There's no need to overthink deer bullets. While a number of intriguing new designs now exist, classic cup-and-cores still do the job.
Are cup-and-core designs the ultimate deer bullets?
Cup-and-core bullets have lead cores and copper jackets.
A bit of lead is exposed at the nose to aid expansion.
Given a deer’s thin hide, the bullets perform exceedingly well.
Cup-and-core bullets are economical, so they allow for ample experimentation.
And they don’t face the issues common to the newer, more radical projectile designs.
I don’t know if there’s anyone who loves heading on a hunt in foreign lands more than Yours Truly; it represents adventure to me on many different levels. However, there is a certain solace that comes with the local deer season, being a part of the traditions that started it all for me, and enjoying the areas where I cut my teeth as a hunter.
The author’s first truly accurate handload, and one responsible for quite a bit of deer meat in the freezer, utilized Sierra’s 165-grain Game King BTHP bullet.
In addition, I’m the guy who has and will continue to embrace advancing bullet technology; I find the premium bullets to be intriguing, and I enjoy testing them on large beasts. That said, there are times when a plain old traditional bullet suits the situation perfectly, and deer camp is a shining example of just that.
The cup-and-core bullets that hunters used for nearly every species of game throughout the first-half of the 20th century certainly needed an update, at least with regard to the larger game species. That said, they have been, are, and will continue to be absolutely perfect for hunting deer.
However, as we reloaders tend to learn early on, not all bullets are created equally, no matter what category we’re discussing. Let’s take a look at some good, great and not-so-great traditional deer bullets — and how they relate to your reloading bench.
Deer Bullet Basics
What is a cup-and-core bullet? Well, it’s a bullet with a lead core with an outer jacket of copper that forms a cup around the bottom and sides of the bullet, leaving a bit of lead exposed at the nose to allow the bullet to expand upon impact. That copper jacket is harder than lead — soft enough to be influenced by the rifling, yet hard enough not to leave the amount of residue in the barrel those pure lead bullets will. So, while these bullets have had questionable results against heavy hide and bone, they are, undoubtedly, perfect for deer hunting.
Deer are not hard to kill; they are soft skinned and their bones are not especially large. Hit them wrong, however, and they will show you a different side, taking what seems to be a pounding and still going much farther than anyone would believe. As it is with any game animal, shot placement trumps all, but for deer you want the consummate blend of expansion and penetration, and the cup-and-core bullets will give just that.
Humble Beginnings
For years, the only serious big game rifles I owned were a classic Winchester Model 94, in .30-30 Winchester — with all of its blessings and limitations — and a Ruger Model 77 Mark II in .308 Winchester. Both of them have moderate velocities, and both of them run well on standard cup-and-core bullets. And, both have their own special place in the deer woods, possibly among the top of the heap as far as deer cartridges are concerned. The .30-30 was, in living memory, one of the staples of deer season, though that is changing. But, the .308 Winchester is among the do-all cartridges, offering all sorts of flexibility.
For deer, bullets weighing from 150 to 180 grains have been the historical choices, with the tradeoff being the flatter trajectory of the 150-grain bullets versus the heavier bullet weight and energy figures of the 180-grain slugs.
Deer, with their soft skin and bones — and not being as thick and large as some big game species — are not especially difficult to kill. A decent cup-and-core bullet and good shot placement are usually enough to do the job efficiently.
I preferred to stay in the middle, especially for deer, with 165-grain bullets. My first handloads were built around the Hornady InterLock Spire Point bullets, and they served very well. The InterLock is a bullet I’ve used in many different situations, and while I usually don’t take advantage of the cannelure for crimping, as the .308 Win. offers enough neck tension that I don’t feel the need to crimp my loads, the terminal performance is excellent on deer.
In those early days of reloading — as the distances at which the Northeast deer woods allowed were short — if my loads were of 2 MOA accuracy or less, that was fine. Shots over 60 yards were a rarity, and they got the job done. But, if nothing else, they planted the seed for a reloading nut, and I was eager to load and test many different deer bullets for both accuracy and terminal performance.
Ample Options For Deer Season
I ended up feeding that .308 Winchester what I consider to be one of the best deer bullets on the market: the 165-grain Sierra GameKing hollowpoint. This bullet was part of the equation that resulted in what was my first truly accurate handload, as well as resulting in a considerable amount of meat in the freezer.
It has a hollowpoint crimped to look like the letter X — for reliable expansion — yet has a thick jacket to keep that expansion rate in check, and a boat tail for longer ranges. I’ve loaded this bullet not only in the .308 Win., but also in the .30-06 and .300 Winchester Magnum, and it stood up to all three. No crimping groove, just a plain old bullet built right, and one that continues to serve to this day.
The Nosler Ballistic Tip is another good choice when it comes to deer bullets that has served well in many different situations. It’s certainly accurate, though it has developed a reputation for being overly frangible on game larger than deer. However, on deer and deer-sized animals, if of sufficient weight, the Ballistic Tip is lights out. My little .308 Win. loves the 165-grain BTs, and there’s enough bullet there for good penetration in addition to the expansion and resulting wound channels that deer hunters love. It’s sleek with a good ballistic coefficient (BC), but not so sleek as to require a longer-than-normal seating depth.
Round-nose bullets are valid options when shots run fairly close. These Hornady 220-grain InterLock RNs are perfect for large game at reasonable distances.
The Speer softpoints, as well as the Remington Core-Lokt, have received mixed reviews over the years, but I’ve used both to take deer. They aren’t the strongest of deer bullets, and when I use them I do my best to keep two ideas in mind: I want a bullet in the middle to heavy end of the spectrum, and I want to keep the velocities mild. Quite obviously, they’ve worked for decades, but I have found some of the Speer line to be damned near explosive.
Reloading Considerations
What do these all have in common for the reloader? Well, a couple of things:
First, they are an affordable means of developing your handloads — and handloading skills — allowing for quite a bit of experimentation without breaking the bank. Second, they are usually of simple design and will avoid some of the more complex reloading ideas associated with the more radical developments. They take up considerably less room in the case than the monometals and really high BC bullets do, making life a bit easier for the reloader. The ogives of the spitzers tend to be more rounded, making bullet seating a bit easier as well.
And, one last point: If you hunt in the forests and woodlands where shots tend to be a bit closer, don’t overlook the old round nose designs; I use the Hornady InterLock quite regularly, and the Sierra round noses are equally dependable. They impart their energy wonderfully, and keeping their weight forward, they give all sorts of room in the case, making loading for the .308 Winchester, .250-3000 Savage and other shorter cases a breeze.
Here’s to a great deer season!
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Movie shootouts have been a cinema staple since, well, there were cinemas. And no other genre has produced more memorable gunfights than Westerns.
The reluctant gunslinger, the lone lawman, the brazen outlaw roaming the dusty West, surviving with wits and a six-shooter have captured generation after generation of American moviegoers’ imaginations. Think about it for a second. It’s almost certain that one of your favorite movie quotes, one you can recite from heart, comes from a Western. If you can’t, why “You're no daisy at all.”
Like any flicks, Westerns are not free of the sins of Hollywood when it comes to guns and scenes that create cringe-worthy moments for firearms enthusiasts. From infinite ammunition to the non-stop racking of a shotgun’s action without firing a shot, movie shootouts can go from entertaining to arduous in the time it takes to eat a Milk Dud. Some tether to reality must remain.
Authenticity was a factor in the seven Western movie shootouts chosen for this list, but it certainly wasn’t the lone criteria. Some wriggle room is allotted for a movie’s notoriety, the overall quality of the story and “cool factor” to let some of the more entertaining, though less true-to-fact choices land on this page. After all, movie shootouts are exactly what they bill themselves as — entertainment.
What do you think? Is this Western movie shootouts list rodeo slick or a real bum steer? Let us know in the comments. Also, heads up, there is some adult language peppered in the clips.
Shane
Quote: “I’ve heard you’re a low-down Yankee Liar”
The tale of a gunfighter who, no matter how hard he tries, can’t escape trouble, Shane is the quintessential Western. A quiet movie overall, the final gunfight is sheer dynamite. Tense in buildup and lightning fast in action, the 3-against-1 shootout is heart racing and iconic. The speed of the fight (gunfights then and now are typically quick affairs) keeps the scene grounded, as does Shane’s mortal wounding, but admittedly it is a bit overwrought. The movie earns bonus points for one of the greatest Western villains of all time. Jack Wilson (Jack Palance) is among the wickedest men to ever holster a six-shooter on the silver screen. He’s sadistic, arrogant and more than deserving of his spot on boot hill.
Guns: Colt Single Action Army Cavalry Model, Colt Single Action Army, Winchester Model 1873.
Unforgiven
Quote: “Any man who don’t want to get killed better clear on out the back.”
In any Western worth its salt, the hero must overcome long odds. And William Munny (Clint Eastwood) certainly faces them in the final shootout of this dark Western. Vastly outnumbered, the grizzled gunslinger reaps revenge on Sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) and his men for the killing of his friend. Needless to say, Big Whiskey, Wyoming was never the same. At first, the scene seems somewhat farfetched, given the long odds Munny faces squaring off against an entire posse fixing to hunt him down. But upon reflection, it does have an element of realism to it in the great majority of men are unwilling or unable to draw their guns. Even the orneriest desperados had to contend with fight, flight or freeze. Additionally, there’s a striking true-to-life scene earlier, where the once-deadly Munny struggles to shoot a can, his skills deteriorated from years of domesticity.
Guns: W. Richards 10-Gauge Side-by-Side, Spencer 1860 Saddle Ring Carbine, Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3, Single Action Army, J. Stevens & Company 1878, Starr 1858 Army.
Tombstone
Quote: “Get to fight’n or get away!”
There is no more famous gunfight in the West or cinema than the O.K. Corral. The 30 shots in 30 seconds has been recreated in one form or another nearly two dozen times in films over the years. But the 1993 rendition starring Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp is perhaps the most iconic. Historically accurate, well, that’s another story. But that's an aside, because it’s a great scene with memorable one-liners, non-stop action and incredible pistol work by Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday. There’s plenty of artistic license taken — it’s a full three times as long as the actual fight. But the performance isn’t through-the-roof improbable. Good and bad are wounded. It requires more than one round to stop a cowboy from fighting. And the fliers — there’s no shortage, as would be expected in tense, close-quarters conflict, steeped in adrenaline. The gunfight is what it is — which is great by movie standards.
Guns: Colt Single Action Army Quickdraw Model, Colt Single Action Army Cavalry Model, Colt Buntline Special, Colt Lightning, Meteor 10-Gauge Side-by-Side, Winchester Model 1873.
High Noon
Quote: None. Marshal Will Kane just glares at you in disgust.
Better known for its underlying themes of honor, duty, cowardice and hypocrisy, this 1952 classic nonetheless wraps-up with a solid shootout. Tame by today’s standards, Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) successfully facing down four outlaws is captivating. A decisive break from the over-dramatics of that age (and ours), Kane stands his ground in what can only be called a logical fashion. Maneuvering and intelligent use of concealment and cover are as much his weapons as his six-shooter. As satisfying as it is to watch Kane overcome the men who mean to do him harm, it’s what happens afterward that makes the scene. No town deserved a loathing scowl more than Hadleyville.
Guns: Colt Single Action Army Artillery Model, Colt Single Action Army Quickdraw Model.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Quote: “You see, in this world, there are two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.”
Yes, it’s perhaps as unlikely a Western gunfight (or any gunfight for that matter) as is committed to film. But ask yourself this: do you really care? Of all the times Clint Eastwood held a gun in his hand, the final shootout of this 1966 Spaghetti Western is perhaps the most memorable. What beats it? Maybe Dirty Harry, maybe. Blondie (Eastwood), Tuco (Eli Wallach) and Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) square up in the perfect Mexican standoff. The moment is only heightened by one of the most iconic Western soundtracks of all time. Sometimes you can’t split hairs about the realism of a scene, you just have to sit back and enjoy it.
Guns: Colt 1851 Navy Cartridge Conversion, Remington 1858 New Army.
Wild Bunch
Quote: “No Pike … Pike!”
Director Sam Peckinpah brought in this movie what was sorely missing in most Westerns up to 1969 — a water-cooled Browning M1917. The machine gun becomes the centerpiece of what might be the most brutal shootout in all movie history. And there’s nothing stylized about the movie's final scene, it’s as gritty as desert dust. As for the realism quotient, it’s fairly on target. It’s utter bedlam as Federales, rebels and outlaws sling hot lead under the baking Mexican sun. No one and nothing is spared. Though, one wonders how long a frontal assault into the .30-caliber teeth of the 1917 would go on. At some point, don’t you regroup and say, “Guys, this isn’t working.”
Underrated and compelling, Appaloosa is among the best recent Westerns to hit the box office. Essentially about friendship and corruption, it would be fair to say the the 2008 movie has some of the most realistic gunfights on the big screen. The fight at the jailhouse is one such example; by the time you hear the first revolver’s report the scrap is almost over. Given most shootouts (again, then and now) take a matter of seconds, this is true to form. Additionally, the heroes of the story don’t stride through the West impervious to lead. They, like the bad guys, wither when mortally hit. Even though brief, the jail scene is action packed and shows to some extent how quick and chaotic gunfights tend to be.
Guns: Colt Single Action Army Artillery Model, Colt Single Action Army Cavalry Model, Colt 1871-72 Open Top, Steve Karnes 1878 8-Gauge Side-by-Side
With a rifle built from premium parts and materials, Phoenix Weaponry quietly sneaks the .338-06 back into the spotlight.
What to know about the new integrally suppressed .338-06 rifle:
The integrally suppressed .338-06 is built as a medium- and large-game hunting rifle.
The rifle is outfitted with a custom-tapered 21-inch Douglas Barrel.
The suppressor core and sleeve are made of lightweight titanium.
The custom Bell and Carlson stock is inlet and glass bedded.
The .338-06 is built around a Remington 700 action and has a $4,600 price tag.
Despite the regulatory hurdles, the suppressor market has been running red hot for some time. Cans of every shape, size, caliber and color dot gun store shelves, virtual and brick-and-mortar alike. And, as is typical when a gun or accessory heats up passions, more and more twists come about catering to every possible shooter and shooting style — no matter how niche they might be.
Along these lines, integrally suppressed firearms have gained a foothold, particularly with more traditional segments of shooters. There is a distinct advantage totting, say a rifle, on a hunt that doesn’t have the extra inches at the end of the barrel and is inherently more tightly constructed. The latter facet is particularly important when a gunsmith is miles (maybe hundreds of them) away.
Phoenix Weaponry certainly had this style of shooter in mind with its latest creation — an integrally suppressed rifle meant to tackle some of the globe’s biggest game. And like most of the Colorado gunmaker’s handy-works, this one has quite a twist, even aside from its suppression system. Namely its chambering — .338-06 A-Square.
The almost-famous round has been around almost since the .338 Winchester Magnum made its debut in 1958. Simply a .30-06 Sprg. necked up to accept a .338 projectile, the one-time wildcat offers the best of both medium-caliber worlds. It’s a solid downrange performer, capable of tackling everything up to moose and similar large game. But it’s much more forgiving than its belted-magnum brethren, allowing the recoil sensitive a shot at more competently pitching heavier bullets downrange.
While rarer than .308 Win. to be sure, the chambering is not so uncommon as to make it a quest for the Holy Grail when ammo runs low. A number of notable manufacturers produce factory loads, though namely the premium brands — Nosler, Weatherby, Norma. And home brewing the .338-06 is a snap. Dies are available from nearly every reloading company, and .338 bullets are legion. And it almost seems like .30-06 brass actually grows on trees.
Without the worry of having to fiddle with custom ammunition — the case for some other Phoenix firearms — the company zeroed in on the .338-06’s overall engineering. And, as expected with the Centennial-State concern, it executed the rifle with a flare it has become known for.
The heart of the hunting rifle’s system is its custom tapered 21-inch Douglas barrel mated with a titanium suppressor core and sleeve. While certainly adding to the final price tag, the use of the lightweight metal keeps the rifle highly manageable and easy to maneuver — exactly what a hunter would want out of his gun. And it endows the gun with some highly desirable qualities, such as superior heat and corrosion resistance.
Overall, the .338-06 weighs in at a very practical 8 pounds — more than reasonable, even for those who push deep into the backwoods. Along with the titanium, Phoenix’s use of a custom Bell and Carlson stock helps keep the rifle svelte slung on a shoulder. Furthermore, the featherweight composite stock is inherently rigid and is inlet and glass bedded to free float the barrel, a process that ensures a nearly seamless mating between barrel and stock.
Built around the tried-and-true Remington 700 action, the rifle will prove very familiar to a majority of shooters, as well as strong. But even there Phoenix couldn’t leave well enough alone. The integrally suppressed .338-06 comes with a PTG fluted bolt with an oversized tactical knob and custom Remington 700 trigger standard.
Other notables on the rifle are a Warne 20 MOA rail and single and multi-colored paint and graphic options for the finish. Additionally, while the integrally suppressed rifle off the shelf (or as close as you can get at a custom shop) is .338-06, it is available in any chambering upon request. Have a yen for 8x60mm S or a .318 Westley Richards with a toned down report? Phoenix will build it for you, and that goes for any other tweak on the rifle — action, trigger, etc. The sky, your imagination and your wallet are the limit.
That last limit — wallet — might be the only point of contention for most shooters intrigued by the integrally suppressed .338-06 A-Square. With a hefty $4,600 starting point on a stock rifle, Phoenix Weaponry isn’t exactly giving them away. On top of this, there is the paperwork and a tax stamp to consider, since the rifle is NFA regulated. In turn, unless you’re a Silicon Valley oligarch, the rife is not exactly an impulse buy. But like most of Phoenix’s wares, all heavy on customized features, its .338-06 wasn’t built on a whim and most likely was not meant to be bought that way either.
Ruger’s newly updated Precision Rifle has the goods to go the distance.
Some basics on the Ruger Precision Rifle, available in the exciting new 6mm Creedmoor:
Ruger’s Precision Rifle was purpose-built for long-range shooting.
It's offered in .308 Winchester, 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem., and 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor.
The rifle is outfitted with the Precision MSR Stock.
The stock folds to the left and features adjustable comb height and length of pull.
At 100 yards, the smallest group went .42 inches with Hornady ELD-X Match ammo.
The MSRP of Ruger’s Precision Rifle is $1,599.
I was not a great physics student in either high school or college, but I do remember one key fact from those classes (probably because the lesson was taught on the first day): precision and accuracy are different. Accuracy describes measurement to a standard or true value. Precision is a measure of the proximity of values to one another. In shooting terms, tight groups are a result of precise shooting. Accuracy has to do with how close those bullets are landing to your intended target.
The 6mm Creedmoor is a sweet shooter, offering plenty of long-range capability without beating up the person behind the trigger.
Serious long-range accuracy demands both accuracy and precision. When you’re asking a rifle to reach beyond the limits of average sporting firearms — let’s say 400 yards or more — you need a gun up to the task. And while there are many rifles that serve well for close to mid-range shots, once you move targets to a quarter mile or more, the pool of rifles capable of consistently printing tight groups — say MOA or better — starts to thin. Push that to a half-mile and you’re talking about a small class of weapons indeed.
Ruger’s Precision Rifle was purpose-built for long-range shooting, and it has the features to compete in the rarified world of half-mile-plus target guns. For years, precision rifles were primarily produced by custom riflemakers who specialized in this class of weapons, but with the growing popularity of long-range shooting (both recreational and competition), more and more shooters want to push their limits. Ruger decided to build a factory rifle with all of the features and capabilities normally found on more expensive competition guns without the high price tag, and the Precision Rifle does just that.
The Precision Rifle proved highly accurate, printing sub-MOA groups on average.
For starters, Ruger began with an “upper” and a bolt made from pre-hardened 4140 chrome-moly steel. That helps minimize distortion, and CNC machining keeps tolerances tight. The lower magazine well halves are machined from 7075-T6 aluminum and are type III hard-coat anodized for durability. The Precision Rifle’s one-piece bolt has three locking lugs, which allow for a fast and smooth 70-degree bolt lift. It also features a long billet aluminum bolt shroud, and there’s a bolt disassembly tool stored in the shroud for quick disassembly and cleaning as well as a wrench to adjust the Marksman bladed trigger. The Precision Rifle’s upper has a minimized ejection port that improves rigidity, which, in turn, aids in accuracy, and the 20 MOA Picatinny rail is held in place with four #8-40 screws, so there’s plenty of room for mounting large scopes.
The heart of any real long-range rifle is its barrel, and the Ruger’s cold hammer-forged 4140 chrome-moly steel pipe features 5R rifling. Traditional rifling uses four or six lands (smallest bore diameter) and grooves (widest bore diameter) that have 90-degree edges. The lands and grooves are positioned opposite one another, and the lands contact the projectile and force it to spin. 5R rifling, by contrast, uses five lands and grooves with sloping edges on the lands. This accomplishes several things. First, the opposite lands/grooves reduce bullet deformation, and that leads to improved accuracy (er, precision), especially at long ranges.
Second, the sloped land design doesn’t trap fouling like traditional rifling, so it’s easier to keep the bore clean and uniform. The barrel has minimal headspace measurements and a centralized bore. All Ruger Precision Rifles come with medium-contour barrels topped with the company’s Hybrid Muzzle Brake that reduces recoil without the excessive noise and muzzle blast that accompany the use of other brakes. The brake can be removed and replaced with an included thread protector. The barrel’s design, which is completely free floating and attaches directly to the receiver, eliminates bedding, and recoil force moves rearward in a straight line, further enhancing accuracy potential. The Precision Rifle is offered in .308 Winchester and 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem. with a 20-inch barrel and 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor with a 24-inch barrel.
Taking Stock
Ruger outfitted this rifle with the Precision MSR Stock, which folds to the left at the touch of a button, and comb height and length of pull are adjustable by flipping latches on the stock’s right side. One latch releases the comb so it can be raised or lowered; the other moves the stock fore and aft for perfect alignment. Many competition rifles have adjustable stocks, but Ruger’s setup is robust, simple and requires no tools. That’s an important consideration for long-range rifles; time-consuming stock adjustments don’t permit quick changes afield. This system is much simpler. The folding stock hinge is mated with an AR-style buffer, so you can swap stocks if you desire, and there are QD sling attachments and a short accessory rail on the bottom of the stock. The top of the comb is nicely rounded and comfortable, with light texturing for a comfortable cheek weld.
Ruger’s highly adjustable Precision MSR stock.
The texturing is about all that’s light on this rifle, though. The rifle that I tested weighed 10.8 pounds and measured 43.25 to 46.75 inches overall, making this a gun that you won’t want to carry when still-hunting whitetails. For a dedicated target rifle, though, the Precision Rifle’s weight and length aren’t a hindrance. The four cartridges this rifle is chambered in are all relatively light kickers, and this in a gun that will weigh over 12 pounds scoped with a loaded magazine. With a built-in brake, the 6mm Creedmoor hardly stirred the rifle when firing. This helps prevent flinching and allows shooters to keep the target within the field of view when firing. The Precision Rifle’s straight-line recoil lifts the muzzle slightly, but there’s very little movement on the bags, so you can deliver follow-ups in a hurry. That’s not usually necessary when target shooting, but it’s one advantage of the Ruger’s design that’s good for Precision Rifle Series shooters who are timed.
The Precision Rifle’s controls and grip design mimic an AR to some degree. There’s a safety selector that is reversible that looks much like what you’ll find on most ARs, but where this gun differs from black guns is that the selector moves just 45 degrees from safe to fire. The pistol grip design is similar to an AR, and the aluminum Short Action handguard has a low-profile design that allows you to mount long-range scopes with large objectives without worrying about clearance issues. Ruger designed this rifle to be compatible with AICS and M110/SR-25/DPMS/Magpul mags as well as some M14 magazines, so there are lots of options available. The gun that I tested came with a 10-round PMAG that fit securely in the magwell, and the release lever rides just behind the magazine. The front of the magwell is also contoured to allow it to act as a brace when firing or to comfortably accommodate your non-shooting hand.
Six Appeal
It was impossible to attend this year’s annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas without appreciating the impact the 6.5 Creedmoor has had on the shooting industry. Originally conceived Hornady as a low-recoiling, highly accurate target round, the 6.5 has permeated every facet of the rifle-shooting world. It is now chambered in ARs, serious long-range tactical bolt guns as well as light mountain rifles for big-game hunting. And it didn’t take long for the 6.5 to produce an attention-grabbing offspring, the 6mm Creedmoor.
Ruger was one of the first companies to start churning out production rifles in 6mm Creedmoor, and the Precision Rifle was the first gun I fired chambered for the necked-down cousin of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Traditionally, 6mm/.243 bullets have run from about 55 to 100 grains, but with longer, heavier bullets with higher ballistic coefficients, the 6mm Creedmoor is a dedicated long-range cartridge also quite capable of taking a variety of game. The ammo I tested — the very first 6mm load to come to market — was Hornady’s 108-grain ELD Match load. There’s little question that Precision Rifle Series competition helped bolster interest in the cartridge. That event requires shooting from 100 to 1,300 yards, so the rifle must be accurate to long range yet must not beat the shooter up too badly (and there are velocity limitations).
The Ruger Precision Rifle is a serious competition and long-range rifle, and the 6mm Creedmoor is a perfect match. The 108-grain ELD Match bullet from Hornady has a ballistic coefficient of .536 — a natural choice for long shots. For comparison to something more familiar, let’s look at Hornady’s 117-grain interlock .25-06 load. That .25-06 bullet has a muzzle velocity of 2,990 feet per second (fps), which is close to the 6mm Creedmoor’s 2,960 fps figure from the same length barrel. At the muzzle, the .25-06 load has about 200 foot-pounds (ft.-lbs.) more energy, but at 500 yards, the 6mm, with its higher BC, is traveling 250 fps faster than the .25-06 load and carrying more than 150 ft.-lbs. more energy. The telling figure, though, is bullet drop. At 500 yards, the .25-06 bullet has dropped 4.5 inches farther than the smaller 6mm bullet. The 6mm Creedmoor is plainly a long-range cartridge, and it’s one that won’t abuse the shooter.
On the Range
The Ruger Precision is a dedicated long-range rifle and has all the features serious competition shooters demand, but how does it perform? At 100 yards — a virtual chip shot for this rig — the smallest group went .42 inch with the Hornady factory ammo, so small in fact that I had to check the backing board to be sure I was indeed looking at a pattern printed from three bullets and not two. But it was legitimate. In fact, the largest three-shot group of the five groups I shot with this ammo went .925 inch, and the average was .65 inch — well below MOA. Average velocity was 2,970 fps, besting Hornady’s promised velocity figure by 10 fps.
All those features Ruger packed into this rifle make it a very user-friendly long-range gun. For starters, as mentioned earlier, it’s easy to adjust the stock’s fit. Second, the Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger makes producing tight groups easy. It’s adjustable from 2.25 to 5 pounds, and the one I tested came set at 2.6 pounds according to my Wheeler gauge. It’s a bladed trigger, and you quickly learn that once the blade is depressed, you’re within a hair’s breadth of the trigger breaking. Other features also aid in bench shooting, including the contoured magazine well that offers a solid rest for the hand and the oversized bolt handle. There were no feeding, extraction or ejection issues.
With a bit of dialing on the Trijicon scope, I was producing groups that were precise and accurate — tight clusters in the center of the bullseye. Shooting this rifle well is easy, and Ruger has succeeded in doing what they claimed: building a factory rifle with the kind of features that make it a worthy competitor against many custom guns. With an MSRP of $1,599, this isn’t a budget rifle to be sure, but when you consider all of the Ruger Precision Rifle’s capabilities, this gun is actually something of a bargain. So, if you want a rifle that can go the distance and don’t have the money or time to invest in a custom build, this is a legitimate factory alternative. If you do your part, the Ruger will perform, and it performs splendidly.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Reloaded ammunition is just as reliable as factory ammo when facing dangerous game, assuming you have put in your time at the bench and shooting range to verify.
Handloading dangerous game cartridges allows you to select high-performance bullets for the toughest critters.
Many classic safari cartridges are inherently versatile, a trait handloaders can take full advantage of.
Is reloading your own dangerous game cartridges a good idea? Phil Massaro takes several .40-caliber rifle cartridges to the Dark Continent to find out.
The .416 Remington Magnum and 400-grain Swift A-Frames and Hornady Solids. Photo: J.D. Fielding
Deep into the Nyaminga block of Zambia’s Luangwa Valley, Professional Hunter Nicky Wightman gingerly spread the shooting sticks, eyeballing the Cape buffalo bull that was lying down 40 yards away. He and Lamec, his tracker and right-hand man, were silently communicating about the bull and whether or not he was old enough to take, while I stood by, with my Model 70 in .416 Remington, handloaded with 400-grain Swift A-Frames.
Although every nerve stood on edge, I knew exactly what the rifle would do, as I had spent countless hours at the bench, and in practice from field positions. While the gun gave acceptable accuracy with factory ammunition, it shot sub-MOA with my handloads, and I knew that was the proper ammunition to use.
We sorted that bull out with a well-placed first shot, and a second A-Frame to ‘pay the insurance,’ as the saying goes, and both bullets rested against the offside shoulder skin. They gave perfect performance, imparting all 5,000 ft.-lbs. within the bull, and killed quickly and humanely.
Buffalo bull taken with .416 Rem handloads.
Fast forward almost four years and I stood with PHs Tim Schultz and Danie Wingard in Matabeleland North in Zimbabwe, with a huge-bodied bull elephant on the other end of the line. This time I carried a Heym Express in .404 Jeffery, handloaded with 400-grain Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solids, at a muzzle velocity of 2,280 fps. It was a short hunt, and the bull was essentially gift-wrapped, feeding at 16 yards.
The first shot nearly put the bull down on his haunches, and the second sealed the deal. My hunting buddy Dave deMoulpied had booked this hunt for me, and had come along as a camera man. After the bull was down, and the respects were paid, Dave showed me the footage. The Woodleigh solid had hit exactly where aimed, and the video showed the effect of that well-designed bullet, a heart/lung shot which penetrated the entire elephant.
“Buddy, I’m glad you went with the Woodleigh,” said Dave. “That hit was as impressive as the shots I’ve seen from .470s.” Now, I know for certain that the .404 Jeff is not the equal of the mighty .470 Nitro Express, but it is a perfectly viable big game cartridge, suitable for absolutely anything on earth. That’s what I want to discuss: the benefits of handloading rifles in the .410-.423 calibers, and why they make so much sense for the traveling hunter.
Everybody who has hunted Africa is aware of the versatility of the famous .375 H&H Belted Rimless Magnum; there’s simply no denying the fact that a good .375 H&H will get the job done, regardless of species. I’ve heard from more than one PH, “When in doubt, bring a .375 H&H.”
That said, when it comes to the heavyweights like buffalo and elephant, there’s no denying that the .40s hit harder, and the visible effect of the shot is plainly evident. However, the beauty of the .375 is its versatility; it can take the biggest elephant bull, but is also suitable for oribi, duiker and steenbok.
I own a .375, I shoot it and I love it, but I’m also a huge fan of the .40s for reasons we’ll outline shortly. What I like to do as a handloader, is to do my best to approximate the versatility of the .375s in the .40 calibers.
Accuracy of .404 Jeffery Heym rifle with Woodleigh Hydro solids.
In this class of rifles, I like the following cartridges (in order of caliber) for a versatile hunting rifle: the .450/400 3” Nitro Express, the .416 Rigby, the .416 Remington, the .416 Ruger, the wildcat .416 Taylor, and the venerable .404 Jeffery. All of them have made their reputations shooting a 400-grain bullet of good sectional density, at muzzle velocities of 2,050 fps (for the .450/400), up to 2,400 fps for the .416s, with the .404 coming in somewhere in the middle, depending on how you load it.
The classic recipe of the 400-grain bullets at 2,400 fps from the .416s will yield just about 5,000 ft.-lbs. of kinetic energy at the muzzle, yet is surprisingly easy on the shoulder, especially in comparison to the .458s pushing a 500-grain slug at 2,150 fps or so.
The .450/400 3-Inch Nitro Express
The .450/400 NE works well at the much lower velocity, being a perfect choice for the recoil-sensitive shooter to use against the heavyweights. The penetrative qualities of the .410-inch diameter bullet are legendary; flipping through John ‘Pondoro’ Taylor’s classic African Rifles and Cartridges will yield the following comments:
“It’s one of the grandest weapons imaginable for all big game hunting… …I have used it extensively on all kinds of African game from elephant down with the greatest possible satisfaction.”
That is what I would call a ringing endorsement from a man with decades of field experience. The bullets of today are much better than those of Pondoro’s era, and the recent revival of this case is due to Ruger chambering their No. 1 single-shot rifle in this cartridge, and Hornady’s factory ammo available with the potent combination of DGX and DGS bullets.
Dave deMoulpied’s .416 Rigby with 325-grain Cutting Edge Safari Raptors.
My buddy Doug Giles, international hunter and author of Rise, Kill and Eat, is a huge proponent of the .450/400, and has both the No.1 and a sweet double in this cartridge. He asked me to handload some ammo for his upcoming safaris, which will include buffalo and big cats. I immediately recommended the North Fork trio of bullets: the semi-spitzer bonded core, the Percussion Point (similar to the semi-spitzer, but skived at the nose for greater expansion on cats), and the fantastic monometal Flat Point solid, all in 400-grain configuration. His double regulates well with the existing Hornady ammo, but Doug was after a custom ammunition experience.
I got my hands on some Hornady cases and a set of RCBS dies, and taking a long look at several reloading manuals, I settled on a load of 83.0 grains of Alliant’s Reloder-19 and a Federal GM215M primer, which gave a muzzle velocity of 2,075 fps, in close proximity to the Hornady load, and (thankfully!) it shot just perfectly from Doug’s rifles. He is now well equipped for any game animal on earth, including the dangerous stuff of Africa and North America.
Author with Blue Wildebeest.
The .416s
Undoubtedly, we owe the popularity of the .416-inch diameter cartridges to the writings of Robert Ruark, as he made both PH Harry Selby and the .416 Rigby famous in his classic safari book Horn of the Hunter. I, for one, am very happy he did that, because prior to that 1950s literary gem, the .416 was a proprietary cartridge that was little used.
During the 1960s and 70s, as Kynoch faded away as an ammunition producer and supplies dwindled for the classic British rifles, an American PH named George Hoffman necked the .375 H&H case up to hold .416-inch bullets, resulting in the .416 Hoffman.
Bob Chatfield-Taylor did a similar thing, but based his case on the shorter (2.500-inch) .458 Winchester Magnum case, giving birth to the .416 Taylor. Remington saw the value of the Hoffman design, and modified their 8mm Remington Magnum case to create the .416 Remington Magnum, released in the year I graduated high school, 1988. The Hornady/Ruger team had great success with the .375 Ruger cartridge, and modified the beltless design to yield the .416 Ruger, fitting in a standard-length rifle action.
All these cartridges, generally speaking, deliver the wonderful 400-grain .416-caliber bullet at or near 2,400 fps, and this is a magic combination. For the handloader, there are many premium 400-grain bullets available that aren’t commercially loaded.
Remington did, at one time, load the 400-grain Swift A-Frame for the .416 Rem, but I don’t find that in their catalogs any longer. I’ve said this before, but it warrants repeating: I feel that the Swift A-Frame, in a heavy-for-caliber weight, is the best Cape buffalo bullet on the market. It gives good expansion at a wide range of velocities, fantastic (90%+) weight retention, but most importantly it is strong enough to penetrate the biggest buffalo at any angle. I’ve used it extensively in my .416 Remington, not just on buffalo, but on a wide variety of plains game, from bushbuck and puku, to warthog and hartebeest, all with good results.
Author’s .404 Jeffery ammo.
Dave deMoulpied’s AHR in .416 Rigby loves the 400-grain A-Frame, but at a reduced velocity of 2,250 fps, because that’s where we found the accuracy. Ninety grains of Reloder-19 prints three of them into sub-MOA groups at 100 yards.
Pair these A-Frames with a good solid and you’ve got the quintessential buffalo battery. While the Barnes Banded Solids, Trophy Bonded Sledgehammers and Hornady DGS are fantastic choices, for buffalo especially, I like a pair of ‘new-wave’ designs that have come along.
The idea is this (although it is changing quickly): The first shot on buffalo should most definitely be a premium soft point, many of the older Professional Hunters demand a solid (read non-expanding) bullet for the follow up shots, to ensure penetration from any angle. The solids give exactly that; but offer no expansion at all to destroy vital tissue. Here’s where the new-wave designs enter the mix.
The Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid, and the North Fork Cup solid, both have a small “dish” shaped meplat, enough to either create a shockwave of damage, or to give the slightest bit of expansion at the meplat for more tissue damage than traditional solids give. For buffalo, I like them both very much. Both shoot very accurately, and most importantly, to the same point of impact as most of the premium softpoints.
That idea of getting your solids to hit the same place as your softpoints, can be a bit of work for the handloader. The .375 is one of the most forgiving calibers in that respect, and I can say that my .416 Remington is as well.
The .450/400 makes a great low-recoil choice for Africa.
My Model 70 .416 Remington likes just about any 400-grain bullet over a charge of 78.0 grains of IMR-4064 with the Federal GM215M primer. I use Remington nickel cases for the solids, and Norma brass cases for the softpoints, so I can easily distinguish one load from the other. If your rifle won’t regulate softs and solids to the same point of impact, you’ll have to tinker with the loads until you can find the best combination of individual accuracy for each load, and a common point of impact.
Generally speaking, I’ve found that backing off the load a grain or two for the solids can help bring them into line; in my experiences they tend to hit high.
Now, more about that versatility thing I mentioned early on. The .416s certainly shine when using the 400-grain slugs, and that weight makes a great all-around load. It’s been my go-to choice for my .416 Rem. on two safaris, and it works well.
But maybe there are situations where you’d like to use a .416 with a lighter load, for a flatter trajectory. That very thing happened to me on my last safari. It was actually two safaris in one, as Dave deMoulpied and I were hunting for three days in the Waterberg District of South Africa for plains game, and then heading up to Zimbabwe for elephant near the Hwange National Park. I had the aforementioned Heym in .404 Jeffery, but I asked Dave to bring his .416 Rigby, in case some misfortune should befall the Heym.
For plains game, we discussed some lighter bullets that would give suitable performance and a flatter trajectory, should a longer shot present itself.
Enter Cutting Edge Bullets, with their 325-grain Safari Raptor. These bullets are constructed of brass, with a deep hollowpoint. The walls of the hollowpoint are skived, so that when the bullet strikes flesh, the walls of the hollowpoint break into small blades, creating all sorts of impact trauma. The rest of the bullet remains at caliber dimension, to penetrate very deep into the vital organs, often penetrating the entire animal. Really cool concept, and I was eager to put them through field tests.
We pretty much nailed it on the first try. A mix of Hornady .416 Rigby cases, an even 100.0 grains of Reloder-22, Federal 215 primer and the CEB 325-grain Raptor printed groups of just under an inch at 100 yards. Dave made a few clicks of adjustment on his scope, and he was set. The Oehler chrony showed 2,550 fps, so longer shots wouldn’t pose a problem.
The big cow wildebeest dropped to a frontal shot from 80 yards as if she were pole-axed; and Dave’s impala didn’t even have time to react. Both were one-shot kills, and while there may have been a bit of bloodshot meat, these bullets certainly did their job. It was Dave’s zebra that impressed me most.
The striped horses of Africa have a reputation for being very tough, especially if hit improperly. Dave put that 325-grain Raptor right in the boiler room, a perfectly placed shot, from just under 200 yards away. The beautiful mare simply fell out of the scope. These lighter bullets do quite a bit for the versatility of the .416s, especially when hunting plains game. Other that the blades, there was nothing for the skinners to recover.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are some heavyweights available for the .416 rifles as well. Woodleigh’s Weldcore and Solid bullets both come in 450 grains, and we can drive them to 2,150 fps. Those heavy 450s have a sectional density of 0.371, and should be fantastic for buffalo, elephant, hippo and other plus-size game animals. Another way to look at it is that you’re only 50 grains lighter than the .458s, and while you’ll be giving up a bit in frontal diameter, you gain in the SD figures.
The .416 Ruger case is, like the Rigby, a beltless case, but shortened to fit in a standard .30-’06 length action. My good buddy Tim Wegner absolutely loves this cartridge, and asked me to handload him some of the fantastic 400-grain Barnes TSX bullets.
Dave deMoulpied with an impala.
While the factory stuff claims to reach the mystical 2,400 fps, even in the shorter Ruger African barrels (I haven’t had an opportunity to test the factory stuff), according to the manuals the handloads should run somewhere between 2,250 and 2,300 fps.
I had the best blend of velocity and accuracy using 75.5 grains of Hodgdon’s VARGET, in Hornady cases, fueled by a Federal GM215M primer. This gave 2,270 fps at the muzzle, and just over MOA accuracy – plenty enough for big bears, buffalo, or any other nasty worthy of a premium softpoint.
Among the .416s, I’ve found that the Rigby case gives the most severe recoil, due to the fact that the voluminous case (designed around the temperature sensitive Cordite) requires 90-100 grains of powder, depending on burn rate, while the Remington and Ruger cases run at 75-80 grains for most loads, albeit at a higher pressure.
While I like the Rigby, and appreciate its place is African cartridge history, I feel that the Remington case especially has been one of the most useful modern updates of a proven classic, offering all the same ballistics in a cartridge case and rifle that is smaller and handier in the field. The Rigby case will work best with powders on the slower end of the spectrum, like IMR4350, Reloder-19 and 22 and H4831, while the Remington and Ruger cases like a medium burning powder, like Reloder-15, IMR4064 and Hodgdon’s VARGET.
The .404 Jeffery
I feel like I’ve found a new old toy in the attic; the .404 Jeffery was always a cartridge that interested me, but until recently I didn’t have an opportunity to experiment with it. My buddy Chris Sells, of Double Gun Imports, acts as the importer for Heym rifles of Germany. While Heym has a fantastic reputation in the double rifle community, their Express bolt-action rifle is a little-known gem.
Stocked to feel like a fine British rifle of classic vintage, and using Heym’s proprietary action, which they make differently for each individual caliber, this rifle is poetry in steel and walnut, balancing like a fine shotgun. When Chris offered the use of a .404 Jeffery for my plains game/elephant safari, I jumped at the opportunity.
The .404 Jeff has long been an African classic, being chosen as the standard issue rifle cartridge for most of Eastern and Southern Africa’s game rangers, and its moderate recoil and striking power offer a fantastic balance of shootability and performance.
Ruark’s writing propelled the .416s to the forefront, but the .404 was truly the workhorse of Africa. Designed in 1909, the Jeffery case was intended to be the rimless equivalent of the .450/400; however the bullet diameter changed from .410 to .423, for reasons I can’t explain.
Author with Impala ram.
At any rate, the muzzle velocity of 2,150 fps with a 400-grain bullet generated just over 4,000 ft.-lbs. of energy, more than enough for the largest game, but the sedate muzzle velocity is directly proportional to the moderate recoil. I will say that the felt recoil of a .404, with the classic loading, is less than that of the .375 H&H, especially in recoil speed. The older load’s velocity is easy to attain as a handloader, and still works as well as it did in 1909.
The modern load is the 400-grain bullet, driven to 2,350 fps, putting it in the same league as the .416s. My own load for my safari was somewhere in the middle, and it worked out just perfect. I was using the 400-grain Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized solids, over 80.0 grains of Reloder 15, sparked by the Federal GM215M primer, in Norma cases.
This combination yields 2,280 fps at the muzzle, for around 4,650 ft.-lbs. of energy, and will print MOA three-shot groups if I do my part. As I told you early on, this Woodleigh bullet gives fantastic penetration, and they worked well on both wildebeest and impala in addition to the huge-bodied bull elephant.
For a good all-around load, the Woodleigh Hydro solid is a fine choice. The other bullets I tried, like the 400-grain Hornady DGS and the North Fork semi-spitzer, liked the same load. While other powders will certainly work, I like Reloder 15 as a good medium burn rate choice.
Being a curious creature, I wanted to see if that Cutting Edge Safari Raptor that worked so well in Dave’s .416 Rigby would perform in the Jeffery. At 325 grains, it gave up a bit of the sectional density that the 400 grainers will give, but can be loaded to a higher velocity. The Heym liked them very much, putting them into MOA accuracy, and actually printing them to the same point of impact as the 400-grain Woodleighs. 85.0 grains of Reloder 15 gave a velocity of 2,560 fps, bringing the .404 into the realm of the .375 H&H, as far as decent trajectory goes.
I brought that load over with me, with the intention of taking a bush pig with it. My PH, Cornus du Plooy made a great blind and set up, and while we put our time in, the bush pigs decided not to take part in our particular hunting adventure.
Norma has introduced a new load for the .404 Jeff, in their African PH line of ammunition. PH Kevin ‘Doctari’ Robertson has helped to shape the ballistics, and it is well thought out in addition to being very useful. Their factory ammo pushes a heavy-for-caliber 450-grain Woodleigh softpoint and solid at 2,150 fps, for 2,650 ft.-lbs.
This makes good sense, especially for buffalo and elephant. The lower muzzle velocity has worked with the 400-grain bullets for over a century, but with an additional 50 grains of bullet, the sectional density figures increase considerably, which will make a cartridge that has a reputation for incredible penetration even better.
Author’s combination of 325-grain Cutting Edge Bullets and 400-grain Woodleigh Hydro Solids.
We can reproduce this formula at the bench. These Woodleigh bullets are available in component form for us handloaders, and if the heavyweights are on your list, there is no reason not to take advantage of them.
I think that the 450-grain Woodleigh Weldcore would make a terrific bullet for big grizzly bears, interior or coastal. You’ll definitely want a large rifle magnum primer, and I’d stick to powders on the faster end of the spectrum, as the longer bullets will start to eat up some of your case capacity.
With an effective bullet range of 325 grain up to 450 grains, and good cases produced by Norma and Hornady, the old Jeffery case should be seeing a revival in the next decade. Get a good set of dies from RCBS or Redding, and find a rifle that fits you well. After my safari, I called Chris Sells of Heym and asked him to hold on to the return shipping label for that Heym Express, and send an invoice in its place. I’ll be hunting with this rifle for years to come.
Conclusion
I’ve had people tell me that my sanity is questionable because I hunt dangerous game with handloaded ammunition. While I totally agree with the fact that factory ammunition is better than it’s ever been, I feel that the diligence that I put into assembling the ammunition cannot be matched by the machines.
I weigh the bullets, resize all the brand new cases, weigh every powder charge, and make sure that each and every round I intend to hunt with has been run through the rifle’s chamber, to ensure that there will be no feeding issues. After five safaris, I can honestly say that with the exception of .22 LR ammunition, I’ve never pulled the trigger on factory ammunition in the game fields, and I’m totally OK with that!
DISCLAIMER: Any and all loading data found in this article or book, including past or future editions, is to be taken as reference material only. The publishers, editors, authors, contributors, and their entities bear no responsibility for the use by others of the data included herein.
The .357 Mag. and .44 Mag are considered classic hunting revolver cartridges the author has used effectively on all manner of game and predator.
Both cartridges are a dream come true for the handloader given the abundance of components in today’s reloading market.
Handloading for classic revolvers can not only rejuvenate your interest in them, but breathe new life and accuracy with modern bullets and powders.
Modern reloading of hunting revolver ammo can bring newfound interest to old iron.
.357 Magnum with Nosler bullets. All Photos: J.D. Fielding Photography
Modern reloading of hunting revolver ammo can bring newfound interest to old iron.
I own a pair of classic revolvers. One is a 1979 Model 13 K-frame with a 4-inch heavy barrel, chambered in .357 Magnum with Pachmayr grips. I inherited this gun, which was once my father’s favorite handgun, and is now very dear to me.
My other favorite is a 1957 pre-model 29 N-frame with a 6 ½-inch barrel chambered in — of course — the classic .44 Remington Magnum. In preparation for writing this article, I had the pleasant opportunity to breathe some new life into these old guns by using some new bullet and powder combinations.
.357 Magnum Reloads
Though not looked upon by many as a hunting pistol, my old standby sidearm is the Smith & Wesson Model 13 chambered in .357 Magnum, with a 4-inch barrel.
Considered by many to be underpowered — and some have even called it “wimpy” — I have used this gun enough to know differently. Throughout my life I have tried to redefine the basic laws of physics, but have always failed miserably, usually resulting in broken bones, stitches, or some type of hard-learned lesson. I quickly learned that I cannot change these laws and that basic physics will always win.
Applying these pesky laws, I have found a 158-grain Hornady XTP with a muzzle velocity of 1,170 fps, when put in the right place, deals with all the critters I generally contend with here in Upstate New York.
Most of my data for the .357 may not be impressive in comparison to many reloading manuals or most of the Internet experts, but these loads were all derived from field testing in my 4-inch-barreled Model 13, as opposed to being tested in a Universal Receiver with a 10-inch barrel, which will generate higher velocities and pressures that are not realistic from my handguns.
Here are the strengths and weaknesses of this revolver: First off, it’s a pleasure to carry. It fits right on your belt and is easily concealed so you’re not taking your gun off every time you go out. Here in Upstate New York our laws prohibit open carry; it’s concealed carry only.
One of my favorite things about this handgun is the fact that I can feed it .38 Special ammunition all day long and have a very accurate plinking gun. This is the gun’s usual diet; unless, of course, it’s deer season. Its recoil is very manageable even with full-house loads, especially when compared to other hunting calibers.
My wife shoots it regularly, and very accurately at that. When going out to do chores, this is the gun to wear. It doesn’t get in your way on your belt and doesn’t slow you down while working. That’s not something that can be said of carrying an X-frame revolver.
Secondly, when this little gun is off its diet of .38 Specials, it’s fed with premium bullets, usually Barnes XPBs or Hornady’s XTPs, and it’s never had a problem putting venison in the freezer or exterminating any of the predators that always seem to be in my chicken coop.
Smith & Wesson Model 13 in .357 Mag. with Barnes XPB bullets.
One of its downfalls is its effective range, as it is limited by its 4-inch barrel. It’s a tradeoff that is offset by the handiness of the gun. I limit myself to a 50-yard shot at deer, and only if I have a clear shot at its vitals.
At 50 yards I know I can shoot it accurately enough to make a solid hit and the bullet will still retain enough energy to get the job done cleanly. I don’t consider myself to be a good enough shot to shoot any farther than this at any animal, as both accuracy and energies diminish to the point that I am not comfortable.
The limited sight radius on this short-barreled gun not only makes it less accurate than, for example, an 8-inch barreled sixgun, but once again those damned laws of physics rear their ugly heads; you don’t have the velocity or energy generated by a longer barrel.
.44 Magnum Handloading
My other favorite hunting revolvers is my 1957 Smith & Wesson pre-29 .44 Remington Magnum with a 6 ½-inch barrel. I got lucky and found this gun at a local shop for a great price.
This gun can shoot better than I can, with just about any load. It has a great trigger and balances perfect for me. It does not fit on the hip as well as my .357, but it is still much easier to carry than a rifle. With its 6 ½-inch barrel, the sight radius is much longer than the .357’s 4-inch tube, thus making it much more accurate to shoot.
The author’s favorite .44 Magnum — a 1957 Smith & Wesson Pre-Model 29 with a 6 ½-inch barrel.
I find this to be the optimal length for me when hunting with iron sights, but I still limit myself to 100-yard shots with it. I know there are plenty of people who can shoot an identical gun a lot farther, but this is my limit for iron sights.
In my neck of the woods, most deer hunting is done within 100 yards or less. I find target acquisition to be very fast with this gun, when compared to a scoped pistol. Now, I am not going to lie; usually a scoped single-shot or a big X-frame in .460 or .500 will shoot a hell of a lot more accurately than my old .44, but this .44 Magnum is about as big a handgun as I can shoot accurately offhand. I stress “offhand” and mean shooting it without a rest or fence post or anything to support the weight of the gun.
I can shoot my .460 Smith & Wesson at twice the distance and with twice the accuracy. But here’s the kicker: I can’t shoot it offhand, I can only shoot it well from a rest or supported position. It weighs too much for me to group accurately offhand. It also wears a 2.5×8 scope and has 12 inches of barrel. Is it still a handgun if you can’t shoot it like a handgun? I will let you decide.
I will also include data for a couple of .44 Special loads because this is what I normally practice with. They are much easier on the gun and my wrist, not to mention cheaper to shoot.
Hornady brass proved to be very consistent.
Reloading Revolver Ammo
My reloading methods are by no means considered the latest and greatest, or even advanced. Most anyone can replicate my loads with similar results. In fact, some are considered outdated by most of the people in the reloading crowd. I was even called a dinosaur this week because of some of the Winchester powder I was using.
My gun/reloading room is a hodgepodge of reloading equipment, some of which are antiques, and some of my preferred powders have been around for over 50 years. I am generally of the mindset of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but I have started to use some of the modern products recently. Trying some of the new bullets and powders has given me very impressive results that I did not think possible.
For this article I used all new dies, brass, primers, and bullets to take out some of the variables.
Don’t get me wrong; I will always be the guy that saves all brass until it splits or the primers won’t stay seated. But using some of today’s new products has shown me that there are more efficient ways to handload.
We will start off with the die sets. Most of my dies are yard sale specials, hand-me-downs, or bought off the clearance rack. I acquired new dies from Redding, to ensure there was no wear and tear. While using these new dies, in comparison to my old ones, all I can say is “Wow, these things are amazing!”
The Redding sets feature micrometer-adjustable seating and crimping dies. The dies are fast and easy to get set up and have given the best crimp I have ever achieved. Their ease of adjustment saves a lot of time when you’re changing between different bullets. To be honest, I don’t know how I am going to go back to using my old ones.
Suitable powders for classic revolvers include IMR4227, Alliant 2400, Accurate No. 7 and No. 9, H110, and Ramshot Enforcer.
For this experiment, I used brand-new Hornady brass cases. I spent the better half of a day measuring and weighing this brass, and did not find a single problem. I am a real stickler for trimming all pistol brass to get the perfect pistol crimp, but this brass is of such quality that trimming was not required. When the brass is of a uniform length, the crimping die will give an equally uniform crimp on the bullet’s cannelure.
If your brass isn’t trimmed to a uniform length, the resulting crimp will be all over the map, and can drastically affect the function of the revolver, as well as velocity and accuracy. All the cases weighed and measured were well within my strict standards. All were of uniform weight and length. Hornady really impressed me with their product. If you have never used new brass before, you should try it. You will be amazed.
For the primers, I used all Federal Gold Medal Match primers, small pistol primers for the .357, and large magnum pistol for the .44 Magnum. I have used them for years and found them to give the most consistent ignition, and I always keep a large supply on hand.
Now, on to the powders.
Ramshot Enforcer is a very fine ball powder that meters wonderfully.
I wanted to use some old standby powders to compare with some of the new propellants on the market. I started off with Hodgdon H110. I have used this stuff often in the past, so I know how predictable the results are. I have also been happy with the accuracy of this powder, often giving me fantastic accuracy and consistent velocities. It meters very smoothly and consistently.
I also used some Alliant 2400, a top performer that I have been using for years. I wanted to try some new powders with this batch of premium bullets, so I grabbed Accurate #9, and Ramshot Enforcer, as these both work very well with the all-copper bullets I used for testing.
Despite my old-school mentality and utter reliance on my old standby loads, both gave top velocities and fantastic accuracy. I think the Enforcer might end up my new pet load for the .44 Mag., replacing my old loads of Alliant 2400 in the old wheelgun.
Ramshot’s Enforcer not only proved most accurate, but also gave among the highest velocities, something that rarely happens.
This powder, made in Belgium, meters perfect and burns surprisingly clean. Enforcer seems to be made for the .44 Magnum. I like it so much that I will be stocking up on more of this powder. Enforcer worked great in the .357 Magnum, too, being tied with the Accurate #9 for top accuracy.
The bullets I chose were all premium hunting bullets, as developing hunting loads was my goal, starting with the Hornady XTP.
Barnes 140-grain XPB (left) and Hornady 158-grain XTB.
The XTPs have always performed well for me; I have never had one fail. They open up to at least 1 ½ times their original diameter for immediate energy transfer, but also penetrate very deeply.
Any broadside shot I have ever taken with my .44 Magnum has resulted in a complete pass through; I have never recovered any .44 bullet. Deer I have hit with the XTP’s have taken not more than a few steps before expiring. I prefer to use the heavier 300-grain bullets at a slower speed and I am amazed at their performance, whether the distance is 10 yards or 100.
The Nosler jacketed handgun bullet has long been a favorite in my .357, and the 158-grain slugs over a charge of Hodgdon’s H110 has been a magic recipe for years. This has, and will continue to be, a go-to bullet for me.
Another of the premium bullets chosen was the Speer Gold Dot in .44 caliber, weighting 240 grains. These things are accurate and open up a huge hole. Although I have never hit a deer with one, I am sure they would be very effective. Penetration tests suggest they would have no problem passing entirely through a deer.
Two coyotes were taken with these bullets and that’s how I know they open up so fast. They leave a Buick-sized exit wound — most impressive! As far as a defensive bullet, they might be overkill but I would not hesitate to use them.
The Barnes 225-grain bullet (left) has more bearing surface than the 300-grain Hornady XTP (middle) or the 240-grain Speer Gold Dot (right).
Whether you love them or hate them, the Barnes XPBs are the hot rods of handgun bullets. What I like about Barnes is that bullets are all that they make — just bullets. And they have been doing this for over 80 years. They seem to do a lot more research in the ballistic department than all the other companies.
These bullets are an all-copper design with a massive hollowpoint cavity, which upon impact forms the shape of a mushroom with razor-like pedals. These controlled expansion-type bullets give devastating amounts of terminal damage when they hit flesh and bone. This is why deer never seem to take another step when hit correctly with one.
Barnes bullets deliver more energy within the game animal than any other bullets, in my opinion. I have heard people voice concerns about the large hollowpoint cavities potentially becoming obstructed and not expanding. However, I have never had this problem. Now for the downside: they cost more than most other brands, but you get what you pay for with Barnes.
Loading data is drastically different for these bullets than a leadcore-type bullet, due to the all-copper construction. For example, a .44-caliber 225-grain Barnes is a lot longer than a bullet of the same weight that is jacketed lead. Therefore, they will leave less case capacity than lead bullets because they must be seated deeper into the case to maintain the same Cartridge Overall Length, or COL.
I ended up using some compressed loads with these, something I rarely do, but is common when using monometal bullets. I was only able to find a limited amount of load data for Barnes, so, on a whim I just called them up.
The people at this company were very helpful, and more than willing to spend time with me discussing this project. I told them what powders I had and they gave me all the load data I needed, right over the phone. It was a pleasant surprise to have customer service that knowledgeable and friendly.
Author at the reloading bench churning out some handloaded revolver ammo.
Barnes highly recommended using Ramshot’s Enforcer as well as Accurate No. 9, as their laboratory testing found these powders to give the best results with their bullets.
This company has come a long way since 1932 when Fred Barnes started making bullets. They are something all handloaders need to try.
I’m loading those Hornady XTPs for our local deer and bear seasons. The Gold Dot bullet will remain my favorite for the liberal coyote season we have here in New York, and the Barnes 225-grain XPB is getting the nod for an upcoming feral hog hunt.
With this trio of bullets, I’m very well covered for anything smaller than coastal brown bears! I have really enjoyed the testing of these new powders and bullets, and it has truly brought newfound interest to my pair of classic revolvers.
I am glad I knocked the dust off these two classics and tried modern loads through them. It has shown me how far reloading products have progressed and has given me new respect for my old iron.
DISCLAIMER: Any and all loading data found in this article or book, including past or future editions, is to be taken as reference material only. The publishers, editors, authors, contributors, and their entities bear no responsibility for the use by others of the data included herein.
You can get tack-driving accuracy from match-grade AR rifles, but attention to detail in reloading is still necessary.
Some bullet crimp may be necessary; test your first rounds by hand-cycling a few rounds through the action to see if bullets are getting pushed in.
With careful reloading, one-hole sub-MOA accuracy is achievable in the AR-15 and AR-10 platforms.
Can handloading for AR-15 — and AR-10 — rifles achieve accuracy that matches modern bolt-actions?
Author Mark Nazi at the bench testing .308 loads. All photos: J.D. Fielding Photography
The AR is a platform that I have had a love/hate relationship with ever since I picked up my first one, many moons ago. Most of my reloading experience with the AR platform has been trying to find a load that’s accurate, uses components that are generally easy to obtain, cycles without fail, and uses bullets that I can seat deep enough so there is no fighting between the tip of the round and the wall of the magazine.
So, when Phil Massaro tasked me with the project of using .308 and .223-powered ARs to disprove the popular notion that AR-platform rifles aren’t as accurate as conventional rifles, I was extremely excited for the chance to develop a new load beyond my normal 3-Gun/plinking load that I’ve used for many years.
When it came time to pick my hardware for this project I knew I had the .223 end covered. With one phone call and a three-minute drive, I had my hands on a beautiful Rock River Arms rifle that had been outfitted with a full Krieger match-grade pipe, countless hours of stone work, and a trigger that breaks like an icicle.
The author shooting the Rock River Arms EOP in .223.
Now all I needed was a .308. A quick call to a friend over at June Bug Customs and I had everything needed for the .308, including a beautiful, semi-heavy, 1:10 twist, 24-inch stainless steel barrel.
I decided to top these beautiful rifles with what I personally consider to be the top-of-the-line in rifle optics — Nightforce. The company provided a jaw-dropping NXS 5.5-22 X 50 for the .223 and a monstrous NXS 8-32 X 56 for the .308, both equipped with the MOART reticles.
When these scopes arrived, I bolted them up using the Nightforce 20 MOA one-piece ring and base. Having mounted countless scopes from every manufacture known to man, I must say that the Nightforce rings and bases are of the most unbelievable quality. Normally I acquire my scope and mounting solution and then the lapping begins, but with these Nightforce products lapping the rings would be an insult.
After getting the scopes mounted and adjusted to my eye it was time to take them outside and get a look at the MOART reticle. The clarity of this glass is not something I can describe accurately in words. It is stunning.
When I gathered my components, I kept reminding myself that I was going for accuracy while being able to retain reliability. In terms of the handloading process, I knew this was going to be a single-stage operation; that is, using a single-stage reloading press. When going for accuracy I personally prefer the single-stage method, as it allows me to walk my brass through each stage, keep a close eye on every process, and hand-check every step.
I chose a Forsters Co-Ax B3 single-stage press. After the press had been decided, it was time to choose my options for everything else. First off, was brass. I wanted something to hold everything together in a nice package, so I went with brand-new Norma .308 Winchester and .223 Winchester brass.
I figured that for what I was doing, 100 pieces of each would suffice. Next, I needed an ignition source. I’ve been a long-time fan of the Federal Gold Medal Match primers. Over the many years I’ve been using them, they have never given me anything but perfect performance.
Premium Nightforce optics ensured the author was able to obtain true accuracy measurements.
After that it was time to pick some powder. For the .308 I picked Accurate Arms LT-30, IMR XBR 8208, Hodgdon Varget, and the classic IMR 4064. For the .223 I grabbed cans of Reloder #7, Varget, IMR 4198, and X-terminator by RamShot. After settling on my choice of brass, powders, and primers it was time to pick the projectiles.
Since I had been tasked with delivering accuracy, I decided to grab a few boxes of my favorite target bullets, the Sierra MatchKing hollowpoint boat-tail. This has long been one of my favorites. I was also able to acquire a few boxes of the brand new Tipped Match Kings, as well as a box of Nosler Ballistic Tips that I have found to be flawless in performance.
Finally, it was time to choose my dies. I tossed around a few ideas before deciding on Redding National Match dies in .223 and .308, with the added small-base sizing die included separately. Now that I had everything in front of me it was time to get to it.
Reloading AR Cartridges for Accuracy
I decided to start with the .308. After referencing a number of different reloading manuals as well as measuring the length of the magazines I had on hand, I knew that my Cartridge Overall Length (C.O.L.) was going to be 2.800 across the board.
When I reload for accuracy I like to take all my components and lay them out, starting with the brass. I take my brass, and, one piece at a time, give it a good visual inspection before placing it into the loading block.
Once I’ve got my loading block filled up I begin my sizing process. First, I’ll take my tub of case wax and apply a little on my fingers. Next, as I grab each case to be sized, I rub the wax all over the case to ensure that it will enter and exit the die smoothly.
With the semi-automatic AR-style rifles I always use a small base sizing die as the first step. My reasoning for this is the rifles I am using — like most AR-style rifles — are a direct impingement system.
That means that as a round is fired gases from the explosion are recycled through the gas system to cycle the action, eject a spent casing, pick up a live round from the magazine, and chamber it.
After all my brass got the small base resizing it was time to run them through the full-length resizing die.
Redding National Match dies in .308.
Finally, I had a full loading block of sized brass. Normally I would say this is where I trim all my brass, but as I looked in my reloading manual to acquire the trim-to length, I grabbed my digital calipers and started measuring. My trim-to length was 2.005. What I like to do is find a case in my lot that measures exactly 2.005 and set it aside. I refer to this casing as my “god case.” I’ll use it to set my case trimmer, set my die depth and height, and many other tasks.
What I found truly surprising when I started measuring was that every single case I measured was exactly 2.005 exactly.
At first, I was in disbelief. I asked my loading buddy to find me brass in this lot that did not measure 2.005. He was only able to find perhaps two pieces that measured either 2.006 or 2.004. I must tip my hat to Norma; well done, boys.
I then fired up my Lyman case prep station and began looking and feeling for burrs left from the manufacturing process. Again, and to my delight, the Norma brass came out of the box ready to deliver.
With minimal chamfering and de-burring and now with all my brass to the proper size, length, and dimensions it was time to prime. I grabbed a fresh box of Federal GM 210 M large rifle primers, which is Federal’s match-grade large rifle primer, tossed them into my Lee Auto Prime XR, and began priming my cases.
I was blown away how consistent the primer pockets of this brass were; they were tight but not too tight, and the pocket depth paired with the GM 210M primers was right on the money.
National Match dies in .223 Rem. — also from Redding.
I like to seat my primers a few hairs under flush with the bottom of the case. After I had my cases fully prepped it was time to start charging them, so I grabbed a one-pound can of XBR and a load data sheet.
For load development I went with the simplest form of ladder testing. A number of published loads for XBR paired with a 168-grain MatchKing bullet showed a starting load of 33.2 grains and a max load of 43.2 grains. With this data in hand I fired up my RCBS Chargemaster 1500.
With my process of ladder testing what I do is draw a diagram in my bench notebook and start with the lowest charge weight. I’ll load five rounds at the start weight. In this case I started with 33.5 grains of XBR 8208. All five of these rounds will sit in row 1 of my ammo box.
From here I’ll step up my charge weights in .5-grain increments. In other words, row two consists of five rounds with a charge weight of 34.0 grains, and so on until I reach the maximum recommended weight.
If you do not use a reloading bench notebook I strongly recommend it. I refuse to reload without my notebooks. If asked any questions regarding my load data for any particular rifle or cartridge, I will not attempt to remember off the top of my head; only after referring to my notebook will I give such data.
With the single-stage nature of loading for these rifles, my RCBS Chargemaster 1500 was the obvious choice for me. For those who are not familiar with this extremely accurate, time-saving device, I highly recommend it. RCBS has taken a digital powder-dispensing system and paired it with a Chargemaster digital scale. You simply level the machine on a sturdy surface (I use a block of marble), calibrate it with the included weights, punch in your desired charge weight, press dispense, and away you go.
Redding small base dies.
The scale and dispenser unit talk to each other until your desired weight has been reached, then the machine beeps and displays the actual charge weight as another check to insure you’ve reached your desired weight. It is a must-have for any single stage loader.
After getting all my cases charged it was finally time to break out the one die I had been drooling over since the beginning of this project, the Redding National Match Competition seating die. The micrometer adjustments were flawless, smooth and precise. The die uses a bushing system to seat the bullets, causing no deformity in the copper jackets.
I grabbed a box of .30-caliber 168-grain Tipped MatchKings, referenced as much published data as I could, and came up with a C.O.L. of 2.800. Setting my C.O.L. at 2.800 gave me enough room to be able to load in magazines and have them function properly. But what did worry me was not having much room to play with in the way of how far off the lands and grooves I was able to seat the bullet. Only time would tell if that adjustment was one that needed tinkering.
Seating the tipped 168-grain Sierra MatchKings was a dream, given the extremely high quality of the Redding dies coupled with the free-floating base plate of the Forster Co-Ax B3 press.
To Bullet Crimp Or Not To Bullet Crimp?
After getting all my bullets seated it was now time to consider bullet crimp. I’ve heard many schools of thought regarding crimping AR-style rifles, or even any semi-automatic rifle. What I do is make up a few extra rounds with no powder or primer in them, jot down my C.O.L., place two or three rounds into the magazine, then cycle the action as roughly as I can. I’ll then take those rounds and take measurements again to see if the violence of the action is pushing my bullets deeper into the case.
Components for the .308 buildup.
If I do notice my C.O.L. getting shorter I know there is not enough neck tension holding the projectile to keep it in place. If a crimp is needed, I’ll reset the test and apply the slightest crimp I possibly can, then re-test the rounds until my C.O.L. is the same going in as it is coming out.
Each rifle is different; some have military feed ramps and some do not. Some chambers are tighter than others. Always take some extra time to determine if a crimp is needed in your case.
One thing to keep in mind is how the feeding system in AR-style rifles works: the bolt pushes a round from the magazine into the feed ramps, the feed ramps then guide the round into the chamber. This is a very violent action and could potentially push your bullet too deep into the case, causing a catastrophic failure resulting in possible serious injury, death, and destruction of a very expensive set-up. After applying a wee bit of crimp to my rounds it was finally time to get behind this beautiful system.
Sierra 168-grain MatchKing.
Testing the Ammo
I first loaded a few mags of factory-loaded ammo to get the rifle on paper. Again, the Nightforce scope was an absolute dream to work with. All the adjustments on the turrets were flawless and of the utmost precision. If you dialed up an inch adjustment at 100 yards, an inch is exactly what you ended up with. When you take the .308 out past 100 yards and really let it stretch its legs the zero stop feature of the Nightforce allows you to transition between what you are zeroed at and whatever distance you care to dope to quickly, efficiently, and with precision.
The way I run my ladder test is, I will shoot from a bench with a rest on the front and rear of the rifle to take as much human error out of the equation as possible. I fire one round, then lock the bolt open to let it cool back down to ambient temperature. I find the ejected brass and inspect it for any signs of high pressure; then I take the round that the rifle chambered and measure it to ensure that my crimp and neck tension is holding the projectile in place properly.
Once the chamber and barrel have reached ambient temperature I’ll fire my second round, repeating the process until my string of five rounds has been fired. After that I’ll take a walk down to the target with calipers for my group measurements. After all my rounds have been fired I’ll sit and compile my data.
Using the same chart for my ladder test, I’ll write the group size in the corresponding row that already has the charge weight in it.
I was easily able to get five-shot groups under an inch at 100 yards at right around the 43.0-grain mark with the XBR powder.
Measuring group size at the target. Indeed, ARs are capable of fine accuracy if you spend some time finding the right combination.
Throughout my XBR testing I found the closer I got to the max load, the tighter my groups were getting. I finally settled on using 43.0 grains of XBR. This load was consistently between .5 and 1.00 inch, cycled perfectly, and generally performed flawlessly. I also was able to find great accuracy with the other powders I tested but stuck with the XBR because I was happy with the results and it metered like a dream.
Now it was time to grab the .223 and basically duplicate the testing. For powder I grabbed cans of X-terminator, IMR 4198, and Reloder #7. After looking at bullets for a while and keeping in mind that I had to keep the C.O.L. less than the size of my magazine, and the fact that I was dealing with a tight Kreiger match chamber, I ended up grabbing a box of 40-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and a box of 40-grain Sierra BlitzKings.
I found that both bullets delivered five-shot, one-hole groups at 100 yards.
At the end of my load development 23.5 grains of Reloder #7 was the magic number when it came to the Nosler Ballistic Tips, delivering group sizes of under a half-inch at 100 yards. When I switched to the 40-grain BlitzKings it was 22.5 grains of IMR 4198 that delivered very similar results.
What I recommend, if tighter grouping is what you’re after, is a second round of ladder testing. Let’s take our .308 load of 43.0 grains of XBR and go back to the loading bench. Using the same diagram as we did before, let’s load row 1 with 43.0 grains of XBR, row 2 with 43.1 grains, and row 3 at our max recommended charge of 43.2 grains.
What I also like to do in the second installment of ladder testing is go on both sides of the accuracy, so my 4th row will be 42.9 grains and 5th row of 42.8 grains. After that it’s back to the shooting bench and let the fun data collection process begin. This second round of ladder testing will help you fine tune your load to the rifle and conditions you shoot in.
IMR 8208 XBR and 168-grain Sierra MatchKings were a very good match.
Tips For Accurizing Military Brass For Reloading
One last thing I’d like to touch on when it comes to reloading for AR-style rifles is the endless ways to make cheap, accurate ammo for them. Military brass is some of the most available brass out there but does require a little extra attention to bring it up to spec.
Military brass comes with a crimp applied to the primer pocket, as well as primer glue applied; this is to ensure that water cannot enter the cartridge and that primers do not back out under fully automatic fire.
I’ve found that my loading buddies will normally just give away the brass they have acquired with the military crimp simply because they don’t know how to — or don’t want to — deal with it.
You can either cut the crimp from the primer pocket or you can swage the entire pocket back into spec. I’ve heard good and bad results about cutting the pocket, but after reviewing the data I decided to go with the swaging option. I called up Dillon and had them send me a primer pocket Super Swage 600. Let me tell you: this little device is a must have if you deal with large quantities of military-primed brass. It chews through casing after casing without so much as a flinch, and with a little extra work you now have reloadable brass.
One other thing to keep in mind with military brass is that case capacity is slightly different from that of non-military brass. Keep this in mind if you’ve got a load worked up for your rifle using store-purchased brass, but discover a nice cheap lot of military stuff.
IMR4198 and Norma brass proved a winning combination.
Let’s use our load from the .223 testing of 23.5 grains of Reloder #7 as an example. Say we want to transfer that load to the pile of military brass we have. Keep in mind your max load, then load a string of five rounds at 23.5 grains, then in the following rows back your charge off .1 grains until you achieve the original accuracy.
As always practice safety with every step of reloading and never go above your skill level.
DISCLAIMER: Any and all loading data found in this article or book, including past or future editions, is to be taken as reference material only. The publishers, editors, authors, contributors, and their entities bear no responsibility for the use by others of the data included herein.
Many common factory ammo offerings began as wildcat cartridges.
Reloading wildcat cartridges allows you to learn more about ballistics and load development.
There is a satisfaction that wildcatters get from taking game with their own cartridge designs.
The word “wildcat” denotes something untamed, rebellious and maybe just a little bit dangerous. But that shouldn’t stop you from considering wildcat cartridges for hunting and shooting.
The 416 UMT rifle on shooting sticks, cape buffalo in background. Selous Reserve in Tanzania. Scope is a Swarovski 1.25-4X24 Habicht model in Warne mounts. A dangerous game rifle will be used at close range and a low-power, wide field of view scope is the best choice.
Just like the wildcat oil drillers who became legends, those gun guys who pioneered the wildcat cartridges were never afraid to ignore the naysayers. Wildcatters are the rebels, the guys who refuse to accept the status quo. They are the pioneers who stretch the boundaries to prove that there can be something more, something better.
Like most pioneers they rarely get the credit. Take for example the .22-250 Remington. Popular cartridge, right? But have you ever heard of Harvey Donaldson, Grosvenor Wotkyns, J.E. Gebby, John Sweany, or J.B. Smith?
Remington didn’t develop the .22-250; those guys did. They pioneered the early high speed .22 cartridges.
The Wotkyns version was called the .220 Wotkyns Original Swift (WOS) and was the forerunner to the .220 Swift, later introduced by Winchester. Gebby and Smith are most often credited with the version we call the .22-250 Remington today. They named it the .22 Varminter. Gebby even obtained a copyright on that name, but Remington took the design, added their name and got all the glory.
It’s the same with the .204 Ruger, 7mm Remington Magnum, .257 Roberts, .35 Whelen, the Winchester Short Magnums and a very long list of other popular cartridges. They were all developed by independent wildcatters and then “claimed” by a gun company as its own, often with the blessing of the wildcatter, but sometimes not. For the most part, the guys who developed the cartridges expected — and got — nothing. The exception might be the WSM cartridges, which are historical as the wildcats that ended up in court. It’s also what is slowly killing these cartridges.
The .416 UMT is a wildcat made from .375 RUM cases. It demands the hottest primers and the best bullets.
But that’s OK. Wildcat cartridge designers are not in it for the glory or to get rich. They do it for a love of guns and cartridges and for the challenge of doing something that’s never been done. Just like mountain climbers, they do it because “it’s there.”
For as long as I can remember I have been handloading and shooting many popular wildcats, like the .357 Herrett, 7mm TCU, .243 AI, .280 AI, .300 Whisper, .375 JDJ, and several others. I learned about case forming and load development by working with these cartridges, often in the very early years when there was little available data.
But like a lot of hard-core gun guys with a technical mind and a love of pushing the edges, I felt the need to create wildcat catridges of my own.
Nobody ever called me a conformist in anything I do, and I found the inspiration for my wildcats hiding that part of my rebel brain. I love .35-caliber rifle cartridges, even while the public does not. There has never been a hugely successful .35-caliber cartridge. The .35 Remington probably comes the closest, but it’s been dying a slow death for decades. So of course, that’s where I went for my first wildcat cartridge.
The author with a cape buffalo taken in the Selous Reserve in Tanzania. The beast was taken with the .416 UMT, which threw a 400-grain Swift A-Frame. Dangerous game is hunted close and bullet placement must be precise. A 100-yard zero works well.
.358 UMT
Remington showed a select group of gun writers their new .300 Remington Ultra Mag in the fall of 1998, and the first thing I thought was that that big case would be awesome with a .358 bullet.
After considering a lot of case design possibilities I decided to keep it simple and necked the .300 Remington Ultra Mag case up to .358 with no other changes. It maintains the same body taper, the same 30-degree shoulder and the same datum line for headspacing. The only difference is a larger neck and the resulting shorter shoulder. I called the new cartridge the .358 Ultra Mag Towsley (UMT).
One pass of a well-lubed Remington case through the RCBS sizing die’s tapered expander button takes the neck from .30 to .35. Case loss during forming is all but non-existent. The expanding process shortens the case by about .018-inch, so I square the new case mouths and trim to 2.820-inch.
The rifle started as a stainless-steel Remington Model 700 chambered for .300 RUM, but only the action remains. I ordered a Krieger barrel with a 1:14 twist rate to stabilize 250-grain bullets. The barrel proved accurate and the bore is remarkably smooth and is easy to clean.
Gunsmith Mark Bansner turned the 24-inch barrel to a taper that measures .675˝ at the muzzle and then added six longitudinal flutes.
RCBS .416 UMT dies with cases and lube. One pass over the tapered expander in the RCBS resizing die will neck the .375 RUM up to .416. To increase neck tension, polish a small amount of material off the neck sizing button. Lubrication is important for sizing cartridge cases. But, it requires just the right amount.
The limiting factor in overall cartridge length with any of the Ultra Mag cartridges is the rifle’s magazine. I knew the maximum workable cartridge length in this gun would be 3.675 inches. I made up some dummy cartridges with Nosler 250-grain Partition bullets and shipped them to Dave Manson Precision Reamers.
I asked Manson to configure the chamber reamer so it would provide a .010-inch jump to the rifling with the Nosler bullet seated to 3.675 inches. My other bullet choice at the time was a Barnes 225-grain X-bullet and, because of the difference in bullet profile, it would have a jump of about .030-inch when seated to the same overall length. This is fine because the Barnes X-Bullet requires a larger gap for peak performance.
Bansner chambered the barrel and installed it on the action, which had been polished and tuned. The entire barreled action was then bead-blasted for a matte finish.
I had him install a trigger from Timney Manufacturing Inc. and adjust it for a crisp 3-pound pull. I also asked him to change the safety so it would lock the bolt down when it is on (eliminating my pet peeve with current Model 700 rifles.)
Bansner then added one of his High Tech synthetic stocks, which proved to be one of the keys to making this rifle so user-friendly. The stock is designed so the butt is 90 degrees to the bore, which directs recoil straight back and helps to eliminate muzzle rise. As a result, your face is not beaten up by the rifle’s comb, as often happens with hard-recoiling rifles. The stock has a wide butt and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad to further reduce felt recoil.
I conceived this to be a gun that would be lugged for miles up steep elk mountains or through the muskeg of Alaska. The weight needed to be balanced between heavy enough to shoot well under field conditions and light enough to not be hateful at the end of a long day.
When fitted with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10 scope in Leupold two-piece mounts, the rifle weighs 8 pounds. This is on the light side for a rifle chambered in so powerful a cartridge, but the recoil is very manageable for an experienced shooter. Most people who shoot the rifle for the first time remark that the kick was a lot less than they anticipated.
I wanted a rifle suitable for hunting elk, big bears, moose and the larger African plains game in all the differing terrain in which they live. I wanted it to shoot flat so it could handle long shots, but also to hit hard and penetrate deep for big, tough game. This calls for heavy bullets with high sectional density and ballistic coefficient numbers. Bullets weighing 225 to 250 grains were the obvious choice.
The author’s .358 UMT, or Ultra Mag Towsley.
With a large case capacity, heavy bullets usually call for slow-burning powder to push them and that proved true with the .358 UMT. It is not a particularly fussy cartridge to load, except that it does favor specific powders.
I initially thought it would work best with powders like IMR 4350 or IMR 4831, but they proved to be a bit too fast. IMR 7828 was by far the best powder tested, but H-1000 also works very well in some loads. With big charges of any powder, a hot primer is important. I used only Federal 215 primers.
The SAAMI spec for the .300 Ultra Mag cartridge is a mean average pressure of 65,000 psi, which I used as a guideline.
Some interesting things happened when I started shooting this cartridge. Most .358 bullets are designed for a much lower velocity and some of the best big game bullets that work so well in my .350 Rem. Mag. and .35 Whelen turned into varmint bullets with this cartridge, often fragmenting on impact.
The Barnes bullets were the exception. I started with a 225-grain XLC Coated X-bullet. Barnes didn’t make that one but coated some for me as a favor. After I wrote about it they got so many requests that they added it to their line. The XLC bullets are gone now, replaced by the Triple Shock. Today, my preferred bullet in this cartridge is the Barnes TSX 225-grain loaded with IMR 7828. This produces 3,165 fps and sub-inch groups.
RCBS dies, cases and Swift bullets for the .416 UMT.
Another bullet that proved to work well is the Swift 250-grain A-Frame. When teamed with IMR 7828 it spits out the muzzle at 3,114 fps. Accuracy is nearly one hole for the best three-shot groups and always averages under minute-of-angle.
The steep o-give profile of this bullet allows it to be seated out close to the rifling lands, while the cartridge length remains short enough to fit into the magazine. The bullet expands rapidly and very big, so penetration is not as good as expected. But for elk-sized or smaller game this bullet does a great job.
I have used the .358 UMT while hunting a diversity of big game from springbuck to brown bears. It’s been to Africa with me twice and has accounted for a lot of African game, including a waterbuck and a diminutive red duiker that both made the record book.
I have used it a lot in North America as well while hunting game as diverse as mule deer to brown bears. The odd thing is that while I developed the gun for elk, I have not shot an elk with it! It’s been elk hunting, but never when the elk got the memo and remembered to show up.
The .358 UMT shoots flatter than a .300 Winchester with a 180-grain bullet and has more energy than a .416 Remington at any range.
L to R: .416 Remington, .416 UMT and .416 Rigby.
With a 250-yard zero the 225-grain Barnes TSX is 2.24 inches high at 100 yards and 3.26 inches low at 300 yards.
With the 250-grain bullet the .358 UMT produces 5,384 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy. At 100 yards it still has more energy than the .375 H&H has at the muzzle and at 200 yards it retains 3,676 ft.-lbs., almost as much as the .338 Win. Mag. has at the muzzle.
.416 UMT
A few years later, I decided that if big is good, bigger is even better and I designed another cartridge in the UMT family — the .416.
The .416 UMT is not a complicated wildcat. It is simply a .375 Remington Ultra Mag necked up to take a .416 bullet. The shoulder angle, base to shoulder length, and datum line are all maintained the same as the .375 RUM. One pass of a well-lubricated .375 RUM case over a RCBS resizing die equipped with a tapered neck expander forms the case.
The only other thing I do is square up the case mouth with a case trimmer. This results in a case that is 2.825 inches, or about .025-inch shorter than the .375 RUM.
.416 UMT rifle built on a Remington Model 700 by Mark Bansner.
The case holds 120.2 grains of water to the top of the neck. The most popular .416 cartridges and the closest competitors are the .416 Remington, which holds 103.4 grains of water, and the .416 Rigby, which holds 129.6 grains.
The Ultra Mag class of cartridges were all designed to operate at a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi, which is the same as the .416 Remington. The larger case capacity with equal pressure results in higher velocity with a given bullet weight. The .416 Rigby runs at about 52,000 psi, which keeps the performance lower when compared to case capacity.
Alliant RL 15 and Hodgdon H4350 were two of the best powders tested, and accuracy was excellent with groups averaging just over one inch with the best loads. With 400-grain bullets and RL15, velocity ran a bit over 2,500 fps.
Ingredients for the .358 WSM wildcat include 225-grain Trophy Bonded bullet, 75 grains of RL17, and a Federal 215M primer.
There are a couple of boxes of this unique ammo someplace in the Dar es Salaam airport, as I was greeted on my way home by a Nazi masquerading as a KLM airline ticket agent. She would not let my bags on the plane because they were a few pounds overweight, even if I paid. I was headed home, the ammo was disposable, and the last time I saw it some guy was carrying it at arm’s length like it was a nuclear bomb.
A muzzle velocity of 2,500 fps is a considerable increase over the .416 Remington and .416 Rigby, which are cataloged at 2,400 fps but rarely have shown it on my chronograph. The realistic “real world” gain in velocity for the .416 UMT is about 150-200 fps over those two rivals when compared with guns of equal barrel length.
The performance on game is outstanding. The first shot of the safari dropped a warthog like he was hit with Thor’s hammer. My buffalo was hit with three Swift A-Frames and two Barnes Banded Solid bullets. All but the first shot exited and they all went through the vitals, including the first shot, which traveled end for end. It hit him in the ass and stopped under the skin on his neck. (Yes, I was aiming there. Don’t ask, it’s a long story.)
The author shot this Colorado elk at 248 yards with a .358 WSM wildcat, which was comprised of a 225-grain Trophy Bonded bullet and 75 grains of RL17. It was stoked with a Federal 215M primer.
Mark Bansner built the gun on a Remington Model 700 action and fitted it with a 24-inch Lilja barrel. The extractor was changed to a larger design for a more positive grip on the case during extraction. I had Mark replace the safety with one that would lock the bolt shut. Mark coated the metal with his proprietary Ti-K-Cote polymer-based finish and fitted the barreled action to one of his High Tech Specialties Stocks. We added a staggered-feed magazine with a single-stack, center feed system from H. S. Precision so the gun would feed Barnes Solids reliably.
When I received the rifle from Mark it only weighed 8-1/2 pounds with a scope. With a brake it was a beast, but it was manageable. I took the brake off and this gun became a detached retina in waiting. I could shoot it, but it wasn’t fun.
It also ate high-quality scopes like they were snacks. So, I had Mark install three mercury recoil suppressors, two for the butt and one in the forend. The result was a gun that came in at a comfortable 10-1/4 pounds when equipped with a Swarovski 1.25-4X24 Habicht scope in Warne detachable mounts. Unlike some others, this scope has stayed together through several hundred shots.
The rifle weight is just about right for this type of gun. It’s still light enough to carry well on those long tracking jobs but is heavy enough to keep the recoil manageable. The biggest advantage of that in a dangerous game rifle is to be able to control the rifle for fast follow-up shots. With this gun I was now able to fire repeated shots very quickly.
A Bansner-built rifle on an M70 action and topped with a Nitrix scope. It’s chambered in .358 WSM wildcat, which shoots a 225-grain Trophy Bonded bullet. The propellant: 75 grains of RL17 and a Federal 215M primer.
.358 WSM
I was there when Winchester launched the .300 WSM and my first thought was to neck it to 35-caliber. In fact, I ordered a “donor” rifle that day. But due to some uncontrollable issues the project stalled for a couple of years and by the time I got my rifle somebody else had already done the cartridge and called it the .358 Sambar.
My rifle is based on a Winchester Model 70 short action rifle. Mark Bansner built the gun as he has several other custom rifles in the past, including both of my UMT wildcats.
The brass is easy to make by simply running .300 Winchester Short Magnum cases into a RCBS die with a tapered expander. I have tested several powders, but of those I tried, Aliant RL 17 is by far the best. It was developed for the short magnums and has certainly lived up to that in this cartridge. It gives me over 100 fps more velocity with a 225-grain bullet than any of the other powders I have tried to date.
The .358 WSM.
With a 225-grain bullet this cartridge easily produces 2,950 fps on my chronograph. That’s the same “advertised” velocity of a 180-grain bullet from a .300 Winchester Magnum. The 225-grain loads produce 4,400 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy, which is almost 1,000 more than the .300 Winchester.
I have used Trophy Bonded 225-grain bullets to shoot elk, whitetail, and even antelope. The first was a bull elk at 250 yards. The bullet broke both shoulders and exited. You can’t ask for more than that.
The Barnes 225 TSX shoots close to one-half MOA in my gun and is deadly on any game I have shot. The last one was a big whitetail buck that was facing away from me at 15 yards. I caught the last rib and the bullet exited out his neck. To say the results were spectacular would be an understatement.
The 200-grain Barnes Tipped Triple Shock X bullets have a muzzle velocity of 3,100 fps and average .73-inch groups from my rifle at 100 yards. With a 250-yard zero this load is 2.55 inches high at 100 yards and 3.67 inches low at 300 yards.
The author took this whitetail with a Bansner Custom Model 70 in .358 WSM.
This cartridge is not fussy and is very easy to handload. Recoil is very manageable. It’s an extremely versatile cartridge that is good for hunting any big game in North America. It’s not out of place for deer, and I would not hesitate to use it to hunt brown bear. It’s also a good choice for African plains game, including the huge, tough-to-kill eland.
I don’t kid myself that my wildcats will ever achieve commercial success like the .22-250 or 7mm Remington Mangum and that’s OK. I like that they are a bit oddball. While their level of performance is outstanding, the huddled masses will never recognize that. But a gun guy will see the truth and that’s what matters most to a wildcatter.
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From pistols to rifles, it's all about positioning and working to get a grip on this week's episode of Modern Shooter.
Get a grip! It’s not just good advice for those who have a tendency to lose their cool, but it also provides the perfect foundation of effective defensive pistol craft. When the chips are down, a solid and proper grip initiates an entire sequence of movements that, in the end, can ultimately wind up saving your life or those of your loved ones.
Phil Massaro delves into the minutia of grip, presentation, efficient kinetics, body position and much more on a recent trip to Double Eagle Tactical Training in this week’s Modern Shooter. The defensive shooting school, located in New York’s Catskill Mountains, specializes in rigorous, true-to-life situational training. Essentially, the concern hones armed citizens’ decision-making skills to a razor's edge. But as the above clip shows, they also ground students in the fundamentals of combat handgunnery, ensuring that when the decision to use righteous deadly force is made, it is fully executed without flaw.
Finding time to maintain shooting fundamentals can be a challenge, but the Blowback Laser Trainer provides a realistic solution.
Basics about the Blowback Laser Trainer:
Laser trainers have evolved a lot recently and can help with basic marksmanship.
The Blowback Trainer has a similar weight and feel to a Glock 19.
The trigger functions much like a two-stage trigger, with a long take up and clean break.
The mag drops out and houses a CO2 cartridge, which is used to simulate recoil.
The Blowback Trainer comes with a laser-sensitive target.
While no replacement for range time, it serves as a good way to fill training gaps.
I was at my desk on a random Tuesday afternoon in mid-January when it hit me: I hadn’t been to the range for nearly 3 weeks. Granted, that’s not long for some and a very long time for others — and I’ve certainly had longer stints between pulling some triggers at the range — but it bothered me more than usual this time.
I was in the middle of editing an article about being fully prepared (it’s actually printed in this issue beginning on page 36) as a gun enthusiast who carries concealed. Although it’s near impossible to discuss the concept of “being prepared” or having a defensive strategy without talking about trigger time, the article focuses just as heavily on the other equally important facets of preparation — physical, mental and legal.
On that particular afternoon, that article got me thinking just how difficult it can be to train properly. Really think about that for a moment. If you’re training for a marathon (not that I’d ever recommend that), putting a treadmill in the basement or simply lacing up and hitting the road out front of the house is easily attained. Getting into woodworking? Put a lathe and a table saw in the garage and you can make dust to your heart’s content.
See where I’m going with this? Having chosen a lifestyle dedicated to firearms proficiency, it’s not always easy to practice — in any facet. Unless your backyard is measured in acres instead of feet, the neighbors can get a little jumpy at the sound of gunfire. And for most of us, the ol’ ball and chain would frown at the installation of an indoor range in the basement where the treadmill used to be.
Another editor on the Gun Digest staff and I were participating in some water-cooler-style whining about these and other range withdrawals, and he asked me if I’d spent any time with the Blowback Laser Trainer.
Negative.
The Blowback Solution
Laser-training pistols have evolved dramatically as of recent, and although every product in that category is far from the real thing, you can train and maintain your basic marksmanship principles such as sight alignment and trigger pull quite effectively. And because there’s minimal (if any) muzzle report and no projectiles being launched down range, no down range is needed.
Here’s the problem: You don’t need to be the head cashier at Bass Pro Shops to know that recoil plays a dramatic effect on, well … everything we train around. Yes, you can argue that lack of recoil is exactly why many train with a .22 LR, but that doesn’t solve the range problem. And most laser trainers have no recoil. That’s right — most.
To aid in alleviating range withdrawals, I got my hands on the Blowback Laser Trainer system as recommended. I figured it couldn’t hurt, and it surely had to be less than trying to convince the Mrs. that a basement range was mandatory.
Here’s the skinny:
The Blowback pistol (known formally as the Blowback Laser Trainer) has a similar weight and overall feel to that of a Glock 19, though it’s pretty non-denominational with a metal actuating slide and polymer grip. The muzzle brandishes the bright orange designation of a training gun. The trigger is interesting, in that it functions much like a two-stage trigger with a very long-take-up and then a clean break. It pulls a bit hard, but it is one of the better trigger’s I’ve tickled on a training pistol.
Here’s where things get interesting: The mag drops out and is actually the housing unit for a standard, tubular CO2 cartridge. It’s also home to the battery that powers the laser — but I’ll get to that in a minute.
Upon firing, the Blowback Laser Trainer pistol releases a CO2-powered blowback, cycling the slide like any live-fire semi-auto pistol and simulating felt recoil. Simultaneously, a laser mounted just under the bore is activated, to visually indicate the hit location. It’s pretty damn cool.
The Doorknob Test
For the next few weeks, I snuck around the house (having a home office does have its benefits), assaulting every doorknob and receptacle plate from the basement mechanical room to the upper-level master bedroom closet. I even had time to work in a Labrador hunt or two, though he no-doubt thought I had lost my mind. And, an early delivery by the mailman one morning led to a very random conversation that culminated with me learning that he’s a Sig connoisseur. Who knew?
Confession: I was quite skeptical about the Blowback Laser Trainer system, but then again, I’m skeptical about absolutely everything. But the Blowback surprised me.
Although the recoil isn’t overly significant — I’d put it on parallel with a light 9mm target round — it makes a marked difference in how I trained with that laser pistol versus other stagnant laser pistols without any sort of recoil or report. Upon firing, you receive the audible burst of the CO2 dispersion in addition to the metal racking of the slide functioning during blowback, which brings the entire system that much closer to realism.
The sights are wide and prominent for quick target acquisition, though a little nail polish — my wife’s nail polish; I don’t own any — would go a long way on both the front post and the rear U-notch. It’s a simple home fix, but I would like to see that from the manufacturer.
On average, I was getting 47 trigger pulls from a single CO2 cartridge, which is very reasonable given the amount of inertia it takes to drive the slide. Remember: It’s for the weight and feel of a “real” gun overall, including the slide. CO2 canisters are not hard to come by, and Blowback sells a 20-count box of them on their website for $20.
The CO2 canisters seat easily into the magazine through the bottom, and they’re installed/removed via a large Allen bolt. The process is a bit slow and I would love to see a Gen2 with a “fast change” option for swapping the CO2 canisters, but this certainly doesn’t detract a bit from the overall effectiveness of the Blowback Laser Trainer system.
Blowback also makes a Laser Trainer Target, which features two target faces that light up and report a “ping” sound when hit, and it features a timed and a standard score mode. It’s a great addition to the Blowback pistol, and it sees daily action on the shelf across the room from my desk … namely whenever I have writer’s block. Still, I prefer slinking around the house and preying on unsuspecting inanimate objects, but that’s just the hunter in me.
Can the Blowback Laser Trainer replace range or simulation time with live ammo? Hell no. And it’s not designed for that. However, it does fill in the gaps between trips to the range rather nicely.
Blowback Laser Trainer Pistol Specs Height: 5.5 inches Width: 1.18 inches Length: 8 inches Weight: 28.5 ounces Cost: $450 Laser Trainer / $665 Laser Training System with Target
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2018 Concealed Carry issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Understanding the difference between a $25 and a $300 EDC knife.
Top 10 things to consider when buying an EDC knife:
Overall material quality
Top-quality blade steel
Maker/manufacturer and customer service
Application
Price point
Type of lock mechanism
Design for use
Ergonomics
Size and weight
Ease of carry
Gun and knife enthusiasts know it to be true: A person can have a personal connection to an inanimate object, one that cuts or shoots, and particularly if it’s carried every day.
The Brad Southard “Downing” LinerLock folder, showcases marbled carbon fiber handle scales, titanium liners, a 2.125-inch blade and a pocket clip.
Getting ready for work in the morning, you grab your wallet, keys, phone and everyday carry (EDC) piece. Gun guys can tell a high-quality carry piece from trash and what works best for them, what they feel comfortable shooting, how it feels in their hands, which model, caliber and configuration suits their purposes, as well as what they’re most comfortable carrying.
Maybe that’s the key — what is comfortable, what feels right, like a good pair of jeans, a favorite T-shirt or a jacket that hangs just right. And all those things are personal items, familiar and comfortable. They are worn because they fit.
It might not always seem so obvious with knives, and price ranges for knives vary considerably. So how do you get the best everyday carry knife for your money? Will a $25 knife from a big box store suffice? Is there such a thing as a high-quality $25 knife, or does it become necessary to spend $100, $500 or $1,000 for a blade?
I guess you’d have to ask a knife guy — and you’re in luck. There happens to be as many knife enthusiasts as there are tactical knives, fixed-blade hunters and assisted opening folders with thumb studs, pocket clips and locking liners. There are also experts in the field, those willing to assist with choosing the right everyday carry folder or fixed blade for you.
Choosing The Blade For You
“Directing a customer to an EDC knife is somewhat like pointing them toward an everyday car,” says Mike Dye of New Graham Knives in Bluefield, Virginia. “Some think a base economy model suits them well, whereas others want a high-end luxury model. “Obviously, a good mid- or high-end blade steel is paramount,” Dye continued. “And the feel of the knife in the hand — it must fit the user. Different handle materials can make a world of difference in the feel of the knife. Micarta, G-10, smooth or worked titanium, stainless-steel, bone and stag — these choices are of a personal nature.”
Though Dye says everyone likes something different, there are keys to finding the right everyday carry knife. One tip, he notes, is to choose a knife that’s neither too small for the tasks it might encounter on an average day, nor one that’s too large to carry daily.
Matt Salazar, store manager for House of Blades, agrees, and he even has a suggestion as to blade length, saying a 3- to 3.75-inch blade is ideal for an EDC knife. He mentions modern blade steels, such as CPM S35VN or M390, as those that are more than adequate for everyday cutting tasks.
Kershaw makes great knives in every price point. The entire lengths of the flipper folders are ergonomic and flowing, including the blue-anodized handles.
“Stick with a good, high-quality brand that has a track record of great customer service,” Salazar recommends. “G-10 and aluminum are great options as far as handle material goes, although titanium and carbon fiber are widely available if you want something a little more high-end.”
High End Or Affordable?
Dye says a $25 knife might be the perfect choice for a farmer, miner or auto mechanic who uses the knife for any task that comes up. “If broken or lost,” he states, “it’s easier to repurchase a $25 knife than it is a more expensive piece. For others who are less likely to overwork or ask a knife to do chores it’s not designed to do, a higher-end model with ‘prestige’ might be in order.”
“As for a high-quality $25 knife … ,” Dye continued, “yeah, they’re out there. Over 40 years ago, when I started selling pocket knives, the China-Made knives were a joke. That’s not the case today. Some factories in China are producing amazingly high-quality knives at popular prices.”
Dye says such companies as Kershaw and Spyderco (specifically in its Byrd line) market knives manufactured in China with great success. “Ontario and ESEE have great EDCs at a reasonable price,” he notes, “and they offer support for warranty issues.” When tasked with helping someone find the right EDC knife, Salazar always poses the question, “How long do you want the knife to last?”
“In my opinion,” Salazar said, “you’re going to be really hard-pressed to find a high-quality knife for $25. I will say that Kershaw makes great knives in every price point, but I’d also say that $75-$100 would get you an excellent EDC knife that should last you many years with proper use. You can certainly spend more if your budget will allow.”
Many steels in lower-end knives will not retain a sharpened edge for as long as high-quality blade steels, which means more frequent sharpening and a shorter life expectancy for a knife.
“Steel quality, in general, would be the biggest drop-off in opting for a lower-end knife,” Salazar explained. “Inferior edge retention is likely the most significant downfall when purchasing a budget knife. After all, it’s a cutting tool.”
The Zero Tolerance Sinkevich Frame Lock Flipper boasts a carbon fiber front handle scale with a titanium rear scale and a 3.25-inch CPM S35-VN blade that opens smoothly on a KVT ball-bearing system. The knife weighs 2.7 ounces.
High-dollar production knives, such as those available from Chris Reeve Knives, Hinderer Knives and Zero Tolerance, exhibit high-quality craftsmanship, better steel options and stricter quality control. “Look for solid lockup if it’s a locking folder, smooth action and overall quality construction,” Salazar recommended.
“Generally, when the customer has tired of the off-brands and low-end offerings at the big box stores, they come to me asking for a high-quality knife,” Dye added. “That said, most of our walk-in folks have a ceiling of around $50-$100, and there are dozens of excellent choices in that range.”
Tangible advantages to higher-end knives include titanium versus pot-metal knife frames, and handle materials such as Micarta, carbon fiber and natural bone versus molded and crude plastic grips.
“Fit and finish on higher-end knives are rightly expected to be superior,” Dye stated. “A customer will have a good experience with a knife that sharpens easily, cuts well and retains an edge. With high-end EDCs, you start to get into higher-quality frame materials, better steels with superior heat treating, and locking mechanisms that hold greater tolerances.”
“If possible, handle the knife before purchasing it,” he suggested. “Look for lack of blade play on folders, both horizontally and vertically, and examine lockup. Look at fit and finish. Well-made knives at any price will show well in those areas.”
This Enrique Pena handmade “Zulu” frame-lock folder sports a 3-inch blade (an ideal size for an EDC knife) and jigged titanium handle scales.
In conclusion, Dye said, “I tend to steer customers away from fancy opening mechanisms, unorthodox locking mechanisms and knives that have obvious marketing gimmicks associated with them.”
Evaluating Knife Properties
Stainless-steel, as opposed to high-carbon blade steel, is a consideration for Julie Maguire and Ryan Thompson of Arizona Custom Knives.
“In order to be an EDC candidate, a knife should have a high-quality stainless blade,” Maguire said. There are more stainless-steels to choose from today than ever before. Do your research and choose the one that fits your cutting needs,” “Finding a knife with durable handle materials is also important,” Thompson added. “Titanium, G-10, Micarta and carbon fiber are all great options that hold up well in various conditions.”
Weight of the knife should also be a consideration in an EDC knife, according to Thompson and Maguire. “If a piece is too heavy, you will be constantly reminded of it as you go through your daily activities,” Thompson said. “A great EDC knife is one you forget about until you need it!”
“And the same applies for size,” he adds. “Try to choose a knife that’s just large enough to handle the cutting needs you’ll encounter in a normal day. Carrying a knife that’s larger than needed can become cumbersome and frustrating.”
When asked for the No. 1 thing to consider when deciding between a $25 and $300 knife, Thompson answered, “Quality, plain and simple — if you’re choosing to spend $300 on an EDC knife, you should expect superior handle materials, blade steel and craftsmanship.”
“A customer would be unrealistic to expect the same level of quality in a $25 knife that one should get in a high-end production or custom knife,” Thompson says. “As an example, certain handle material can cost more than $25 in and of itself.”
The Spyderco Para Military 2 folder has G-10 handle scales and a 3.43-inch CPM S30V blade. It weighs 3.9 ounces and is available from NewGraham.com for $136.47.
Other signs of high-quality knives include excellent workmanship throughout and added features such as an IKBS (Ikoma-Korth Bearing System) on folding knives or custom-made sheaths to accompany high-quality EDC fixed blades, Maguire says.
Some qualities to look for, she adds, are blade centering between handle halves on folders, overall fit and finish, secure lockup on folders, smooth opening/closing action and comfortable overall knife ergonomics. Gimmicks to avoid on an EDC knife include less-practical opening mechanisms and locking devices.
“There are incredibly creative opening, closing and locking mechanisms that unfortunately don’t translate well to an EDC cutting tool,” Maguire explains. “In general, if a knife can’t be opened, closed or drawn from its sheath with one hand, it probably isn’t a great fit for an EDC.”
“Consider how often you hold an item in your hand and realize you need your knife to cut, peel, open or trim that same object,” she proposes.
Buy From A Reliable Source
Where a customer buys an EDC can be just as important as what they buy, Thompson said. He suggests researching a manufacturer’s track record when buying a production knife, or to educate yourself about a maker’s reputation when considering a custom knife.
Jordan Saldana, general manager of American Edge Corp., suggests customers receive a more personal experience when they “shop small.” “At American Edge, we always try to find the best knife for the customer based on what they will be using the knife for, as well as the price range that he or she falls under,” he explains.
Chris Reeve folders are consider quality knives with ergonomic designs, thick frames, solid locks and easy-opening, high-end steel.
“It’s hard to go to Walmart and receive the custom experience of going to a small business that specializes in knives,” Saldana added. “We take the stress of guesswork off customers by customizing the right choice of knife.” Saldana’s ideal EDC knife is lightweight, slim and compact, with a blade length between 2.5 and 3 inches. “You want something that’s capable of handling any task that you would find during your normal daily routine, but it also must be light and small enough where it isn’t burdensome in your pocket all day,” he said.
“You can get a decent knife at $25, but it will probably not last nearly as long as one that is more expensive,” Saldana continued. “I suggest purchasing an EDC knife for between $100 and $300. The quality at that price range should be great, and it will hold up. You’ll see more ultra-premium blade steels and handle materials, tight machining tolerances, and mechanisms and locks will be smoother to operate and solid.”A company with a good reputation stands behind its products and offers hand-fit and hand-assembled knives, Saldana explained.
As far as gimmicks on knives, he said, “A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t look at the knife and figure out how it operates, the mechanism is probably not user friendly.”
One thing is for certain: As knife designs, blade steels, materials and mechanisms improve, the perfect EDC will always be a moving target.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2018 Concealed Carry issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The PepperBall is a non-lethal weapon system designed to incapacitate would-be attackers with a stinging projectile filled with a concentrated powder irritant.
Many of those who take their safety within the home seriously might have a handgun in a nightstand or a shotgun propped nearby for addressing threats. However, for those unfamiliar with or untrained with firearms, or for those not prepared to or unwilling to defend themselves with lethal force, a non-lethal response tool might be the ticket. And a great option that's currently available is the PepperBall non-lethal weapon system.
At the crux of this system are a spherical projectile (typically filled with a concentrated powder irritant designed to incapacitate threats) and a launcher designed to propel it. One of the nice things about this, of course, as opposed to simple pepper spray, is that the risk of accidentally spraying yourself is dramatically reduced, as the ball is launched at decent speed to the target.
During the recent 2018 SHOT Show, Gun Digest Editor Luke Hartle was able to get a hands-on look at the PepperBall system. More specifically, he examines and tries out the “Life Light,” or Flashlauncher, which sends the projectiles downrange at around 300 feet per second — plenty fast to bust the PepperBall open and unleash its payload.
As an added bonus, the launcher, as its name suggests, comes equipped with a 180-lumen flashlight. A light is critical in any home defense scenario, and with this PepperBall launcher, it's built right into the design.
It also incorporates a laser sight to assist the user with aiming. Just as a laser makes sense on a home defense firearm or carry gun, so too does it here.
Although it's the powder irritant that most will be looking at with the PepperBall system, the manufacturer's website also lists a host of other projectile options. These include various types of visible and non-visible marking rounds, a water-filled training round and a glass breaking projectile, among others.
For more information on this innovative non-lethal weapon system, check out the video above or visit the PepperBall website.
Next to your delicates, there’s nothing more personal than a holster. And like underwear, you pick the wrong one and it’s a real pain in the rear.
That’s the short and long of why there are so many dang makes, models, styles, designs and systems to secure your handgun to your person. Not every holster was meant to or will function optimally for every person. It’s a somewhat uncomfortable lesson armed citizens quickly learn; and in the process, it earns them a small legion of just-off Kydex and gunleather that junks up the back of a closet or utility drawer.
DeSantis Gunhide has either simplified this process or complicated it, depending on where you stand, with the introduction of two new holsters. Executed with the company’s eye to detail, the two rigs cover nearly every carry style short of pocket and ankle.
Osprey
Constructed from premium tan saddle leather, the Osprey has a classic holster look, configured for convenience and versatility. With slots that accommodate belts up to 1 ½ inches wide, the holster is designed for both inside- and outside-the-waistband carry. Additionally, when utilized IWB, the Osprey can cant to user preferences and is adjustable without tools. And a single screw gives a user complete control of the holster's tension. The Osprey has a fairly affordable price tag, $69.99, and is compatible with medium and large autoloaders and is available for a number of popular makes and models, including:
Glock 19, 19 GEN 5, 23, 32, 43
SIG P250C, P320C, P938
Ruger LC9
S&W M&P Shield 9/40, M&P Shield M2.0 9/40
Springfield XDS 3.3″
Standard 1911 models 5″ FROM Colt, S&W, SIG Sauer, Ruger, Kimber, Springfield, and others
Kimber Micro 9mm
Infiltrator Air
Strictly an IWB holster, the Infiltrator Air is designed for the utmost comfort when it’s up close and personal. A backboard constructed of breathable synthetic material accomplishes this, molding to the body, while allowing airflow. Additionally, the material has wicking properties, pulling perspiration away from the skin, so the holster doesn’t create a personal swamp even on hot days. DeSantis’ hybrid holster features a precision-molded Kydex retention system, custom fit to specific makes and models. Retention is adjustable by tightening or loosening six screws that marry front to back. The holster attaches to a belt with adjustable C clips; however, J clips are available for the rig. Compared to many hybrids on the market today, the Infiltrator Air is competitively priced at $89.99 and is compatible with a wide spectrum of semi-automatic pistols and revolvers, including:
Glock 17, 17 GEN 5, 19, 19 GEN 5, 22, 23, 26, 27, 36, 42, 43
The means of propelling a projectile is an often-overlooked link in the ballistic chain. Whether you credit the Chinese — who had developed the substance earliest — or the works of Friar Roger Bacon, the use of gunpowder to launch a bullet changed the world forever. Black powder, that mixture of sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal, remained relatively unchanged until the mid-19th century, when nitric acid was put upon cellulose to produce nitrocellulose.
Three of the original IMR powders, released in the 1930s. They gave good accuracy then, as they do now, but the modern developments offer some advantages.
This substance was known as guncotton, and it was capable of producing pressures and velocities much greater than its black powder counterpart, and it took a bit to develop metallurgy that could withstand the pressures generated. Later, in 1887, Mr. Alfred Nobel invented Ballistite, which consisted of a mixture of nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose and created a plasticized substance that was a stabile compound. This substance was something of a precursor to cordite, a British version introduced two years later.
Cordite was the chosen propellant for many of our classic cartridges. One of cordite’s little peculiarities was the fact that it was extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuation, and those cartridges that were developed in England and Continental Europe often saw dramatic pressure increases when brought to Africa and India. The heat of the tropics quickly brought out the flaws of cordite, from extraction troubles to cracked receivers, and this is why some of the huge cases like the .416 Rigby and the .470 Nitro Express came about. They simply needed that case volume to keep the pressures at an acceptable level.
Our modern era of smokeless powders has seen incredible advances in the science of propellants; these new developments have made the older cartridge designs even more effective, and they’re an important part of the excellent accuracy we are all enjoying today. It’s relatively simple: Accuracy is — taking the shooter’s effects out of the equation — a product of consistency, in cartridge, projectile and barrel.
The Silent Partner
We’re all pretty familiar with the quality of modern barrels, and most definitely with the fantastic bullets of the 21st century, but the powders have an equally important role. If you’re not a handloader, you might not have an opportunity to examine or experiment with the variations in powder performance, at least not in a method that is controllable.
IMR4350 has been faulted for its velocity variations as temperatures change, but it sure has served the author well in many different climates, in many different cartridges. Old is not dead, and IMR4350 will remain a staple.
If you handload your ammunition, you’ve more than likely seen how big a part that powder choice plays in the results of your handloaded ammunition. In either case, a deeper investigation is warranted in order to best understand how our ammunition works and how to arrive at the best results for your particular shooting situation.
There are three types of grain structure we need to be concerned with: flake, ball and stick. Flake powders are usually employed in handgun cartridges and shotshells, as they tend to have a fast burn rate that is optimal for both of those applications. Ball powders are good choices for rifle cartridges with a lesser case capacity, especially when using the longer-for-caliber bullets. Stick powder is extruded into thin, spaghetti-like sticks and then cut to a specific length. It’s stick powder that dominates the rifle cartridge market.
We owe much to the DuPont company, founded in America just after the turn of the 19th century, for the development of powders we’ve relied on for the past 80 years. Under the IMR, or Improved Military Rifle, brand, DuPont gave us the classic IMR 3031, IMR 4064 and IMR 4350 — all during the 1930s. These powders gave handloaders and wildcatters a means of expounding on the magnum cartridge idea, developing higher pressures and correlative velocities.
Alliant Reloder 16 gave great results in the author’s .318 Westley Richards, keeping the Standard Deviation on Velocity to single digits.
After the Second World War, Bruce Hodgdon — who learned that the U.S. government had burned huge amounts of surplus powder at the end of WWI — decided that he’d market surplus powder. The Hodgdon Powder Company sold kegs of 4895 — designed for the .30-06 but useful in many cartridges — and began a journey that continues to this day. While those early powder developments are still used by many today, there are many new offerings that have changed the game.
As a handloader, I use many different brands of powder, including Hodgdon, IMR, Winchester, Alliant, Norma and Vihtavuori. Some of the first accurate loads I ever developed are still in use and will more than likely remain so, based on the “if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it” theory, but I also enjoy experimenting with new powders in a constant effort to improve performance.
In the effort to enhance accuracy — something every shooter chases — powder engineers have made every effort to reduce the velocity variations produced by temperature fluctuation. It has been an accepted premise that ammunition would lose 1-2 fps for every Fahrenheit degree of change from the mean temperature of 68 degrees, which might not seem like much, but it’s a definite factor when hunting in extreme temperatures. It also might not dramatically affect trajectory at sane hunting ranges, but it can be a nagging problem for the long-range target shooters.
New-But-Proven Champions
Three of the four IMR Enduron powders, engineered for temperature insensitivity, as well as reducing copper fouling.
Hodgdon has been at the forefront of powder development, in both their Extreme line — which includes VARGET, H4831SC, and H322 — and in the IMR Enduron line (IMR is currently owned by Hodgdon), and both series of powders are designed to virtually negate the effects of temperature fluctuation. I’ve done a bit of work over the years with both of these lines of powders, and they’ve been true to the advertised claims.
When I handload my ammunition for African hunting, I do my best to test the ammo in the hottest conditions I can muster. I leave the cartridges and rifle in the summer sun to get them as warm as possible, and then test for pressure signs. If the area of Africa I’m hunting is cooler, then there are no pressure concerns, perhaps at worst a change of point of impact.
When I was heading to South Africa to hunt the first week of November, I knew things would be warm, but not as warm as I found out it would be. I had loaded a bunch of .300 Winchester Magnum with IMR 4451 — one of the quartet of Enduron powders — and found the accuracy pretty close to maximum. Temperatures during load development peaked at about 80 degrees, but our first full hunting day in South Africa rose to 112 degrees, and that’s hot enough to test the mettle of any powder. I’m happy to report that the Enduron powder functioned perfectly, giggling at the effects of the African blast furnace.
H335, one of Hodgdon’s spherical powders designed to run perfectly in the .223 Remington, saved the day for me when my Dad and I headed to Tanzania. Ol’ Grumpy Pants was bringing a Winchester Model 70 in .458 Winchester Magnum for Cape buffalo and wanted 500-grain bullets at 2,150 fps. I had some of the old A-Square Dead Tough softpoints and Monolithic Solids and went nuts trying to find a powder that would give me velocities anything close to what I wanted. Enter H335, a powder that took up the least amount of room yet delivered the goods in both the accuracy and velocity department. Three-shot groups measured an average of 1.5 MOA, and muzzle velocities ran at 2,120 fps. Mission accomplished.
Ramshot’s TAC saved the day with an older, finicky .300 Savage, bringing it quickly out of retirement.
A key part of accurate ammunition is a consistent muzzle velocity. The serious long-range shooters strive for a standard deviation on velocity in the single digits to ensure the most consistent performance. Hunting ammunition doesn’t necessarily need that same level of consistency, but it sure doesn’t hurt.
Sometimes, experimenting with new or different powders will yield some unexpected results in a rifle that will appear unsatisfactory. My buddy has a family heirloom: a Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage. That rifle, while equally handsome and sentimentally valuable, didn’t like any factory offerings; some groups were as large as 4 inches. Mike had given up on the rifle until I suggested we handload for it. The first attempts were fruitless. I grabbed a canister of Ramshot TAC powder, which has a burn rate perfect for the .300 Savage cartridge, and set to work. The first set of loads gave us 1.5-MOA groups, and after some tweaking, we got that rifle to print sub-MOA.
When my wife was preparing for her first safari, she knew she wanted to use her Legendary Arms Works Big Five rifle in .375 H&H Magnum. She trained with all sorts of ammunition, but we settled on a 235-grain Cutting Edge Raptor for the plains game species she was after. Experimenting with a few powders that I’d used in the three-seven-five before, I wasn’t getting what I wanted for Mama.
Once again, I tried some Norma 200 powder on a whim and was more than pleased with the results. Group size was 0.8 inch at 100 yards, and muzzle velocity was just shy of 2,800 fps. Had I stayed with the powders that work so well with the 300-grain bullets, I might have given up on the bullet and missed out on a great combination.
Pistol cartridges are equally benefitting from powder advancements. The Barnes XPB bullet is a good choice for those who hunt with a handgun, but it will definitely pose some different reloading challenges. They are long for caliber and take up a good amount of room in the case. Classic powders like Unique and Bullseye are still valid, but other choices such as AA No. 9 from Accurate Arms can make a huge difference in performance, especially with the monometals. Likewise, powders like Titegroup, CFE Pistol, IMR Unequal and Alliant’s Sport Pistol all deserve a worthy audition in your favorite handgun cartridges, where applicable.
Time-Proven Propellants
Now, with all these new developments, does that mean the old standbys are sent into obscurity? I don’t believe that’s the case at all.
Norma’s 200 powder gave some unlooked-for accuracy in the .375 H&H Magnum, using lighter bullets.
Good old Reloder 19 — a powder oft cursed for its mood swings correlative to the thermometer — has given me some very accurate results. The same can be said for IMR 4350. Alliant’s Reloder 15 is a neat little secret for so many of the big-bore cartridges I love, giving good velocities with what feels like an appreciable reduction in recoil. IMR 4064 has been with us for over 80 years, yet it still fuels a .308 Winchester, .22-250 Remington and .375 H&H perfectly. That said, if I know for certain that I’m headed into an extreme environment, be it hot or cold, I might take full advantage of one of the less volatile powders and develop an entirely new load.
Battling Variances
What about the variances in powder, from one lot to the next? Does it play a part in the accuracy equation? Absolutely.
I was invited to tour the Norma Precision ammunition plant in Sweden and got to see how the manufacturer’s African PH line of ammunition is put together. This ammunition line has a great reputation — my own Heym .404 will put three 450-grain Woodleigh softpoints from the Norma stuff into ¾-MOA — and I wanted to see what made it tick.
It turns out that the Norma African PH line is handloaded by a very talented man named Victor, and it’s part of that process to check the lot-to-lot variation in powder pressures and velocities. For example, the .470 Nitro Express ammunition needs to be at an even 2,150 fps in order to regulate properly in a double rifle. Each lot of powder is tested in a machine to verify that the tolerances are acceptable, and if not, an adjustment is made to rectify the variance.
Trust But Verify
I know — first hand — that all of the powder companies take every possible step to ensure that their products are the most consistent and repeatable that they produce, yet we handloaders need to be aware of the possible pitfalls, and the same theories explain why some factory ammunition will show variances from case to case. It’s better than it ever was, but still part of the bigger picture.
Should you change your favorite powder/bullet/cartridge combination? Well, that’s a personal decision, but I’m the type of hunter and handloader who likes to hedge his bets, always having a backup plan should we face the drought of 2013-2014. At the very least, you’ll enjoy the time spent with your handgun, shotgun or rifle while experimenting for a minimal investment.
Having good loads already developed for most of my rifles and handguns, I enjoy the sheer experimentation involved with new powders, adding to my library of loads. Either way, I feel that modern powder developments are as important as modern bullets or modern optics — they’ve made our lives as hunters and shooters much easier.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Improved accuracy can be as simple as a few scope adjustments to sharpen your view and relieve eye strain.
Some things to know about focus and your rifle's scope:
Many riflescopes are improperly fitted to the shooter.
A simple adjustment almost always results in improved accuracy.
Ocular focus ensures the reticle is properly focused for your eye.
Properly adjusted, your eye won’t strain trying to focus on the reticle.
Parallax is where objects at different distances appear to change position when your head moves.
Many scopes have parallax adjustment knobs to place reticle and target on the same focal plane.
Most of my students have had one thing wrong with the setup of their rifles when they start a course (this includes military and police snipers, as well as recreational shooters). The improper setup has a direct impact on their ability to shoot as good as they should and, once we change it, there’s almost always an instant improvement.
This means that there’s a good chance you have this problem, too — and it just might be holding you back.
The common issue is not having the riflescope adjusted for the particular shooter. This doesn’t just apply to having the scope mounted in the correct position or the stock’s cheek piece (comb) adjusted to the proper height. The most common error I see is not properly adjusting the scope’s ocular focus to the shooter’s eye.
What Is Ocular Focus?
The ocular focus ensures that the reticle in the scope is properly focused for your eye. It’s typically adjusted by turning the adjustment ring closest to your eye; however, sometimes the entire ocular housing must be turned.
If your eye becomes fatigued, or if you have trouble keeping the reticle in focus while you’re shooting, this is likely a problem on your riflescope.
The best way to adjust the ocular focus is to have a friend help, but it can be accomplished on your own.
1. First, have your friend place a white sheet of paper halfway down the barrel (or, if you don’t have any friends, position your rifle near a light-colored wall a few feet in front of the muzzle).
2. Next, get on the rifle with your eyes closed and only open your shooting eye once you’re in a comfortable position. If you need to adjust your head’s position in order to see clearly through the scope, that’s a good clue that you need to adjust your scope’s mounting position or adjust your cheek rest.
3. Once you can see clearly through the scope, quickly glance (one or two seconds) at the reticle and then close your eye. Then, make a bold adjustment to your ocular focus and re-open your eye for another quick glance. Make a determination on whether the reticle’s image/focus is better or worse than last time. There’s no need to over-think this process or make an overall determination immediately. Better or worse is all we care about right now.
A quick glance is important — if you stare too long, then your eye will play a trick on you and work to focus the reticle’s image.
Keep making bold adjustments to your ocular focus in each direction until you have figured out where the best/crisp image of the reticle is.
4. Now that it’s adjusted properly, you’ll be able to shoot better because you’ll be able to clearly focus on the reticle and not strain. However, the ocular focus is only half of the “focus” battle.
Parallax/Target Focus
Your scope is now focused to your eye, but it’s not focused on the target. There is no perfect focus for the target because it changes with different target distances.
Many (most) hunting scopes don’t have an adjustment for target focus — you’ll still be better off for having adjusted your ocular focus properly. However, most higher-end hunting scopes and tactical-style scopes have a parallax/target focus knob that you should use whenever you shoot at a new distance.
What Is Parallax?
Parallax is the name of the phenomenon that makes objects at different distances appear to change position when you move your head. For an example, place a finger from each hand in front of your face at different distances and line them up with your eye. Now, move your head from side to side and notice how your fingers are no longer lined up. That is the effect of parallax.
In your scope, the target’s image is focused at one location within your scope. If that location is different than where your reticle is located, then you’ll notice parallax when you move your eye side-to-side. The goal is to get the target’s image and the reticle on the same focal plane so that they move together (as if one finger was directly behind the other).
The parallax knob (or target focus knob depending on what your scope’s manufacturer calls it) moves the location of the target’s image in your scope. You can use the distance markings on the parallax knob to get close, but the only way to check it for sure is to adjust the knob until the target’s image is clear.
Some scopes have an adjustable objective. This is not the same as adjustable parallax or target focus. Instead, it means that the objective housing (the lens facing the target) turns to adjust for target focus. It does the same thing as a side-focus knob, but I much prefer the knob on the side because it’s easier to adjust. Don’t specifically hunt for an adjustable objective scope — instead, look for one with an adjustable parallax or target focus (regardless of how that particular scope adjusts for it).
Once you’ve done this, you’ll have no parallax issues (which can make you miss with imperfect head position) and your reticle and target will be clear (without that sensation of having to focus on one or the other).
I’m going to make a bold claim: Properly adjusting these focus settings for your eye and the particular target you’re shooting will make you a better shooter.
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
This is an old-style front sight, properly staked onto a 1911 slide. Done right, this won’t come off short of a hammer.
Iron sights on handguns remain a durable and cost-effective option. Check out these tips to adjust the iron sights on your fixed-sight pistol or revolver.
Sights come in three types; fixed, adjustable and optical. Fixed and adjustable sights are referred to generically as “iron” sights. Despite their name, fixed sights can still be adjusted, though they require filing or welding, and drifting with a hammer and copper punch, to adjust. Adjustable sights can be moved with just a small screwdriver, and you can easily make incremental changes. A lot of shooters wonder why, if the fixed sights are so hard to adjust, they should use them. The answer is this: Fixed sights are cheaper and more durable.
Adjust Iron Sights On A Fixed-Sight Revolver
There are two directions to adjust on a sight: Vertical and horizontal. Do not make vertical (up-down) adjustments until you have the revolver hitting on the centerline horizontally (left-right adjustments).
Adjusting the horizontal is done by turning the barrel fractionally in or out of the frame. When you turn the barrel slightly tighter into the frame, you will move the bullet strike to the right. When you slightly unscrew the barrel, you will be moving the bullet strike to the left.
Before you start, examine the top of the barrel where it joins the frame. You need to record exactly how the two fit together before you make any adjustment. If the barrel is a smooth round cylinder, take a permanent marking pen and draw a straight line from the barrel to frame. With a barrel that has a rib or grooves on the top, make a drawing of just where the rib or lines match up with the frame.
Take the cylinder out of the frame. Clamp the barrel vertically in a padded vise, or in barrel blocks in the vise. Secure a frame wrench firmly around the frame. Depending on which adjustment you need, right or left, use a wrench to tighten or loosen the barrel slightly.
The amount you will adjust the barrel is extremely small. Make your first adjustment so the mark you are using as an index on the barrel/frame alignment is moved no more than .010 inch. Take the revolver to the range and test fire it. Your group will be moved by the adjustment you have made. Use the difference between the unadjusted and adjusted groups to determine how much additional adjustment may be needed, or what fraction of the correction you need to undo.
For example, your bullets had been striking 6 inches to the right, and you loosened the barrel .010 inch. Now the bullets are only 2 inches to the right. A .010-inch adjustment corrected 2/3 of the error (4 of the 6 total inches). To correct the remaining 1/3, or 2 inches, you need to make another adjustment of .005 inch, or half the adjustment you already made. Setting up a simple proportion will help you calculate the adjustment with any set of numbers.
Vertical adjustment can be made only by filing the front sight to raise the bullets’ impact, or welding more steel to the sight to lower the impact.
Except when you change barrels, you will rarely have to adjust the horizontal impact. You may have to “tweak” the new barrel back and forth a couple of times until the sights are dead-on. Filing the front sight for vertical adjustment is common only on single-action Colt or Colt clone revolvers. On these, the barrel is often made with the front sight too tall. You file it to the correct height after adjusting horizontal impact. I have never had to adjust a Smith & Wesson barrel for vertical impact.
Adjust Iron Sights On A Fixed-Sight Semi-Auto Pistol
To make horizontal adjustments on most pistols, you move the rear sight. Use a brass or copper punch and a hammer, or an adjustment fixture. To move the bullet impact to the right, move the rear sight to the right. Move the sight to the left to move the bullet to the left. Many modern pistols will have a front sight that is installed in the slide by means of a dovetail. Just like the rear, the front sight is pressed into the dovetail and left centered on the slide.
If you have a pistol that strikes right or left of your aiming point, look first at the front sight as a check. Measure it. Is it centered? If it is, then you can proceed to make your corrections on the rear. If it is not, plot the front sight offset, and how it affects your problem. If you find that you have a pistol that hits to the right, and curiously enough your front sight is left of center, perhaps the front is more of your problem than the rear? Center the front sight, test-shoot again, and see what happens.
Unlike barrel turning, you can calculate the exact amount you have to move your pistol sight without trekking back and forth to the range. The ratio of the sight radius to the correction needed is the same as the ratio of the distance to the target and correction on the target. This is the same formula in Chapter 3, using a mill to adjust your sights. The sight correction divided by the sight radius equals the target error divided by the target distance.
For vertical adjustment, file the front sight to move the bullet impact up. Install a taller front sight to move the bullet impact down.
Glock makes vertical adjustment very easy by offering their rear sights in a range of heights. If you find that your Glock is off vertically, check the side of your rear sight and find the line or lines cast into the plastic. The lines indicate the height of the sight. When you write to Glock for a replacement, state which model Glock you have, how far off your pistol is at what distance, and what your current sight says on the side. If you plan to own several Glocks, you can order one sight of each height, and then swap them around as needed.
This article is an excerpt from Gunsmithing Pistols & Revolvers 4th Edition.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
