most powder and bullet manufac- turers have their load data online now days, but there is a wealth of information inside a good manual. There you will learn the process and get some insight into the science of making safe and reliable ammuni- tion. My favorite manuals for the beginning loader are from Speer and Sierra. Another helpful book is Propel-
lant Profiles. This book is available from Wolfe Publishing and gives a detailed description and use of 200 different powders from 13 different manufacturers.
Powder
can be a daunting task to the new loader. This book can help you make smart powder choices up front. If you are serious about building
ammunition to hunt with I would also suggest you pick up a copy of the book, Rifle Bullets for the Hunt- er. Several experienced writers like John Barsness, Craig Boddington and John Haviland helped me put this book together. I feel it is the best, single source of information about selecting bullets for hunting. Though out of print, if you dig a little on the Internet you can find a copy. I also think anyone getting start-
ed in crafting ammunition should first watch two videos. The first is from RCBS and is called the Preci- sioneered Handloading DVD. This video covers the purpose and op- eration of all the tools you will use when loading ammunition. The sec- ond video is Advanced Handloading put together by Redding and Sierra. This DVD is narrated by gunwriter and handloading guru John Bars- ness and goes through some of the advanced techniques you can use to make more accurate ammunition. One other thing I would like you
to know is that all of these compa- nies have technical and customer service lines. The technicians you
The primer is an important component of the loaded cartridge. All primers are not created the same. Different primers can influence pressure and accuracy.
will talk to are glad to take their time to listen to your questions and help you work through any prob- lems. Same goes for the customer service
representatives. Without
question, handloading tool and component manufacturers have the best technical and customer service of any branch of retail sales I have ever experienced.
Lock And Load In the end, the decision of wheth-
er or not you should load your own ammo is not entirely a financial one. On a cold winter day when you can’t shoot or late in the evening when the kids are playing Xbox and your wife is reading her Cosmo, you can slip away in the basement or to your loading room and piddle. Noth- ing wrong with piddling; especially when your piddling means more or better shooting. Loading your own ammunition
is fun, educational and if you do it enough you can save money. If you stock up on primers, powder and bullets, you’ll also be ready the next time the political atmo- sphere renders ammunition hard to find. Next to the last episode of FX’s new Justified series, the last beer in the cooler or the last piece of pizza, few things are worse than a gun with no ammo. *
www.dillonprecision.com (800) 762-3845
FOR MORE INFO: DILLON PRECISION
www.rcbs.com RCBS
www.hornady.com (800) 338-3220
(800) 533-5000 HORNADY
www.redding-reloading.com (607) 753-3331
REDDING RELOADING
www.sierrabullets.com (800) 223-8799
SIERRA BULLETS
www.speer-bullets.com (866) 286-7436
SPEER BULLETS
RIFLE BULLETS FOR THE HUNTER
www.ramworks.net
(304) 877-2698
You might be surprised at how much you will enjoy loading and the quality of am- munition you can load on your own.
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM
A computer ballistics program can help handloaders compare the external ballistics of their handloads. Many, like the Infinity program from Sierra, also include a wide array of factory ammu- nition in their database.
PROPELLANT PROFILES
www.riflemagazine.com
(800) 899-7810 55
selection
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164