BULLETS: Reloading’s Unsung Heroes! - Rifle Magazine 241 Partial (LO) 2.pdf · and 124-grain cast...

22
$4.99 U.S./$5.99 Canada June 2006 No. 241 Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER Printed in USA Smith & Wesson Handloading Section! .44 S&W Special .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Handloading Section! .44 S&W Special .44 Magnum BULLETS: Reloading’s Unsung Heroes! .243 Winchester: The Last 6mm .243 Winchester: The Last 6mm Play by the Rules: Ballistics Math Play by the Rules: Ballistics Math NEW! Vihtavuori’s N320 NEW! Vihtavuori’s N320

Transcript of BULLETS: Reloading’s Unsung Heroes! - Rifle Magazine 241 Partial (LO) 2.pdf · and 124-grain cast...

Page 1: BULLETS: Reloading’s Unsung Heroes! - Rifle Magazine 241 Partial (LO) 2.pdf · and 124-grain cast bullets. Both ... special propellants. The N300 se-ries powders are N310, ... is

$4.99 U.S./$5.99 Canada

June 2006 No. 241Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER

Printed in USA0 74808 01240 4

0 6

$4.99US $5.99CAN

Smith & WessonHandloadingSection!• .44 S&W Special• .44 Magnum

Smith & WessonHandloadingSection!• .44 S&W Special• .44 Magnum

BULLETS: Reloading’s Unsung Heroes!

.243Winchester:The Last 6mm

.243Winchester:The Last 6mm

Play by the Rules:Ballistics MathPlay by the Rules:Ballistics Math

NEW!Vihtavuori’s

N320

NEW!Vihtavuori’s

N320

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4 Handloader 241

AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL

RIFLE'S June-July 2006Volume 41, Number 3

ISSN 0017-7393Issue No. 241

6 SkepticismReloader’s Press -Dave Scovill

12 The .45-60 WCFMike’s Shootin’ Shack -Mike Venturino

14 .44 HenryCartridge Board -Gil Sengel

20 UnderstandingReloading ManualsFrom the Hip -Brian Pearce

22 Vihtavuori N320Propellant Profiles -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

26 Handloading theSmith & WessonModel 2950 Years with the.44 MagnumBrian Pearce

Page 26. . .

Page 66. . .

Page 44. . .

Page 12. . .

36 .243 WinchesterThe last of the 6mm’s.John Haviland

44 The RulesDo the MathJohn Barsness

54 WebsiteShowcaseSpecial AdvertisingSection -

56 Bullets – UnsungHeroesSpomer’s Field NotesRon Spomer

66 S&W HandEjector.44 SpecialLegendaryAccuracy orTrumped-upMyth?Mike Venturino

76 Redding UniversalDecapping DiesProduct Tests -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

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5June-July 2006

On the cover . . .Clockwise from top right, a Model29 with 5-inch barrel, HandEjector 4th Model Target, Model21-4 Thunder Ranch and Model29 with 8.75-inch barrel. Pistolphotos by Gerald Hudson.

80 Gun Degest2006Book Reviews -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

84 A Differenceof OpinionBullets & Brass -

90 What’s Newin the MarketplaceInside ProductNews -Clair Rees

98 The Test TubeHunting Handloads -John Barsness

Publisher of Handloader™ is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of publishedloading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout written permission from the publisher. Publisher assumes all North American Rights upon acceptance andpayment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility forlost or mutilated manuscripts.

Background Photo: © 2006 L. Voorhis/Royal Tine Images

Page 80. . .

Page 56Page 44Page 26

Issue No. 241 June-July 2006

AMMUNAMMUNITITIONON REL RELOADING NG JOJOURURNALAL

Publisher/President – Mark Harris

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Editor in Chief – Dave Scovill

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Handloader® (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bi-monthly by Mark Harris Publishing Associates, Inc.,dba Wolfe Publishing Company (Mark Harris, Presi-dent), 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona86301. (Also publisher of Rifle® magazine.) Telephone(928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Prescott,Arizona, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptionprices: U.S. possessions – single issue, $4.99; 6 issues,$19.97; 12 issues, $36.00; 18 issues, $48.00. Foreignand Canada – single issue, $5.99; 6 issues $26.00; 12 is-sues, $48.00; 18 issues, $69.00. Please allow 6-8 weeksfor first issue. Advertising rates furnished on request.All rights reserved.

Change of address: Please give six weeks notice.Send both the old and new address, plus mailing labelif possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader® Maga-zine, 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hand-loader®, 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona86301.

Wolfe PublishingCompany

2625 Stearman Rd.Suite A

Prescott, AZ 86301Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124Copyright © Mark Harris Publishing Associates, Inc.

John Barsness

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Ken Waters

Page 76. . .

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Handloader 24122 www.handloadermagazine.com

VIHTAVUORI N320VIHTAVUORI N320P

RO

PELLA

NT P

RO

FIL

ES

PR

OP

ELLA

NT P

RO

FIL

ES R . H . Va n D e n b u r g , J r.

This means that N320 is a fairlyfluffy powder, occupying a satis-fying amount of case space evenin small quantities, with a veryhigh energy level. Its burning rateis 270 based on Vihtavuori’s as-signment of 100 to its N110 pow-der. In addition to its load datafor various cartridges at normalpressures, Vihtavuori lists N320loads for cartridges popular incowboy action shooting at lowervelocities and pressures. N320 isalso suitable for use in 12-gaugeshotshells in 24 to 32 gram –7⁄8- to 11⁄8-ounce – loads.

When I reviewed N310, I com-mented that I frequently had dif-ficulty reaching Vihtavuori’sprojected velocity levels even atits published maximum powdercharges. I was using the hard-cover Vihtavuori Reloading

Manual, 3rd Edition as mysource. Subsequently I’ve cometo realize the later Vihtavuori

Reloading Guide for Centerfire

Cartridges dated January 2004has several revised loads forN300 series powders that reflectdifferent charge weights. This re-vised load data is what I referredto in this review. A newer manualis expected some time this year.

Beginning with the smallest car-tridge for which N320 load datais available, the 9mm Luger, it’sobvious slower powders producehigher velocities, but N320 has itsplace. I particularly liked it withthe 115-grain Hornady HP-XTPand 124-grain cast bullets. Bothstarting and maximum powdercharges are down from the previ-ous reloading manual data, as areexpected velocities. Still, thepowder performed well.

In the .38 Special, I limited mytesting to a 140-grain jacketedbullet from Speer. Again, I could

before being shipped to theCzech facilities for blending andsale. Suffice it to say, it’s a verysmall world.

This issue’s subject is N320, afast-burning powder on the orderof Alliant’s Red Dot, W-231 orHodgdon’s HP-38. Vihtavuoripublishes load data for cartridgesfrom the 9mm Luger to the .45Colt. As with other Vihtavuorihandgun powders, N320 is asingle-base, extruded powder.Although similar, its specificcharacteristics differ from thefaster-burning N310. N320’s nomi-nal dimensions are a length of1.0mm (.039 inch) and a diameterof .8mm (.031 inch). The pow-der’s energy content is 4,200 J/g,and its bulk density is 560 g/l.

We began our look at Vih-

tavuori handgun powdersin the last issue. This group ofpowders consists of five mem-bers of the N300 series and threespecial propellants. The N300 se-ries powders are N310, N320,N330, N340 and N350, fromfastest to slowest. The specialpropellants are 3N37, 3N38 andN105. N110, considered a riflepowder, is also quite useful inmany handgun cartridges.

Vihtavuori powders are manu-factured in Finland and havebeen around since 1926. A readerfrom Marseille, France, wrote inrecently reminding me that Ihaven’t updated our readers onthe latest changes in the Euro-pean powder scene. I had writtenof the somewhat convolutedownership history of Vihtavuoriin reviewing its rifle powders.

However, briefly, the Vihtavuoricommercial powder effort hasbeen separated from the defenseand explosives line and, a fewyears ago, merged with a sistercompany, Lapua, makers of am-munition and components. Thisnew entity joined with theSwedish powder manufacturerBofors and, more recently, withthe French powder companySNPE (Societe Nationale desPoudres et Explosifs). The resultis the world’s largest powder pro-ducer. As many readers know,Bofors is the manufacturer ofNorma powders and our own Al-liant Reloder series. SNPE makesthe Vectan line of powders and,through its Belgian facilities,some of the Western PowderRamshot line. Indeed, I’m in-formed, some of the Czech Re-public powders imported by theAccurate Powder Company (nowpart of Western Powders) actu-ally originated at SNPE in France

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“faster” powder but finds fre-quent use in one-ounce, 16-gaugeloads, 7⁄8-ounce loads in the 20gauge and even the standard 3⁄4-ounce loads in the 28 gauge.

Green Dot is also interesting tothose of us who are intrigued by

such things as it is now in itsthird iteration. First intro-

duced in 1965 by Hercules(now Alliant) as a con-tinuation of the “Dot”series, Green Dot was,and is, slightly slowerburning than the com-pany’s famed Red Dot.It was “improved” in1971 and frequently re-ferred to as “ImprovedGreen Dot.” Its burn-ing rate also changed,apparently, becomingsomewhat faster burn-ing and closing the gapbetween itself and RedDot. The powder wasimproved again in thelate 1990s after the pur-chase of the Herculessmokeless powder divi-

sion by Alliant Techsystemsand the move of the manufactur-ing facilities to the governmentarsenal at Radford, Virginia.Made cleaner this time, the burn-ing rate changed little, if at all. Itis still a double-base, flake pow-der with a nitroglycerin contentof about 20 percent. Physical di-mensions remain at a diameter of

about .065 inch and a thicknessof about .005 inch. As with othermembers of the “Dot” series, afew flakes are dyed green, ofcourse. The rest are dark gray.

The use of Green Dot in metal-lic reloading is less well publi-cized despite a proliferation ofpublished data. It’s a shame, re-ally, as the powder produces fineresults in a variety of cartridges.

Did you know, for example, thatof all Alliant’s powders, the oneto provide the highest velocity inthe .25 ACP is Green Dot? Actu-ally, that is probably the only car-tridge for which Green Dot earnstop honors. Usually it simply pro-vides average to good velocitieswith a wide range of bulletweights and cartridges alongwith very good accuracy.

Not bad for most of our shoot-ing and worth remembering bythose who load for both shotgunsand handguns and would like tominimize their powder inventoryor, perhaps, take advantage ofthe cost savings of that 8-poundkeg. Green Dot is available inone-, 4- and 8-pound canisters.

When most of us think ofGreen Dot powder, we as-

sociate it solely with shotshells.Rightly so, perhaps, as the pow-der has developed an enviablereputation, especially as a 12-gauge target powder. Green Dotis especially known for its per-formance in handicap orother long-range shooting,as the powder has ademonstrable record ofkeeping much of itsshot near the center ofthe pattern, spreadingout more slowly thanwith faster powders.Many trap shootersload Red Dot, or some-thing similar, for their16-yard and doublesshooting and GreenDot for their handicaploads with completesatisfaction.

In the smaller gauges,Green Dot becomes a

Handloader 241

not match published velocities,but I was using a much shorterbarrel (45⁄8 versus 61⁄2 inches). Still,5.0 grains pushed bullets toabout 900 fps, and the maximumcharge of 5.3 grains clocked960 fps.

With the .357 Magnum – samegun – I tested only the 158-grainSpeer. Vihtavuori raised the pow-der charge maximum from 6.3 to6.7 grains in the latest reloadingguide. This time I got very close

24 www.handloadermagazine.com

ALLIANT’S GREEN DOTALLIANT’S GREEN DOT

to the published figures despitethe shorter barrel and considerthis 6.7-grain load to be maxi-mum for my revolver. Definitely,begin with the start load andwork up carefully. Also, note thatVihtavuori chose Small Rifleprimers for its .357 Magnum loaddevelopment. I got satisfactoryresults with them and with SmallPistol Magnum primers.

While N320 had performed sat-isfactorily up to this point, per-

formance improved as we gotin to the larger bores. It wasmost evident in smaller extremespreads and in accuracy, but inthe latter case, it might simply beI was using more accurate guns.At any rate in the .44 Special, Iused a 240-grain cast bullet anddata from the cowboy actionsection. A charge of 5.8 grainsrecorded 870 fps – clearly abovemost cowboy loads – and gaveoutstanding performance.

Selected Loads ofAlliant’s Green Dot

bullet charge velocity comments(grains) (grains) (fps)

.25 ACP 50 1.4 7929mm Luger 115 4.7 1,133.38 Special 148 3.0 810 cast.41 Magnum 210 8.5 1,121 cast.44 Special 240 5.0 792 cast.45 Colt 250 7.0 869 cast

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June-July 2006 25www.handloadermagazine.com

Selected Loadsof Vihtavuori N320

bullet charge velocity(grains) (grains) (fps)

9mm Luger 115 4.5 1,152124 4.1 1,103

.38 Special 140 5.3 960

.357 Magnum 158 6.7 1,126

.44 Special 240 5.8 870

.44 Magnum 240 9.7 1,201

.45 Colt 250 6.8 780

.45 ACP 200 5.0 827Notes: The 9mm 124-grain, .44 Special 240-grain, .45 Colt 250-grain and .45 ACP 200-grain bullets are cast. The rest are jacketed.

In the .44 Magnum, I chose a240-grain jacketed bullet fromNosler. A 9.7-grain charge ofN320 averaged 1,201 fps from a71⁄2-inch barreled Ruger SuperBlackhawk. This was actuallyhigher than projected, but mybarrel was slightly longer. It is, byany measure, a very good load.

For the .45 Colt, I again chosethe cowboy action data with a250-grain cast bullet. A charge of6.8 grains produced a cowboy ac-tion-like 780 fps. There is plentyof room for increasing velocityhere as the jacketed bullet maxi-mum for this weight is a fullgrain higher. N320 is a goodmatch in the .45 Colt. None of theloads exceed the standard 14,000psi pressure level.

My last effort was with the .45ACP. A 5-inch Government Modelgave excellent performance with5.0 grains of N320 pushing a 200-grain cast bullet to 827 fps. Thisis a target load, of course, andaccuracy was very good.

As with all fast-burning hand-gun powders, we sacrifice somevelocity and terminal energy tothe slower propellants, but wegain in efficiency, lower recoiland reduced reloading costs.More often than not, it’s a worth-while tradeoff. N320 and all Vih-tavuori handgun powders areavailable in one- and 4-poundcanisters. The latest reloadingguide is available from Kaltron-Pettibone, 1241 Ellis Street,Bensenville IL 60106. •

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26 Handloader 241

Big-bore handgun advocates rejoiced at a factoryround that was capable of hunting large game yetoffered unusual versatility. Now 50 years later, the.44 is still a popular choice among handgun huntersand outdoorsmen and is used for a variety of ap-plications ranging from competition to personaldefense. Few revolver cartridges do so many thingsso well.

In 1928, while living more or less on LookoutMountain near the frontier town of Durkee, Oregon,Elmer Keith began developing heavy loads for .44Special revolvers including the Colt Single ActionArmy and Smith & Wesson New Century (aka triplelock). He worked with Belding & Mull and LymanGunsight Company designing new (cast) bulletsthat would perform on game and improve accuracy.After much trial and error, he designed Lymanmould 429421, which dropped bullets at 250 grains.(For additional information and specific features ofthis bullet, refer to “Real Keith Sixgun Bullets” inHandloader No. 218, August 2002.) Keith was satis-fied with this design as it cut full-caliber holes ingame and offered long-range accuracy as far out asa half-mile.

Using smokeless powders of the era, Keith wasable to drive 250-grain bullets 1,100 fps, but a few

www.handloadermagazine.com

Handloading theHandloading theSmith& Wesson

Model 29Smith& Wesson

Model 2950 Years with the .44 Magnum50 Years with the .44 Magnum

OBrian Pearce

On December 29, 1955,Smith & Wesson shippedthe first revolver cham-bered in .44 Magnum to

an employee of the RemingtonArms plant. (The development ofthe cartridge had been a joint effortbetween these two companies dur-ing the previous two years.) In Jan-uary 1956, the second revolver wasshipped to Major General JulianHatcher of the NRA Technical Divi-sion, and on January 27 the thirdgun was sent to Elmer Keith, theone person probably most responsi-ble for convincing Smith & Wessonand Remington to join together andlegitimize the round.

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years later Hercules 2400 powderbecame available, and velocitieswere increased to 1,200 fps. Be-ing a gun writer, Keith authoredarticles in a variety of magazinesand books promoting the virtuesof his heavy .44 Special hand-loads for long-range accuracyand on game. In Keith’s classicbook Sixguns by Keith (origi-nally published in 1955 prior tothe .44 Magnum and currentlyavailable through Wolfe Publish-ing), on page 44, he recites howhe encouraged ammunition com-panies to bring out his heavy.44 Special loads. Knowing theywere afraid of the steels used inearly revolvers, as an alternativehe suggested they lengthen thebrass .10 inch and bring out a .44Magnum.

Another significant event thathelped bring about the .44 Mag-num occurred in 1953. Elmerspent a week at Smith & Wessonand another week at RemingtonArms with company presidentsand engineers, encouraging themto work together and bring out amodern .44 gun and load. He hadbeen advocating the above for 30years and doubted it would actu-ally happen. But as a direct resultof Keith’s visits, the two compa-nies began working on the proj-ect almost immediately.

Elmer was not the only oneclamoring for an updated .44, asseveral other noted gun writers

double- and single-actionpull.

The original Remingtonfactory load contained a240-grain gas checkswaged lead bullet ofsemiwadcutter (SWC) de-sign. Advertised velocitieswere 1,570 fps from a 6-inch bar-rel, but real world velocities fromproduction revolvers usually ranaround 1,450 fps. The gas checkprevented leading in most guns,but there were occasional re-

had jumped on thebandwagon givingpraise to heavy loadsin the .44 Special. Therewas even a group knownas the “The .44 Associates” whoshared load data, hunting storiesand .357 Magnum jokes, all ofwhich prepared the way for themagnum round. Nonetheless,Keith was ultimately the influenc-ing force but was surprised whena phone call came from Smith &Wesson in January 1956 lettinghim know that a new .44 Mag-num revolver was on its way.

The gun was based on the N-Frame Model 1950 Target .44Special but with a special heat-treating process, a longer cylin-der and a heavy target-stylebarrel. Sights were adjustablewith red-insert ramp front. Tar-get-style checkered walnutstocks and target triggerand hammer were stan-dard. The guns wereoriginally fitted with61⁄2-inch barrels, with4- and 83⁄8-inch ver-sions soon being of-fered. These earlyrevolvers were beau-tiful examples withhigh-polish blue, ex-cellent fit and finishand a velvet smooth

June-July 2006 27www.handloadermagazine.com

Elmer was not the onlyone clamoring for an updated .44.

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Handloader 241

Model 29. The late Ralph Grahamregularly hunted rabbits withKeith in the Pahsimeroi Valleyand related how close he oftencame on coyotes at 200 to 600yards, even connecting periodi-cally on the first shot! There areaccounts of shooters mount-ing scopes on the big Smith &Wesson .44 and with select hand-loads managing to obtain one-inch groups at 100 yards usingcast and jacketed bullets.

From a handgun hunter’s stand-point, the .44 Magnum has be-come a reference cartridge,similar to the .30-06 among rifle-men. I have taken much gamewith it, including elk, black bear,whitetail and mule deer, coyotesand many pests. And an old S&WModel 29-2 with a 4-inch barrelgave considerable comfort whilein the close presence of a crankygrizzly along the Idaho-Montanaborder many years ago.

volvers that suffered from barrelleading. Within a few years, Win-chester began offering a factoryload driving a 240-grain bulletover 1,600 fps from productionrevolvers (although advertised at1,650 fps). As a result Remingtonincreased the pressure of itsload. Frankly, both were exces-sive for all .44s of that period,and pressures and velocitieswere soon reduced.

Accuracy of the new gun andcartridge helped make it a legendamong handgunners, and ElmerKeith was occasionally ques-tioned regarding his commentson long-range shooting. But forthose who actually witnessed hisuncanny skills, there were noquestions. There are still resi-dents around Salmon, Idaho,who share first-hand stories ofhis skill and the remarkable ac-curacy obtained with his 4-inch

28 www.handloadermagazine.com

Handloading theModel 29Model 29

.44 Magnum Target Loads(All Smith & Wesson Models 29, 629 and 329PD)

bullet powder charge velocity(grains) (grains) (fps)

210 Winchester Silvertip HP Power Pistol 10.0 964220 cast gas check Lyman 429215 W-231 9.0 1,087

Unique 10.0 1,120240 Hornady lead SWC-HP W-231 6.5 801

Red Dot 6.0 830245 Lyman 429383 cast roundnose HS-6 9.0 758

W-231 6.5 811Red Dot 6.0 816Unique 8.5 924

250 Keith-style Lyman 429421 Bullseye 6.0 8446.5 895

Red Dot 6.0 859Power Pistol 8.0 866

Notes: A Smith & Wesson (pre-29) .44 Magnum revolver with a 61⁄2-inch barrel used to test loads. CCI300 primers used throughout, along with Winchester and Starline cases. Maximum case length: 1.285inches; trim-to length: 1.275 inches.

Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

Table I

In 1978 the stainless steel Smith & Wesson Model629 (bottom) joined the Model 29 (top). Both haveproven popular with hunters and outdoorsmen.

Left, top to bottom: Smith & Wesson New Century(triple lock) Target, customized Colt-pattern SingleAction “Keith No. 5” (a custom built reproduction)and original Smith & Wesson Model 1950 Target.Right is a 1957-era Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum(pre-Model 29).

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June-July 2006

plate and a fifth screw located infront of the trigger guard thatplugged the hole for the cylinderstop.) The factory approved achange in 1956 that eliminatedthe upper side plate screw, butolder style frames remained inuse until serial number S167500.

In June 1957, the factory beganstamping Mod-29 in the yoke cut.

Prior to this the gun was simplyknown as the .44 Magnum. InDecember 1959, the Model 29-1appeared that featured a left-hand thread on the extractor rodto help prevent it from workingloose under recoil. In 1961 theModel 29-2 appeared wherein thecylinder stop screw (the one infront of the trigger guard) waseliminated. In 1982 the Model 29-3 appeared, which eliminatedcounterbored chambers and thepinned barrel and was producedthrough 1987.

In 1978 the stainless steel Model629 was introduced. In 1982 theModel 629-1 appeared, whicheliminated the counterboredchambers and pinned barrel.

From a handloader’s stand-point, all the above pre-29s,Model 29s and 629s are in the

The Model 29, and its stainlesssteel counterpart the Model 629,have undergone many changesover the past 50 and 28 years, re-spectively. To obtain the best ac-curacy and tailor handloads to agiven gun, it seems prudent todiscuss some of those changesand how they affect handloaders.

Revolvers produced from De-cember 1955 through mid-1958featured a four-screw side plateand are sometimes referred to asfive-screw guns. (There werefour screws holding the side

For general hunting in NorthAmerica, it might be summed upthat the .44 Magnum is never amistake, but only if the right bul-let is matched to the game. In thehands of a good shot, it can takebig game as far out as 150 yards,but most hunters should limitshots to around 50 or 75 yardsdepending on skill. Most will findthat with just a bit of practicethey can master its recoil. Andbeing able to properly place thebullet is far more important thanusing a gun of larger caliber orheavier recoil that might impedeone’s skills.

29www.handloadermagazine.com

Midrange .44 Magnum Loads(All Smith & Wesson Models 29, 629 and 329PD)bullet powder charge velocity(grains) (grains) (fps)

200 Hornady XTP-HP Unique 11.0 1,145Power Pistol 12.0 1,154

200 Speer Gold Dot HP Red Dot 9.5 1,086240 Speer Gold Dot HP Universal Clays 9.0 1,007

Unique 9.0 1,013240 Speer JSP AAC-7 15.5 1,101240 Hornady XTP-HP Red Dot 8.5 1,002

HS-6 11.5 944VV-N320 8.7 1,031VV-3N37 10.5 987

270 Speer Gold Dot AAC-9 14.5 1,021220 Lyman 429215 cast gas check Unique 11.0 1,179249 RCBS 44-240-SWC cast W-231 8.0 988250 Keith-style Lyman 429421 cast W-231 8.0 1,001

Unique 8.5 9649.5 1,071

Power Pistol 9.0 987HS-6 12.0 1,122HS-7 13.5 1,152

255 Lyman 429244 cast gas check W-231 8.0 986Unique 9.5 1,041HS-7 13.5 1,113Power Pistol 9.5 1,037True Blue 9.0 873

10.0 999275 Cast Performance WFN Unique 10.0 1,052310 Cast RCBS 44-SWC-300 Unique 9.0 997

10.0 1,043Enforcer 16.5 1,030

Notes: A Smith & Wesson (pre-29) .44 Magnum revolver with a 61⁄2-inch barrel used to test loads. CCI300 primers used throughout, along with Winchester and Starline cases. Maximum case length: 1.285inches; trim-to length: 1.275 inches.

Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

Table II

In June 1957,the factory beganstamping Mod-29in the yoke cut.

Early revolvers were known as“five-screw” versions, with afourth screw on the sideplate.The cylinder stop screw locatedin front of the trigger guard waseliminated in 1961.

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Handloader 241

Respect them and use themwithin their intended limits, withoccasional tune-up and attention,and they will serve wonderfully.

The very early five- and four-screw guns have become col-lectibles, and prices have soaredin recent years. Furthermore,barrel steels used during this pe-riod were intended for lead bulletloads only, while jacketed ver-sions accelerate wear. For thisreason my very early guns areonly used with cast bullets.

Most .44-caliber Smith & Wes-son revolvers manufactured dur-ing the above era have throats

that measure .432 inch with asmaller percentage running .433inch. When using cast bullets, Iusually size them .430 to .431inch. Some .44-caliber mouldsdrop bullets at .432 and .433inch, which in theory should givebetter accuracy if used with acorresponding H&I neck-sizingdie. The die assists in keepingthe bullet straight as it passesthrough the throats and helpsseal gases. Unfortunately, appro-priate sizer dies are not com-monly available, and many mouldswill only drop bullets measuring.431 to .432 inch.

A good alternative is to select

perform other tune-up tasks tokeep them in good running con-dition. In short they are strongbut not as durable as guns pro-duced since 1988 (which we willdiscuss in a moment). For thisreason, I generally don’t shootlarge amounts of full-house loadsthrough revolvers from this pe-riod but rather use midrangeloads in volume and reserve theheavy loads for hunting or whenthe extra horsepower is appreci-ated for long-range work. Thismight sound like an odd compari-son, but they should be treatedlike a fine, vintage double gun.

same category. When shot exten-sively with full-house loads, theyhave a reputation for shootingloose, developing excess cylinderend-shake and side-play. Onefamiliar with repairing the S&Waction can stretch the crane and

30 www.handloadermagazine.com

Handloading theModel 29Model 29

The new “Endurance”guns are a definite

improvement.

The E in this Model 629-2E (1)stood for “Endurance” packagewherein guns were reengineered tolast longer. Some of the Endurancepackage changes (transitioned be-tween 1988 and 1990) included:(2) radius stud package, (3) boltblock, (4) lengthened cylinder stopnotches and a special heat-treatedyoke (not shown).

1 2 3

4

Early Remington .44 Magnum ammunition from 1956 contained a 240-grain gas-check lead bullet of semiwadcutter design. Velocity from mostproduction revolvers ran around 1,450 fps.

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plain-base bullets and cast themwith a BHN of around 12 (forloads running under 18,000 psi)or 14 to 16 BHN for loads devel-oping 18,000 to 35,000 psi, thensize them to .430/.431 inch. Soloaded the bullet base will obtu-rate or slug up to create a gasseal and assist in keeping the bul-let straight until it engages therifling. For those occasional re-volvers that are prone to leading,a gas check bullet might be bene-ficial but is not a guaranteedcure.

Commercial jacketed bulletsgenerally give good accuracy.Bullets from Speer and Noslermeasure .429 inch, Sierra .4295,while Hornady’s runs .430 inch.In theory the latter size shouldgive slightly better accuracy inthe above throat sizes, but this isnot always the case, as tests haveshown that bases of Speer bullets

June-July 2006 31www.handloadermagazine.com

Full-Power .44 Magnum Loads(All Smith & Wesson Models 29, 629 and 329PD)

bullet powder charge primer velocity(grains) (grains) (fps)

200 Hornady XTP H-110 28.0 Federal 155 1,5982400 24.0 CCI 300 1,555Power Pistol 14.0 1,411

210 Winchester Silvertip Enforcer 21.0 Winchester Large Pistol 1,344240 Hornady XTP Enforcer 21.5 1,366

W-296 24.0 Federal 155 1,344240 Speer Gold Dot H-110 24.0 1,360

2400 20.5 CCI 300 1,345240 Speer Jacketed Soft Point VV-N110 20.0 1,341240 Sierra Jacketed Hollow Cavity 2400 19.0 1,240270 Speer Gold Dot H-110 21.0 Federal 155 1,243

2400 17.5 CCI 300 1,164VV-N110 16.5 1,145AAC-9 15.0 1,073

16.0 1,120300 Speer Plated Soft Point Enforcer 16.4 Winchester Large Pistol 1,050

H-110 22.5 Federal 155 1,097220 Lyman 429215 cast gas check AAC-7 18.0 CCI 300 1,321

2400 23.0 1,510H-110 26.0 Federal 155 1,472

250 Keith-style Lyman 429421 AAC-7 17.0 CCI 300 1,251Enforcer 21.0 1,251AAC-9 20.0 1,259Blue Dot 16.0 1,3232400 20.0 1,326

21.0 1,389H-110 24.5 Federal 155 1,368

255 Keith RCBS 44-250-K cast Enforcer 20.0 Winchester Large Pistol 1,321H-110 23.5 Federal 155 1,335

255 Lyman 429244 cast gas check 2400 20.0 CCI 300 1,330H-110 25.0 Federal 155 1,399

260 Cast Performance WFN Enforcer 20.0 CCI 300 1,203AAC-9 19.5 1,259H-110 24.0 Federal 155 1,366

275 Cast Performance WFN AAC-9 18.7 CCI 300 1,161Enforcer 18.0 1,199H-110 23.0 Federal 155 1,296

310 RCBS 44-SWC-300 cast Unique 10.0 CCI 300 1,082Enforcer 17.0 1,0912400 18.0 1,207H-110 20.0 Federal 155 1,192

21.0 1,263320 Cast Performance LFN H-110 20.0 1,191

Notes: A Smith & Wesson (pre-29) .44 Magnum revolver with a 61⁄2-inch barrel used to test loads. Win-chester and Starline cases used throughout. The above loads do not exceed SAAMI recommendedpressure limits of 36,000 psi, but they should be used sparingly in guns produced before 1988 andavoid using jacketed bullet loads in the early four- and five-screw guns. For more information see text.

Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

Table III

Left, cast bullets ranging from220 to 255 grains generally serveeveryday needs of most .44 Mag-num shooters. Examples include(left to right): Lyman 429215220-grain gas check, Lyman429383 245-grain roundnose,Lyman 429421 250-grain Keithdesign, Lyman 429244 255-graingas check and RCBS 44-250-K255-grain Keith style.

Above, plain-base cast bullets willobturate to fit .432- to .433-inchthroats of S&W revolvers pro-duced before 1990, as long asthey are not cast too hard. Origi-nal Remington factory bulletswere swaged from nearly purelead but featured a gas check thatallowed the base to upset, sealinggases and improving accuracy.

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continued in 1994), a 61⁄2-inch bar-rel (discontinued in 1979) and afour-screw side plate (droppedby 1958). The front sight is a redinsert, while the rear is whiteoutlined. The 50th anniversaryemblem is inlaid on the sideplate, along with the Smith &Wesson logo. There is a ma-hogany presentation case with ablue lining, similar to guns of abygone era. The wood stocks arecheckered target style, but in thisarea Smith & Wesson missed theboat, as their shape scarcely re-sembles the originals.

The sample gun locks up tightlywith minimal cylinder side-playand end-shake, is well machined

To celebrate the gun and car-tridge, for 2006 Smith & Wessonis offering a blue-finished Model29-10 50th anniversary model.Some extra effort was made increating this gun, and it is a realshooter. Naturally it features theEndurance package but also hasthe square butt grip frame (dis-

The Smith & Wesson .44 Mag-num and Model 29 were in

continuous production from 1956through 1994, wherein the strongersales of its stainless steel coun-terpart, the Model 629, forced itfrom production. To those of uswho enjoy the beauty of a blue-finished gun, that was a sad day.

Handloader 241

even causing serious mechanicalbreakdowns. Over the years,there has been considerable .44Magnum data. Often these loadsexceed today’s recommendedpressure limits and were devel-oped when safety and long gunlife were not so much a concern.Much of this data is still com-monly published. For these rea-sons, I have included load dataintended specifically for allModel 29s and 629s that is within

SAAMI recommended limits. Becertain to use loads exactly asshown. Included are light targetloads that are suitable for prac-tice, hunting and even defense.The midrange loads add to theversatility of the gun and car-tridge and are useful for mosteveryday purposes. Most of theloads in the “Full-Power” tableperform on par and often exceedthe factory offerings from Win-chester, Remington and Federal.

will obturate when used withloads generating 35,000 psi. (Thiswas determined by removing thebarrel, then firing bullets into wetsawdust and recovering them.) Inmy experiments of shootingmore than a dozen Smith & Wes-son revolvers, there is no conclu-sion as to which jacketed bulletwill shoot best. One gun mightprefer a given bullet, while an-other gun favors yet a differentbullet.

For decades following the in-troduction of the .44 Magnum,SAAMI maximum average pres-sures were 43,500 CUP, whichhas now been wisely reducedto 36,000 psi. Loads generatingthe former pressures took a tollon guns when shot in volume,

32 www.handloadermagazine.com

Handloading theModel 29Model 29

Most Smith & Wesson .44 Magnums will stay under one inch at 25yards with good ammunition and iron sights, while some will group intoless than 3⁄4 inch. Certain scoped versions have gone under one inch at100 yards.

To celebrate the 50th anniver-sary of the .44 Magnum, Smith& Wesson is offering a Model29-10 that is reminiscent of theoriginal gun with a 61⁄2-inchbarrel, square butt, four-screwsideplate and mahoganypresentation case.

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY S&W MODEL 29-10

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appeared that strengthened in-ternal studs to prevent breakingand effectively doubled the lifeexpectancy of the handgun.These changes were reflected inthe Model 29-3E, 29-4, 629-2 and629-2E.

Beginning in late 1989 and early1990, the cylinder stop notch waslengthened along with the stop.This was done to assure that thestop was always engaged in thecylinder stop notch while firing.And last a new bolt block wasadded that positively preventedthe cylinder from unlockingwhile firing. This clever device ismounted inside the frame and islinked to the trigger. When thetrigger is pulled, the bolt blockmoves into position and posi-tively blocks the bolt. These lasttwo changes appeared with theModels 29-5 and 629-3 and werethe final “Endurance” improve-ments to the great Smith. Addi-tional model changes are largelyexternal or cosmetic, such assights, round butt, extractor, etc.and will not have an effect onhandloaders.

One change that occurred in thelate 1990s and is not indicatedin the model numbers was therifling. In developing a newrifling system, the companybegan using an EDM process thatleaves the lands/grooves lessthan sharp. This change is easilyidentified with the naked eye.These are good barrels, but manycast bullet shooters (myself in-cluded) prefer the older stylerifling. Nonetheless, they are ac-curate with jacketed bullets andshoot well with lead bullets. Atabout this same period, the firingpin was changed from hammermounted to frame mounted. Thelatter system handles primer flowissues better (which is rare inthis caliber), while the former de-livers a heavier blow to the

Moving on to guns producedfrom 1988 to date, when Model29s and 629s developed excesscylinder end-shake or were in-correctly fit, their cylinders wereoccasionally known to unlockand turn clockwise (or back-ward) one chamber while thegun was being fired and recoil-ing. This resulted in an odd situa-tion: When the gun was cockedagain, the chamber that was justpreviously fired would be broughtagain to rest under the hammer.High-speed photography re-vealed the causes, and Smith &Wesson engineers did a splendidjob of correcting them on Model29s and 629s.

Three basic changes weremade, and these revolvers arecommonly referred to as “En-durance” guns. Beginning in1988, the yoke was heat treatedto toughen the cylinder suspen-sion point and prevent prematureend-shake from developing. In1989 the “Radius Stud Package”

33www.handloadermagazine.com

The .44 Magnum isone of our finest

revolver cartridges.

June-July 2006

and a worthy shooter. Using aload of 20.5 grains of Alliant 2400and 250-grain cast bullets fromLyman mould 429421 cappedwith Federal 150 primers for1,381 fps, 25-yard groups consis-tently clustered around one inch.Switching to 20.0 grains of Hodg-don H-110 and cast bullets fromRCBS mould 44-300-SWC (a 310-grain gas check), velocity ran1,241 fps, and four shots cut intoless than 3⁄4 inch. Using the Speer240-grain Gold Dot Hollow Pointseated over 21.5 grains of Ram-shot Enforcer and capped with aCCI 300 primer generates 1,389fps and managed to stay underone inch as long as I did my part.

This is a limited productiongun and will only be offeredthrough 2006. Suggested retail is$985. For more information con-tact Smith & Wesson at 2100Roosevelt Avenue, SpringfieldMA 01104-1698, call 1-800-331-0852; or you can visit online at:www.smith-wesson.com. •

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Handloader 241

primer. (This is something tokeep in mind if you like espe-cially light action jobs.)

The new “Endurance” guns area definite improvement, as theycan easily digest full-house loads,and the overall accuracy hasbeen improved. For example,shortly after the Endurancepackage and bolt block wereadded, Smith & Wesson beganconsidering what other areascould be targeted to improve ac-curacy. The cylinder side-playhad already been tightened, sothe focus changed to assure thatchamber-to-bore alignment wasnearly perfect, the forcing conecarefully cut and polished andchamber throats tightened.

In measuring many revolvers,the early 1990-era guns measured.432 inch but were soon changedto .428 to .4285 inch. The factorychose to reduce throats to thissize after much developmentwith ammunition containing .429-inch jacketed bullets. These gunsare unusually accurate as can beseen with the 629DX and othermodels. On the flip side, driving.429- and .430-inch jacketedbullets through these “smallerthan bullet diameter” throatsincreases chamber pressuressignificantly.

I have fired factory fodder thatgave sticky extraction but uponopening throats .002 inch, extrac-tion was no problem. (For whatit’s worth, I’m convinced that athroat measuring .429 or .430 inchfor jacketed bullets of the samediameter will likely give best ac-curacy anyway.) Certainly jack-eted bullets will “spring back”when pushed through throatsthat are .001 to .002 inch smallerand explains why the Smith &Wesson guns are still able todeliver excellent accuracy.

Cast bullet shooters will gener-ally benefit from having thethroats opened to .430 inch, thensizing bullets accordingly. I havemade this change on three 629sand one Model 29, carefully check-

34 www.handloadermagazine.com

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June-July 2006

able for personal defense. Theprecise single-action trigger pull,excellent adjustable sights andgrip frame assist in accurateslow-fire work. It is of practicalsize and weight for everyday belt“hip” carry, or just kicking aroundthe hills, especially the 4-inchbarreled versions. With its hand-some looks, we have a classic inthe purest sense.

and would be an excellent choicefor taking heavy, dangerous game.(This bullet was not included inthe accompanying load data butwill be discussed another day.)

The various Smith & Wesson .44Magnum revolvers rank amongmy favorite guns. In the hands ofa master, they can be fired in thedouble-action mode with speedand accuracy, making them suit-

35www.handloadermagazine.com

ing velocity and accuracy beforeand after. In each instance identi-cal loads showed less pressureand improved accuracy. As pre-viously mentioned, in some in-stances, loads that gave stickyextraction prior to opening thethroat extracted easily afteropening. As expected, velocitydecreased slightly.

My approach to handloadingthe Endurance-equipped guns isreally no different than the earlymodels. They might be stronger,but I still don’t load them beyondcurrent SAAMI recommenda-tions. I do, however, shoot themregularly with full-house loads,again something I don’t do witholder guns. In addition to drivingtraditional 240- and 250-grainjacketed and cast bullets 1,300 to1,400 fps, they are an excellentplatform for driving 300- to 320-grain bullets 1,200 fps, which canbe accomplished within industrypressure limits (see accompany-ing table). So loaded the .44 Mag-num is capable of taking anygame animal on the North Ameri-can continent and for that matterhas taken all of Africa’s big five.Again, just be certain to matchthe bullet to the game.

Clearly the .44 Magnum is oneof our finest revolver cartridges.With 200- to 250-grain cast bulletsdriven 800 or 900 fps, it will killsmall game with little meat dam-age and gives little recoil. Withcast and jacketed bullets driven“midrange,” typically between900 and 1,100 fps, it serves nicelyfor defense or for taking deer-sized game. When 240- to 320-grain bullets are driven 1,200 to1,400 fps, it serves well as a long-range sixgun. With a controlledexpanding bullet, it is a topchoice for hunting whitetail deer,often dropping them as if it werea larger cartridge. When stokedwith 250- to 320-grain cast bul-lets, it will drive through mooseor the great Alaskan brown bear.The Belt Mountain 300-grain“Punch” solid shows remarkablepenetration, even on African game

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Handloader 24176 www.handloadermagazine.com

Redding Reloading Equipmenthas come up with a press-oper-ated tool called the Universal De-capping Die that does all that,and a few other things as well.

Actually, I should say dies, forthere is a small decapping die, alarge decapping die and an op-tional decapping rod to fit thesmall die that will decap .17- and.20-caliber cases. The aboveitems are sold separately or to-gether in kit form. The dies lookmuch like normal full-length siz-ing dies in that they are cylindri-cal with a knurled upper sectionand 7⁄8x14 threaded lower to fit

large cases, I simply centered thecase on top of the base andbanged away. Such tools are stillsold. They are virtually indestruc-tible and can handle most anycase up to about 3.25 incheslong, assuming a standard flashhole. They are also noisy andmoderately inconvenient, in thatafter every few primers are re-moved and fall through a hole inthe base, they must be clearedaway to make room for more.

To address the original problemand do away with the shortcom-ings of the manual approach,

any standard reloading press.The dies have decapping stemsbut no expander buttons, and thedie interiors appear to be boredout so the case does not touchthe die in operation.

Each die has a knurled lock ringand set screw. Redding lists thesmall die as being suitable forany case from .22 to .50 caliberup to 2.5 inches in length. Theoptional decapping rod (for .17-and .20-caliber cases) has a de-capping pin that is compatiblewith the .060-inch flash holesfound in PPC and BR cases.

The standard large and smalldecapping rods have a shoulderto restrict upper movement asprimers are removed and a C clipto hold the rods in place. The op-tional .17- and .20-caliber rodis too small in diameter for ashoulder and instead utilizes twoC clips, one lower, in place ofa shoulder, and one upper tosecure it in place.

The large decapping die is simi-lar to the small die but a bitlonger. According to Redding, itwill accommodate cases up to3.00 inches in length. Redding lit-erature also clearly states that

For most of us, most of

the time, removing a spentprimer is a simple matter of run-ning the case through a full-length sizing die that resizes thecase and removes the primer atthe same time. When we wish topartially size or neck size only, adecapping rod is still part of thetool.

There are times, however, whenwe want to remove the primerswithout otherwise touching thecases. The most likely reasonis that the cases are dirty. Eitherwe haven’t used them in awhileor perhaps they are range pick-ups. Either way, we want toclean them before running themthrough a sizing/depriming dieand not risk scarring the die’sinner surface. And while we’re atit, we might as well clean theprimer pockets too. Ergo: de-prime, then clean, then resize.Another good reason is thatwe’ve acquired some military orother cases with crimped-inprimers and, again, we don’twant to risk a sizing die. Thereare others, as well. Just recently,I loaded and fired a number ofrounds in several cartridgesusing black powder. After theobligatory soap and water bath,the cases were still black andfilthy. I’ve discovered a way toget them shiny bright again, butbefore the final step of tumblingthe cases, I wanted to deprimethem.

For many years, my solution todepriming only was a hand toolcomprised of a base to hold thecase mouth up, a rod with a de-capping pin in one end and ahammer. Actually, there weretwo of them – a .22-caliber setthat was better suited to holdingsmaller cases and a .30-caliberset for larger cases. For really

REDDING UNIVERSAL

DECAPPING DIES

REDDING UNIVERSAL

DECAPPING DIES

PR

OD

UCT TES

TS

PR

OD

UCT TES

TS

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Handloader 241

the large decapping die will notaccept a neck diameter of lessthan 7mm (.284 inch). Several ofthese restrictions are not true.

In use, the appropriate shell-holder is installed on the pressram and the ram raised to itshighest position. The UniversalDecapping Die is screwed intothe press until it touches theshellholder and then secured inplace. After that, the cases to bedeprimed are simply inserted inthe shellholder and the ramraised. It’s just like resizing ex-cept no lube and no sizing, justdepriming.

As I began to examine the diesmore closely, I determined thatthe small die is about 3.125inches in length. The decappingrod has a diameter of .186 inch.The optional .17- and .20-caliberrod is .156 inch. The interior di-ameter of the die is about .562inch. The interior depth, as bestas I could measure it, is about2.450 inches. Putting all these fig-ures together suggested the smalldie could accommodate .20-cal-iber cases without the .17- and.20-caliber rod and would alsohandle cases longer than 2.500inches (2.450 plus the standardworking depth of a shellholder of.125 inch = 2.575 inches). I wasable to decap cases as small asthe .20 Tactical and .204 Ruger,as short as the .25 ACP, as largeas the .500 S&W and as longas the .270 Winchester (2.540inches) with the standard smallrod without a hitch. I would stillneed the optional decapping rodfor cases with .060-inch flashholes or for .17-caliber cases and,to be fair, the optional rod doesgive a bit more working room forthe .20-caliber cases, but other-wise the small die will handlemost of the cartridges most of usreload.

The large die has its place,though. It measures about 3.5inches in length with an interiordiameter of .610 inch. Its interiordepth, again as well as I couldmeasure it, is 2.865 inches. To-

78 www.handloadermagazine.com

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June-July 2006 79www.handloadermagazine.com

gether with the shellholder work-ing depth, this suggests a maxi-mum case length of 2.990 inches.The decapping rod diameter is.249 inch, clearly providing theability to deprime cases smallerthan 7mm.

Using the larger die, I found Icould deprime cases as small asthe .25 ACP with its .251-inchbullet diameter. This cleared theway for all the .257 diameter riflecases and anything larger. Theadditional length is necessaryfor magnum cases such as theH&H series, the Weatherby car-tridges, the .300 Winchester Mag-num and the Remington UltraMags, among others. For thetruly long, black-powder car-tridges, American or British, weare back to the hand tool or aPope-type decapper. For 6mm(.243 inch) or smaller cases, wemust use the small die set.

Completing my review, I calledPatrick Ryan, Redding’s chief en-gineer, to discuss what I felt wasthe company’s overly conserva-tive catalog and instructionallanguage. Ryan indicated somechanges would likely occur tobetter reflect the dies’ useful-ness. He also noted an engineer-ing change to make the interiortop of the small die flat ratherthan tapered to prevent the lowerC clip on the optional decap-ping rod from popping loose –apparently a rare occurrence, butenough for the company to makea change.

I found I really appreciated theUniversal Decapping Dies fromRedding. They are quick, quietand efficient. Disassembly forcleaning is a snap, and the priceis right. I suspect you’ll appreci-ate them as well. – R.H. VanDen-burg, Jr. •

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When I saw Leica’s first Geovidrangefinder several years ago, Iwas blown away! Unlike theawkward, optically challengedrangefinding monoculars othermanufacturers then offered, theGeovid combined an extremelyaccurate laser rangefinder withthe optical performance of its su-perb 7x42mm binocular.

I used an early Geovid 7x42

BDA laser rangefinder on a hand-ful of prairie dog and pronghornhunts, and it handily outclassedall the other rangefinders I com-pared it with. Unfortunately,“outclassing” also extended toprice. I can’t recall the exact tabfor that first Geovid rangefinder(which incorporated a digitalmagnetic compass), but it wasaround $4,000.

90 Handloader 241www.handloadermagazine.com

C l a i rR e e s

NEW LASER RANGEFINDING

SCOPE FROM BURRIS

NEW LASER RANGEFINDING

SCOPE FROM BURRIS

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products, the LaserScope is“Warranted Forever.”

Burris’s new LaserScope couldbe on dealers’ shelves by the timeyou read this. For more informa-tion, contact: The Burris Com-pany, Inc., Dept. HL, 331 East 8thStreet, Greeley CO 80631-9559; oronline at: www.burrisoptics.com.

sating reticle. Once the shooterranges the target, he can holddead on to hit game at any rea-sonable distance.

The laser is activated by a sin-gle button located midway alongthe scope, on the left side of thetube. A remote activator can bestrapped to the rifle’s forearm or

to the objective bell of the scope.The remote activator is said tomake ranging steadier and morenatural while you look throughthe scope.

A specially designed mount al-lows mounting the LaserScopeas low as possible over the rifle.Because of the LaserScope’sconstruction and shape, theshooter’s eye is positioned muchhigher than it is with a conven-tional riflescope. The mountingsystem places the LaserScope atroughly the same height highrings do with a conventionalriflescope. Like other Burris

This is something so new

it’s not yet available for test-ing. I usually don’t report on newproducts until I’ve had a chanceto get my hands on one and put itthrough its paces, but this newsis too exciting to keep.

The Burris Company has justannounced that a new rangefind-ing scope will soon be available.The LaserScope is a 4-12x 42mmriflescope with an inte-gral 800-yard laserrangefinder that willallow hunters torange the target justbefore they shoot.The new scope couldeliminate the need to carry aseparate laser rangefinder afield.

Several years ago, Swarovskiintroduced the first commercialriflescope to incorporate a laserrangefinder. This was a large, rel-atively bulky, heavy affair meas-uring over 15 inches long, 3inches high, 2.6 inches wide andweighing a hefty 40 ounces. Aneven bigger drawback was thescope’s intimidating $3,900 price.

The new Burris LaserScope willbe considerably smaller andlighter – just 13 inches long andtipping the scales at only 26ounces. Even more important,the “real world” pricing will bejust under $1,000.

Burris says its new LaserScopewill “produce extremely vivid,bright and crystal clear opticsand Burris rock-solid severe re-coil performance.” The companyalso notes the scope will elimi-nate the need for a handheldrangefinder, dramatically de-creasing the time needed torange a trophy and get a shot off.

The LaserScope will comeequipped with Burris’s provenBallistic Plex trajectory compen-

SpecificationsLaser scope model: 4-12x 42mmLaser range*: (yards reflective) 800Laser range*: (yards deer) 550Laser accuracy: ±1 yardBatteries: 2 each AAABattery life: 1,100 cyclesOperating temperature: 14°F to 122°FField of view

(low to high feet @ 100 yards): 25 to 9Exit pupil (mm) low to high: 10.5 to 3.5Click value (inches at 100 yards): .25Maximum adjustment (inches at 100 yards): 50Weight with mount and battery: 26 ouncesOptimum eye relief (inches): 3 to 3.5Objective end diameter (mm): 60Clear objective diameter (mm): 42Ocular end diameter (mm): 39Overall length (inches): 13Mounting rail length (inches): 5.7Reticle subtensions (inches at 100 yards):

BPlex Dim. A High Mag: .22BPlex Dim. A Low Mag: .65BPlex Dim. B High Mag: .59BPlex Dim. B Low Mag: 1.8BPlex Dim. W High Mag: 6.5BPlex Dim. W Low Mag: 19.4

*Environmental conditions may limit range.

Leica’s Geovid 10x42mm BRF

Rangefinding Binocular