RELOADING
SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURUS
Reloading the The...
The .380 Auto is one of the most underrated cartridges on the planet. Most shooters buy .380 handguns because they are small, easy to shoot, and often...
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The Very Versatile Lyman...
In 1988, Buckeye Sports convinced Sturm, Ruger & Co. to make a run of 5,000 Buckeye Specials. The calibers were split between the .38 WCF/10mm and .32...
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Handloading: Makin’ Bullets
Old .45 Colt barrels run .454". Later models run .451". Sometimes, I find bullets that meet my weight requirements, but they are too fat. I started by...
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.454 Casull Penetration
My setup for reloading the .454 Casull is the Lee 40th Anniversary Challenger Press, using their new Breech Lock Dies. The Lee Challenger Press has the Lee...
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.38 Special Penetration,...
For part one of this study, I asked, “Can a .38 Special NON +P load achieve more than 18" of penetration in ballistic gelatin?” The goal was to...
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The .32 S&W Long: A...
We shoot for many reasons; many stem from our curiosity, thoughts, fantasies or desire to dip our toes into bygone eras. It’s the last category we’re...
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Moore’s Law...
Moore’s Law said processing power would double approximately every 18 months. For shooters, it offers benefits, too, like the paradigm-changing Garmin...
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Northern...
Northern Precision’s William Noody makes custom bullets, one at a time.
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Progressive For...
Anyone familiar with the science of birth order knows that the youngest child is generally the fun-loving one who doesn’t have a detail-oriented bone in...
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Sometimes A Gas...
As an admitted cast bullet junkie, I’m simply in love with these humble, yet effective projectiles. Formed from molten lead alloy to any shape our hearts...
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Matches,...
I never fully got over my fascination with chemical reactions. I liked things that created energy or went bang. An interest in guns and handloading was the...
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Four Favorites...
Lee Precision proves affordable molds can have good designs, allowing you to load excellent custom handloads, especially if you love .45 caliber like Tank.
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Dear Lindsey…
I’m considering buying presses for each of my sons. All three enjoy shooting, but have distinct personalities. My eldest, Zeke, shoots three gun. He has...
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The Long and...
Just as a .357 revolver can safely fire .38 special rounds, so too can a .32-caliber revolver fire any round in the family shorter than its designated...
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Mind the Gap!...
One of my carry guns is a Glock 38. I derive great pleasure in shooting it, and since ammo is not readily available,
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Coated Bullets
Throughout my handloading career the vast majority of handgun bullets I’ve sent downrange have been cast – mostly by me but a significant minority by...
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Light Loads for...
We shooters and collectors of vintage American military .45s need to pause for a moment and consider something.
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Advantages Of...
It’s roughly two weeks to my yearly pilgrimage to the NRA’s Whittington Center and my ammo stash is running low. I need to manufacture some ammo … and...
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10mm Loading Lessons
I find that people who reload the 10mm tend to be goal-setters. Of all the reloading hobbyists I know, 10mm reloaders seek a particular performance level....
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Pistol Powders
My very first reloading manual, Lyman’s Reloader’s Handbook #45 (1967), is still on my desk. Along with it is their new one, #51 (2022). Handbook #45...
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Brass
You can always spot the reloader at the range. He pads behind departing shooters who leave their brass behind or looks longingly as it hits the ground. I...
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Gunnysack The...
This aptly-named company, perhaps the best-kept secret known to thousands of competitive shooters, makes… blue bullets.
They may look like powder-coated...
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My EDC: The .327...
I am starting my campaign to make the .327 Federal Magnum the most popular revolver cartridge ever. The arguments for it are easy. It’s an effective...
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Casting...
These joyous and necessary purchases never saved me a dime casting and reloading my own ammo. It just allowed me to shoot a heck of a lot more.
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.38 & .357 Cast...
When Elmer Keith decided to abandon the .45 Colt cartridge and concentrate on bringing the 1/8" shorter and sadly underpowered .44 Special up to its full...
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Handloader:...
If you had asked me 10 years ago if the .380 was a good cartridge for personal defense, I may have replied, “Marginal, at best.” But I have to admit the...
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Gunnysack: Lyman...
Think of the Lyman Ammo Checker as a block containing perfectly-formed chambers of various calibers. Just drop a round (or empty case if you’re reloading)...
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Handloading:...
Bullet bumping is a real thing — and you should try it.
It’s a swaging process using pressure and a sizing die to form a new custom bullet. It takes a...
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Lead Bullet...
Like many, gun magazines have corrupted me. Hopefully, I’m returning the favor to you. One of my biggest influences was the day I read about cast bullets...
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DIY Bullets: You...
Something irking me now for over a half-century is someone saying, “My pistol needs jacketed bullets.” That attitude is especially wrong in the middle...
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Rim Rock Bullets...
For those who’ve yet to pour bullets from the silver stream there’s another option. Custom cast bullet shops like Rim Rock Bullets come to mind.
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Handloading:...
If anyone tells you that one can’t swage bullets at home, using standard reloading equipment, tell them that’s not entirely true. If you have not tried...
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The Future Is Now
The greatest freedom you’ll ever experience is being self-sufficient. Why would you want to rely on others when you’re perfectly capable of doing it...
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Gunnysack: Lyman...
Most other manuals are produced by companies that make powder or projectiles, so the recipes favor those products. That’s OK, but sometimes you need the...
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Getting the...
Shooting someone else’s reloads taught me a lesson. Too much powder or too little powder can mean trouble. I’ve thrown away a bunch of reloads done for...
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Handloading:...
I was curious about their unique .40 S&W cartridges, and SPC Juliet led me to the back of her Rover and showed me how they were made. The furnace and baking...
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A Primer about...
We all know the primer is that little device that makes a cartridge fire when struck by a firing pin.
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Reloading...
When you buy your reloading press, don’t be shocked to discover you need something else for every caliber you want to reload. It’s called a die set and...
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Handloading:...
We have included Pyrodex with your shipment. We intended you to use it for Claymores, but it can be employed for loading .45 Colt. The .45 was originally a...
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Building a...
Lee Precision’s Challenger Press Kit has everything you need to get started except individual caliber die sets
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Gunnysack:...
The first thing you’ll notice about a Dillon Seating Die is the rounded taper cut into the mouth of the die. It presents a massive target to a rising...
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All Hail the...
Like the .40 S&W, the 10mm represents a happy middle ground in the capacity spectrum, offering another round or two over .45 ACP in the single stack...
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The Rise and...
9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum, 9x19… Whatever the name, it’s been the world’s most popular centerfire handgun cartridge for decades. Everywhere but in the...
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KaBoom! How Not...
Reloading is perfectly safe if you follow goo procedures. Don't be careless and you'll avoid the consequences of an exploding gun. Here are some vital tips...
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Handgunner...
I’ve tried other swappable mounting systems, but this is the only one I would recommend to a friend. The system consists of a steel mounting plate for...
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Reloading to...
I am twice as likely to carry a lightweight .38 Special revolver as any other firearm. When I reload for my revolvers, I deliberately make the cartridges...
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Can You Reload...
Can I use small rifle primers in a pistol cartridge? The simplest answer is “no,” so that’s what I usually tell people.
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Cast Bullet Buddies
Casting your own bullets, especially with scrounged lead, keeps cost to a minimum. It’s for this reason, as well as the independence casting your own...
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Shelves Bare?
I saw a recent post from someone saying their supplier didn’t have any powder suitable for handgun reloading. There were plenty of “agreeing” emojis....
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Consider Casting
The purpose of guns and cartridges is to direct a bullet into a target. In other words, without bullets, guns are useless.
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The .357 SIG:...
I’m a fan of the .357 SIG. It’s a confidence building cartridge that can do phenomenal things down range.
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