Handloading and Reloading
Today, as during the Vietnam War, one simple fact remain true: Our firearms are obviously worthless without ammunition that works. I’m sure you’ve heard how many gun activists want to make ammo harder to come by and there is no question that depending on where you live, it’s becoming more difficult to walk into your sporting goods store to buy ammo. This has led to a continuing growing popularity of reloading your own ammo—but should you?
The Uberti is well made of good material and probably stronger than the first Generation Colt. The Bisley revolver is handsomely finished. The grips fit the grip frame well. The barrel is what is sometimes called the Gunfighter length, cut off at the end of the ejector for 4 ¾-inch length.
The Shooter’s Log is often asked about the ‘best’ handgun load. Unfortunately, many correspondents fail to share the intended mission of the load. The mission has a strong influence as to the desired bullet weight, velocity, and penetration. As an example, you may be perfectly happy to run the .44 Special or .45 Colt with a 255-grain SWC at 700 fps for cowboy action or target practice. If hiking in country in which the big cats or bears may be more than a nuisance, the same bullet up to 1,000 fps would be a better choice.
You have to understand the reason you want to reload, to determine the best procedures and level of detail you want to put in each load. Economy is always one reason, but that does not mean the goal of producing accurate ammunition is in any way lessoned. This means a consistent procedure is required. If you are ready to start reloading, or potentially up your reloading game, here’s how.
The load density formula has provided excellent results for handloaders for many years. The main reason is simply that the load density formula works without fail. Eighty-five percent density is just about ideal, but let’s look at how reloaders have come to that number.
Let’s look at the process of reclaiming the brass for reuse. There is nothing wrong with getting ready to reload by buying new brass. However, after you fire that shiny new brass the first time, you’ll want to prepare it to be used again. You may also scavenge the local shooting range or buy some once fired brass for reloading. Either way, here is your ‘primer’ for reclaiming brass for reloading.
I am the first to admit that factory ammunition has improved considerably during the past three decades. Consistency, accuracy, and performance are better than ever. This is largely due to the pressure put on factories by handloaders. Today, a handloader can produce more accurate ammunition than the factory.
Handloads offer real economy, custom grade performance, and excellent accuracy potential. Best of all, getting started in handloading isn’t difficult or expensive.
Smith and Wesson’s 1935 .357 Magnum was introduced to a handgunning world far different than the one we live in today. Smith and Wesson .38 K frame revolvers, the Colt Army Special, and even the Colt Single Action Army were popular sidearms. The Smith and Wesson Triple Lock was the choice was many professional shooters.
The .444 Marlin is basically a lengthened .44 Magnum revolver cartridge. However, the .444 Marlin is far more powerful than the .44 Magnum. While the .44 Magnum is a fine brush gun, and well suited for hog hunting at moderate range, the .444 Marlin can be a true big-game rifle. The .444 hasn’t replaced the .30-30, but it has enjoyed some popularity with the lever-action crowd. The introduction of the Marlin .45-70 rifle—or reintroduction, as it may be called—cut into the .444’s popularity considerably.