functions with its dies. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. – R.H. VanDenburg, Jr. ***

Handloader’s 50th Anniversary Giveaway Winner All the folks at Wolfe Publishing Co. would like to congratulate Tim Conroy of Black, Missouri. He was the winner of our 50th Anniversary Giveaway, which included the custom 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, along with lots of accessories. •

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long Range shooting PaRt i: CaRtRidge seleCtion FaCtoRs PRACTICAL HANDLOADING by Rick Jamison

hooting at long distances is becoming more popular in both competition and hunting. Shooters have heard about long shots made in the military and want to see how hard it is to make similar shots on paper or steel gongs with their own rifles. Hunters want to take game at even greater distances. Whatever the reason, shooters are finding out how much fun it is to shoot targets way out there. How â&#x20AC;&#x153;long rangeâ&#x20AC;? is defined is dependent on the shooter and the application. This year, a sniper team of Canadian servicemen made a shot in Afghanistan with a .50 BMG rifle at an incredible 2.2 miles. In competition, the five-shot, .50-caliber group record at 1,000 yards has been hovering around 2 inches for quite a few years. Currently, the smallest 1,000-yard, five-shot group fired in a .50 Caliber Shooters Association match in 2009 by Lee Rasmussen measures 1.955 inches. That is .187 minutes of angle (MOA). The smallest six-target group aggregate is 5.177 inches, also fired by Rasmussen in 2013. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take a big .50 BMG to shoot at long range. Jim Richards fired a 2.69-inch, five-shot group in competition at 1,000 yards using the diminutive 6mm Dasher, a cartridge based on the 6mm BR case. These shots and competition records show us what is possible. While most of us will not become registered competitors, nor will we shoot at 2 miles, we can still get in on the target-shooting fun with our hunting rifles and increase our game-taking distance. I will not go into the ethics of taking game at long range, except to say that for me, shot placement is the key to making a clean kill. I do not seek out long shots, but sometimes it is the only way to take a specific trophy. I believe that a shooter should practice enough to know when he is capable of making a shot

These .30-caliber cartridges include the (1) .308 Winchester, (2) .30-06, (3) .300 Winchester Magnum, (4) .300 Winchester Short Magnum and the (5) .300 Remington Ultra Mag. Handloaders can manipulate the order of their downrange effectiveness, which is why optimizing handloads is often more important than the cartridge chosen.

at a given distance, with a specific rest and under the shooting conditions at hand, regardless of the range. Otherwise, he should not take the shot. Bad shots can be made at 50 yards. Paper targets are a good way to get a dead-on zeroed at multiple distances, and then steel gongs are fun and you do not have to continually go downrange. Practice is required to make firstshot hits consistently at distances A bipod is just as good as a benchrest and can almost always be used from beyond 400 or 500 yards. Equipthe prone position in canyon country. ment alone will not do it. Manufacturers encourage this growth of interest in precision shooting at long distance by offering products for specific tasks. Some of the new propellants are not as temperature sensitive, and hence produce more uniform velocities. Bullet makers are producing longer, more streamlined hunting bullets that carry velocity and energy even farther down-

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Handloader 310

range and perform at lower-impact velocities. Rifle companies offer specialty long-range rifles among their standard lines, and scopes are available with target turrets, long-range reticles and a choice of markings in inches or MOA. If serious about this type of shooting, you will probably end up purchasing a new rifle, scope and cartridges that lend themselves to long-range accuracy.

So what does it take in the way of a cartridge? Some shooters automatically think of big cartridges when considering â&#x20AC;&#x153;long range.â&#x20AC;? However, todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competition shooters show us that big cartridges are not necessary to make precise hits, even at 1,000 yards (witness the 6mm Dasher record). In fact, people can shoot smaller cartridges with greater accuracy. A smaller cartridge with less recoil and blast is less likely to induce a flinch, and this makes shooting more fun. The more you shoot, the better you get, and smaller carPaper targets offer a great way to tell exactly where shots impact and to get a precise zero at all distances.

October-November 2017

tridges are less expensive to load, and less powder makes a barrel last longer. Conversely, it is true that a higher muzzle velocity is an advantage, and it takes a certain amount of downrange bullet velocity and energy to take game cleanly. So how does one determine when a cartridge is enough but not too much? In this game, a handloader has holds all the cards. A handloader has the ability to mate a cartridge and components with the intended purpose to maximize velocity and energy downrange. Any cartridge is limited by, or made more effective by, the sum of its components. The truth is, a lot of popular hunting cartridges can be handloaded to be effective at distances greater than traditionally thought possible. With the right bullet and load, the .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .3006 and others can be considered long-range rounds. They are not 1,000-yard elk cartridges, but they can all be optimized for the great-

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est distance by judicious handloading. Some of the most popular long-range hunting cartridges today include the .300 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum and 6.5-284 Norma. Based both on experience and what the computer indicates, I consider a .264-inch bullet diameter to be a minimum for taking deer and elk at longer distances. For many years, 1,000 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) of energy has been something of an arbitrary minimum energy standard for a deer cartridge, and 1,500 ft-lbs has been considered necessary for elk at the point of impact. These figures are for all-around hunting, not long-range shooting. Based on my experience with modern bullets, I would be inclined to place the figures closer to 700 ft-lbs on deer and 1,250 ft-lbs for elk. I have taken deer cleanly with good bullet performance at distances that put the energy level at 700 ft-lbs. Another reason for these lighter energy figures is because in long-range shooting, a hunter usually has a lot of time to set up prone with a bipod or good rest, accurately range the target, adjust his scope if necessary and calmly and deliberately take the shot. Seldom are quick shots taken at moving game at long distance as compared to shorter distances where game has been spooked, nor are long shots taken at a bad angle.

Popular long-range hunting cartridges include (left to right): the 6.5-284 Norma, .270 WSM and 7mm Remington Magnum. All can be effective at great distances if handloads are developed for the purpose.

To be conservative, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stick with the old standards of 1,000 and 1,500 ft-lbs and see how a computer presents it. Software is not always the best source for practical ballistics, but it can be good for making comparisons. I use QuickLoad and its companion, QuickTarget, and sometimes Load From A Disk when at my desktop computer. For my smartphone I use iSnipe and BulletDrop+ quite a lot. If a .30-06 car-

tridge is loaded with a Hornady 165-grain spitzer flatbase bullet with a reported .387 ballistic coefficient (BC) to a muzzle velocity of 2,800 feet per second (fps), the resulting load produces 1,500 ftlbs of energy at about 380 yards, and it carries 1,000 ft-lbs of energy to 595 yards. By comparison, if the same .30-06 is loaded with a Hornady 220-grain ELD-X bullet (with a very high quoted BC of .650) to a slower 2,400 fps, it carries 1,500 ft-lbs of energy to about 580 yards, and 1,000 ft-lbs to about 930 yards. It is easy to see how the handloader makes the difference regarding a long-range cartridge just by bullet and load selection. Unlike at shorter distances, where bullet shape and length is not critical, it makes a big difference farther downrange. There is perhaps more involved with a specific load recipe than with the size and shape of the cartridge. Of course, impact velocity is important as well, insofar as bullet expansion is concerned. In the latter instance, the bullet would be traveling at about 1,434 fps at 930 yards. Will it expand and transfer killing energy at this low velocity without punching through with little tissue damage? That is yet another aspect of developing a long-range handload, and the subject will be covered in a subsequent column. â&#x20AC;˘

Nonoptimized (Average) Load Comparison with Traditional Bullets cartridge

6.5-284 Norma .270 Winchester .270 Winchester Short Magnum 7mm-08 Remington 7mm Remington Magnum .308 Winchester .30-06 .300 Winchester Magnum .300 Winchester Short Magnum .300 Remington Ultra Mag .338 Winchester Magnum .338 Remington Ultra Mag .338 Lapua Magnum

bullet (grains)

120 Barnes TSX 130 Hornady InterLock SP 130 Swift Scirocco II 140 Nosler Partition 140 Sierra spitzer 150 Barnes TSX 165 Speer SP 165 Hornady InterLock SP 165 Nosler Partition 165 Barnes TSX 225 Swift A-Frame 250 Nosler Partition 250 Hornady InterLock SP

ballistic coefficient

muzzle velocity (fps)

recoil (ft-lbs)

retained 1,500 ft-lbs (yards)

retained 1,000 ft-lbs (yards)

.381 .409 .450 .456 .377 .369 .433 .387 .410 .398 .384 .473 .431

3,050 3,050 3,200 2,850 3,150 2,850 2,800 3,050 3,050 3,100 2,750 2,850 2,850

11.2 13.8 18.2 12.4 20.3 14.2 17.3 24.7 23.3 35.7 31.0 47.9 47.8

300 370 480 350 420 330 430 480 510 520 510 750 690

520 610 740 590 640 540 680 700 740 740 720 1,010 920

Notes: This computer-generated data is an overview comparison that gives a rough idea where standard cartridges fit in the downrange energy spectrum with normal loads. Powder charge weights can vary, depending on powder type, and this affects recoil. Recoil figures are for an 8.5-pound rifle. If cartridges look out of order, it is because of muzzle velocity, bullet weight and ballistic coefficient.

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Handloader 310

.270 WsM BoRe sPeCiFiCations BULLETS & BRASS by Brian Pearce

: I have a Savage Model 11GL chambered in .270 WSM that I started shooting non-lead factory ammo through due to regulations here in California. When shootingregular cup and core bullets, I noticed recoil was a little above the .270 Winchester, and velocities were on par or slightly higher than advertised velocities. When shooting lead-free bullets, such as the Barnes Triple-Shock X-Bullet, Nosler E-Tip and Hornady GMX in factory loads, recoil was elevated, primers were blown and very stiff bolt lift was encountered. I immediately stopped and slugged the bore. I discovered bore dimension to be .2745 inch. I contacted Savage and sent the rifle back, along with a letter explaining the situation and specifically asked them to shoot lead-free ammo to verify my findings. When the rifle was returned, the letter from Savage indicated that they had inspected the rifle and polished the chamber, but no mention of any dimensions. I again fired the rifle with lead-free ammo, but there was no change. I slugged the barrel again and came up with the same .2745 inch diameter. After several attempts to contact Savage, I was told that the bore

The .270 Winchester Short Magnum has a standardized bore specification of .270 inch, and standardized .277-inch groove dimensions.

was within SAAMI specifications and that they do not have any leadfree ammo on hand for testing, nor do they plan to. I was basically told there was nothing they can do. I have tried to find out what SAAMI bore specifications are for the .270 WSM but have not been able to find that information. I would like to know your thoughts. Do you believe that the bore is too small? I now have a rifle that I cannot use. – G.R., via e-mail A: If your rifle is indeed measuring .2745-inch in groove diameter (and not bore diameter as you indicate), then it is definitely too small and is probably the reason

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that the lead-free ammunition is sticking cases and blowing primers. Current SAAMI specifications for the .270 Winchester Short Magnum are a .270-inch bore diameter and a .277-inch groove diameter. I am not sure of the best way to get Savage to replace your barrel. I would be inclined to contact the customer service manager, describe your problem and hopefully they will take care of you. Readers please note: The above question was not in regard to handloading, but it is a perfect example as to why handloaders should never begin with maximum load data (except with select spherical powder magnum revolver loads). This reader was using factory ammunition that functioned normally in an out-of-specification rifle; however, when switching to three different brands of ammunition containing bullets of solid copper construction, they each exhibited high pressures. There is a lesson in this story!

.38 sPeCial BlaCk BeaR loads Q: Can you provide a heavy .38 Special load using 173-grain bullets from Lyman mould #358429? I would like to crimp them in their crimp groove (rather than over the front driving band) and shoot them in my USFA Rodeo. I am impressed with the Buffalo Bore “Outdoorsman” load but would like a heavier bullet. My reading suggests that a hard, cast bullet that is heavy for Handloader 310

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caliber, and at around 1,000 fps, is a good defensive load for black bear at “conversational” distances, i.e. close enough that it’s obvious that spray didn’t work. I would like to know your thoughts. I am not looking for a hunting load. As far as powder goes, I have on hand Alliant Unique, Blue Dot and 2400, Hodgdon Longshot and Lil’ Gun. Thanks for your advice. – P.D.C., via e-mail A: Having taken big game with sixguns loaded with heavy-forcaliber, nonexpanding, flatnose cast bullets at modest velocities, I have always been amazed at how well they penetrate and easily reach the vitals, a combination that makes them very effective. To reach your targeted velocity of around 1,000 fps, try 5.5 grains of Unique for 1,023 fps, or 5.9 grains of Hodgdon Longshot for 1,010 fps as shot from a Smith & Wesson .38-44 Outdoorsman with a 6.5inch barrel. Use standard CCI 500, nonmagnum primers and seat the bullet to an overall cartridge

.35 WCF PatteRn 14 Q: I am in the process of acquiring a rifle chambered in .35 W.C.F. built on a P14 action. The problem I have is lack of reloading information, compounded by some ambiguous data on the LoadData.com website. Much of the data seems to be drawn from magazine articles and shows considerable variation for the same powder and projectiles (up to 6.0 grain changes with maximum powder charges). I would like to load the 225grain Nosler Partition and Woodleigh Protected Point bullets and 250-grain Nosler Partitions. Can

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Alliant Unique and Hodgdon Longshot powders are good choices for .38 Special loads containing 173-grain Keith cast bullets.

length of 1.532 inches and apply a heavy roll crimp. Use modern cases, preferably those without a cannelure.

Winchester 748 and Hodgdon H-4895 powders are top choices for loading the Swift 225-grain A-Frame and Nosler 250-grain Partition bullets in the .35 Winchester Centerfire.

you suggest loads using Hodgdon H4895 and Varget powders, as these are readily available? – P.B., Australia A: Using the Nosler 225-grain Partition, Swift A-Frame or Woodleigh bullets and Hodgdon H-4895 powder, start with 45.0 grains and work up carefully to a maximum charge of 50.0 grains for around 2,350 fps while watching for signs of excess pressure. You might also try 45.0 grains of Handloader 310

Winchester 748 for around 2,150 fps and work up to a maximum charge of 47.0 grains for 2,300 fps. Another option includes 46.0 grains of IMR-3031 powder for 2,200 fps while 48.0 grains is maximum at just over 2,300 fps. If you are able to obtain Hodgdon powders, both IMR-3031 and Winchester 748 should also be readily available as they are likewise distributed by Hodgdon. Regarding the Nosler 250-grain Partition, try a maximum load of 48.0 grains of H-4895 for around 2,200 fps. I hope the above information helps and thanks for taking the time to read our magazines in Australia.

k eith Bullets FoR the .41 M agnuM Q: I very much enjoy your columns and features in Handloader and always learn something from each. For more than 30 years I have owned a Smith & Wesson Model 57 with 6-inch barrel and chambered in .41 Magnum. My

October-November 2017

questions are, who offers a quality and genuine Keith-style cast bullet? Second, can you suggest a couple of accurate plinking loads that push these bullets to between 700 and 800 fps? Keep up the great work and thanks for offering such an enjoyable magazine. – M.L., Lewiston ID A: Thanks for your kind remarks. Soon after the .41 Magnum appeared, Elmer Keith worked with Hensley & Gibbs to design a bullet specifically for the new cartridge, which became H&G mould No. 258. Depending on alloy, my mould usually casts bullets at around 220 to 223 grains. Montana Bullet Works (www.montana bulletworks.com) offers bullets from this mould listed at 215 grains. The company’s bullets are ladle poured by hand and are of high quality. I would try 4.8 grains of Alliant Bullseye, 5.2 grains of Red Dot or 4.9 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup, with each load reaching

Alliant Bullseye and Hodgdon Titegroup powders work well for target velocity .41 Magnum loads containing 220-grain Keith-style cast bullets.

between 750 and 800 fps from a 6-inch barrel. Use a CCI 300 standard primer. I would like to know how these loads work for you. •

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.327 FedeRal MagnuM CARTRIDGE BOARD by Gil Sengel

have a sentimental attachment to so-called .32-caliber revolver rounds; so-called because they are now .303 calibers and have been getting even smaller since the percussion era. As a kid, someone gave me an old, break-open revolver with an Ideal tong-type reloading tool that had an integral bullet mould on the end. Hundreds of rounds were assembled and were accurate enough to hit gophers and cottontails at 40 to 50 feet most of the time. That old revolver led to others in .32 S&W Long and .32-20 Winchester. They all shot better than the first. Only cast bullets were ever used. If there is a better handgun for small, edible game, plinking or just carrying while woods-roaming, I can’t imagine what it would be. One regret is not acquiring a Smith & Wesson K-32 Masterpiece while they were still available. The .32 Harrington & Richardson (H&R) Magnum came out in 1984. It is simply a .32 S&W or .32 S&W Long case lengthened to 1.075 inches. It was chambered in H&R lightweight revolvers, but they could

D C

Cartridge Dimensions A - Overall Length . . . . . . . .1.475 D - Rim Diameter . . . . . . . . . . 0.375 B - Case Length . . . . . . . . . 1.200 E - Head Diameter . . . . . . . . .0.337 C - Rim Thickness . . . . . . . 0.055 F - Neck Diameter . . . . . . . .0.337 NOTE: Dimensions may vary among manufacturers.

only withstand about half the pressure of standard .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum ammunition. An 85-grain jacketed hollowpoint bullet was listed at 1,100 fps from a 45⁄8 -inch test barrel. Muzzle energy came to some 230 ft-lbs. Unfortunately, the firearms press didn’t know what to make of the cartridge. Few of them had ever seen or shot an H&R centerfire revolver, because H&R was a small company, and its products cost less than Ruger’s, Colt’s or Smith & Wesson’s. One expert summed it up thusly: It was a great

Familiar .32s include a (1) .32 blank, (2) .32 S&W, (3) .32 S&W Long, (4) .32 H&R Magnum, (5) .327 Federal Magnum and a (6) .32-20 Winchester.

1 18

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cartridge, but only if shot in Ruger or Smith & Wesson revolvers, where handloaders could greatly increase the pressure. He didn’t have a clue! The .32 H&R Magnum had only one purpose: Provide a reliable, adequately powerful self-defense cartridge that anyone could afford, yet not generate the fierce recoil and ear-splitting muzzle blast of .357 revolvers, so untrained folks could use it effectively. H&R revolvers were superior to the cheap, unreliable .25-, .32- and .380-caliber semiautomatics of the time. Writers and editors had trouble both seeing and saying this. So, with write-ups calling the round “underpowered” and its purpose misunderstood, the H&R’s fate was sealed by a lot of silly press. Years rolled by, until late 2007 brought word that a new .32-caliber round was coming. Introduced as the .327 Federal Magnum, the case of the .32 H&R Magnum had been lengthened .125 inch to 1.200 inches. Maximum cartridge length was set at 1.475 inches. A .357 Magnum is 1.590 inches, thus allowing the new cartridge to fit in .357 frames and cylinders. Why wasn’t the .327 given the same 1.290-inch case length as the .357 Handloader 310

Left, the Ruger SP101 was the first revolver chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum. Below, six rounds fit in a .327 Federal Magnum cylinder, one cartridge more than fits in lightweight .357 Magnum revolvers.

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Magnum? Who knows. It was, however, given plenty of pressure to work with. Maximum average pressure is 45,000 psi for the .327 Federal as compared to 35,000 psi for the .357 Magnum. What was the purpose of this higher pressure? To answer that, consider the first .327 Federal loadings. Federal Cartridge Co. had two, an 85-grain Hydra-Shok bullet at 1,330 fps and a 100-grain jacketed softpoint at 1,400 fps; both figures are muzzle velocities. Speer loaded a 115-grain Gold Dot hollowpoint to 1,300 fps. These numbers are said to be either factory figures or results of firing the finalized experimental loads in the only revolver chambered for the .327 Federal at its introduction – a Ruger SP101 with a 31⁄16 -inch barrel, depending on which source one accepts.

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What is certain is that the 2008 Federal catalog, the first to list the .327 Federal, shows a 100-grain softpoint at 1,500 fps generating 500 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, and an 85-grain Hydra-Shok at 1,400 fps with 370 ft-lbs of energy. Both are from a 4-inch, vented test barrel. In the 2010 catalog, an 85-grain jacketed softpoint at 1,400 was added. Speer soon dropped its 115grain Gold Dot load, replacing it with a 100-grain Gold Dot at 1,500 fps with 500 ft-lbs of energy as shot from a 4-inch, nonvented barrel. This Speer round and the three from Federal are still listed today. Also, for what it’s worth, two major cartridge references show the standard industry test barrel length to be 5 inches, nonvented. Being concerned about these numbers is really much ado about nothing. Barrel length, cylinder length, cylinder throat diameter, barrel-cylinder gap and forcing cone length all affect velocities. Just for curiosity, a few rounds of Federal 100-grain softpoints were shot from a Ruger SP101 with a 4.190-inch barrel and a .0045-inch barrel-cylinder gap. Velocity averaged 1,415 fps at 8 feet over an Oehler 35P chronograph. A fiveshot group spanned 1.75 inches at Handloader 310

25 yards but was twice as tall as it was wide. It has escaped no one’s notice that the 500 ft-lbs energy figure equals or comes very close to many 110- and 125-grain bullet loadings in the .357 Magnum when fired in 4-inch, vented test barrels. Six cartridges also fit in .327 Federal revolvers while .357s hold only five in the same size revolver. All of this is good. Now comes the hard part. Reviewers say the .327 Federal has up to 20 percent less recoil than certain .357 Magnum loads in comparable revolvers. Blast and concussion is also supposedly less. Well, maybe, but the difference escapes me. I am, however, regularly accused of being an insensitive guy. This brings us to “usability.” If needed in a defensive situation, without hearing protection, the .327 Federal is usable but not controllable (just like little .357 Magnum revolvers) unless the user is very strong and very well trained.

Select .327 Federal Magnum Handloads bullet (grains)

100 Speer JHP

115 Oregon Trail FP cast

overall loaded length (inches)

powder

charge (grains)

primer

case

A-9 VV-N110 W-296 Power Pistol Universal Red Dot Unique

11.5 12.0 13.2 7.5 5.0 4.5 5.0

CCI 550

Speer

1.4575

CCI 500

Federal

1.4680

velocity (fps)

1,294 1,199 1,287 1,388 1,211 1,147 1,147

Notes: Fired in a Ruger SP101 with 31⁄16-inch barrel (Source: Handloader No. 258, February/March 2009). 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.

Grip size of these revolvers is simply too small. A humorous moment occurred when researching this piece. It seems a chap who did a review of the then-new .32 H&R Magnum years ago also covered the .327 Federal when it came out. He opined the .32 H&R was underpowered and a missed opportunity to do something great. The fellow later thought the .327 Federal was magnificent but recommended that most folks shoot .32

H&R Magnum ammunition in the little revolvers to avoid recoil and blast. On the other hand, the .327 Federal is fine for anyone who likes shooting revolvers, plinking or small-game hunting out to 100 yards or so. A longer barrel and more adequate grips may be needed, and never forget ear plugs! Or, as the expert said, just fire .32 H&R loads (or equivalent handloads) in the .327 Federal Magnum. •

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aCCuRate 2230 PROPELLANT PROFILES by R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

ack in 1984, when Accurate Arms was still an independent company located in McEwen, Tennessee, the company introduced a line of spherical rifle powders manufactured in Israel by Israel Military Industries (IMI). Among them was MR-223 which had been developed for the 5.56 NATO cartridge. An explosion at the IMI plant ended Accurate Armsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; source for these powders and other sources had to be found. With the change, the MR prefix was dropped from the name, and MR-223 simply became Accurate 2230. In a previous review, it was noted that A-2230 had been manufactured in Israel, South Africa, the Czech Republic and, at that time,

Belgium. A recent move has finally brought the powder home, and it is now manufactured by St. Marks Powders, a division of General Dynamics in St. Marks, Florida. Readers may recall that Western Powders, Inc. purchased the Accurate Powder smokeless powder line in 2005 and moved operations to Miles City, Montana. Since then, Western has systematically been reining in its Accurate production, first moving its extruded powder line to the General Dynamics facility in Ontario, Canada, where IMR powders are made. A few years ago, the company began shifting its spherical handgun powder manufacturing to St. Marks Powders (SMP) and

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now, the spherical rifle powder line is following suit. Actually, some Accurate spherical rifle powders were originally manufactured by SMP, but now they all are. Accurate 1680, A-2200 and A-2700 have always been SMP powders. Now, A-2230, A-2460 and A-2520 are as well. To that end, samples of the latter three were recently received. Accurate 2230 is a spherical, double-base powder with a nitroglycerin content of 10 percent. Average grain size is .022 inch. Bulk density is given as 1.000 g/cc. Metering, as might be expected, is exceptional. Powders with similar burning rates include IMR-3031, Hodgdonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Benchmark, H-322 and

Handloader 310

Norma 201, all on the faster side, with IMR-8208 XBR on the slower side, according to the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 10th Edition. My first impulse, and the reason for this review, was to compare the burning rate of the new A-2230 with an older lot from Belgium. In spite of strong efforts to maintain consistency when changing sources, things sometimes change. The new lot of A-2230 turned out to be a little bit slower-burning but, as is sometimes the case, its velocities were closer to those published by Western Powders. To put it another way, my Belgium-produced lot appears to be a tick faster-burning than the published data. For example, in the .222 Remington using Winchester cases, Remington 7½ primers and a Hornady 50-grain bullet, Western Powders’ Reloading & Load Data Guide, Edition 6.0 lists 24.0 grains of A-2230 as having a muzzle velocity of 3,170 feet per second (fps). Using the same components – different lots, of course – my Belgium-made A-2230 provided 3,223 fps; the new A-2230 lot from Western Powders reached 3,155 fps. Not a lot of difference, but SMP powders are likely to be held to closer tolerances than the previously manufactured European powders. Going forward, this is a very good thing. This, along with more controllable delivery schedules, makes this change something to cheer about. In spite of the fact A-2230 was developed as a 5.56 NATO propellant, it is quite useful in a number of cartridges, from the .17 Remington Fireball through several .20-caliber cartridges and in to the .22 calibers. Beyond that, A-2230 performs well in the .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .303 British (all with lightweight bullets) on up to the .45-70 and even the .458 Winchester Magnum. I was quite impressed with October-November 2017

A-2230 in the .20 Tactical, especially with the Hornady 32-grain bullet, and in the .222 Remington with Barnes 50-grain Varminator HPs. In the .223 Remington, A-2230 is best with bullets up to 55 grains in weight. Beyond that, velocity is lost to slower powders but accuracy may not be. Interestingly, the Hornady manual limits

A-2230 to 35-grain bullets in the .223 Remington, whereas the Western manual, logically enough, pairs it with everything from 30 grains to 90 grains. Not exceeding 55 grains in bullet weight with this powder in this cartridge may still be the best course to follow, I suspect. With the .30-30 Winchester, the powder is excellent with lightweight bullets. As a preseason tag-along load, a 110-grain bullet is ideal for dispatching the odd varmint and pulverizing rocks. Likewise, in the .308 Winchester a 125-grain bullet serves the same purpose. A Hornady 150-grain bullet over 45.0 grains of A-2230 makes for a fine hunting load. Ditto for the .303 British; a Sierra 150-grain bullet pushed along by 43.0 grains of A-2230 in my Ruger No. 1 performs admirably on deer-size game. (Continued on page 66)

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sitek aRMs CustoM 1911 .45 aCP FROM THE HIP by Brian Pearce

rothers John and Ted Sitek (www.sitekarms.com) have more than 70 years combined experience building custom guns, which they learned from their father. Their focus has typically been toward crafting top-quality firearms to include a variety of custom autoloading pistols, Ruger single-action and Smith & Wesson double-action revolvers, bolt-action rifles and leverguns. Rather than offering only “custom packages,” Sitek is willing to tackle any reasonable project built to customer specifications, resulting in true custom guns. Sitek Arms is a family-owned business, with William Sitek, under the watchful eye of his father, Ted, executing the Model 1911 featured here. This project also required the specialized talents of others. The customer who commissioned the work is a highly accomplished target shooter, so it was built precisely to his specifications. The primary focus was to obtain superb accuracy while using a unique combination of sights, finish and master engraving, all housed in a handmade wood case that was constructed by Leah Sitek, John’s daughter. This project began with a Model 1911 stainless steel frame carefully matched with a 1930’s era Colt slide.

The Sitek Arms custom 1911, shot with both handloads and factory ammunition, was made with great care. It features a match-grade Kart barrel and Wilson parts; the frame is of stainless steel and the Colt slide is pre-WWII vintage.

This was not a slap-it-together project; rather, it was carefully mated, modified and precision lapped for a tight fit – a prerequisite for precision accuracy – but still offers reliable function. The cocking serrations were removed and replaced with a reverse fish-scale pattern. A .45-caliber, match-grade Kart barrel was next installed and carefully fitted using Wilson parts. Every internal part was hand-fit and tuned for repeatable accuracy and reliThe Patridge front sight features an inlay of 14-karat gold.

ability. The recoil spring is a 16pound, polished chrome silicone example designed for light target loads. The pistol was designed to function primarily with ammunition containing ball and truncated bullet profiles. It also feeds SWC designs and bullets with any reasonable nose configuration. A Tuner sight rib was carefully mated to the slide and features a fully adjustable rear sight with a shadow-free rear sight picture and a comparatively long sight radius. The front sight consists of a hand-

A Tuner sight rib was added to accommodate a fully adjustable rear sight with a shadow-free sight picture.

All engraving work was done by Rachel Wells.

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Handloader 310

crafted Patridge pattern cut with a 14K gold inlay. The external Wilson parts were reshaped by hand, cleaned and polished to correspond with the customer’s specifications. The reshaping of parts and handpolishing work took in excess of 40 hours. The pistol was then delivered to master engraver Rachael Wells for full-coverage, Master Pattern engraving. Ted Sitek finally applied his own proprietary, twostep, Du-lite process to produce a stunningly brilliant blue to the slide, rib and other carbon- steel parts, while the pre-ban ivory grips (owned by the customer prior to July 6, 2016) were hand fitted by John Sitek. The talented Sitek team – machinists, craftsmen, technicians, artists and shooters – have created a stunning pistol. At various stages during the building process, the pistol was tested for accuracy with a 25-yard target included that measured .855 inch center-to-center with unknown ammunition. When offered the chance to test this pistol prior to it being delivered to the customer, I could only respond, “Are you sure that it is okay for me to fire it?” “Absolutely,” was Sitek’s response. With a value of around $12,500, and it belonging to someone else, I still had reservations as I loaded the first magazine, sat down in the shade with my back against a solid rest with elbows snug between my knees and studied the 200-yard target. Using a handload containing Hornady 230-grain HAP (truncated cone) bullets, 4.9 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup and Federal No. 150 primers for around 770 fps, the first few bullets clustered slightly left but grouped under 6 inches. Subsequent groups were even tighter. Function was flawless, and the trigger broke at 47 ounces. This pistol clearly is capable of running a perfect score on an IHMSA silhouette range. With the cartridge loaded to target velocities, however, it may not produce enough energy to reliably

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October-November 2017

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aCCuRate 5744 MIKE’S SHOOTIN’ SHACK by Mike Venturino

or more than 30 years I have made no secret of my enthusiasm for Accurate 5744 powder. It has proven to be my all-time favorite smokeless propellant for cast bullet loads in modern bottlenecked rifle cartridges for duplicating black powder ballistics in late-1800s black-powder cartridges. That latter statement is italicized so someone doesn’t think A-5744 is a grain-for-grain substitute for black powder. Since the mid-1980s, I have loaded A-5744 with cast bullets in cartridges as small as the .222 Remington to as huge as the .5090 Sharps. At times, there have been some amounts of unburned powder kernels left in barrels, in-

dicating the loads are a bit on the low-pressure side. I consider that a small price to pay for excellent groups and low shot-to-shot velocity variations. My introduction to A-5744 came about shortly after trying A-3100 and reviewing it in these pages. Accurate 3100 was slow-burning, in the vicinity of H-4831 and IMR4831, and gave excellent results in the same applications as those more established propellants. My review got the A-3100’s seller enough sales that he asked if I would like to try a faster-burning surplus powder. He told me it had been an experimental double-base powder for the government’s testing of 5.56mm early in its devel-

Accurate 5744 has undergone several prefix changes.

opment but had been beat out by a “ball powder” and had been stored for many years. He sent an 8-pound

jug, and I began experimenting. Readers who have followed my writing for decades know how that went. I became one of A-5744’s greatest fans to the point I gave up using any other smokeless propellant for the purposes noted above in italics. Accurate Arms Company (AAC) was soon established in Tennessee and developed many more smokeless propellants. Eventually, AAC was bought out by Western Powders Company of Miles City, Montana. Original stocks of A-5744 ran out early on, but the Accurate Arms Company did not let it die. As far as I know, it has been duplicated in Israel, the Czech Republic and currently in Canada. I have seen its canisters labeled “5744,” “XMP-5744,” “XMR-5744” and now “Accurate 5744.” While I never had reason to question A-5744’s origins, that initial story was all that I had ever heard. Then a few years back, while perusing at a bookstore, I happened upon one titled The Gun written

Accurate 5744 is Mike’s all-time favorite propellant for cast bullets in all bottlenecked rifle cartridges. Note this canister’s label is “XMR.”

by C.J. Chivers. It was thick in size and heavily footnoted, meaning to me it was properly researched. The meat of The Gun was the Soviet Union’s development of the AK-47 and its impact upon the world. However, along the way Chivers delved deeply into America’s development of the M16, its 5.56mm

cartridge and its teething problems in Vietnam. Therein he wrote how initial work with 5.56mm had been with a DuPont powder called IMR-4475. It burned cleanly and in AR-15/M16/5.56mm testing had performed admirably. Then bureaucrats got involved, decreed that the 5.56mm be loaded with a “ball”

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propellant, hence causing its problems on battlefields. Drop the “IMR” and reverse the numbers, and it becomes 5744. That is enough proof for me to accept the long-ago story of the powder’s origins. Today’s reloading manuals never list A-5744 for Remington’s .222, .223 and .222 Remington Magnum cartridges probably because according to the Lyman Reloading Handbook, 50th Edition, Accurate 5744 has a burning rate between IMR-4227 and IMR-4198. Paging through the newest manual also revealed that Lyman began listing Accurate 5744 as an option for cast bullets with

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Accurate 5744 will also work well in some large-bore revolver cartridges. This 10-shot group from a .44-40 was fired from a machine rest at 25 yards.

the 6.5mm Creedmoor and continuing through most cartridges up to and including the .460 Weatherby Magnum. I have even used it in .38-40 and .44-40 loads for leverguns and revolvers. Here are a couple of points to relate from my experience with 5744. Forget case fillers. Never use them. In cases as large as the .300 Weatherby Magnum, I have had charges of A-5744 burn well and give fine accuracy, even with 115-grain cast bullets with no fillers in the .32-20. Case fillers will just raise pressures and, if used incompetently, can ring barrels. Always crimp the case mouth to the bullet, because it causes A-5744 to burn more completely, eliminating those pesky but harmless unburned powder kernels in barrels. Do not consider A-5744 as some mild form of propellant and get adventurous with it. One friend got careless, doublecharged a .45-60 WCF case and blew the barrel off his original Winchester Model 1876. I need to close with this statement: I am not trying to sell A-5744; rather I am sold on it. To the best of my memory, I have never received free A-5744 after that first jug back in the 1980s. In fact, a few years back a friend passed away, leaving his widow with a boatload of guns and related paraphernalia. She asked me if I would help her sell it, taking a percentage for myself. I replied, “No, I will sell it all for you if I can have that unopened, original 8-pound jug of 5744.” • Handloader 310

.300 h&h aCkley iMPRoved (30 degRee) WILDCAT CARTRIDGES by John Haviland

fter five years of handload ing the .300 H&H Ackley Improved (AI) cartridge, I’ve learned not to take anything for granted. Reading what others say about a wildcat cartridge adds to the general knowledge, but it’s best to start in the shallow end of that pool and slowly wade deeper. My .300 AI is a Winchester Model 70 made in 1950, and its original .300 H&H Magnum chamber was reamed out to “.300 H&H Ackley Imp.” as is stamped on the barrel. The rifle had been extensively altered, with its 26-inch barrel cut back to 24.5 inches and a Lyman barrel-band front sight and muzzle break attached to the muzzle. The left side of the receiver had been

drilled, and a notch was cut in the stock, to accommodate a Pachmayr Lo-Swing scope mount to hold a Weaver K4 scope. The rifle is one of the lighter, standard pre-64 Model 70s I’ve ever held, with a weight of 8.75 pounds. Making the first batch of .300 AI cases required a long and laborious process. Once-fired Federal .375 H&H Magnum cases were the only suitable cases available at the time. To form the cases, they were run partially into a .338 Winchester Magnum sizing die, then a .300 Winchester Magnum sizing die to step down the necks. The bottom of the necks were left a bit wide so cases entered the rifle’s chamber with only some down-

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The .300 H&H Ackley Improved cartridge is based on the .300 H&H Magnum case with its sloping shoulder expanded.

ward pressure on the bolt handle. The cases were fully formed by loading and firing 77.0 grains of H-4831 with Speer 180-grain spitzer bullets. My first assumption was .300 AI cases had a 40-degree shoulder angle since P.O. Ackley, in his book Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders, Volume I wrote, “The Ackley .300 Improved is the same as the .300 Weatherby except for minor details. The Weatherby has what is known as a venture shoulder (curved corners) while the Ackley has sharp corners and a 40 degree angle.” I wrote to Kent Sakamoto, RCBS product marketing manager, to buy a set of the company’s special order full-length and seating dies. Kent wrote back that RCBS offered dies for two different .300 H&H Magnum Improved cases, one with a 30-degree and another with a 40-degree shoulder angle. To determine which shoulder angle was correct for my rifle, Kent suggested sending RCBS three cases from disassembled cartridges that came with the rifle, and three fired cases. Kent got back to me a couple of weeks later and said my cases had a 30-degree shoulder angle, not the 40-degree angle I had assumed. “According to our technician,” he said, “they are not standard 30-degree Ackley Improved either. Headspace on your cases is short by about Handloader 310

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www.LymanProducts.com .019 inch, and the sizer will be produced accordingly.” While waiting for the dies to arrive, I read Internet posts from several .300 Ackley shooters who

wrote that the easiest way to form Ackley cases was from .300 Weatherby Magnum cases, because the only difference between the two was the shoulder. So I ordered 50 new Hornady .300 Weatherby Magnum cases. The RCBS dies arrived, and the sizing die was a perfect fit. I turned the die into the press a little bit at a time until the shoulders of the fireformed .375 H&H cases had been set back .002 inch. The shiny, new Hornady .300 Weath-

erby Magnum cases were about .01 inch shorter at the shoulder than Ackley cases. So all the Hornady .300 brass required was fireforming to convert their dished-out shoulder to the Ackley shoulder. In his book, Ackley suggested using .300 Weatherby data for handloading the .300 AI. Internet posters also wrote they shot .300 Weatherby factory loads in their .300 AI rifles. I was more than leery of those suggestions, because

Loads for the .300 H&H Ackley Improved The .300 H&H Magnum case (left) can be converted into a .300 Ackley (right) by firing a cartridge in an Ackley chamber.

October-November 2017

bullet (grains)

powder

charge (grains)

180 Sierra Pro-Hunter

Magnum

180 Speer spitzer SP

H-1000 H-4831 IMR-7828 IMR-7828

82.0 83.0 84.0 87.0 80.0 79.0 74.0

180 Speer Mag Tip 220 Nosler Partition

overall loaded length (inches)

3.53

3.53 3.53 3.53

velocity (fps)

100-yard group (inches)

2,922 2,944 2,974 3,043 3,070 2,991 2,696

.65 1.65 .83 .58 1.14 1.75 .60

Notes: All loads shot from a Winchester Model 70 with a 24.5-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.

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commercial .300 Weatherby rifles are made with no rifling for a distance in front of the chamber. A rifle chamber without this extended freebore to allow bullets a long running start at the rifling requires reducing powder charges a few grains to keep pressures from skyrocketing. I mistakenly assumed the .300 AI’s throat included this freebore. Speer 180-grain spitzer bullets seated for an overall cartridge length of 3.53 inches (about as long a cartridge that fits in the rifle’s magazine) that were .20 inch short of contacting the rifling lands. So there was the freebore, I thought. Recently, I peered into the rifle’s barrel bore with a Lyman Digital Borescope. It showed the rifling began a short distance in front of the chamber but was severely worn. In fact, the first 10 inches of the lands were eroded to the point they looked like alligator skin. For full-power loads, I picked powder charges a couple grains below the listed maximum weights of H-4831 and H-1000 listed for the .300 Weatherby Magnum in Hodgdon’s Annual Manual with Speer 180-grain bullets. Velocity registered close to the maximums Hodgdon recorded for the Weatherby, so my loads were a little hot. Trouble resulted when assuming all bullets of the same weight and caliber produce similar pressures. I loaded 83.0 grains of H-1000 – what I thought to be a reasonable amount – with Hawk 200-grain spitzers in the .300 Ackley. The first, and only, shot with that combination locked the bolt shut tighter than a bank vault. The chronograph registered 3,059 fps. When the bolt was finally pried open, the case’s primer pocket was the size of a gopher hole, and the primer fell on the ground. Chosen charge weights of Reloder 25 and Hybrid 100 V also cratered primers. Starting over, I dropped to 78.0 grains of H-1000, then up to 79.0 grains. This powder reduction decreased velocity a good 400 fps. That shows that large magnums, Handloader 310

Sierra 180-grain Pro-Hunter bullets paired with Ramshot Magnum powder in the .300 Ackley shot this tight group at 100 yards.

Three .300 magnum cartridges (left to right): .300 H&H, .300 Ackley Improved and .300 Weatherby Magnum.

erby. I cautiously started with 82.0 grains of Magnum in the .300 AI, increasing the powder charge to 83.0 and 84.0 grains. At 84.0 grains, velocity from the .300 AI was about 90 fps slower than the velocity Western lists for the .300 Weatherby loaded with 88.0 grains of powder. Meanwhile, the Winchester .300 AI rifle has fired 50 more of those top loads with ease and good accuracy, and it’s absolutely a reliable load. •

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like the .300 Ackley Improved, must develop pressures right next to maximum to produce their highest velocities. I also courted trouble loading Nosler 220-grain Partition bullets. A load of 74.0 grains of IMR7828 fired the Nosler bullets just short of 2,700 fps, and the face of fired primers remained round, and bolt lift was easy. But loads of 73.0 grains of Reloder 22 and 82.5 grains of Retumbo cratered the firing pin indent on the primers. That taught me the middle charge amounts of powder listed for the .300 Weatherby Magnum in handloading manuals should be considered maximum for the .300 AI, and that starting on the light side of suggested powder charges and working up in increments is still wise advice. That’s the handloading procedure I followed when loading Sierra 180grain Pro-Hunter bullets in the .300 AI. Western Powders’ Reloading & Load Data Guide, Edition 5.0 lists 88.0 grains of Magnum as maximum charge with Nosler 180-grain bullets loaded in the .300 WeathOctober-November 2017

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All accompanying loads were shot from a Wilson Combat Model 1911 Protector with a 5-inch barrel.

LOADING THE

.45 ACP 34

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Brian Pearce

t has been 112 years since the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) cartridge was developed by John Browning. Nonetheless, its popularity has never been greater, with more pistols, revolvers and even carbines now being sold than at any time in its history. It is a proven battle cartridge and is still pressed into military service by various special forces units. It offers versatility and has a proven record in slow-fire and action pistol competition. It serves admirably for personal defense and is capable of taking deer-sized game. Handloader 310

Handloading for Flexibility and Accuracy The .45 ACP (right) was developed at the request of the U.S. military and produced similar performance to military .45 Colt (left) loads.

The history of the .45 ACP (aka .45 Auto) really began with the .45 Colt during the early 1870s, which was adopted by the U.S. military in 1873, along with the Colt Single Action Army revolver. The .45 Colt quickly earned an outstanding reputation as a fight-stopping cartridge on the frontier, even when stoked with reduced-power military loads. However, in 1892 the U.S. military adopted the .38 Long Colt cartridge, which performed poorly against the Moro juramentado warriors during the Moro Rebellion of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). This resulted in Colt Single Action Army .45 Colt revolvers being reissued, confirming the effectiveness of that cartridge. The Thompson-LaGarde tests conducted during 1904 further proved the advantages associated with a .45-caliber handgun, so the army and cavalry specified that their new pistol would be .45 caliber. General John T. Thompson was clearly the driving force in the

development and ballistic requirements for a “man-stopper” pistol and cartridge. In 1904, Browning and Colt were experimenting with a “.41 caliber pistol and cartridge,” which was probably a .40 caliber due to the barrel groove and bore diameters used for their production revolvers chambered in the .41 Colt and .38-40 Winchester cartridges. At the military’s request, Browning immediately went to work on a new .45-caliber cartridge and pistol. By cutting the .30-03 rimless case (a cartridge that later evolved into the .30-06) to around .898 inch and loading it with .45-caliber, 200-grain bullets at 900 feet per second (fps), the .45 ACP was born and was housed in the newly designed Colt Model 1905 Automatic Pistol. The military tested the new pistol and cartridge at length but wanted additional safeties and a heavier bullet. This ultimately lead to Browning designing the Colt Model 1911 pistol, which passed rigid military testing without a single failure. It was officially adopted for service March 29, 1911. Period mil-spec loads from Winchester Repeating Arms, Frankford Arsenal and Union Metallic

Bullets should be seated to their listed overall lengths, or pressures can change.

Cartridge contained a 230-grain Ball bullet with a velocity of 850 fps. However, the velocity specification for “Ball” loads changed over the years and was last listed at 830 fps. In spite of the .45 ACP serving as the official U.S. military issue cartridge from 1911 through 1985, when the Beretta M9 (Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9) replaced it so that the U.S. would conform to the NATO Standardization Agreement, the .45 ACP has remained in continuous service. Its widespread use among U.S. shooters is remarkable, and as a result it often ranks as the most reloaded pistol cartridge, based on annual die sales. The popularity of the Model 1911 pistol is also remarkable, with literally dozens of manufacturers offering guns that vary substantially in quality and price. Those of poor quality (or design) can display reliability issues or are limited as to bullet designs that will feed correctly. In other words, loads (including factory loads) containing flatpoint or hollowpoint bullets often do not feed reliably. High-quality guns feed a variety of bullet profiles without incident. The .45 ACP has also become popular in more modern pistol designs (please note that I did not say “better”) that are often of

.45 ACP

The Lyman Ammo Checker is a good tool to assure that loaded cartridges will chamber correctly.

polymer construction. These designs are generally very reliable and feed cartridges with a variety of bullet profiles when loaded to correct specifications. It is noteworthy that compact and subcompact pistols can suffer from reliability issues with factory loads and handloads. This is due to the pistol’s comparatively short slide travel, or “cycling window,” and the timing associated with the pressure curve of a given load’s peak pressure, case extraction and ejection and feeding the next cartridge from the magazine. Several times I have developed handloads that were tailored to a specific compact pistol that proved extremely reliable; however, that same gun proved problematic with certain factory loads. The point being, handloaders can control factors affecting performance to achieve total reliability that is not an option with factory loads in which the powder type and charge of a given load may change from time to time. It only

takes minimal experimental work to determine a correct powder charge, bullet weight (and profile) and velocity to achieve reliability in your pistol. To develop the accompanying .45 ACP loads, I used a Wilson Combat Model 1911 Protector, which is of top-notch quality and design. It offers the same features (along with many additional ones) that were built into costly cusSome dies with crimped, countersunk tom Colt pistols during the 1970s. carbide inserts can fail to properly Features include a match-grade size .45 Auto cases, which may lead to chambering difficulties. barrel, lowered and angled ejection port, precision fit barrel and bushing, extended match trigger, and a couple exceeded them serrated slide, high-ride beaverslightly. tail grip safety with correspondCurrent industry maximum aving lightweight, slotted hammer, erage pressure is established at combat-style tritium sights, flat 21,000 psi, while maximum for mainspring housing, 30 lpi check+P loads is 23,000 psi. While most ered frontstrap and an extended guns are rated for +P loads, it is Bullet Proof thumb safety. The best to check with the manufacmachining and tolerances of the turer to make certain that a given Wilson pistol are impressive. Its model is rated for +P pressures. accuracy guarantee is one inch at Even if a particular model is suit25 yards, which this gun has able for +P loads, be certain that proven capable of, making it a the correct (pound-rated) springs great option for testing loads. Furare installed and are fresh or not thermore, I have owned the gun worn out. The primary focus of for many years, and it has offered this article is standard-pressure outstanding reliability. loads; however, a few +P loads A variety of factory loads were are included and are marked actested for accuracy and velocity cordingly. It is noteworthy that by as a comparison to the handload using select powders, +P performance was possible while maindata in the accompanying table. taining standard pressures. The most accurate factory load The rimless .45 ACP headspaces tested was a Black Hills 230-grain on the case mouth, which is a subJHP load that reached 848 fps ject that has sparked considerand grouped five shots into .70 able discussion and debate. Some inch at 25 yards. The Hornady 230argue (and they are correct) that grain XTP load provided groups a few hundredths of an inch larger. Table I .45 ACP Select 230-grain Factory Load Performance JHP bullet handloads duplicated advertised actual 25-yard load velocity velocity group the accuracy of (grains) (fps) (fps) (inches) these two loads,

Ball profile bullets (left) and JHP versions (right) are both popular in the .45 ACP, though not all handguns will feed JHP bullets.

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185 Remington JHP 230 Black Hills JHP 230 Blazer Brass FMJ 230 Buffalo Bore FMJ FN +P 230 Federal American Eagle FMJ 230 Hornady FMJ/RN 230 Hornady XTP 230 Winchester Bonded PDX1 JHP 255 Buffalo Bore hard cast FN +P

1,000 850 850 950 890 850 850 920 925

967 848 821 954 856 848 877 905 984

2.55 .70 1.65 1.50 1.00 .95 .75 1.35 1.95

Notes: All loads shot at 25 yards from a Wilson Combat Protector with a 5-inch barrel.

Handloader 310

Cutting Edge Bulletsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 150-grain RaptorHP gave a velocity of nearly 1,300 fps and provided reliable expansion.

cases shorter than industry specification of .888 inch will still function and fire in most autoloading pistols as the extractor holds the case back against the breech face and allows the firing pin to strike the primer. While this is certainly true, accuracy will generally suffer and misfires can still occur. Furthermore, if cartridges are fired in a double- or single-action revolver without moon clips, misfires will most certainly occur. To further understand the importance of using cases that are within industry specifications and crimped properly, take the barrel out of your pistol and insert a cartridge in backward (or use Oregon Trailsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Laser Cast 200-grain SWC and 230-grain RN bullets minimize barrel wear and are popular due to their modest cost. Both delivered respectable accuracy.

October-November 2017

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LOADING THE .45 ACP Table II .45 Automatic Handloading Data bullet (grains)

powder

150 Cutting Edge Bullets Raptor HP

Power Pistol

A-5

Longshot

185 Hornady XTP-HP

W-231

A-5

Titegroup

Power Pistol

185 Barnes XPB

W-231 Unique Power Pistol

185 Nosler HP

Nitro 100NF

A-2

W-231

185 Sierra JHP

Bullseye

A-5

Longshot

200 Hornady FMJ-C/T

Power Pistol

charge (grains)

7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.2 9.0 9.5 10.0 10.5 8.5 8.9 9.3** 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.4 8.5 9.0 9.5 5.4 5.8 6.2 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 6.0 6.4** 6.5 7.0** 7.5 8.0** 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.5 6.0 6.5 6.0 6.5 6.8 5.5 6.0 6.5 6.8** 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.2 8.5 9.0 9.3** 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5

overall loaded length (inches)

1.215

1.210

1.205

1.200

1.244

(Continued)

velocity (fps)

bullet (grains)

powder

971 1,032 1,120 1,179* 1,199 969 1,055 1,105 1,166 1,189 1,217 1,270 811 877 941 990 855 912 977 847* 916 988 829 888 965 1,025 1,071 998* 1,054 991 1,062 1,056 1,125 899 951 1,048 818 941 1,030* 814 891 942 855 935 978* 1,015 789 851 900 966 1,061 952 1,020 1,066 900 955 1,021 1,080

200 Hornady FMJ-C/T

VV-N340

(Continued)

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.45 Automatic Handloading Data

Table II

200 Sierra FPJ Match

200 Speer Gold Dot HP

charge (grains)

6.5 7.0 7.5 True Blue 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0** Bullseye 5.0 5.5 6.0** A-2 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 American Select 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5** Titegroup 4.5 5.0 5.5 Bullseye 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 VV-N320 5.0 5.5 6.0 Titegroup 5.0 5.5 6.0 A-5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 A-7 10.5 11.0 11.5 Unique 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.3 VV-N340 6.5 7.0 7.5 A-5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 9.8 Zip 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0** CFE Pistol 6.0 6.5 7.0

overall loaded length (inches)

1.244

1.155

1.200

velocity (fps)

801 933 987 811 869 920 965 1,011 805 877 970 784 851 919 999 805 881 962 1,018 772 859* 959 736 795 876 933 752 829 919 767 877* 944 822 877 934 988 920 978 1,027 956 1,000 1,033 1,105 844 938 999 848 899 959 1,009 1,051 822 891 982 1,048 787 844 920

(Continued on page 40)

Handloader 310

a Lyman Ammo Checker), and it will chamber! The rim is by specification too small to hold the cartridge, and therefore the case mouth must be of correct dimension to offer positive headspace control. For the utmost in reliability and accuracy, case length should measure between .888 inch minimum and .898 inch maximum. Based on the information above, it is important to apply a taper crimp rather than a roll crimp. This aids in smooth cartridge feeding, helps keep bullets in place (or prevents deep seating) when cartridges are cycled fast through autoloaders and helps obtain proper powder ignition. The crimp should measure .470 inch, which can be measured at the case mouth using blade calipers. By the long sloping nature of a taper crimp, it is important to apply the crimp as a separate operation after the bullet is seated to the correct overall length. This will result in improved accuracy and prevents case and bullet damage that usually occurs when bullet seating and crimping are attempted as a single step. Tips for loading plated bullets include making certain that the case mouth is flared enough to accept bullets without damaging the comparatively thin copper plating, and then taper crimp them, being certain to not crimp beyond the .470-inch specification. Like most comparatively short pistol cartridges stoked with fastburning powders, bullets in the .45 ACP must be seated to the exact listed overall cartridge length, or pressures can change substantially. Various tests have been conducted that illustrate changing bullet seating depth by as little as .050 to .100 inch can literally double chamber pressures. This can result in blown cases and even damage to guns, shooters or bystanders. I recently examined a Model 1911 that had been damaged because the shooter was loading a large quantity of ammunition on a progressive press, and bullet lube built up inside the seating die, causing bullets to seat more deeply than desired. Several hundred October-November 2017

rounds were loaded before the error was caught. He cleaned and adjusted the die but chose to fire the handloads containing the deepseated bullets, which resulted in a blown case and damaged gun. Before selecting a given load based on its velocity or even accuracy, I suggest considering how clean it burns, which can be an important part of how reliable a gun is. I discovered years ago that a major ammunition factory had produced 10,000 rounds of .45 ACP that was slightly out of its specifications in regard to bullet seating. The ammunition was tested for velocity and pressure and was fine in this regard, but it could not be sold through normal sources. I made a deal and procured it. It was accurate and gave low extreme spreads; however, the powder used was a poor choice, especially for high-volume shooting. It was fired through several of my tightly fitted custom and factory-custom Model 1911s, only to discover that it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long until they were so dirty that they would not function. I switched to a custom Colt that was intentionally built with looser tolerances, and it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t function much longer than the custom guns. Finally, these loads were tried in a Glock Model 21, one of the most reliable autoloading pistols ever designed, but it too prematurely succumbed to the powder fouling. The remainder of the ammunition was ultimately used up in revolvers. A few examples of powders that burn cleanly include Hodgdon Titegroup, CFE Pistol, Alliant Power Pistol, Bullseye, Accurate No. 2, Ramshot True Blue, Winchester 231 and Autocomp. I have checked velocity changes associated with different primer brands, and standard versus magnum. The difference can vary depending on the powder used, but the actual velocity differences are not generally great. Nonetheless, I generally suggest standard primers, as they produce less pressure and lower extreme spreads. CCI 300 Large Pistol primers were used to develop the accompanying handloading data. www.handloadermagazine.com

LOADING THE .45 ACP (Continued from page 38) Table II .45 Automatic Handloading Data bullet (grains)

powder

200 Speer Gold Dot HP

CFE Pistol Power Pistol

200 X-Treme Bullets plated SWC

CFE Pistol

A-2

Titegroup

230 Hornady XTP

W-231

Unique

Longshot A-5

230 Speer Gold Dot HP

Power Pistol

Nitro 100NF

A-2

Red Dot

CFE Pistol

230 Nosler Sporting FMJ-FP

A-5

Power Pistol

Nitro 100NF

230 Hornady FMJ-RN

Bullseye

charge (grains)

7.5** 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.5 5.7 6.0 6.4 6.0 6.4 6.8 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 8.8 6.5 7.0 7.5 7.8 8.2 4.5 5.0 5.2** 5.4 5.7 6.0** 5.0 5.4 5.7** 6.0 6.4 6.8 7.2 8.0 8.5 8.8 6.5 7.0 7.5 7.8 8.2 4.5 5.0 5.2** 4.8 5.1

overall loaded length (inches)

1.200

1.240

1.205

1.215

1.205

1.250

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velocity (fps)

991* 922 975 1,030 1,095 726 786 844 924 725* 850 933 730 818 885 755 783 821 866* 789 881 949 854 913 817 865 902 799 860 921 955 992 822 892 918 820 851 905* 840 892 926 864 902 950 989 825 870 915 811 849 933 960* 1,005 800 884 924 788 814

(Continued)

.45 Automatic Handloading Data

Table II

bullet (grains)

230 Hornady FMJ-RN

powder

charge (grains)

Bullseye Red Dot

5.3 4.8 5.1 5.3 5.5 5.7 5.9 5.0 5.2 5.4 5.0 5.3 5.5 4.5 4.7 4.9 4.8 5.0 5.3 5.1 5.3 5.4 5.7 8.0 8.3 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.2 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 6.8 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 5.5 6.0 6.5 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.0

W-231

Titegroup

A-2

Nitro 100NF

230 Speer TMJ-RN

American Select

VV-N320 Zip A-5 200 Oregon Trail Laser Cast SWC

Red Dot

American Select

A-2

Zip

Titegroup

Power Pistol

VV-N350

Unique

200 RCBS 45-201-SWC

Bullseye

A-2

overall loaded length (inches)

1.250

1.255

1.240

1.230

velocity (fps)

840 790 840 859 785 823 844 780 811* 845 799 833 855 800 820 839 780 812 841* 803 835 804 847 807 842 910 966 1,017 1,060 860 918 988 870* 927 981 1,005 890 935 987 1,058 1,101 861 929 986 968 1,024 1,071 1,100 870 922 980 862 920 989 832 888 918 880*

(Continued on page 41)

Handloader 310

(Continued from page 40)

(Continued)

.45 Automatic Handloading Data

Table II

bullet (grains)

200 RCBS 45-201-SWC

200 Lyman No. 452460

200 Montana Bullet Works LBT-RFN

powder

charge (grains)

A-2

5.5 6.0 Titegroup 4.5 5.0 5.5 VV-N340 6.0 6.5 7.0 Zip 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 Titegroup 4.5 5.0 5.5 Red Dot 5.0 5.5 6.0 Power Pistol 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 A-5 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 Universal 6.0 6.5 6.8

overall loaded length (inches)

1.230

1.170

1.240

Table II

velocity (fps)

bullet (grains)

powder

charge (grains)

955 1,009 866 948 990 941 972 1,056 927 980 1,055 1,109 855* 924 972 954 1,009 1,064 916* 978 1,045 1,102 849 880 939 986 1,016 844 911 954

230 Oregon Trail Laser Cast RN

W-231

5.0 5.3 5.5 4.8 5.0 5.2 4.7 5.2 5.6 6.0** 6.0 6.4 6.8 7.3 7.7 5.5 6.0 6.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.8 6.2** 6.5**

(Continued)

In recent years, some companies have begun constructing .45 ACP cases to utilize small pistol primers primarily for lead-free primed, nontoxic factory ammunition intended for indoor ranges. Using these cases with the accompanying data will change velocities (usually slower) and pressures. Starline cases with large pistol primer pockets were used exclusively with the accompanying data. Bullet selection for the .45 ACP is broad and includes jacketed, plated, hard cast, swaged lead and even expanding solid copper. Substituting bullets that are of the same weight with a given powder charge can yield significantly different results and is generally not recommended. Reasons include bullet design and seating depth that can change powder capacity, bullet material that can change October-November 2017

.45 Automatic Handloading Data

Bullseye

A-2

Power Pistol

CFE Pistol

Titegroup

250 Oregon Trail Laser Cast RN-FP

Power Pistol

overall loaded length (inches)

1.230

1.200

velocity (fps)

797 836 862 821 833 869 819 864 921 969 867 913 966 1,022 1,069 827 888 953 804* 865 919 852* 894 934

* Indicates potentially most accurate load with a particular bullet. ** These loads generate +P pressures and/or velocities. Notes: A Wilson Combat Protector Model 1911 with a 5-inch barrel was used to test-fire all loads. Starline cases and CCI 300 primers were used throughout. Bullet diameter: .451 inch and .452 inch; maximum case length: .898 inch; trim-to length: .888 inch. 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.

pressures and velocities, bullet diameter variances, or in regard to swaged lead bullets, they are not designed for higher velocities which can result in barrel leading and poor accuracy. Bullet bearing surface is not often discussed, but can vary significantly, even from the same manufacturer. For example, select 230-grain military profile “Ball” bullets have a significantly shorter bearing surface than popular 230-grain JHP bullets. This will change pressures and velocities if the same powder charge is used with each. The accompanying data was developed for pistols with typical barrel lengths. Many of the light target loads, or start loads with heavier bullets, can potentially stick bullets in the bore of rifles or carbines. There is simply not enough powder energy to reliably

push bullets out comparatively long barrels. If these loads are to be used in rifles or carbines, try near-maximum loads and a slower-burning powder that yields the highest velocity with a given bullet. And before handloading very many cartridges, be certain bullets are reliably clearing the barrel.

.223 ReMington “Pet loads” CoRReCtion In the last issue of Handloader No. 309 (July/August 2017), at the top of page 62, second sentence, the word “only” was mistakenly added to the original text, as was the word “shot” (single-shot) near the bottom of the second to last paragraph on page 67. All loads were shot with a 1:9 barrel twist. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. •

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.280 ROSS

The First Big Seven and the Pursuit of Velocity Terry Wieland

he Ross Model 1910 sporting rifle has one very strange feature: Its iron sights consist of a fine bead near the muzzle of its 28-inch barrel and one folding blade just forward of the action – one blade only, cut with a midsized V notch. Engraved beside it is the number “500.” To sell a hunting rifle with just one sight setting – 500 yards – would be outlandish today; in 1910, when the

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M10 came on the scene, it was unbelievable and, for any other cartridge available in 1910, it would have been ridiculous. For the .280 Ross, however, it was merely highly optimistic. This was a cartridge that was truly accurate enough out to 500 yards to down a big-game animal. All it needed was a hunter who could shoot extremely well, judged range with uncanny accuracy and knew how to use that one lonely sight blade. Handloader 310

Facing page, after 1912, .280 Ross ammunition was produced by many different companies. Some continued to identify it as the .280 Ross; others, such as Kynoch, simply referred to it as the .280.

Right, the Ross Model 1910 .280 Ross was made as well as any bolt action from London of the pre-1914 era.

Most of us would immediately jump up and shout that no cartridge, even the best ones available today, has a flat enough trajectory to hold on the same spot all the way out to 500 yards, and we would be right. That, however, is not how the sight was intended to be used.

The .280 Ross inspired cartridge development by other London gunmakers. Examples include the (1) .280 Ross, (2) .280 Magnum (Rimmed Ross), (3) .275 Holland & Holland and the (4) .275 H&H Rimmed.

Read some books from that era and you’ll come across references to “taking a coarse bead” or “drawing a fine bead.” If the hunter judged that his quarry was 500 yards away, he would place the bead in the center of the V notch – a normal sight picture. If it was closer – say, 200 yards – the bead would be drawn down into the V, lowering the muzzle and trajectory; if it was farther, the bead was raised above the V, elevating the muzzle. Simple. An experienced hunter made range judgements instinctively, and soon got a feel for where the bead needed to be. It was called, quaintly, “shooting skill,” as opposed to reading a digital rangefinder, being whispered to by computers and adjusting a scope, all of which depend more on computer programming than on shooting ability. The Ross M10 straight-pull hunting rifle was a wonder of the age, and were it not for the untimely intervention of World War I (1914-18), it might have gone on to have quite a different career. As it was, the war sank the military version of the rifle and Ross Rifle Co. with it, leaving the .280 Ross an orphan in search of a home. Fortunately, it was a great cartridge and had no trouble finding one. In fact, it found several. Sir Charles Ross was a wealthy Scottish baronet who grew up stalking stags on his family estate near Inverness. He became interested in guns and determined to design the ultimate hunting rifle. Being an admirer of Ferdinand von Mannlicher, Ross leaned toward straight-pull designs. Being an aristocrat, he also had connections so formed an alliance with Charles Lancaster, the great London gunmaker, to produce rifles of his design. Ross had many virtues, but also many vices. He was brilliant and talented but impatient and intolerant. Having burned through the family’s ready cash by his twenty-first birthday, he was land rich but cash

.280 ROSS The Ross M10 looks modern even today, 117 years after its introduction. It was highly effective and very ergonomic.

poor. He raised money against the estate and invested in different businesses, among them a riflemaking company in Connecticut. During the Boer War, Ross commanded a machine gun company and armed his men with rifles of his own design. After that conflict, the British public became obsessed with target shooting with rifles, and the longer the range, the better. Suddenly, everyone was

trying to design a better rifle and a better, faster, more accurate cartridge. It is impossible to completely disentangle the fortunes of the Ross rifle from the .280 Ross cartridge, and the two of them from the life and loves, conflicts and controversies of Sir Charles Ross himself. All are intertwined and interdependent. In 1902, Ross convinced the Canadian government that it needed a Canadianproduced military rifle to arm its militia and the North-West Mounted Police. He set up a manufacturing facility near Quebec City, moved skilled craftsmen north from his factory in Connecticut, and went into production. From the beginning, the Ross straight-pull designs were more like target rifles than military or hunting rifles. They were initially chambered for the .303 British,

but Ross wanted to design the ultimate long-range cartridge. From studying von Mannlicher, he concluded that a 7mm cartridge was the answer. Around 1905, with the 7x57 Mauser (aka .275 Rigby) gaining in popularity, Ross decided to up the stakes. First, he designed what he called the .28/06, a 7mm designed in 1906. It resembled a .30-06 necked down, but there were dimensional differences and Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cartridge was semirimmed. It did not deliver quite the velocity he wanted, so he decided to go bigger. At the time, Ross and his rifle were heavily involved in the annual military long-range matches held at Bisley, where rifle teams from all over the British Empire (including Canada) competed for trophies, medals and money. First, Ross designed a new bullet for the .303 British and began producing

Select .280 Ross Handloads bullet (grains)

150 HDS*

powder

H-4831

140 Hayley cast** A-5744

charge (grains)

velocity (fps)

60.0 2,750 65.0 (1) 3,072 25.0 (2) 1,814

* Huntington Die Specialties ** Ideal mould 287377 without gas check. Notes: All loads used Hayley Custom converted .300 RUM brass and Federal 215 Match Large Rifle Magnum primers. Further details regarding the above areas follows:

Although the .280 Ross achieved 3,000 fps with a 150-grain bullet, it was more commonly loaded with (left to right): the 140-grain, copper-tube bullet (prompting a patent infringement claim from Westley Richards), the Kynoch 160-grain HP and Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own 180-grain match load.

Modern bullets in .288-inch diameter are hard to come by. From left, these include a 140-grain cast bullet (Ideal mould 287377), a 150-grain bullet made for Huntington Die Specialties and an unidentified 152-grain spitzer boat-tail match bullet.

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1. Maximum load with no pressure signs and a very low extreme spread of 14 fps. 2. Light load, calculated as 40 percent of case capacity to base of bullet. Three shots had an extreme spread of 89 fps, and extremely poor accuracy. There is room to increase the charge, but it is inadvisable to go over 2,000 fps to avoid leading. Be Alert â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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.

Handloader 310

match-quality .303 ammunition. This bullet was a heavy-for-caliber spitzer with a long ogive – what today is known as an “extra-low drag” bullet. It dominated the Bisley matches. Ross’ colleague in designing ammunition was Frederick W. Jones, one of the foremost ballisticians and long-range shooters of the age. During his long career, Jones worked for the New Explosives Company, Eley Brothers, Nobel and the British government. In 1898, at the age of 31, he patented a process for coating smokeless powder to regulate burning rate. Col. Schultze (of Schultze Powder fame) called him “the father of smokeless powder.” He wasn’t, of course, but his coating process made possible almost all the improvements that came later. Jones was more than a scientist. From 1908 until his death in 1939, he was a member of the British Elcho Shield team. The Elcho Shield is an annual team competition shot at 1,000, 1,100 and 1,200 yards; by comparison, the Palma Match is 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. Ross and Jones worked together closely for years. Jones’ testing of the .28/06 showed a velocity of 2,735 feet per second (fps) with a 150-grain bullet. This was good, and certainly better than the 7x57, but Ross wanted 2,800 fps. He lengthened the case, widened it at the base and gave it a pronounced taper. Since it was intended for use in a straight-pull rifle, the taper was a definite advantage. It also meant it fed out of box magazines beautifully. For reasons unexplained, he chose to use a .288-inch bullet diameter rather than the 7x57’s .284-inch diameter. The new cartridge was loaded with 58 grains of Neonite (not Cordite). Produced by the New Explosives Co., Neonite was a coated, guncotton-based powder October-November 2017

The Ross Model 1910 .280 Ross was the popular hunting rifle of its day. Manufactured in Quebec, Canada, it equaled the bolt actions of London in its quality and workmanship. Sir Charles Ross’ .280 actions were proofed to a level of 28 tons.

in the form of black flakes. (Sir Charles Ross later persuaded DuPont to produce a new, slower powder called No. 10, for use in loading .280 Ross ammunition in America.) Jones’ testing showed a velocity of 3,047 fps with a 140-grain bullet. Eley Brothers agreed to produce ammunition, and in 1907 it was unveiled to the world as the .280 Ross-Eley. This nomenclature was

retained until 1912, when other cartridge companies began producing ammunition. Since then, headstamps have read either “.280 Ross,” or simply “.280.” In 1907, F.W. Jones took a prototype .280 Ross target rifle to Bisley, not to compete, but simply to see how it performed. The Field magazine reported he made “a number of possibles,” and the Ross

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.280 ROSS team set about producing a real target rifle for the 1908 matches. According to Ross biographer Roger F. Phillips, the Ross match rifle had a heavy barrel with a special leade that allowed a “push fit” for the bullet, similar to that used in Schutzen rifles. The long bullet was positioned to enter the bore precisely. The .280 Ross-Eley match ammunition was loaded with a 180grain spitzer FMJ bullet, also extra-low drag, with a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps. Jones won five individual and aggregate longrange matches at Bisley in 1908. The British NRA (aka National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom) received a complaint from aggrieved competitors and found the Ross rifle barrel was a couple ounces too heavy. Jones returned the silverware, but the Ross rifle retained the glory. From that moment, the .280 Ross became the most influential cartridge in the world. Other makers began chambering it in both hunting and match rifles. King George V took a pair of .280 rifles on a hunting tour of India and reported them to be “a great success.” Less positively, George Grey (brother of the foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey) was killed by a lion in Kenya in 1911, after wounding it with a .280 Ross and failing to stop its charge. On his deathbed, he acknowledged that it was his own fault for getting too close, but the .280 takes the blame to this day. Its more than 3,000 fps muzzle velocity inspired Charles Newton to design America’s first 3,000fps commercial cartridge, Savage’s .250-3000. In the U.S., DuPont developed a special slow powder (DuPont No. 10) that allowed American commercial .280 ammunition to equal the British loads. Introduced in 1910, it was released for canister sale in 1912, and discontinued in 1915, but it made possible the .250-3000 and set the stage for a series of even slowerHandloader 310

burning powders in the IMR series. In London, Charles Lancaster & Co. chambered .280 Ross rifles with its famous “oval” bore and developed a rimmed version of the cartridge for use in double rifles and single shots. The War Office was so impressed, it commissioned a very similar military round, the .276 Enfield, intended to replace the .303, and a new Mauser-inspired rifle with an oversized action, the Enfield P-13, to accommodate it. It was never adopted, because war broke out in 1914, but it was adapted to the .303 as the P-14 and later the .30-06 (P-17). Both rifles saw use in both world wars. The Mauser company in Oberndorf offered its magnum Mauser commercial rifles in .280 Ross. Later, the German-American ballistic fraudster, Hermann Gerlich, took the unaltered Ross case, renamed it the .280 Halger and embarked on his straight-out-offiction attempt to persuade shooters on both sides of the Atlantic that he was getting impossible velocities. Although the Ross Rifle Co. closed before 1918 and new Ross rifles disappeared from the market, the cartridge (by its various names) became a standard of the English gun trade. Ammunition was manufactured on both sides of the Atlantic and stayed in production by Kynoch until 1967. There are two immediate problems with shooting a .280 Ross rifle. One is brass, the other is bullets. Although new factory brass is occasionally available, the key word is occasionally. When it can be found, it’s expensive. Quality Cartridge (www.qual-cart.com) lists it, and Bob Hayley of Hayley’s Custom Ammunition, 1-940-8883352 in Seymour, Texas, makes .280 Ross brass by swaging down and resizing .300 Remington Ultra Mag cases, resulting in good, reusable brass. Bob can also supply cast lead 140-grain spitzers. Hayley’s remanufactured brass costs about $3 per round. Given the amount of reworking necesOctober-November 2017

sary, annealing the case necks before shooting is a good idea to prevent splitting. Once annealed, it lasts almost indefinitely with sensible loads. Bullets are another matter. In the past, Huntington Die Specialties has offered a .288-inch diameter, 150-grain bullet that works well, but it no longer seems to be available. Hawk, Inc., makes a .286-inch diameter, 160-grain roundnose and will produce other weights on special order.

Powders are no problem. Hodgdon’s H-4831 is ideal for the Ross, and combined with Federal’s 215M primers, it is possible to reach original velocities with no adverse pressure signs. The 4350s do not work as well in the roomy Ross case; in my rifle, I get flattened primers before I get to 3,000 fps. As for the 500-yard shots with the single folding blade, I’m working on targets at 300 yards for now. It is certainly educational. •

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The 100-yard range where John does most of his shooting has target stands at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards.

100-YARD OBSESSION

Testing Handloads at Nonstandard Distances John Barsness

hy did 100 yards become the standard distance for shooting centerfire rifles and ammunition? Many hunters never sight in, test handloads or even practice at any other range. The yard itself is arbitrary. Like most early units of measurement, it was based on the human body. Various sources claim “yard” originated 48

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as the approximate length of a man’s pace, the length of a man’s belt or the distance from the nose to the thumb of King Henry I of England. Other sources say the King Henry story is probably apocryphal, but by the fifteenth century an official British “yardstick” existed – an iron rod about .10 inch short of a modern yard, standardized to ensure fairness when selling lengths of cloth. Handloader 310

Most big-game scopes without any means of parallax correction are set at the factory for 100 to 150 yards, so it is normal to have considerable parallax at 50 yards. Get around parallax by backing your aiming eye away from the scope until a black ring appears around the edges of the field of view. The visible field is the exit pupil, and if the reticle is centered in the exit pupil (right), there is no parallax.

The meter, on the other hand, is a modern measurement based on light, established due to the need for more precision than cutting cloth. In 1983, the international definition became the amount light travels “in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second.” To satisfy traditionalists, a yard was standardized at .9144 meter. Humans often think of numbers in tens, thus 100 has become the base number for many measurements, whether centuries, percentages or cents in dollars, so it made sense to establish 100 yards as a baseline for shooting rifles. It still

Many shooters have ballistic apps on their smartphones, making in-field trajectory calculations easy.

October-November 2017

does in the U.S., which clings to the old “.9144 meter” as a basis of measurement. (Incidentally, two yards equals one fathom, but testing handloads at 50 fathoms doesn’t have the ring to it as 100 yards.) A 100-yard range can also be set up on a pretty small chunk of countryside and is sufficient for calculating where bullets will land out to several hundred yards. In fact, with computer ballistics programs and range-tested (rather than “modeled”) ballistic coefficients for bullets, it’s possible to sight in at 100 yards and be reasonably sure of plinking small targets at 500 yards, or even farther. However, 100 yards has its limitations. Many shooters don’t believe wind will move bullets shot from centerfire cartridges at 100 yards, and even some more sophisticated shooters don’t realize that wind drift doesn’t increase at the same rate as range. In reality, it increases at about twice the rate: If a 10-mph side-wind drifts a certain bullet 2 inches at 100 yards, the same bullet drifts about 4 inches at 200 yards. Handloads ideally should be tested in as close to absolutely calm conditions as possible. Unfortunately, truly calm air rarely exists outside of indoor ranges, and here in Montana it’s even rarer than in most other states. Due to writing deadlines, I sometimes simply must test rifles and ammunition when the wind is blowing, the reason centerfires are occa-

sionally tested at 50 yards, the typical distance used for testing .22 rimfires. Spring is the windiest season, and last February one assignment involved working up handloads before the summer rodent-shooting season using lead-free bullets which are becoming mandatory in more places. All the practical substitutes for lead are considerably lighter, so bullets of the same length and shape have lower ballistic coefficients and drift more in the wind. Montana’s atmosphere refused to hold still during my testing, so I decided to shoot at 50 yards, because the effects of wind drift would be considerably reduced and the results far more meaningful. For example, one of the bullets tested was the Hornady 24-grain NTX pushed at velocities up to 4,400 fps from a .204 Ruger. Many shooters would guess that much zip would virtually eliminate wind drift at 100 yards, but Hornady’s listed ballistic coefficient (BC) for the NTX is only .170, 60 percent lower than the BC of the slightly longer 40-grain V-MAX. The Berger Bullets ballistic program indicated a 10-mph crosswind would drift the little NTX 1.16 inches at 100 yards. Since spring winds are usually gusty, drift could be anywhere between almost nothing to well over an inch. At 50 yards, however, drift in the same 10-mph wind would only be .26 inch, so groups would be far more indicative of a load’s accuracy potential. Three charges of Ramshot TAC were tried, and five-shot groups measured .59, .38 and .20 inch as the charge was increased. Group shrinkage with heavier charges is common with many modern rifle powders, and obviously I decided to use the fastest load! The biggest problem with testing at 50 yards is scope parallax, which can cause far more error than wind drift. The scope on my .204 fortunately has a side knob for parallax correction, but most scopes up to 10x aren’t parallaxadjustable. Unless specifically de-

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100-YARD OBSESSION Swarovski’s 3-9x 36mm Z3 is one of John’s favorite lightweight scopes, partly because it has no visible parallax at 300 yards even when set on 9x, but it still has considerable parallax at 50 yards.

Shooting groups at 50 yards on windy days results in only about one-quarter of the amount of wind error found at 100 yards.

signed for short-range shooting, parallax is usually set at the factory for 100 to 150 yards, resulting in some error at 50 yards. There’s an easy solution: If we place our aiming eye directly behind the center of the scope, every time, there is no parallax, because by definition, parallax is caused by “the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in position of the observer.” Centering the eye is pretty easy. Move your head back from the scope until the edges of the field of view black out. The visible circle inside the blacked-out edges is the exit pupil of the scope, and when the reticle appears centered in the exit pupil, your eye is centered behind the scope. I’ve used this trick hundreds of times when shooting at any range where parallax occurs, and it works. Excellent reasons also exist for test shooting beyond 100 yards, the most obvious being determining the actual trajectory of the load. This can differ considerably from trajectory tables that, before home computers became the rule 50

rather than the exception, were published in the back of just about every reloading manual. The first reason for possible error is the numbers are calculated under standard atmospheric conditions, 59 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level. Most of us never shoot at sea level, and at 59 F only occasionally. For example, let’s use the .30-06 with a 180-grain bullet with a BC of .400 – typical of flatbase, 180-grain spitzers. At a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps with the scope mounted 1.5 inches over the bore, when sighted in 2 inches high at 100 yards, the bullet will land about 24.5 inches below point of aim at 400 yards in standard atmospheric conditions. Now let’s say we’re hunting at 0 F at 1,000 feet above sea level – not unusual in the northern U.S. or southern Can-

ada during deer season. The bullet will then land about an inch lower at 400 yards. If hunting 8,000 feet above sea level at 70 F, common in the Southwest, the bullet will actually land 2.5 inches higher than in standard atmospheric conditions. Next let’s say the bullet company exaggerated the BC of its 180-grain spitzer, claiming .475. (This often happened back when every handloading manual included trajectory tables, because many BCs were optimistically based on calculations using a “form factor” rather than range results.) A bullet with a BC of .400 will drop about an inch more than the trajectory calculated with a BC of .475. The printed tables I’ve seen base trajectories on a scope centered 1.5 inches above the bore.

Longer-range load testing should only be done in the calmest conditions possible, even when the wind is directly in line with the shooting, because ranges aren’t always perfectly flat.

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Handloader 310

Today, hunters often use larger scopes, and setting them 1.75 or even 2.0 inches above the bore isn’t unusual. The difference between a scope mounted 1.5 inches and 2.0 inches high also makes a little difference at 400 yards; with our .30-06 load, about .5 inch. All of these factors amount to a possible error of 4 inches in elevation at 400 yards, but they don’t include accuracy. Even if your .30-06 averages three shots in an inch at 100 yards, it normally won’t keep all its shots in 6 inches at 400 yards, even from a benchrest. That adds another 3 inches of possible elevation error. Add all these factors together, and there’s the potential for 7 inches of difference between theoretical elevation and where a single shot might land at 400 yards. Add in some shooter error, and a hunter can easily miss the vitals of a deer. Now, one way we to reduce these errors is by using a computer ballistic program instead of old-fashioned charts, allowing us to enter the correct numbers for atmospheric conditions, scope height and the correct BC – which also varies with velocity. Actual range-tested BCs can be found in Bryan Litz’s fine book Ballistic Performance of Rifle Bullets (www.appliedballisticsllc.com), and I’ve used his numbers many times when calculating trajectory. When combined with a computer ballistics program, they’re normally sufficient for consistent hits on a 6-inch gong at 400 yards using standard “set-and-forget” scopes with simple plex-type reticles, and good to at least 600 yards when using a scope with an elevation turret designed for dialing in range. If a shooter doesn’t have computer access and must rely on printed trajectory tables, then he should do some shooting at any range over 250 yards to test his rifle in typical field conditions. (Of course, if you never shoot beyond 250 yards, none of this matters, even on fairly small varmints.) Some shooters also like to test the accuracy of their handloads at October-November 2017

longer ranges, but unlike ranges shorter than 100 yards, this should always be done under the calmest conditions possible. This can even apply to “drop tests,” because wind can affect a bullet’s drop. I do most of my longer-range testing at the Virgil Binkley Shooting Complex, which includes a 1,000yard range with a number of long, tall dirt berms serving as bullet backstops. Even with a wind blowing directly from 12 o’clock or 6 o’clock, the berms can create up

drafts. (The distance to each berm is in meters out to 500 because the range is used for steel silhouette competition, though many shooters assume it’s in yards. This is one reason my range bag always includes a laser rangefinder, and why my longer-range tests are often at metric distances.) Some handloaders use a “ladder” or “Audette” test at longer range, developed by gunsmith and target shooter Creighton Audette, who wanted a work-up method

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100-YARD OBSESSION This “ladder test” using multiple aiming points was shot with a very accurate Ruger American Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor at 200 meters.

defining the exact powder charge for the least amount of elevation error at longer ranges. Audette’s test involved shooting a series of rounds with powder charges varying by fractions of a grain, at ranges well beyond 100 yards. This usually results in a ladder of bullet holes several inches high with some of the bullet holes clustered closer together, indicating the approximate powder charge with the least variation in barrel vibration. I’ve used the classic ladder method, but shooting at one aim-

With a computer ballistics program and valid ballistic coefficient data, riflemen can closely predict where shots will land at longer ranges. This 300-yard group was shot during a mild breeze with a .26 Nosler after sighting in at 100 yards.

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Handloader 310

ing point on a distant target is a hassle, especially with smallercaliber cartridges. Even with a very good spotting scope, it’s often difficult to spot small bullet holes at ranges much beyond 100 yards, so you have to travel to the target after every shot, marking each hole with that bullet’s powder charge. It’s far easier to use a target with multiple bullseyes, shooting one round at each, recording which round was aimed at each bullseye. After retrieving the target, you can then measure how closely individual shots “cluster” relative to the aiming points. I also usually shoot a couple of groups at longer ranges before deciding if a ladder test is necessary. Often it isn’t, even though the original load work-up was done at “only” 100 yards; and even during a ladder test I don’t usually shoot at really long ranges due to the possibility of wind error. However, unless your powder’s relatively temperature-resistant, a ladder test done at a different temperature than would be typical during the handload’s intended use would make results invalid. One example took place a couple of winters ago at the Binkley range. I often test longer-range, biggame loads during winter on calm mornings around 35 F, because that’s about the average daily temperature during big-game seasons in Montana. The range also happens to be a little more than 4,000 feet above sea level, also about average for Montana hunting. Even if the temperature during a specific hunt is 0 or 70 F, or the elevation is 2,500 or 7,000 feet, the point of impact at 35 F at 4,000 feet will not vary enough to make a significant difference on a big-game animal at any range I shoot in the field. On that February morning, several new loads were gong-tested at 400 to 600 yards. A friend also happened to show up to run a ladder test for a load he planned to use for F-Class competition the next summer. The powder he chose wasn’t particularly temperature-resistant, but he had bought a bunch at about half the normal October-November 2017

price so decided to use it anyway, even though the morning was far cooler than it would be during any summer shooting competition. He essentially wasted a bunch of time and money, because even halfprice powder costs something, and he had paid full retail for the bullets. Testing rifles at ranges other than 100 yards can help considerably, but shooters still need to test in conditions when the results will be meaningful. •

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Winchester

572 Powder

A New Powder for 20-, 16- and 12-Gauge Loads Winchester 572 features kernels of irregular shapes and is said to work well in shotshells and a variety of handgun cartridges.

John Haviland

ome powders last for a time, weaken in popularity and finally fade away, but their demise opens a niche. Such was the case of Winchester’s W-571 powder used for years to handload shotshells before declining sales prompted Winchester to discontinue the powder. Fortunately, the void created by the terminated powder was recently filled by W-572. All of the Winchester-brand reloading powders have been licensed since 2006 to the Hodgdon Powder Company. 54

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JH-3 Chris Hodgdon said Winchester 572’s niche is

for subgauge shotshells. “[Winchester] 572 is just wonderful in the 28 gauge,” he said. “We didn’t have a Winchester powder in that burn rate. Winchester has a good following, and there are reloaders who will only use Winchester powders. Five-seven-two fills that missing link in the Winchester line of powders.” Winchester 572 is similar to W-571, which Winchester discontinued before Hodgdon took over distribution of the powders in 2006. Not long after Winchester discontinued 571, Hodgdon stopped selling its equivalent, HS-7. “Five-seven-one was made with old technology and the market for it was slow,” Hodgdon said. “W-572 is more efficient, so you use less of it than the old 571. Plus, it is cleaner burning.” In 12-gauge Winchester AA cases, for example, 35.5 grains of HS-7 fires 13⁄8 ounces of shot at 1,285 feet per second (fps), but only 27.2 grains of W-572 is required to fire the same amount of shot at 1,295 fps with the same case and wad. Winchester 572 is a spherical (Ball) powder with flattened kernels of Handloader 310

Winchester 572 was tested in Winchester AA 20-gauge cases with a 7⁄8 -ounce charge of No. 7 1⁄2 shot while using WAA20 wads.

irregular shapes. Its burn rate is between the current Vihtavuori N350 and Alliant Blue Dot. “Its burn rate is a bit slower than our CFE Pistol,” Hodgdon said. The Hodgdon website states powder bushings for Hornady, Lee, Ponsness/ Warren and MEC shotshell reloading presses dispense the same charge weights of W-572 as they do for Longshot powder. I did not have the correct powder bushings for the charge weights of W-572 used for the 12- and 20-gauge loads I assembled. Instead, the correct amounts of powder were weighed and poured into cases on my RCBS Grand press for the 12 gauge, and a Hornady 366 press for the 20 gauge. My MEC 600 Jr. single-stage press for reloading 16-gauge shells is set up with a Multi-Scale Ltd. Universal Charge Bar (www.multi scalecharge.com) that adjusts to dispense 1⁄2 to 11⁄2 ounces of shot and 12 to 55 grains of powder. I have used it for years on several single-stage MEC presses, and it has saved me countless dollars in shot bars and powder bushings – and headaches searching for the correct bars and bushings for a particular load. I weighed 10 charges dropped from the Universal Charge Bar dialed to drop

23.2 grains of W-572. One charge weighed .30 grain heavy, two others weighed .20 grain heavy, and the rest were right on the money at 23.2 grains. In addition to the 28 gauge, W-572 works well in a broad spectrum of shotshell and handgun cartridges. A Hodgdon press release states the powder has the correct burn rate to create a 31⁄4 dram equivalent, 11⁄4 ounce, 1,330 fps 12-gauge load with any brand of case. The powder also produces target and field loads for the 20 gauge and field loads for the 16 gauge. In addition, W-572 works well with a number of handgun cartridges ranging from the .25 Auto to the 9mm Luger, .38 Special, .44 Remington Magnum and .45 Auto. For this article, W-572 was used with lead shot in 12-, 16and 20-gauge loads. I substituted three wads Hodgdon’s website listed with data for W-572. For the 12 gauge, WAA12F114 wads (which have been discontinued by Winchester) were substituted for the Down Range Manufacturing DRA12 Yellow wads used by Hodgdon. For the 16 gauge, WAA16 wads (also discontinued by Winchester were used in place of Claybuster CB0100-16 wads. I loaded the

20 gauge with WAA20 wads instead of Claybuster CB1078-20 wads. My wife carries a Beretta 20gauge Whitewing when hunting ruffed and blue grouse. The over/ under weighs a feather over 5 pounds, 10 ounces, and its recoil is distractingly unpleasant for Gail when shooting more than 7⁄8 ounces of shot. So I stayed with that shot charge when testing W-572 in the 20 gauge. However, I loaded 16- and 12-gauge shells right up to the maximum of shot and W-572. The Hodgdon website lists a 20-gauge starting load of 15.5

A MEC 600 Jr. single-stage press was set up to load 16-gauge shells with W-572 powder. The Universal Charge Bar quickly adjusts to drop various amounts of powder and shot for different loads.

Winchester

Below, a Remington 16-gauge 870 placed an impressive 87 percent of 11⁄8 ounces of No. 6s in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.

572 Powder

grains of W-572 for a velocity of 1,150 fps and a maximum of 18.8 grains for a velocity of 1,300 fps for 7⁄8 -ounce loads in Winchester AA 2 3⁄4 -inch cases. The starting load produced light recoil from the Beretta Whitewing. It also cycled the action of a Beretta AL 391 Urika 2 autoloader. The maximum charge of W-572 had some bite to it, but Gail can brave that much recoil during a day of hunting. The Beretta’s improved-cylinder choke placed 54 percent of a 7 ⁄8 -ounce charge of No. 71⁄2 , 6 percent antimony shot fired at 1,300 fps in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. A grouse would never slip through such a pattern. I used to believe such high velocities would increase shot spread compared to slower velocities. The reasoning was the stiffer jolt from the increased powder charge de-

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Above, a Beretta 20-gauge Whitewing printed even patterns at 40 yards shooting a 7⁄8 -ounce charge of No. 7 1⁄2 shot propelled by W-572 powder.

Winchester 572 Powder Shotshell Loads powder charge (grains)

stated velocity (fps)

total pellets in pattern* (percent)

Remington 12-gauge VERSA MAX, ProBore full choke 5 11⁄4 Winchester AA WAA12F114 13⁄8 WAA12R

28.0 27.2

1,330 1,295

86 78

Remington 16-gauge 870, light modified choke 6 1 Federal High Power WAA16 11⁄8 SP16

24.0 23.3

1,300 1,295

74 87

Beretta 20-gauge Whitewing, improved-cylinder choke 7 71⁄2 ⁄8 Winchester AA WAA20

18.8

1,300

shot no.

shot charge (ounces)

case

wad

* Total pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. Notes: Winchester 209 primers were used with all loads. All shotguns had 2 3⁄4-inch chambers. 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.

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formed more pellets, which made them fly wide. Additional wind resistance from the higher velocity also caused shot to flare. Patterning shot starting out at 1,200 and 1,400 fps showed no difference in pattern size at short distances. At 40 yards, the higher velocity did seem to spread the shot charge a few additional inches. However, centers of pellet density will shift somewhat from shot to shot. If I spent the tedious time to shoot a dozen shells at both velocities and

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evaluate their patterns, I might well have found that the spread difference was next to nothing. The faster a ballistically inefficient lead pellet is fired, the faster it slows. A No. 71⁄2 shot pellet that leaves the muzzle at 1,300 fps has slowed to about 710 fps by the time it has reached 40 yards. In comparison, the same pellet fired at 1,150 fps trails the faster pellet by only about 55 fps at 40 yards. Furthermore, the faster pellet creates only about .2 ft-lbs of additional Handloader 310

This blue grouse fell to a 7⁄8 -ounce load of No. 7 1⁄2 shot over a charge of W-572 from a 20 gauge.

energy over the slower pellet at 40 yards. Velocities of one and 11⁄8 ounces of shot in the 16 gauge were impressive with W-572. According to Hodgdon’s website, W-572 shoots one ounce of shot at up to 1,300 fps from Federal High Power cases. Hi-Skor 800x powder exceeded that velocity by a smidgen, and Longshot by 150 fps. W-572 fires 11⁄8 ounces of shot at up to 1,295 fps. Hi-Skor fairly well equals that velocity, and Longshot beats it by 50 fps. However, nearly four additional grains of Longshot are required for that gain over W-572. A Remington 870 was used to shoot patterns with 16-gauge, oneounce and 11⁄8 ounce loads using W-572. I’ve shot the 870 since I was a boy hunting ducks, grouse and pheasants. I had the barrel’s full choke reamed out to light-modified when nontoxic shot became the law for waterfowl hunting. That choke prints even patterns at typical hunting distances when using wads such as the WAA16 and SP16 with cushioning legs and plastic shotcups. With that choke, my sons have used the 870 on grouse, Huns and pheasants. The light-modified choke has alOctober-November 2017

ways shot much tighter patterns than it should. It continued that by printing 74-percent patterns with an ounce of 6 percent antimony No. 6 shot in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. It provided 87-percent patterns with 11⁄8 ounces of No. 6s. Hodgdon’s website lists W-572 data for 11⁄4 - and 13⁄8 -ounce shot charges in 23⁄4 -inch, 12-gauge shells; no loads are listed for longer 3- or 31⁄2 -inch cases. I loaded Winchester AA cases with a maximum charge of 572 and 6 percent antimony No. 5 shot. The 11⁄4 -ounce load had a stated velocity of 1,330 fps and patterned 86 percent of the pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards from a ProBore full choke in the barrel of a Remington VERSA MAX autoloader. There’s my late-season pheasant load when I stop my pickup at the edge of a field and open the door, only to see birds flying out the far side of the field. For bird hunters who believe more shot is better, a 13⁄8 -ounce load of No. 5s placed 78 percent of its pellets in the pattern circle – only a few more pellets than the 11⁄4-ounce load. The heavy load’s velocity was an impressive 1,295 fps. I loaded one box of 20-gauge shells with a minimum charge of

15.5 grains of W-572, and another box with a maximum 18.8-grain charge and a 7⁄8 -ounce charge of 7 1⁄2 shot in preparation for the opening weekend of grouse season last fall. I handed my wife a few shells of each load when we arrived at a ridgetop to start hunting blue grouse – purposely neglecting to tell Gail she had a mix of loads in her vest pocket before she headed up a ridge. I filled my pocket and Beretta 391 with the 20-gauge maximum loads. Gail shot a blue grouse along a spring grown up in alders, then another on a dry, southern face of a ridge. We both got some shooting that day. On the drive home, I asked if Gail had noticed any difference in the recoil of the loads she had shot and told her of my sleight of hand, giving her two different 20-gauge loads. “No,” she replied. “I might have noticed shooting clay pigeons,” she said, “but not when hunting.” •

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If bullets being processed require gas checks, Mike considers Lyman’s gas check seating tool indispensable.

Beginning Bullet C asting - Part IV Assembling Usable, Accurate Handloads 58

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Mike Venturino Photos by Yvonne Venturino

n the first three installments of “Beginning Bullet Casting,” the factors involved in producing good bullets – and plenty of them – have been discussed. The last important factor is getting those bullets loaded into finished ammunition without ruining them. Damaging lead alloy projectiles is easy.

Compared to jacketed bullets, cast bullets are fragile, and the level of fragility depends on alloy. Hard bullets, say those cast of straight Linotype, won’t even be scratched by your fingernail, but the skirts of pure lead Minié balls can be deformed simply with a squeeze of the fingers. The type of bullet, combined with its purpose, may also be a consideration. I just dump newly cast handgun bullets in boxes, no matter the alloy. Bullets for precision shooting in black powder cartridge rifle (BPCR) silhouette matches are neatly stacked in rows. Even before loading, new bullets need lubricant and perhaps sizing. There are two schools of thought on the sizing matter in regard to precision shooting. Some Handloader 310

competitors say the best method is no sizing at all – just shoot the bullets as they come from the mould. Taking that path, they pan-lube their bullets. This consists of standing them in a suitable metal pan and pouring melted lube around them to the desired depth. After it cools, the bullets can be cut free with a proper size cutter. Of course, when not sizing bullets, it is necessary that the mould must be of top-notch quality and drop bullets of the exact dimension needed for a specific rifle. The other school of thought is that bullets should be sized to true-up any imperfections. There are BPCR national champions who prepare their cast bullets both ways, but I would like to relate an incident that convinced me sizing was the proper path: At the 2016 Montana Regional Championship for BPCR silhouette, I briefly became the laughing stock of other competitors. Right at the beginning of the first relay while I lay prone, I opened my cartridge box to discover .40-65 handloads. I had brought a .45-70 rifle. My spotter Ted Tompkins said, “Just stay there, I have .45-70s in the truck.” The match included 60 rounds for score; 45 shots from prone and 15 shots offhand. At the end I had hit 42 of the prone targets and had called bad trigger pulls on the

Many bullet lubricants are available. The proper one should be chosen for the bullets’ intended use.

three misses. To Ted I said, “I want to buy this mould.” He laughed and replied, “Look closely at that bullet.” Sure enough, it was visibly out of round. Somehow Ted had damaged the mould block’s alignment but just sized the bullets to .458 inch and shot them anyway. I finished second overall in the match that day. So my method of cast bullet preparation includes sizing but preferably not too much – .001 inch or less at most. Even more important than sizing is making sure the top punch on the sizing press fits the bullet’s nose. With so many custom bullet designs on the market now, not all factory-made nose punches fit perfectly. Many custom mould makers will rebore a toosmall nose punch with the same

cutter used in the mould. That’s a nice option. Bullets must be sized straight. A factor that is often debated among experienced cast bullet shooters is the exact, proper bullet size for a specific rifle or handgun. Some say the bullet should be right at groove diameter; some say over groove diameter. Personally, .001 to .002 inch over groove diameter works well across the board. For instance, I’ve loaded and shot thousands of .30-caliber cast bullets in various .30-06 rifles with .308-inch barrel groove diameters. They have all been sized .309 or .310 inch, and I cannot tell a difference in their performance. Here’s a fact handgun handloaders may find interesting: Smith & Wesson’s usual barrel groove di-

When casting match bullets, it helps to drop them on soft pads and not bang them atop 59 www.handloadermagazine.com one another.

Beginning Bullet C asting ameter for .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers has always been .357 inch. Colt’s dimension for .38 Special was .354 inch. I was surprised by that dimension when first reading it in a 1922 factory specification chart, and I thought, Surely they didn’t carry that size over to .357 Magnums. Slugging the barrel of my 1969 vintage Colt SAA .357 Magnum showed it to be .354 inch across the grooves. For several decades, .358-inch cast bullets were shot in both Smith & Wesson and Colt .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers with no problems whatsoever, all the while thinking my bullets were .001 inch over groove diameter. Lubing bullets is even more complicated. Sizing is a simple mechanical process, but choosing which lube to use is complicated by factors such as bullet velocity, firearm type, propellant, and even whether or not the lubed bullets will be stored for a length of time. Some lubes will dry out. Since soft lube is my preference, bullets are lubed no more than a day or two prior to loading them. With hard lubes requiring a lube/ sizer heater to apply, bullets can be stored for years without worry of the lube drying.

If the tasks of deburring and belling case mouths are performed inadequately, the result will be a cast bullet (right) with the lead peeled away.

Also as part of the lube/sizing operation, one must address the application of a gas check, if one will be used. Again, there must be straightness. The old method taught to me decades back was to press gas checks to the bullet’s base and then rap them smartly on a reloading bench. That can obviously get time consuming and hard on the fingers. The old method is one reason I remember vividly when Lyman introduced its little gas check seating tool. One was handed to me in the Lyman booth at the NRA Convention in Philadelphia in 1982, and I still have it. In effect, all it does is stop the lube/sizing press’ handle from coming down all the way. Put the seater gizmo under the sizing die, set the gas check in the die, and the bullet’s base goes into it. Then bring the handle down until the gas check

Mike considers gas checks necessary for cast bullet shooting with bottlenecked, smokeless-powder rifle cartridges, such as the 7.62x54R, but they must be applied properly. The bullet on the mould box is leaning because its gas check is not seated properly.

seater stops moving. The check will then be seated and crimped. (In the past, crimp-on gas checks were available from Hornady, and noncrimp gas checks were sold by Lyman. Now both companies sell crimp-on types.) One other problem may arise with gas checks if the reduced-diameter shank of the bullet is either too small or too large. If the bullet is too small, the gas check will fall off, even after it’s supposedly crimped on. You do not want it falling down atop the powder charge after the bullet is seated. If the bullet’s shank is too large, the gas check simply will not stay on. Both problems are rare, but I’ve encountered them. I’ve read where other cast bullet shooters have loaded and fired gas check bullet designs without the checks Cast bullet lube/sizing dies are available in many dimensions. These range from .376 to .380 inch in .001-inch increments.

These Lyman M-Die .30-, .31- and .32-caliber expander plugs are stamped with an R on the plugs and were designed for rifle cartridges, so they are longer than pistol cartridge plugs.

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Handloader 310

Two reloading tools necessary for good cast bullet handloads are a properly sized case expanding and belling die and a good case mouth deburring tool.

and had experienced good results. That has never happened to me. If you choose a gas check bullet design, my advice is to use the check. Now let’s assume a novice bullet caster has shiny, perfectly formed projectiles all lubed, sized and ready to load. Furthermore, let’s assume these new bullets are for a rifle firing a smokeless-powder, bottlenecked cartridge. Reloading die sets for such cartridges come with two basic dies when the intention is to load jacketed bullets. One die resizes as the case goes in then expands its neck back to proper diameter for bullet seating as the case is withdrawn. The second die seats the bullet and crimps it in place if the bullet has a cannelure and the handloader desires crimping. Is a cast bullet seated the same way as a jacketed bullet? Too often I’ve seen the result of trying that: a hopelessly deformed bullet with a considerable amount

of peeled lead slivers around the case mouth. Jacketed bullets can be forced into a bottleneck case’s mouth with no ill effects. Cast bullets will be badly deformed if the case mouth and case neck are not properly prepared, so a third die is used between sizing and seating. These dies have two purposes: expanding the case neck and belling the case mouth. Lyman sells these as a neck expanding M-Die, and RCBS calls them neck-expander dies. Both companies offer such dies with a multitude of stem dimensions so they can be mated with bullet diameter. What’s the proper size expander size? To be honest, I never worried about it much when ordering M-Dies in various calibers. When writing this, I measured several. My .25-caliber M-Die measures .254 inch and is used with .258inch bullets; a .26 measures .260 inch and is used with .266-inch

Properly processed cast bullets will perform well. This was the first cast bullet group Mike shot at 100 yards from a World War II vintage MosinNagant Model 91/30 sniper rifle.

bullets; two .30s (long and short) are .306 inch in diameter and are used with .309/.310-inch bullets, and the .32 is .320 inch and is used with .325-inch bullets. The two RCBS neck expanders in my assortment are labeled .224 and .284 and measure .222 and .282 inch, respectively, and I’ve used them with .225- and .285-inch bullets. At first glance, the above expander plug measurements seem a mite tight, especially the .260inch one used for .266-inch bul-

Note the crimp on these cartridges meant for Model 1886 Winchesters. The crimp is necessary for two reasons detailed in the text.

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Beginning Bullet Casting lets, but collectively thousands of cast bullet handloads have been assembled with them. Their collective performance has never disappointed. It probably helps that all my smokeless-powder, bottleneck-cartridge cast bullet shooting is done with hard bullets made with Linotype alloy. Sharp-eyed readers have noticed the “long and short” reference to .30 caliber M-Die plugs. The plug must expand a case neck at least to the depth corresponding with the bullet that will be seated. Using .30 caliber as an example, the long plug is for .30-06-type case necks and the

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short for .308 Winchester lengths. Or the “long” is for 200- to 220-grain cast bullets and the “short” could be used on 110- to perhaps 150-grain, .30-caliber bullets. (Lyman stamps an “R” on the end of plugs meant for rifle cartridges. Straight-wall case rifle cartridges from .30 Carbine up to .5090 Sharps use standard three die sets, as do handgun cartridges. In regard to cast bullet loading, the middle die still expands the cases and, most importantly, bells the case mouth. Again it is interesting to note the expander plug diameters. With RCBS Cowboy die sets – made expressly for lead alloy bullet loading – the .44 Special/ Russian plug is .427 inch and intended for .429- and .430-inch bullets; .45 Colt/Schofield dies come with a plug labeled .452 (.449 inch) and one labeled .454 (.451 inch) and are meant for .452- and .454-inch bullets. Worthy of note is that my most accurate .45-70 black-powder handload is assembled with a Lyman M-Die with a .454-inch expander, and bullets are sized .458 inch. Then there is the question of how much case belling is appropriate. The cast bullet’s base just needs to start freely into the case mouth. If speaking of a plain base design, that means about .10 inch of the bullet fitting in the case is appropriate. If gas-checked bullets are used, bell the case enough so that the check is below the case mouth. Finally here is one small but important step: If using new cases, chamfer the case mouths with a deburring tool. Otherwise, the sharp case mouth’s interior edge will peel lead slivers during seating. The electric tools now sold for this chore are nice. After chamfering more than 1,000 .30 Carbine cases with a manual tool, my hands hurt for days. At last we are ready to seat the cast bullet and this should proceed smoothly – in a literal sense. Bullets should just slide into the cases without noticeable bumps or snaps. There is, however, one more consideration: crimping. Of course, with loads for revolv-

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ers and semiautomatics, all bullets need to be held in place. Revolver recoil can pull noncrimped bullets loose to the point they fall out the chamber mouths. Cast revolver bullets should have a crimping groove, and there should be a roll crimp applied to it. One problem I see with many shooters’ cast bullet revolver handloads is that they do not apply enough crimp. A good rule of thumb is that the crimp should leave no case mouth edge. To test this, run a fingernail down the bullet and over the case mouth – it should not hang up on the case mouth. Cartridges for autoloading pistols are easier as their primary method of crimp is the taper type. Cast bullet loads for autoloaders can be roll crimped, if done carefully, and still function well. Taper crimping is a preference. With the taper crimp, all a handloader must do is seat the cast bullet to a chosen depth and then run the round into the taper crimp die. In regard to rifle cartridges, I do crimp handloads intended to be shot from large array of boltaction battle rifles. Bullets must be crimped in to resist moving when rammed from box magazines into chambers. Straight-wall rifle cases can be crimped or not. For instance, my .30 Carbine cast bullet handloads are taper crimped but match quality .45-70 handloads for BPCR competitions are not. One benefit of a sturdy crimp sometimes not recognized by neophyte cast bullet handloaders is making smokeless powder charges burn more efficiently. Cast bullets will slide through a barrel with far less resistance than jacketed bullets. Powder charges may therefore not ignite properly. Applying a sturdy crimp to cast bullets is a remedy. This brings us to the end of practical preparation and loading of good cast bullet loads. Competitors in matches have developed a myriad of ways to make their home-poured projectiles fly even truer. That said, the information in these four installments suffices to give new casters a good start. • Handloader 310

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RugeR Mk iv .22 long RiFle PRODUCT TESTS

was in junior high when Ruger introduced its first .22 semiautomatic pistol in 1952. In the USAF I learned about doing trigger jobs on them and shot one for awhile in bullseye. I learned, painfully, how to reassemble the pistol after cleaning. This is really straightforward, once you learn that the hammer must be in the fired position to re-insert the takedown latch. Since then, the Ruger has gone through several iterations: the Mark II in 1982, Mark III in 2005 and now the Mark IV. The first thing to notice about the new Ruger Mark IV is that the mainspring housing/takedown latch is missing from the back of the grip. Looking closely, there are lots of other differences. The overall appearance is faithful to the original “Luger-ish” look that was so attractive to this “kid,” but now it locks open when the last round is fired, now it has an ambidextrous safety, a bolt release you can reach, a magazine release where it’s supposed to be behind the trigger and a magazine that departs with authority when the release button is pushed. Gone is the California-mandated, widely cursed, loaded chamber indicator, but the magazine safety is still present. (Rumor has it that a gunsmith can remove it when he does the trigger job that most shooters will want.) The two test pistols sent for this review had trigger pulls of 5.8 and 5.9 pounds. They were nicely crisp, but my trigger finger protested loudly when the pressure went far beyond the point where the

The Hunter model shot this .19-inch, five-shot group.

pistols should have fired. It took a mental gear shift to avoid jerking the trigger. At first it seems like taking down the pistol is a simple thing, and you can’t help but wonder why it took 63 years. On the other hand, Ruger has two of the most ubiquitous firearms in America: The 10/22 rifle and the .22 pistol. It is hard to mess with success. Success might not be a strong enough word for Mr. Ruger’s first pistol, when considerBoth the Hunter (top) and Target models ing the longevity of the model. “Milof the Mk IV were tested in a Ransom lions” is not an overstatement. It is Rest with the ammunition shown. also fitting that new serial numbers the rear leaf has a shallow V with begin with his initials, WBR. This a white line in the middle. Both is a special serial number and the models are drilled and tapped for a conventional system will return by scope base. the time this is printed. Accuracy testing was done usThere are no takedown tricks ing a Ransom rest, and ammunior secret incantations needed: retion was chosen to cover a wide move magazine, unload the pistol, range of available load types, from put the safety on, press takedown match, standard velocity, high and button, tip barrel up, remove. There hyper-velocity loadings. The results is a shotgun-type hinge, so the barare in the accompanying table. For rel and receiver just lift off. The part information, visit www.ruger.com. that caused so much trouble in earlier models is called the “bolt stop – Charles E. Petty pin,” but now it is movable, so all you have to do is make sure Accuracy Results it is pointed in the right direcaccuracy tion and just press the two load velocity average parts together until it clicks. (grains) (fps) (inches) Some .22s are sensitive to Target Model 5.5-inch barrel ammunition choices and don’t 38 Aguila Super Extra subsonic HP 971 .79 always like standard velocity 40 CCI Standard Velocity LRN 920 .28 loads. During testing, stan40 CCI Pistol Match LRN 979 .34 dard velocity ammunition 40 Federal Game Shok plated RN 1,068 .71 fed and functioned perfectly. 36 Remington Viper Hyper Velocity 1,196 1.41 Two examples were tried: the 40 Winchester Super-X Lubaloy 928 .49 Target model in blue with an 40 Wolf Match Extra LRN 948 .43 aluminum frame and steel Hunter Model 6.88-inch barrel 5.5-inch bull barrel and the 38 Aguila Super Extra subsonic HP 1,001 .68 Hunter model in stainless 40 CCI Standard Velocity LRN 948 .42 with a 6.88-inch stainless, 40 CCI Pistol Match LRN 999 .51 fluted barrel. 40 Federal Game Shok plated RN 1,101 .85 Rear sights are adjustable 36 Remington Viper Hyper Velocity 1,217 1.16 for windage and elevation. 40 Winchester Super-X Lubaloy 1,033 .63 The Target model has a black 40 Wolf Match Extra LRN 948 .43 Patridge sight and traditional Notes: Accuracy results are for three, five-shot groups at rear leaf. The Hunter model 25 yards from a Ransom Rest. has a fiber optic front, but

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Handloader 310

FoRsteR PRoduCts 3-in-1 Case Mouth CutteR Brass cases stretch when they are fired and resized and must, after varying degrees of use, be trimmed. All reloading manuals note a “maximum case length” and a “trim-to” length for each cartridge. First, trim the case to the proper length, then deburr the outside of the case mouth. Following that, chamfer the inside of the case mouth to aid in bullet seating. Each process is typically accomplished using a separate tool. Forster Products of Lanark, Illinois, has combined trimming, deburring and chamfering into a single tool called the 3-in-1 Case Mouth Cutter. It fits onto the company’s case trimmer cutter shaft and performs all three operations at the same time. To be fair, there are other combination tools on the market, but as they are all proprietary, this one works only with Forster Products’ Case Trimmer. To understand how the 3-in-1 Cutter works, it behooves us to understand the Forster Case Trimmer. This tool consists of a base, a collet housing assembly and a cutter assembly. There are several iterations. The Original model has a base 53⁄8 inches long, a .490-inch diameter cutter shaft and serves admirably for most trimming needs. The Classic model has a base of 61⁄2 inches, a .552-inch shaft and is designed to accommodate older black-powder cartridges. A third, the 50 BMG Case Trimmer, has a 7-inch base and a .615-inch shaft. There is even a forth with a short base of 4 5⁄8 inches used with the standard collet and cutter assemblies for trimming 9mm Luger and shorter cases. The 3-in-1 tool works only with the original .490-inch shaft, but the collet and cutter assemblies may be mounted on any of the bases. The 3-in-1 tool is secured to the shaft by a single setscrew. The collet assembly consists of a housing that mounts to the base and a collet holder that is threaded and holds the collet being used. Tightening the holder causes the collet to grip the case rim. The cutter assembly consists of a bearing mounted to the base; a shaft that fits inside the bearing includes cutter blades and October-November 2017

accepts a caliber-specific pilot, a collar for controlling the cutting depth and a handle that can be removed if using power assistance. A case is inserted into the collet and the pilot positioned in the case mouth. The collet is tightened to grip the case rim and the cutter blades moved to contact the case mouth. By turning the handle, the case is trimmed and measured until the desired length is achieved. The collar is then tightened, and all future cases will be trimmed to the same length. My Forster Products Case Trimmer is the Original model with the 5 3⁄8 -inch base. When the collet and cutter assemblies are mounted to the base so that the outer edges of the assemblies are aligned with the outer edges of the base, the tool fits in the box it came in. For almost all my case trimming needs, this is the way I leave it. The distance between the inside edges of the collet and cutter assemblies is 3 inches. The 3-in-1 Case Mouth Cutter is one inch in length and includes its own pilot, so when mounted on the cutter shaft it leaves a working distance of 2 inches. This would be insufficient for most rifle cartridge trimming needs. Mounting the assemblies using the inner screw holes provides an additional 1⁄4 inch on each end, leaving an operating length of 21⁄2 inches – enough for most trimming needs. Assembled thusly, .30-06 cases could be trimmed from 2.495 inches or longer to the requisite length of 2.484 inches with no difficulties. There was a different “feel” to the operation – understandably, as I was now cutting three surfaces (trim, deburr and chamfer) instead of one. The deburring bevel is set at 30 degrees and the chamfering angle at 14 degrees; the latter is in keeping with many modern bullets. I was all ready to write this review

in glowing terms when I happened on a tip in the Forster catalog, which stated that the standard 5 3⁄8 inch base should be limited to cases up to 2.200 inches when used with the 3-in-1 Case Mouth Cutter. For cases longer than 2.200 inches, the Classic 6 1⁄ 2 -inch base should be used. I really couldn’t understand this, so I contacted Forster’s Bob Ruch. We concluded that I was right in being able to trim .30-06 length cases using the 5 3⁄8 -inch base, but to do so I had to back out the collet holder farther when inserting the case than I would have had to if using the longer, 61⁄2 -inch base, thereby adding time to the process. Fair enough, but the time saved from not having to deburr and chamfer each case separately more than made up for it many times over. The choice of base size will be determined by the cartridges to be reloaded. In any review, there are always some limitations or caveats to point out. The Case Mouth Cutter is caliber specific, and when this was written only five choices were available: .224, .243, .264, .284 and .308, although that should suffice for most of us. On the other hand, a .277 would be nice. Another is that the cutter blades are set at the factory to properly deburr and chamfer case necks having a thickness of .012 inches. Instructions are given for adjusting the deburring blade to accommodate thicker neck walls, although the factory setting should suffice for necks having a wall thickness from .011 to .014 inch or so. Should the blades need to be reset for any reason, contact the factory for instructions. I really liked this tool as it not only saves time but as the deburring and chamfering are done while the case is held securely in place, consistent alignment and cutting depth are assured. www.forsterproducts .com – R.H. VanDenBurg, Jr. •

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PROPELLANT PROFILES (Continued from page 23)

Accurate 2230 Select Loads cartridge

bullet (grains)

.20 Tactical 32 .222 Remington 50 .223 Remington 55 .30-30 Winchester 110 .308 Winchester 125 150 .303 British 150 .45-70 300 405*

charge velocity (grains) (fps)

26.2 24.0 23.5 36.0 47.0 45.0 43.0 44.0 35.0

3,991 3,155 3,199 2,944 2,944 2,883 2,638 1,882 1,495

* cast bullet Notes: .20 Tactical, .222 Remington and .223 Remington loads used Remington 7½ primers; .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester and .303 British loads used Federal 210 primers; .45-70 loads used Winchester Large Rifle primers. 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.

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Moving up to the big bores, I’ve used A-2230 in the .45-70 at lever-action pressures (not to exceed 28,000 psi) with several bullet weights. Because of the change in manufacturing sources, published load data has changed from time to time. Using the most current Western Powders data, I shot A-2230 loads again and had to cut charges a bit. Last time, 48.0 grains of A-2230 shot Sierra 300-grain bullets from a 26-inch barrel at 1,920 fps. Now, 46.0 grains is maximum. I found 44.0 grains to produce a more satisfying load when attempting to duplicate the old Winchester high-velocity load of 1,880 fps with a 300-grain bullet. Cast bullets of 400 or 405 grains also match up well with A-2230. A Meister Bullets 405-grain FP performed well over 35.0 grains, though this is below the published starting load. This load used a Winchester Large Rifle primer. There is a lot going on at Western Powders these days with several new powders having been introduced, with more on the way, and a new “big book” reloading manual. As always – especially as powder sources change – use only the most recently published load data. • Handloader 310

(Continued from page 25)

The custom Sitek 1911 was delivered in an attractive presentation box.

topple rams at 200 meters. Additional handloads were tried that contained Sierra 200-grain FPJ Match bullets at around 790 fps using 5.0 grains of Bullseye; the Hornady 200-grain FMJ-C/T with the same powder charge; the Nosler 230-grain FMJ-FP at around 780 fps using 4.7 grains of Red Dot; and the Hornady 230-grain FMJ-RN ball bullet at around 780 fps using 5.1 grains of Accurate No. 2 powder. The most accurate handloads, and factory loads from Black Hills, Federal and Hornady, were shot again at 25 yards from a rest, where the pistol proved capable of sub-.75-inch, five-shot groups. With additional testing and load development, as well as giving the gun time to “settle in,” it is expected to produce even better accuracy and could potentially produce .5-inch groups at 25 yards. I wanted to try some of my hand-cast bullets to extract the best possible accuracy, but if it were my gun, I would not fire cast bullets until the barrel was completely broken in. Anyone with an eye for quality workmanship will appreciate the clean, precise and flat “lines” that are the result of the patience and skilled handwork associated with the metal preparation of this pistol prior to its delivery to the master engraver Rachael Wells, who in turn further enhanced its beauty. Dedicated target shooters are likewise certain to appreciate the built-in accuracy. • October-November 2017

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In Range

(Continued from page 70)

from inside the case (which may or may not ever present a problem in itself) that makes it difficult to examine case interiors for things like incipient case separation. Another is to clean the primer pocket and ensure that the flash hole is not blocked. These are serious enough reasons for cleaning brass you have shot and carefully shepherded yourself. They are doubly serious if used brass is picked up on a range or purchased in bulk from a shooting facility. Even your own brass, ejected rather energetically from a semiautomatic into grass, gravel or mud, needs careful cleaning before it is loaded again. Then there is the plight of the handloader who owns a rifle or pistol in an obsolete caliber for which he must search out brass in small lots on the Internet or in plastic bags at gun shows. The .303 Savage is a good example, because

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Competitive Edge Dynamics’ brass dryer saves time and trouble, and with six tiers of racks, it can dry a large amount of brass at once.

it is a cartridge that can’t be made from anything else, was purely a hunter’s cartridge in its day and was rarely reloaded. For .303 Savage fans, original brass is like the Golden Fleece, but any found will probably look pretty ugly and need careful cleaning and examination. What I now do with brass like that is clear the primer pocket and flash hole, and brush out any obvious debris such as spider nests (it has happened!), caked mud and so on. I have even found pebbles lodged in case mouths. It then goes into a Hornady Sonic Cleaner. I’ve had one for four or five years – not the newest model – but it works well. Other handloaders I know will first put the brass in a dishwasher, held in a wire basket of some sort, or a mesh bag – never tried it myself. A powerful small hose is also useful to direct high-pressure spray into the case to get rid of “stuff.” The sonic cleaner uses a brassfriendly chemical to remove traces of powder fouling, and after the brass comes out, rinse it with water. At this point, I put the brass straight into a Thumler’s rotary tumbler that was recommended by Larry Weeks, just before he retired from Brownells. I figured Handloader 310

that, since Brownells sold everything, Larry had a good idea of what worked best. The tumbler has a rotating drum, into which water and dishwashing liquid are placed. It also contains a couple pounds of tiny stainless steel cylinders that look for all the world like H-4198 powder. They were originally made for polishing rocks used by jewelry makers. There are no sharp edges or corners, so brass remains unscratched. The brass goes into the drum for an hour or so, after which you remove the screwed-down lid, clear away the soapy foam and start fishing out the brass. The only way I have found to do this is to take them out one at a time by hand, carefully shaking any of the tiny steel rods out of the case and checking to make sure none are lodged in the flash hole. This is laborious, but there seems no other way. Marshaling the steel rods is a continuing pain, and this is where a good magnet comes in handy for picking up escaping rods from the sink. For ease of handling, it helps to rinse the brass – soapy brass is slippery – after which I put it in a brass dryer made by Competitive Edge Dynamics. This is both easier and faster than shaking all the drops of water out, then leaving it to dry. To avoid annealing issues, it is not a good idea to try to dry brass in an oven. A session with the Thumler is rather laborious, and since it holds a lot of brass, I try to fill it to capacity. Do not mix cases that can lodge inside each other, or the small ones jam in the larger case necks. Also, after drying, every case should be carefully checked for lodged fasces of steel rods in the neck, or inside small, straightwall cases like 9mm Parabellum. Having said all that, the brass ends up squeaky clean and polished bright as a new penny. If a handloader uses a lot of rare, hard-to-find or expensive brass for odd calibers and treats empty cases like gold, it pays to spend the money for the right equipment. You’ll save it in the long run. • October-November 2017

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AD INDEX 4D Reamer Rentals, Ltd. .....................................67 AASA ..................................................................20 Action Bullets, Inc. ..............................................32 Ammo-Up ...........................................................16 Anneal-Rite.........................................................62 Berger Bullets .....................................................52 Berry’s Mfg. ..........................................................2 Buchanan Precision Machine ................................6 Buffalo Arms Company .......................................68 Colorado Shooter’s Supply..................................16 Corbin Mfg. & Supply. .........................................46 Dale Fricke Holsters............................................28 Dardas Cast Bullets ............................................46 Dave Manson Precision Reamers........................25 Dillon Precision Products, Inc. ............................39 Ed Sager .............................................................62 Freedom Calendar ..............................................25 Gemmell’s Machine Works..................................46 Gradient Lens Corporation .......................... 7, 9, 11 Graf & Sons, Inc..................................................53 Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc...........................8 Hammond Game Getter ......................................66 Harris Engineering ..............................................33 Harvey Deprimer.................................................53 Hayley’s Custom Ammunition .............................16 High Plains Reboring & Barrels, LLC ...................67 Hornady Manfuacturing Co. ................................15 Huntington Die Specialties ..................................68 IMR Powder Company ..........................................3 Jagemann Technologies .....................................51 James Calhoon Mfg. ...........................................32 King Shooters Supply, Inc. ..................................53 Leadheads Bullets ..............................................32 Little Crow Gunworks, LLC ...........................20, 66 Lyman Products Corporation ..............................31 MEC Mayville Engineering Co., Inc......................19 Midsouth Shooters Supply Co. ............................66 Mike Bellm’s Bellm TCs ......................................66 Missouri Bullet Company ....................................22

Montana Bullet Works.........................................14 MP Kalupi d.o.o...................................................28 MTM Molded Products Company ........................23 NOE Bullet Moulds, LLC ......................................56 Norma.................................................................29 Oehler Research, Inc. .........................................45 Oregon Trail Bullet Company ..............................21 Otis Technology, Inc......................................26, 27 Patmarlins ..........................................................20 PMA Tool ............................................................62 Quality Cartridge ................................................69 Quinetics Corporation .........................................33 Rainier Ballistics .................................................30 Redding Reloading Equipment ............................47 RGB Bullet Company ...........................................16 Rifledjag.com......................................................46 Rigel Products ....................................................33 Rim Rock Bullets ................................................67 Sharp Shoot R Precision, Inc...............................69 Sheep River Hunting Camps ...............................62 ShootersProShop.com ........................................46 Shotgun Sports ...................................................68 Sierra Bullets ......................................................32 Sinclair International, Inc. ...................................17 Sitek Arms ..........................................................25 Sou’Wester Outfitting .........................................69 SSK Industries ....................................................46 Starline ...............................................................37 Stocky’s, LLC......................................................25 TJ Conevera, Inc. ................................................28 The Hawken Shop...............................................20 Timney Triggers, LLC ..........................................53 Titan Reloading...................................................70 Tru-Square Metal Products.................................67 UniqueTek, Inc. ...................................................57 Vista Outdoor Sales, LLC ..........................5, 13, 72 Wolfe Publishing Company ...........................63, 71 Zero Bullet Company, Inc. ...................................61

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squeaky-Clean BRass IN RANGE by Terry Wieland

bout 30 years ago, Handloader published an article comparing the brass-cleaning capabilities of vibratory cleaners versus tumblers (“How Bright is Shiny?” No. 145, May/June 1990). At the time, these were the only choices for those who made a fuss of keeping brass clean and bright, short of polishing each case separately with Brasso. I knew handloaders in the 1960s who actually did apply Brasso or other metal cleaners to their cases, laborious as that might be. They must have had a lot of time on their hands. There were also cartridge collectors who cleaned old cartridges with Brasso then applied a coat of varnish to keep the precious artifacts shining on the shelf. These well-meaning folks are regarded with horror by cartridge collectors today, and I think I can speak on both sides of this issue, because I was one of those well-meaning folks back in the ’60s, and am now one of the horror-stricken in this decade. Occasionally, one of those Brasso-ed, varnished cartridges shows up and, after 50 years, it looks far worse than if it had been allowed to age gracefully. For my part, I only used Brasso on newly-made cartridges that I

Hornady’s Sonic Cleaner provides an excellent preliminary bath for all brass to get rid of fouling and remove traces of oil and solvent.

was adding to my collection, and never maltreated the occasional really old one I came across, such as a .500 Express or .40-70 Straight Sharps. Not being a metallurgist, I cannot say exactly what long-term effects certain chemicals have on brass. I do remember reading, way back then, that a superior method of cleaning brass was to use one of several mild acids that were then available, and I also distinctly remember the writer cautioning that they should only be used on cases that were not going to be reused. As we all know, the composition of brass has changed over the last century. It looks different, it’s a different alloy and it is vastly

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superior for handloading. It is also known that reusing old brass fired with a mercuric primer, or even that sat unfired for long, is asking for trouble. Mercury makes brass brittle and liable to crack, and a case that cracks when fired is not a pleasant experience. By the 1980s, it was generally accepted that the best way to clean brass was mechanically rather than chemically. A vibrator or tumbler was filled with some inoffensive medium like ground corncobs or dry wood chips and allowed gentle rubbing to remove fouling and more or less polish the outside of the cases. This led to the article mentioned above, in which the writer compared the polishing action of different types of both machines and media, using identical .45 Auto brass, and then measuring the degree of brightness using a digital light meter. Predictably, free enterprise and competition being what they are, it was not long before companies were offering various liquids that, when added to the corncob granules, would improve the cleaning action. Brightness aside, there are good reasons for cleaning used brass. One is to remove powder fouling (Continued on page 68)

Handloader 310

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