Home Authors Posts by Walt Hampton

Walt Hampton

Reloading .22-Caliber Centerfire Cartridges

0
Precision is a key in working up varmint loads.
Precision is a key in working up varmint loads.

Reloading .22-caliber centerfire cartridges requires precision, but the attention to detail pays off in the field. Accurately loaded rounds can make your next varmint hunt — whether squirrel, woodchuck or coyote — a blast.

The term varmint cartridge to me has always meant those centerfire rounds of the .22-inch diameter. Starting with the Hornet and going up in power, the .223/.224 diameter can be the perfect match of power and accuracy for putting a four-legged pest in its place.

I have generally started my .22 centerfire loading with a 50-grain bullet (the Hornet and Bee the exceptions). In some calibers a bullet weight change of only 2 or 3 grains can be the difference between dime- and quarter-sized groups. The key to the varmint cartridge is matching the bullet weight to the velocity. When the target is only a couple of inches wide, it’s important to pay attention to the little things as they can make a big difference.

For our purposes, we will divide .22 centerfire rounds into two categories on either side of the 3,200 fps barrier. Those under this figure, and this is not meant to be an all-inclusive list, such as the Hornet, the .222 and .223, the Bee and the variations on this case volume, can be delightful performers with negligible recoil and little report.

The Hornet can be somewhat fussy in my experience. There may be only a very narrow window of load/bullet weight that will perform in a certain rifle, but if that load and bullet are found this caliber can quickly become a shooter's favorite.

Light Loads

In one particular Winchester Model 43 I had just about given up until I hit upon the 40-grain Speer and 12.5 grains of Lil' Gun powder, a last-ditch attempt to get decent groups. I was not disappointed, and the chronograph showed an average velocity of 2,770 fps for 10 shots. No other load would shoot within an inch at 100 yards in this gun.

I have always been a .218 Bee fan and believe this little cartridge should be much more popular than it is today. For squirrel, head shots late in the season when the range can be long, a properly scoped Bee is unbeatable. For the lever guns, of course, the flat-point bullet is the choice and there is none better than the old Hornady 40-grain Jet if your gun will shoot them, but the Bee has the best performance in the single-shot or bolt-action rifle.

I seriously considered barreling my low-wall for the Bee before I settled on the .38/.357 and to this day still have a pang of regret over the decision. In the Martini I owned I used the 46-grain Speer jacketed flat point and a case packed with 15 grains of IMR 4198 for 2,700 fps, a maximum and compressed load. My two best shots with it took a fox squirrel and a grouse, back to back, within about 15 seconds of each other, the grouse at 50 yards and the squirrel at nearly 100. It’s a great cartridge.

When working with the lightweight loads necessary for the under-3,200 fps crowd, make sure your powder scale is right on the money. We're talking about adjustments of tenths of a grain and yes, tenths can make a big difference in pressure and accuracy in little cases. Go slow, test your loads and watch for signs of pressure, always good advice but especially with the little guys.

Of the .222 and .223, there are no other calibers that are easier to load. Truly, if you are a rifle shooter, you need one of these in your collection, and it doesn't matter which one, both are delightful.

Hotter Rounds

For the hot .22 centerfire rounds, the standard has been the .22-250 since it was in wildcat form. All other .22 centerfire calibers today are judged against it. This statement may cause some raised eyebrows among the Swift followers, but the truth is the 250 buried the Swift when it was introduced in factory form. The Swift is a marvelous performance round but velocity isn't everything.

In an ugly and cheap 788 Remington chambered for .22-250, I worked up to the maximum load of 34 grains of BL-C(2) under the 52-grain Hornady for 3,700 fps that delivered groundhog-eyeball-sized groups, yet from a load so mild in pressure I thought I was shooting a .222.

In the Swift I was shooting at the time, a tang-safety Ruger 77, the only groups under an inch I could get were much hotter with this bullet weight. When I switched to the heavier 60-grain Hornady, the Swift delivered groups under one inch only at .22-250 velocity. In my limited experience, I'll stick with the 250.

Many years ago a friend introduced me to the .219 Donaldson Wasp, a cartridge he had chambered into a custom barrel for his Ruger No. 1 single shot. He formed his cases from .30-30 brass and loaded 50-grain Hornady soft points over 27 grains of IMR 3031 powder.

Over an ancient Ohler chronograph that load turned up 3,500 fps, and I saw this fellow kill countless groundhogs out to 400 yards with it. He said he had read about the cartridge in one of his father's magazines when he was a kid and had always wanted one; the delight on his face when he was shooting it is something I will always remember. He did not care a bit that the Swift was faster or the 250 easier to load, he kept the enjoyment of shooting as his first priority. Regardless of your choice in the varmint cartridge field, that might be something to keep in mind.

Top Powder Choices

Hodgdon H380 Rifle Powder
Hodgdon H380 Rifle Powder

For .22 centerfire cartridges try these powders. For the small cases like the Hornet and the Bee, try H4198 and Lil' Gun, both worth the money for experimentation. IMR 4198 is good also, albeit a bit dirty.

For the .222 and .223, H322 or H335 are the gold standards. I have had good luck with BL-C(2) and the 50-grain bullet in the .223.

For the .22-250, H380 is a great place to start. The old Hodgdon load of 38 grains of H380 and the 52-grain Hornaday hollow point should be printed on every .22-250 rifle sold. The most accurate Swift rifle I ever saw was digesting H380 and 50-grain Hornady bullets. Do not overlook Varget in either caliber.

As with all load data, work up carefully and never exceed maximum loads. Pay attention to tenths of grains with these cartridges; little changes can mean big differences in group size.

This article originally appeared in the March 25, 2013 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Shotgun Ammo Rundown 2013

Hornady Superformance & Heavy Mag
Hornady Superformance & Heavy Mag

Shotguns have long been regarded as the most do-all shooting tools available. With a shotgun, a person can shoot a single projectile or a pattern of shot, they can shoot as close as a few yards and out to beyond 100 yards (with a slug), and they can hunt, target shoot and defend themselves. This year’s crop of new loads only improves their applications for whatever you desire.

Hornady Superformance & Heavy Mag

Hornady is making the Superformance shotgun slugs available in 12 and 20 gauge. If you shoot a rifled slug gun you need to give these slugs a try. Using a 250-grain Monoflex slug in 20 gauge or a 300-grain Monoflex slug in 12 gauge, these loads are just what the doctor ordered for deer, black bear or hogs. Also, if varmints are on the menu, the Hornady Heavy Mag Coyote 12-gauge loads will not disappoint the close-range hunter.  (hornady.com)

Kent Cartridge Diamond Shot & 5-Star Penetrator

Kent 10-Point Precision Slugs.
Kent 10-Point Precision Slugs.

Kent Cartridge has some great turkey loads in their Diamond Shot and 5-Star Penetrator shells. The Diamond Shot loads are available in 12 and 20 gauge, and the Penetrator loads are available in 12 gauge only, but feature a 50/50 mix of Tungsten Matrix and Diamond Shot. I will be testing the Kent Tungsten Matrix l6 gauge, 11/8-ounce upland load in No. 5s during turkey season this year and have high expectations on its performance. There are many 16-gauge shooters in the country and this is a great load for upland birds; it can be used in your treasured side-by-side guns without worry. (kentgamebore.com)

Kent 10-Point Precision

The Kent 10-Point Precision slugs are a new addition to the Kent line as well, with a hard-hitting 1-ounce slug that launches at a scorching 1,850 fps. This one should satisfy the serious deer or hog hunter. (kentgamebore.com)

Winchester Razorback XT

Winchester Razorback XT.
Winchester Razorback XT.

Winchester has recognized the out-of-control feral hog problem across much of the country and the need of hunters for dedicated shotgun hog loads to deal with the problem. The new Razorback offerings in 12 gauge, with either buckshot or a frangible 1-ounce slug will meet this need. The 12-gauge Razorback XT buckshot load will feature eight buffered 00 buck pellets for hard-hitting, close-range knockdown power. The Razorback XT segmented rifled slug is designed to segment into three equal pieces upon impact for devastating trauma caused by multiple wound channels. It also features an innovative wad stabilizer for pinpoint downrange accuracy up to 125 yards. (winchester.com)

Winchester AA TrAAcker

Winchester AA TrAAcker.
Winchester AA TrAAcker.

Winchester also has a new load that may be just the thing for wingshooter training, the AA TrAAcker offering. The secret of AA TrAAcker is in the revolutionary wad. Loaded with 1 1/8 ounces of shot like a standard AA shotshell, the innovative wad design includes longer, notched petals and captures 1/8-ounce of shot, which stabilizes wad spin and ensures that the wad remains in the center of the shot cloud for optimum tracking. The AA TrAAcker load is available in two highly visible colors: orange, for overcast conditions or dark backdrops and black for clear skies or light backdrops. (winchester.com)

3 Tips to Handload Ammo the Right Way

Taking time, understanding the process and having the right equipment are all important factors in reloading.
Staying organized, understanding the process and having the right equipment are all important factors in reloading success (Photo by Mark Palas/Windigo Images).

Essential Equipment
The process of handloading is quite simple: the cartridge case must be resized, primed and trimmed to required length, then a measured powder charge is inserted into the case and the projectile seated.

The best way to accomplish this is with a reloading press and dies of the proper caliber. You will need the press, with a proper sized shell holder, the dies for the selected caliber, lubrication for the cases before sizing, a priming tool (either on the press or stand-alone), a case trimmer and measuring gauge for case length and a dependable, accurate powder scale.

One of your first purchases should be a handloading manual from either a bullet or powder manufacturer, such as Hornady, Nosler or Hodgdon, or a handloading equipment manufacturer, such as RCBS. Having a book you can reference on the bench (and it should be on the bench, every time you are handloading) is the smartest move you can make and the best guarantee for safety.

Get Organized
You will need a proper place to do your handloading, away from distractions and a place you can keep organized to store your equipment and components to cut down on the confusion factor. If you do sloppy work in a sloppy place, you will get sloppy handloads that could be dangerous. Be smart, be organized and be safe.

The key to good, safe handloads is having a place where you can dependably and with precision replicate each loaded cartridge. And, of paramount importance is keeping good records of your work. Start a load diary and keep it up to date, without fail, every time you hit the bench, and keep this diary on the bench when you are working; trust nothing to memory, check twice and do it right the first time.

Understanding the Process
Once setup is complete and you have inspected your cases for flaws, lubricate a case, being careful to keep the lubrication off of the shoulder of the case and out of the primer pocket; a bit of powdered graphite in the case mouth will ease the expander ball of the die into the case neck. Run the case into the sizing die completely, and if you are priming with a primer arm on the press, prime the case as you bring it out of the size die.

Wipe off the excess lubricant and measure the resized case with your case length gauge; trim if necessary, and if trimmed, chamfer the case mouth to accept the bullet.

Once your cases are sized and primed, you may switch dies and insert the bullet seating die into the press. Weigh a powder charge for the bullet/caliber you are loading (from the load manual) and charge the case. Set the bullet seater plug to the proper depth for the cartridge you are loading, either by using a properly loaded cartridge or by trial and error, easing the bullet down into the case mouth until you reach the depth you are looking for. Then lock the seater plug in place.

Place handloads in marked containers, showing the date loaded, component brands, powder charge and bullet weight.

Editor's note, this story originally appeared in the May 20, 2013 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.


Recommended Reloading Resources

ABCs of Reloading, 9th EditionABCs of Reloading, 9th Edition
Reloading for Handgunners

Browse More Reloading Books

Handloading for the Semi-Auto Handgun

Handloading for semi-auto handguns.

Like any reloading project, building rounds for a semi-automatic pistol has its own set of challenges. Semi-autos have tight tolerances, but many of its bugaboos can be avoided by handloading for accuracy and reliability, not maximum velocity.

The first semi-auto handgun I ever owned was a Smith & Wesson Model 59, bought with my first paycheck when I took my dream job as a biologist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Back in 1978, those of us in the Wildlife Division had to provide our own sidearms (we were all commissioned officers, but only the wardens in the Law Enforcement Division were issued guns in the form of the Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver). Since I had to buy my own, I wanted something more appropriate than my Model 28 hunting revolver for daily carry. I had a good supply of surplus 9mm ammo and for that first year, every evening after work, rain or shine, I practiced with that pistol behind my barn.

As a target I used a playing card and in each session I would run through about 15 rounds from 5 to 25 yards, drawing and firing one, then two, then three shots at the different distances. In October 1979, all that practice paid off when I was attacked by a huge Saint Barnard/Labrador cross, a feral dog that surprised me deep in on National Forest land miles from the nearest road. I have no doubt that pistol saved me from a serious mauling.

Popular Calibers

The most popular semi-auto calibers have traditionally been the 9mm Luger and the Colt .45 Auto; the 9mm being the most widely chambered handgun round in the world and the .45 ACP being the cartridge against which all other semi-auto rounds are measured. There is a perennial argument over which is better for self-defense, the high-capacity 9mm or the striking power of the .45. I personally would not want to be the recipient of either one, but history has shown us time and again that torso hits with the .45 are less survivable.

Handloading the semi-auto pistol can be tricky; one must match the velocity and bullet weight to reliably work the action, while still achieving the accuracy necessary for consistent groups. This means there is a narrow window of acceptable velocities for a given bullet weight.

Couple this with using a style of bullet that will reliably feed, and we see that care must be taken when loading.

Compounding the handloader’s concerns is the nature of the extremely fast powders used for these cartridges—the difference between a reliable, accurate load and a wrecked handgun (or personal injury) may be as little as 1/10 of one grain of powder.

It’s my advice to load for reliability and accuracy and not the highest possible velocities. True, many pistols operate best near their maximum load, but approach that listed maximum with extreme care. A good chronograph can be a big help in developing these loads for this reason, as you should look for velocities with the smallest possible shot-to-shot variation.

My Load Data

In my Beretta 92FS, the Hornady 124-grain full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet on top of 5 grains of Unique delivers an average of 1,100 feet per second (fps) for 10 shots with only 4 fps difference between the highest and lowest velocities. I use Winchester brass and some of my closely guarded supply of Federal 100 primers.

With this load and pistol last year I watched my son Wade repeatedly bounce around a coffee can at 130 yards. The Hornady FMJ bullet feeds wonderfully and in more than 400 rounds I have had no malfunctions. Using a 5-grain load of Winchester WSF and this bullet has not been as consistently accurate as the Unique load, but it operates the pistol fine and seems somewhat milder, although velocity average is very close to the Unique load.

In my Colt Government 80 series (her name is Hard Candy), 7 grains of Unique under the Hornady 230-grain FMJ in Winchester cases and Federal 150 primers is my only handload. If I don’t shoot it, I’m shooting UMC factory ammunition. This pistol loves the 230-grain bullet and will not group lighter bullets worth a hoot. This load in a Smith & Wesson Model 1917 killed the biggest wild hog I have ever laid hands on—a 424-pound monster—with one shot at 15 yards. Later that same day, the fellow who owned the revolver used that load to shoot a ragged one-hole group of five shots at 40 yards.

Handloading for the semi-auto pistol can be rewarding and economically smart. Pay attention to detail, load for reliability and accuracy and see for yourself.

This article appeared in the April 22, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Choosing the Best Deer Loads

0

Best loads for deer hunting.

In the course of deer hunting over fifty years, Walt Hampton has seen a few deer get shot. Here are his best deer loads.

Any centerfire rifle caliber will kill a deer with the right shot placement but the vast majority of deer hunters use calibers between .243 and .30/06, inclusive, for deer hunting. But are these the best deer loads?

The exceptions, notably the cast bullet crowd, seem to like the diameters that start at .30” and go on up, over the smaller diameters.

Once I settle on a caliber for deer hunting I turn next to the bullet; style, weight, construction and so forth for the circumstances I expect to encounter on the hunt, such as anticipated maximum range or the deer themselves.

If I am to be sitting in a tree stand over a bean field in coastal North Carolina where the deer are small in body size, the 6mm Remington with 85-grain bullets may get the nod, as opposed to sneaking through the beech and rhododendron thickets on the north side of Buck Mountain where the range is short and the deer heavy, where the .30/30 170-grain or 240-grain .44 Magnum may be what the doctor ordered.

Of course the deer have a way of throwing a monkey wrench into the works; last year while sitting where I could watch a deep canyon on top of Buck Mountain, armed with my .300 Winchester Magnum and 165-grain Partitions expecting a long shot, a doe ran in on me and stopped at the ridiculous distance of 10 yards. With a snap shot I killed the deer but it was like swatting a fly with a cinder block.

Best caliber for deer.I currently handload for 16 rifle cartridges and there is not enough room in one column to list my favorite loads for all of them, and there are just as many good deer loads as there are hunters, guns or calibers, all dependent on what shoots best in the gun in question.

The handloader/deer hunter must find the combination of components that provides acceptable accuracy in his gun, with the bullet weight and construction that will get the job done at the maximum range he may encounter.  The market is fat with so-called “best deer loads” of various weights in most calibers; it takes experimentation with your chosen rifle to narrow the possibilities. Once you have settled on a caliber and bullet weight start your load experimentation with accuracy in mind; you can’t kill a deer if you don’t hit it.

Last year I carried my .300 Winchester Magnum for most of my hunting during regular firearms season, since I anticipated sitting on top of Buck Mountain where the range can be long and since my knee was giving me trouble.

This year the knee is better and it is my intention to get into the rough, thick, big-timber hollows for some sneak and peek hunting, where the maximum range will be around 150 yards; I’ve been tuning up the bolt action 6mm Remington, the .30/30 combination gun and the .45/70 single shot with this in mind.

The 6mm will do the job beyond this distance, but with 85 or 87-grain hollow points it is so accurate and shoots so flat that with a good rest it makes putting a bullet through little holes in the brush and into does a good possibility.

I’m a meat hunter (if God wants me to kill a big buck, he’ll trot one by) so I want to put venison in the freezer as efficiently and humanely as possible; the only way I know to do that is to put together a gun and load combination that fits my individual needs and hunting circumstances.

Use common sense when putting together your best deer loads; common sense may be the most lethal weapon a deer hunter can possess.

This article is excerpted from the 2013 Gun Digest Shooter's Guide.

Dilemmas in Choosing Best Double-Barrel Shotgun

Over-under shotgun or side-by-side? Deciding which is right for you can be a double-barrel dilemma.
Over-under shotgun or side-by-side? Deciding which is right for you can be a double-barrel dilemma.

Over-under and side-by-side shotguns might appear similar, but there is a wold of difference between the best double-barrel shotguns when breaking clay or wing shooting.

When choosing the best double-barrel shotgun, it’s important to shoot both side-by-side and over-and-under models to get an honest feel for how each one performs. The differences in shooting the two styles are profound. I have seen fellows that never missed with one model, but when using the other, they couldn't hit the barn if they were standing inside of it.

Since I started with a side-by-side, I unintentionally taught myself to use the outside of the muzzles on each side of the bead to calculate my lead on flying targets. After many years of side-by-side shooting, it was difficult to transition to the stack-barrel gun because of this. Also, the over-and-under—at least for me—swung much faster than the side-by-side. I had to make a conscious effort to slow down on crossing shots, or I would shoot too far ahead.

On older side-by-side guns, the tighter choke was traditionally found in the left barrel. If there was a barrel selector on the gun or if it had two triggers then that wasn't a problem. However, if the gun had a single trigger and no selector, it usually fired the open choke barrel first. That could be a problem if you needed a tighter choke for the first shot on a turkey at 40 yards or a fox squirrel at the top of a tall oak.

Interchangeable choke tubes helped, but you see the dilemma; if you select a two-barrel gun, spend the extra money and get the barrel selector or double triggers. Fortunately, virtually every modern model comes that way, so this is largely a concern if buying a second-hand gun.

Making a gun with two barrels shoot to the same point of impact for both at 40 yards is a heck of a lot more difficult than you might think, and this is the reason two-barrel guns tend to cost more than other shotguns. If done properly, a double is an absolute joy for hunting or clay birds, but if done poorly, what you have is a heavy single shot.

The best double guns are hand-regulated, which can put their cost into orbit; unfortunately, this is one reason we do not see any American-made utility side-by-side double guns any more. It can also be particularly frustrating to get both barrels on some imported over/unders with interchangeable choke tubes to hit in the exact same spot, too, but those marketed by Browning, Winchester and Beretta have given me consistent results. I've got an over-and-under CZ Canvasback in 20-gauge that shows promise, but with certain chokes it wants to pattern low or left.

The joy of wingshooting with the right double-barrel shotgun can be unparalleled.
The joy of wing shooting with the right double-barrel shotgun can be unparalleled.

There are scads of good used two-barrel guns on the market, either stack-barrel or side-by-side, and some can be had for a much better deal than you might think.

Because of its balance, narrower grip and single-aiming plane, over-and-unders are definitely much more popular—and available—today among sporting clay enthusiasts and bird hunters. But don’t discount a good side-by-side if you find one as these guns enjoy a great traditional look and help shooters control their swing. A model with dual triggers can actually be an advantage over models with a barrel selector when hunting as the hunter can more quickly pull the trigger for the barrel with the best suited choke.

The choice of which one works best for you is ultimately yours. Treat yourself to some old-school shotgunning and see why these guns once ruled the field and marsh—and still deserve their rightful place in them even today.

Additional Best Double-Barrel Shotgun Considerations

A well-balanced shotgun is a joy to shoot; certainly here the old adage holds true that shotgun fit is the most important aspect of accurate shooting.

A double that fits the shooter in pull length and drop (both at comb and heel) will make those hits on flying targets seem easy. I like the balance point between the hands, but some shooters like a little more weight up front.

The Ruger Red Label is like the latter and a bit more difficult for me to shoot, but it is a fine stack-barrel gun and is extremely reliable and rugged. I also like shorter barrels. In the over-and-under, the 26-inch length is my favorite, but the most popular seem to be the 28-inch guns. Oddly, when shooting a side-by-side, I prefer 28-inch barrels.

With both types, I like a pistol-grip stock and enough forend to get enough grip.

This article appeared in the February 11, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Guns are Portals into History

For an inanimate object, a gun can be one hell of a storehouse of memories.

Guns are Portals into History
Guns can take you back in history like few others.

A gun with proper care can last several lifetimes and during those years as it is passed between family members or friends and is touched or used by various people it becomes woven into the fabric of our lives.  This is the one reason I encourage every “gun person” I know to jot down their recollections so they may be passed on to other hunters that may follow them, that may one day use that gun for their own pleasure.

I guess this is the reason I like old guns so much; I can't help it, but every time I pick up a well-worn and hard-used rifle or shotgun I get the feeling that someone is looking over my shoulder, trying to tell me about the times that they and this piece of wood and steel spent together.  I bought some junky old rifles and shotguns because of this; seeing more than the dollar value in their worn stocks and faded bluing.

There is a pitted, scratched, dented, and loose double-barrel Colt 12 bore in my safe and I see it riding on the wagon seat through a sea of tall-grass prairie. Its worn walnut stock is bloodied from the prairie chickens that blotted out the sun when they rose. Its graceful and blueless hammers worn blisters on a father's thumbs as he used it to feed and protect his children.  The wrist of the stock is wrapped with leather now. It is brittle with age and the head of a hand-made nail shows in the center of the old repair.

It is too precious to replace with another gun or the only one its owner could afford. The gun speaks of a time when things bought were expected to last.

Next to it is the 1893 Marlin, built in a time when farm kids couldn't name the president but knew the names of Marlin, Winchester and Remington. It was a time when guns and hunting were an accepted, normal part of the world.  It came in a trade from up north. Did someone once see a bull moose in Maine or a heavy Adirondack buck over its graceful octagon barrel?  Did it wear a leather scabbard as it rode secure between a lathered horse and its owner's leg?  Did it cross the Ausable and hear the howl of wolves?

There are two single-shot shotguns, still tight at the breech but that's the best part of them. Their stocks are cracked and gouged, their bluing gone gray, there are dents and dings in the brown barrels, and the beads are missing.  They are 16 gauges; the Cherokee with its 30-inch tube and the Champion with its 28, both choked full. I touch them and can hear the hounds pushing the deer through the myrtle and honeysuckle and see the squirrels on limbs draped with Spanish moss.  The hammer spur on the Ivor Johnson is broken off short and I can see a 10-year-old headed to the woodshed for that.  I see paper shells and gun oil and the smell of the swamp at sunrise.

There is the 1897 16 gauge, unfinished with bare wood and metal. The grooves in the forend are worn slick from three brothers and thousands of pumps as New River ducks smacked the ice and the flushing grouse of Buck Mountain ended in clouds of feathers.  It brings memories of sweet yellow hickory leaves and countless Appalachian Mountain sunrises and sunsets. The wrist of the stock is soaked black with gun oil and a faded canvas coat cushioned the receiver on the shoulder.

The Springfield '06, still green and brown, brought back from war and shifted from man killer to deer killer when the radio was the newest technology and electric lines were looked upon in awe.  Still glass-slick and fine-sighted, the bolt knob is polished with palm sweat and the wood will still turn back the snow.  It made a trip to Alaska and back and still has Teton dirt under the butt plate.

Then there are my family guns: my father traded his 1911 war pistol for a Remington .22. The barrel was shot smooth as I was taught the sight picture and to love the fall.

The Stevens .410 was bought at Matthews Hardware in Galax, Virginia for $25 and included a brown paper bag with ten red Winchester shells in it. It was carried by the proudest 10-year old in the world and it taught my sons to hunt as it taught me.

There is the beat-up, cut-down, five-times refinished Remington .308 that killed three first deer and hundreds more.  There is the Stevens double-barrel 20 that dropped the only bird old Roy ever retrieved. The Arisaka was picked up in Saipan and reminded a mountain boy how good home really was. The crown jewel was the homemade 20-gauge percussion gun with a hardware store lock, gas-pipe barrel and hand-carved poplar stock dad and his brothers made and used in the '20s to shoot muskrats.

Write down your memories of your guns.  They are Americana at its finest, the tools that separate us from the rest of the entire human world.  Somewhere along the line someone will thank you for it. Now, thank you and God bless you, Sgt. Alex D., who today is headed to Afghanistan with his Special Forces team.  We love you and pray for you and your brothers; whatever it takes, come home to us. Buck Mountain, and a few good guns, are waiting for you.


Ultimate Collectible Firearms Value Pack

Ultimate Collectible Firearms Value PackRetail: $140.96
Your price: $84.99
You save: $55.97 (40%)

If you're serious about making the most of every opportunity you have to buy or sell a collectible firearm, then the Ultimate Collectible Firearms Value Pack is for you. In this single package you get four of the most popular firearms references, each providing valuable details, pricing, and photographs of collectible firearms.

From the comprehensive descriptions and listings of the Standard Catalogs, to the meticulous production information in Flayderman's, this bundle is the perfect go-to reference library.

Click here to get the Ultimate Collectible Firearms Value Pack.

Gun Collecting Tips: 4 Factors that Affect Ammunition Performance

Gun Collecting Tips: Factors that Affect Ammunition Performance
The quality of the ammunition, moisture, altitude and temperature can affect performance.

A round that doesn’t go bang like it is supposed to can define heartbreak and disappointment for any operator, but it's especially true for gun collectors. Operable firearms are the crux of many collections. And that starts with good ammunition performance.

Here are four factors that affect ammunition performance. 

1) The quality of the ammunition in the first place. Whatever we start with, it must be in the best possible condition.

2) Moisture. It's the big fish in the list of ammunition enemies. Any hunter could fill gun collectors in on this critical concept. Duck hunters can tell you of hunts gone to heck because he left his shells in a bucket stool overnight or allowed them to be splashed or sat on by a dripping retriever.

Rifle ammunition can be ruined just as quickly. Left in a hunting coat pocket after a foul-weather hunt, and then taken from a warm house into the frigid woods and then back again, these mistreated rounds can slurp up enough moisture in the form of condensation – even a tiny drop –to render them inert.

3) Altitude. This is something many gun collectors disregard when it comes to ammo performance. We all know that changes in atmospheric pressure can change external ballistics, but to what degree is the question. When I lived in Gloucester, Virginia, elevation 12 feet above sea level, and used ammunition for hunting, then took that ammunition to Buck Mountain, nearly 5,000 feet higher, the bullets did some amazing things on the target range.

Suddenly my groups were significantly higher above zero with some calibers and loads. At the higher elevation, the decreased pressure and thinner atmosphere acted to reduce drag and change the trajectory. I attempted to determine if there were any velocity changes by taking chronograph readings at sea level and at the higher elevation using 10-shot strings of four different calibers both at the muzzle and at 200 yards.

What I found was that initial velocities were virtually the same but the 200-yard readings were statistically different, with the higher elevation numbers coming in faster than those shot at sea level. The larger caliber, heavier bullets seemed to suffer more than the lighter bullets of smaller diameter, but both (.35 Whelen, 250-grain Hornady and 6mm Remington 87-grain Hornady) showed percent velocity changes that could be measured. All tested ammunition retained more velocity at higher elevation than that which was measured at low elevation.

So, gun collectors at sea level or thereabouts who plan to shoot above 10,000 feet need to check their zeros when they get to their destinations.

4) Temperature. It’s common sense that ammunition is temperature-sensitive. Ammunition left to bake on the dashboard can reach temperatures approaching 120 degrees in a closed car or truck. Ammunition left in the car on a frigid night can assume air temperature. If that temperature is low enough it can surely cause changes to ignition and pressure.

Going back and forth between high and low temperature extremes will, as mentioned, cause condensation to occur within the cartridge case. Here you have to use your best judgment. If you store your ammo over long periods of time do your best to keep the temperature of storage constant.

And remember, gun collectors, if one round is bad, chances are others in that bunch are likewise affected. Be smart, care for your ammo and it will consistently get the job done.

Performance Handloading: Handloading Sensitivity

Before you get the idea that an article about sensitivity should be aired on Oprah, let me say two things:

Performance handloading and reloading
Several environmental factors can affect the performance of handloads.

1) Ammunition can be sensitive to a lot of environmental factors.

2) No one I know cares in the least what Oprah and her friends think on this subject or any other.

We handloaders, especially those of us that use those handloads for hunting, expect a great deal from our ammunition. We expect our firearms to function with this ammunition in a wide variety of conditions, we expect it to be consistent in accuracy under widely different temperature and altitude situations and we expect it to hold up to the neglect of poor storage and handling.

It is easy to forget, in the warm and calm handloading room, that we may be depending on that cartridge on some wind- and snow-swept ridge, soaking wet or so cold the brass sticks to the fingers, or near the equator where day and night temperatures may vary by 50 degrees and condensation forms so fast gunmetal will rust right before your eyes.

For me, a round that doesn’t go bang when it is supposed to can define heartbreak and disappointment. There are enough duds in the world and we don't need to be making more of them.

When we handload we must start with quality components.  This is not to say that surplus brass is to be ignored, or that bulk bullets are a bad thing (they most certainly are not) but whatever we start with, it must be in the best possible condition.

This means components must be clean and inspected and primers and powders must come from proper storage. My system is about as simple as it gets: if I have any doubt about a component, it gets cut from the roster.

For lead bullets, it's easy; they go back in the pot for the next casting. For cases, they must be segregated by brand and within brand by the number of times fired. For my hunting I do not use cases that have been loaded and fired more than three times; the older cases are used for practice rounds.

Powder and primers are usually not a problem; both are used up pretty quickly and not stored for long periods of time. The point is to start right and so you will be glad later.

Moisture is the big fish in the list of ammunition enemies. Any duck hunter can tell you of hunts gone to hell because he left his shells in a bucket stool overnight or allowed them to be splashed or sat on by a dripping retriever.

Rifle ammunition can be ruined just as quickly. Left in a hunting coat pocket after a foul-weather hunt, and then taken from a warm house into the frigid woods and then back again, these mistreated rounds can slurp up enough moisture in the form of condensation – even a tiny drop –to render them inert.

The area around the primer is most often the culprit but banded bullets can also create a space between bullet and case neck that will hold enough dampness to ruin your day. A hang fire can be worse than a misfire and either can come from moisture getting into your ammo.

Altitude is something most hunters ignore when it comes to ammo performance. We all know that changes in atmospheric pressure can change external ballistics, but to what degree is the question. When I lived in Gloucester, Virginia, elevation 12 feet above sea level, and loaded ammunition for hunting, then took that ammunition to Buck Mountain, nearly 5,000 feet higher, the bullets did some amazing things on the target range.

Suddenly my groups were significantly higher above zero with some calibers and loads. At the higher elevation, the decreased pressure and thinner atmosphere acted to reduce drag and change the trajectory. I attempted to determine if there were any velocity changes by taking chronograph readings at sea level and at the higher elevation using 10-shot strings of four different calibers both at the muzzle and at 200 yards.

What I found was that initial velocities were virtually the same but the 200-yard readings were statistically different, with the higher elevation numbers coming in faster than those shot at sea level. The larger caliber, heavier bullets seemed to suffer more than the lighter bullets of smaller diameter, but both (.35 Whelen, 250-grain Hornady and 6mm Remington 87-grain Hornady) showed percent velocity changes that could be measured. All tested ammunition retained more velocity at higher elevation than that which was measured at low elevation.

So, if you live at sea level or thereabouts and plan to hunt the Colorado high country above 10,000 feet you need to check your zero when you get to your hunting destination.

It’s common sense that ammunition is temperature-sensitive. Ammunition left to bake on the dashboard can reach temperatures approaching 120 degrees in a closed car or truck. Ammunition left in the car on a frigid night can assume air temperature. If that temperature is low enough it can surely cause changes to ignition and pressure.

Going back and forth between high and low temperature extremes will, as mentioned, cause condensation to occur within the cartridge case. Here you have to use your best judgment and care with your hard-earned handloads. If you store your ammo over long periods of time do your best to keep the temperature of storage constant.

And remember, if one round is bad, chances are others in that bunch are likewise affected. Be smart, care for your ammo and it will consistently get the job done.


ultimat-reloading

Reloading Ultimate Collection

Whether you choose to reload because it's a more cost-effective alternative, or you're interested in creating custom ammunition, it's important to know what you're doing. Done incorrectly, handloading can be risky, but with the appropriate tools, equipment, and techniques, it can be a more than viable alternative to purchasing manufactured ammunition. With the Reloading Ultimate Collection, discover the best practices for reloading ammo for rifles, handguns, and shotguns. Load up now

What’s New in Handloading

Handloading has taken on a life of its own.  In our modern world we now have more and better factory ammunition available to the shooter than ever before; at the same time more shooters are turning to making their own ammunition than any other time since World War II.

The reasons are many; economics, personal satisfaction and performance are the big three.  I started handloading in 1970 as a way to cheaply shoot more and it grew from there to a pursuit of better performance in my own guns.  As time passed I picked up rifles that were chambered for cartridges that no longer were manufactured, breathing life into some fine old guns that without handloading would have never seen the field again.  I suspect many of you reading this have similar stories.

The pace of technology has picked up to the point where it is almost impossible to keep up with the innovations in ammunition and components.  Take bullets for example: when I started handloading there were (not counting cast lead slugs or products from ammunition companies that offered a limited number of their bullets for sale) four major manufacturers of component bullets in this country and a handful of small, private bullet makers.

The bullet choices before the shooter in those days boiled down to 1) spitzer; 2) round nose; 3) partition and 4) varmint and the handloader had to “make do” with what was available.  In a classic example of demand driving supply, we now have a vast array of component bullets, whose technological advances have given us velocity-specific projectiles for an array of shooting from precision target and varmint applications to game of all sizes.

Lead, long the core material of choice for bullets, has now been challenged by other alloys or combinations of alloys to give us a nearly infinite choice in projectile types and applications.  Instead of having, as we did in the old days, a “deer” bullet, we now have a choice of coated, boat tail, hollow point, solid copper, interlock, premium, fusion, bonded, hot core, high, medium and low velocity, polymer tipped, bronze tipped, silver tipped; the list goes on and on.  Wonderfully confusing, I admit, but wonderful none the less.

The rebirth of short, fat cartridges and mega-capacity magnum chamberings has fed the fire.  Powders are being used now in ammunition manufacture that can produce higher velocity and lower pressure than what we have assumed would always be the standard in cases of like capacity.  In my experience the release to the public of these new powder innovations has been slow, not that our standby and well know powder types are inadequate, but I think we all would like to experiment with some of these new propellants that are making some factory ammunition “better than ever”.

We all have been worried about the prices of components and their availability; not too long ago we suffered through a shortage on primers, cases and powders of certain types and whether these shortages were real or manufactured remains to be seen.  With the current political situation that began in November of 2008 many people that had before never dreamed of owning a firearm became gun owners and many shooters that had never considered handloading got into the program.

These are good things from my point of view; even with all the other insanity that has come out of Washington since the last presidential election I really don’t believe that those in power would now dare to make a serious effort to tear down our firearms rights, given the recent court decisions on the second amendment and the attention 100 million firearms owners could bring to political campaigns.  However, vigilance is the key to freedom and we all need to keep an eye on the politicians, who seem to want to do stupid things when they get bored.

Little changes in manufacturing regulation can have big impacts on our pastime and thank heaven for the NRA, the NSSF, the GOA and other groups for keeping an eye on things in Washington.  If you are into shooting and handloading then you need to get engaged in the political process; never in our history has our involvement been more important.

Favorite Handloads for Deer

0
Deer season means it’s time to load a few favorite cartridges. What will this year’s lethal load be for you?
Deer season means it’s time to load a few favorite cartridges. What will this year’s lethal load be for you?

Today we’re going to hit some of my favorite loads for deer rifles. Please, assume the loads listed are MAXIMUM and remember to start your experimentation below the loads listed on the following page, they were safe in my rifles but since we have no control over your loading technique we can assume no liability for your handloading.

I have not listed loads for several calibers that I have used for deer, simply because they are “specialty” loads, that is, loads for calibers I carry in guns that are capable of double duty for small game and deer if the shooter is up to it, meaning the loads/rifles must be used only in exceptional circumstances when certain shots at certain ranges present themselves. I am not going to recommend that the average shooter use the .38 Special as a deer round, but I know that if I’m using my low-wall during deer season trying to get a few squirrels for the pot and a deer gives me the right shot at the right range, I have no qualms about using the caliber on it. I’ve seen me do it.

Likewise, the load listed for the .45/70 will work in most any replica or original gun, it is very mild pressure-wise, and will prove to any reasonable shooter that it is adequate for any deer up to 100 yards with the right placement of the shot. Adequate, indeed, for just about anything that walks the earth if the shooter is cool and takes the proper shot; no, it would not be my first choice for grizzly, but if pressed I believe it would kill the biggest one on earth at close range with the bullet in the right spot.

There are other .45/70 loads for more modern rifles at more than twice the pressure of the one listed but I know that this load will kill any deer with a reasonable hit under 100 yards every time. If you don’t think it powerful enough, try shooting it at a target on a six-inch by six-inch treated wood post or the telephone pole of your choice; I don’t think there walks a deer that can stop it!

We can argue all day about what is the best deer caliber and my feelings have always been that the best deer caliber is the one you can shoot with confidence, loaded with a bullet made for deer at the velocity of your round at the range of your shot.

High-velocity, rapid or controlled expansion, pointed, flat, round nose, big diameter or small, none of it matters a bit if the bullet does not go into the right spot. Our choice of caliber and bullet should be circumstance-driven; for the youngster, under 100 yards (remember that over 90 percent of all deer are killed under 100 yards) a shootable round like the .30/30, .357 or .44 Magnums, .243, 6mm, 7×57, .260 Remington or 7-08 will do fine, if the kid can place the bullet with confidence.

Ammo: Long-Term Storage Tips

It pays tp store your ammo right. Gun Digest ammo storage tips.
“I do not recommend removing powder from the original packing cans but storing these cans in a wooden cabinet where the temperature and humidity are regulated will guarantee usable and reliable powder for long periods of time.”

We’ve seen prices on ammo and components rise, supply shrink, and the ever-present threat of some type of government clamp-down on firearms-related products; serious shooters, hunters and ordinary gun-owning citizens need to protect their stocks of these items.  With the current political situation in mind, here are a few tips for keeping your handloads and other ammunition safe and reliable.

I am not an alarmist nor do I consider myself paranoid but with all the political insanity that is coming out of Washington I can’t see the liberals holding off on the gun issue much longer, certainly they are mad after the recent court decision on the Chicago gun ban.  Actually I’m surprised, given the government-sponsored multi-faceted attack on individual and states’ rights, that some form of attack on firearms ownership has not taken place already.  With the administration holding the door open in the Southwest for illegal immigration and given the number of weapons caches uncovered in the Arizona desert, I think it might be a good idea to get the house in order.

Modern primers and gun powder, if properly stored, have a nearly infinite shelf life.  Indeed, even the older smokeless powders and black powder can last centuries and still be perfectly usable if they have been stored with care.  I have some DuPont black powder made in 1920 that is still as potent and reliable as it was the day it was packaged and some factory ammunition from the very first days of smokeless powder that will still perform.  These items have been stored with the three watchwords of care; cool, dry and dark.

By cool we mean stable temperature in the 50 to 80 degree range.  Extreme high temperature can cause the deterioration of gun powders over long exposure; we’ve seen it time and again, ammo left on the dashboard and heated to extreme temperatures or frozen and re-heated.  The gun won’t work without ammunition; find a place in the home where the temperature is stabilized and you have a good start on proper storage.

“Keep your powder dry” is a phrase all shooters have heard and comes from the days when flintlock firearms ruled the field; it is just as important today as it was 200 years ago.  Temperature swings from very low to high and back again causes condensation within modern brass-cased cartridges and renders ammunition inert.  It doesn’t take much moisture to ruin a primer (duck hunters know this) and this is one reason I usually don’t recommend the basement for ammo storage, unless some type of dehumidifier is present to balance the humidity.

Not too long ago Ralph Catron and I bought some components and loaded ammunition from a lady who had stored her deceased husband’s firearms related equipment in her basement.  The brass and pulled bullets were about all we were able to salvage.  Ammo or powder cans that have neoprene seals work well to keep moisture at bay for storing loaded ammo; I do not recommend removing powder from the original packing cans but storing these cans in a wooden cabinet where the temperature and humidity are regulated will guarantee usable and reliable powder for long periods of time.

While the sun is the engine that drives all life it can be the worst enemy of ammunition and gunpowder by virtue of its heating ability.  I keep my ammunition in cabinets away from sun exposure for this reason.  For obvious reasons don’t leave your ammo on the dashboard of the truck and if you have a window in your handloading room make sure the sun doesn’t settle on your supply of powder and primers while you’re away.  Don’t discount the heating power of the sun; I have the sunburn (smallmouth trip on New River last weekend) to prove it.

There is always some noise about long term storage of ammunition (and firearms) against some perceived insurrection or lawlessness and now there are on the market several storage options for those that wish to bury the evidence, so to speak, from simple cache tubes made of PVC or aluminum to sophisticated air-tight lockers that can be purged of air and pumped full of dry nitrogen.

A little common sense can go a long way in this regard; I’m reminded of the Confederate command that stored a few hundred muskets in caves in Southwest Virginia, a damp and gunmetal-unfriendly environment, for future use that were lost and later discovered in the early 1940’s, still operational and indeed in wonderful condition.  The guns were heavily greased before storage, metal and wood, and stored in wooden barrels sealed with a mixture of wax and tallow.  Gunpowder kegs had been stored within larger wooden barrels, also sealed with the wax/tallow, and the outside of the kegs themselves had been coated with the wax/tallow mixture.  The powder was just as good as the day it was stored.

If you are going to put your ammunition away for a period of time look into the military surplus ammo cans with the neoprene seal rings, these work great if they are kept in a dry environment and protected from sudden swings in temperature.  The military powder cans that have the same rubber seal rings (I use one to store my turkey calls) also work great, but don’t hold a heck of a lot.

I still like the good old heavy wooden cabinet, with proper locks, for ammo storage and for Pete’s sake, make sure you label your ammo when you put it away.  If you’re like me, the memory isn’t what it used to be; and if you decide to bury your guns and ammo, just send me the map, I’ll look after it for you.

Loads for the Military Bring-Backs

Mauser
Is a Mauser in your future? Soldiers returning home from WWII brought with them many rifles that found their way into the sporting mainstream and popularized the 8×57 cartridge.

I do not load for either of them but do load for the 6.5×57, a common rechamber on the Japanese round, and the 8mm-06, the most common early rechamber of the Mauser, so I consulted a couple of friends on their favorite loads for each of the originals. Our discussions taught me a thing or two that may have interest for the reader.

When WWII was over, returning vets brought home with them many rifles of the conquered nations and these found their way into the sporting mainstream, as evidenced by the American ammunition companies bringing out soft-point loads for the captured rifles.

In the 1960s, most ammunition retailers, if they had any inventory at all, had right up there with the .30-06 and .270 fodder, boxes of 8×57 Mauser ammo. The 8×57 in the .323” bore is a fine killer on deer and elk, closely comparable to the well-known .30-06 in power and trajectory, the 1934 military round driving a 197-grain full metal jacket bullet in the 2600 fps neighborhood.

Using currently available modern .323” diameter soft point spitzer bullets of 125, 150, 170, 175, 180, 200 and 220 grains, the 8×57 can offer the handloader a wide variety of options for game and target shooting. Most of the 8mm Mauser handloaders I know started with the 150-grain bullet at about 2850 fps for their whitetail hunting, using 46 grains of IMR 4064 and a standard large rifle primer.

While in Alaska in 1999 I met a middle-aged fellow from Denmark that carried a wonderful Oberndorf sporter chambered for the 8×57, in which he used the 200-grain Nosler Partition and 45 grains of IMR4064 at about 2600 fps to take his caribou. He told me that he had used the same load to take European moose and brown bear.

Closer to home my old friend Eric Yates used the 125-grain Hornady and 53 grains of H4895 in his 98K short rifle on everything, from groundhogs to deer. This load, which I have fired in his rifle, was very pleasant to shoot and very accurate in the sporterized gun and developed around 3100 fps in the cut-off 22-inch military barrel.

Reloading Manual
A good reloading manual will give you a starting point to work on loads for you classic gun. It is best to start light and work your way up to find the best load.

Never embraced by the American shooting public because of the overbearing popularity of the .30-06, the 8×57 is a very usable and efficient cartridge that deserves better than it got.

In 2004 Remington manufactured what I believe is the only American rifle ever factory chambered for the 8×57, the 700 Classic limited edition. I have heard that a few Model 54 Winchester guns were chambered for the Mauser round but I have never seen one. I’d be interested in hearing about them if you readers know of any, so send me an email!

The 6.5×50 Arisaka military round pushed a 139-grain bullet along at 2500 fps from the long 32-inch barrel of the Japanese battle rifle and it was a deadly combination, as our Pacific Theater soldiers found out. Except for some very late-war “last ditch” rifles the Arisaka action is extremely strong and reliable and many were used as the basis for ugly, but very serviceable sporting rifles. With its small powder capacity the round is very pleasant to shoot and with the long 6.5mm bullets of proper construction it defines the term “penetration.”

Using the Nosler 100-grain Partition and a listed maximum load of 37 grains of H4895, you’ll get 2700 fps through a 22-inch barrel. This is a very accurate load used by two friends in cut-off and sporterized military rifles, and a deadly combination on our Virginia whitetails (as with any of these suggested loads, please back off five grains to start your load development and work up carefully from there).

For a bit more penetration and striking energy the use of 38 grains of H380 with the 140-grain Nosler Partition can be a very effective short-range load (200 yards and less) for black bear and elk in the timber, the light recoil and low noise level coupled with superb accuracy making this a very “shootable” round. In a light, short mountain rifle the 6.5×50 can be a neat, efficient short to medium range cartridge. While more powerful loadings such as the .260 Remington and the 6.5×55 out-perform it in terms of velocity and energy, I wouldn’t throw away a solid Arisaka just because it’s a bit on the slow side. The 6.5×50 may be the most pleasant rifle I’ve ever fired above .22 centerfire from the bench.

Cartridges of the World
Trusted by Shooters for More Than 40 Years.
Gun Digest
This article appeared in the April 12, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to learn more. Click here to load up on a subscription.

The last time I checked Norma was still putting 6.5×50 ammo on the American market and brass is also available from several sources. There are at least eight makes of 8×57 on the market, in various bullet weights, and if you can’t find brass you can always run .30-06 cases through a 8×57 full-length size die and trim them back to 2.240”.
Good, shootable Mausers can still be had for less than half what a current production sporting rifle costs and the Japanese rifles, while not plentiful, are out there and very inexpensive. For a shooter or hunter looking for an accurate, dependable and fun-to-shoot rifle, these two are hard to beat. GDTM

Visit the author at www.buckmountainrifleworks.com or write him at walt@buckmountainrifleworks.com.

To learn more about great old cartridges, check out Cartridges of the World, please visit www.gundigeststore.com.

To Build a Rifle, Part II


This rifle started with an inexpensive Mauser action, a  Douglas barrel, a nice piece of eastern black walnut.  The money the  client saved on components allowed him to buy Talley mounts and a good  Zeiss scope.  It is a .30-06.

The Stock

The cheapest way to go, generally, is to use an aftermarket synthetic stock for you project and glass-bed your barreled action into it.

Prices range from as low as $100 for the discount-house stuff to several times that for a stock from the “name” makers. You can paint the stock to your preference or use it “as is”.

Gunsmithing CD with Patrick Sweeney: Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns and Rifles
Gunsmithing CD with Patrick Sweeney: Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns and Rifles. Order Now

For wood you can spend as much as you like; to many folks the stock “makes” the gun and I have to confess I am one of those people, I prefer wood, even though I do have a couple of synthetic stocked rifles.

You don’t need an exhibition piece of wood to make a beautiful stock and if you buy a turned, semi-finished stock you can fit and finish it yourself and save a lot of cash, not only on the work but also it might make a higher grade of wood available to you money-wise than buying a finished product.

Finishing kits are available from several makers like Birchwood Casey and with a “take your time” attitude you can get a wonderful end-product. Eye-candy wood is nice but layout is more important, making sure the stock is laid out to take advantage of the natural grain flow for strength.

Fancy wood usually has some type of flaw somewhere; crotch and feather figure, burl and fiddleback all come from stresses inflicted on the tree while it grows.

If you have chosen a hard-recoiling caliber get dry, dense, tight-grained wood that will withstand the pounding. An ultra-fancy stock isn’t much good if it’s cracked.

Purists notwithstanding, I recommend glass bedding wood gunstocks. Accessories like sling swivel studs, grip caps, forend tips and recoil pads can add a good bit to the bottom line but if you’re prudent and acquire the parts over time your custom gun project can be a rewarding and fun enterprise.

Having a rifle that is a product of your imagination and fits you is truly a wonderful thing.

Walt Hampton is a professional gunsmith and writer from Virginia. He and his son Wade operate Buck Mountain Rifle Works, manufacturing semi-finished gun stocks and building custom rifles on order. Visit his website at www.buckmountainrifleworks.com or write him at walt@buckmountainrifleworks.com.

Gun Parts – Courtesy of Brownells

Rifle Parts

Shotgun Parts
Handgun Parts
Magazines
Shooting Accessories
Gunsmith Tools and Supplies
Optics and Mounting
Gun Cleaning & Chemicals
Books & Videos

Build Yourself a Rifle – Part I

This rifle started with an inexpensive Mauser action, a Douglas barrel, a nice piece of eastern black walnut.  The money the client saved on components allowed him to buy Talley mounts and a good Zeiss scope. It is a .30-06.
This rifle started with an inexpensive Mauser action, a Douglas barrel, a nice piece of eastern black walnut.  The money the client saved on components allowed him to buy Talley mounts and a good Zeiss scope.  It is a .30-06.

We build custom rifles based on the customer’s wishes and pocketbook.  We try to find out just what the client is trying to accomplish and tune the order to meet those needs.

Sometimes it is better to recommend that the client does some of the work himself; the satisfaction factor is pretty big on a gun that is a “partnership” between gunsmith and owner.  If you’ve never had a rifle built here are a few tips that might save you some headaches and keep some of that stimulus money in your pocket.  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that one.)

THE ACTION

The centerpiece of any rifle is the action.  If you have in mind what you want in terms of make and model, you can save a bunch of money right off the bat if you use an action you already have, as in from another rifle.

Download the Digital Gunsmithing: Rifles
Download the Digital Edition of Gunsmithing: Rifles by Patrick Sweeney. PDF Format. Download Now.

We do this for clients all the time; if the bolt face diameter and cartridge length is the same for the new caliber as the old the change-over is simple.  You can’t make a .223-sized action work for a 30/06 without major metalwork, but if the new caliber is compatible with the size of the action you’re on the way.

A standard .30/06 length action can be used for dozens of calibers, even those .308-length if a magazine cut-off is used and if the rim diameter is the same.  Getting an action the right size for your intended cartridge is always better than modifying an action to fit the round.

Good Mauser actions abound, as do 700 Remingtons, 70 Winchesters, and 77 Rugers.  The more modern actions of American manufacture can be had in various sizes for different classes of cartridges.  Modern actions usually have been drilled and tapped for scope bases and usually have serviceable triggers and safeties.  This will also save money on the semi-custom gun.

THE BARREL

Barrel blanks can be ridiculously expensive or downright cheap.  Good, accurate and serviceable barrels can be had from a dozen manufacturers, the choice is yours to make based on your budget and needs.  We’ve used about all of them and only once have ever seen a “bad” barrel, one that was actually too rough down the hole to shoot accurately.  If you stick with a known brand like Shilen, Douglas, Hart, or any of the other “name” brands I doubt you will be disappointed.

Thin, lightweight barrels can be finicky and harder to find the proper load for than standard or heavy tubes.  You should decide what bullet weight you intend to shoot in the gun and choose the twist accordingly, this is a decision that is very important.  For instance, if you choose the .223 Remington caliber and want to shoot the newer heavy bullets over 55 grains get the fast twist tube, not the slow 1:12 of the old days.

I have a .223 that we built for groundhogs and 50 grain hollowpoints and with its 1:14 twist it will keyhole any bullets over 55 grains, splattering them all over the target at 100 yards.  You can expect to pay from $250 to $400 to have a barrel threaded and chambered and fit to an action and this does not include bluing (if necessary) or drilling and tapping for sights.

Walt Hampton is a professional gunsmith and writer from Virginia.  He and his son Wade operate Buck Mountain Rifle Works, manufacturing semi-finished gun stocks and building custom rifles on order.  Visit his website at www.buckmountainrifleworks.com or write him at walt@buckmountainrifleworks.com.

Changing Loads Means Research

Wade Hampton bore-sights his 95 Mauser before load testing.
Wade Hampton bore-sights his 95 Mauser before load testing.

Being a rifle crank and generally obsessive-compulsive in my relationship to all things gun, as usual this year I decided to change loads for my 6mm Remington deer rifle. This had the added entertainment factor of getting the attention of Wade, my eldest son and business partner, since he owns a neat little 6mm I built for him many years ago on a 95 Mauser action. Of course since I was going to try something new he wanted to be included.

My 6mm is a Remington 788 (that I may have mentioned in my Gun Digest writing before) to which I have done a little work, changing the stock somewhat, bedding, painting, all the usual suspects and it shoots wonderfully with 100-grain bullets. Why, one might ask, would a normally sane fellow such as myself dare to interfere with such perfection? First of all, Wade has not finished the re-barrel job on my low-wall .357 Magnum that I was planning to carry during this year’s firearm deer season and second, if you have to ask, then you are not in the same class of gun nut that I am.

Years ago, about 1984, I built the 95 as the “ultimate” whitetail gun for our Buck Mountain deer, a Shaw-barreled little darling with a hand-carved black walnut stock (carved completely by hand from a blank given to me by David Terry of Cedar Springs, Virginia) that was to be Wade’s deer rifle when he grew up. At that time I experimented with 87-grain Hornady boat-tail hollowpoints in Winchester brass and found that the short, stiff 20-inch barrel loved them.

While I was going over my load diaries the other evening I found the write-up I had done on the load along with a few photographs of the deer the rifle took. I decided it was what the doctor ordered, something a bit flatter and a bit faster than the 100-grain slugs I am shooting now. It has been 25 years since I loaded 87s for the caliber so it was back to the drawing board, not only for Wade’s gun but of course for the Remington.

The great pleasure, to me, of handloading is the experimentation, the attacking of a new problem to achieve an accuracy goal.

I pulled together and sorted the brass on hand (Remington and Frontier/Hornady), selected the primers (Federal magnum large rifle) and settled on the powder (IMR 4831), based on the notes from the original loads. Since the 95 is a long-throat chamber and the Remington is limited by the length of the magazine, we would be looking at two final seating depths and of course separation of the finished ammo so there would be no mixing.

I started with the Mauser. Using The Remington brass I weighed out and charged five cases in each of three powder weights, working up toward the powder weight of the old accuracy load, giving us five at 45 grains, five at 46 grains and five at 47 grains, which was one-half grain below what I had previously found to be maximum for this bullet in this gun. I then turned to the 788 and loaded 15 more rounds with the same prescription, varying only the seating depth of the bullet, bringing the shoulder of the slug to within .007 inches of contacting the rifling. Then, with much anticipation, and with Wade and our Pact chronograph in tow, we headed to Buck Mountain and our shooting bench.

I don’t think you could have prescribed a better day to range test loads, temperature in the low 60s, bright sunshine and no wind. Wade began our testing with the Mauser, shooting from a clean barrel, letting it cool two minutes between shots. All loads were fired through the screens and velocities averaged for each charge weight. On the target board we closely measured the group size, photographed the groups and made notes for future reference.

The Mauser was true to form; with 47 grains of IMR 4831 and the Hornady bullet, in the Remington cases with Federal magnum primers we started to see slightly flattened primers and our five-shot group averaged 3288 fps and center-to-center measured .312 inches. That, my friends, is “close enough”.

The 788 proved a bit more finicky. The starting load was unacceptable at 1.12 inches considering what I have seen this rifle do with 100-grain bullets (.460) but as we approached the 47-grain mark things tightened up. With no pressure signs whatsoever those five rounds averaged 3294 fps and clustered up center-to-center in .505 inches. Now, being of a curious nature I wondered if going to the listed maximum of 47.5 grains in this rifle would gain anything.

I did load five rounds with the maximum listed load and ran them through the screens, and got a bit more velocity but the group was now about the size of a dime (.775) so I backed off and settled on 47 grains IMR 4831/87gr Hornady BTHP as the new 788 load.

The first deer I shot with Wade’s 95 Mauser with the original load for the 87-grain Hornady was in 1984. I hunted all day on the Mountain in a more-or-less steady rain, finally taking a rest at 4 p.m. on an open ridge before the long walk out to the truck. Suddenly I saw a small buck running below me across the open meadow on an angle that would take him about 230 yards from me at the closest point before he hit the timber.

I swung the little rifle through him and fired when the crosshair reached the end of his nose. When I found him in the scope again after reloading all I could see was the white of his belly sticking up in the tall grass, flat on his back and kicking his last, hit squarely through the center of both shoulders.

Maybe this year we’ll see a repeat performance.

This article appeared in the November 23, 2009 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to subscribe.


Gun Digest 2015

Gun Digest 2015, 69th Annual Edition

With in-depth articles about today's most fascinating guns, both old and new, testfire stories on the industry's hot-off-the-line guns, insights on fine collectibles and custom creations, and up to date reports on new optics, guns, ammo, and reloading equipment, this book has something for everyone. Whether you're interested in the latest tactical firearms or the antiques of yesterday, new ammunition or the latest in reloading innovations, you simply won't find a more comprehensive collection of firearms information. Gun Digest 2015has it all!

MUST READ ARTICLES