guns&shooting

narrow canyon and the sound would roll up to us each time the bull proclaimed The Revival of to the world that it was feeling good. As we closed the gap, a second bull joined in harmony. The two elk were on our side of the canyon, someplace above us on the steep hillside and down the canyon. As we moved further along the canyon, the trees opened up a bit to scat- Faced with ever-higher prices for factory-loaded ammuni- tered aspen and low willows and visibility tion, hunters are discovering what their forebears learned improved. We were moving cautiously long ago: Handloading produces the best ammo and a now, trying to be quiet and keeping our better experience. silhouettes low. When the bull bugled again, I caught movement far up the By Bryce M. Towsley, Field Editor We moved in close on this bull, so hill. Slowly creeping forward, I found a close that when it bugled I swear I could downed tree to use as a rest. The first elk flatlander living at 800 feet will feel the ground shake. But in the thick had moved out of sight and I only caught look like a fish out of water while timber I just could not see it. Even my a glimpse of its tan rump as it disappeared Awalking hard at 10,000 feet, and scarred and mistreated eardrums could along the trail, but the second elk looked I was doing my best dying carp imita- hear its footsteps, and I knew it was close, good. I put the crosshairs on the center tion. But the elk were on the move and and the frustration kept building. When of its shoulder (the rangefinder later we needed to close the gap. So I sucked you are this close it’s only a matter of time confirmed my estimate of 250 yards), it up, literally, and tried to keep pace before something goes wrong, and I could eased pressure on the trigger and lost with the guide. It helped that each time feel the odds stacking against me. sight of the bull with the recoil. I worked the bull bugled my adrenaline surged Finally, I picked up its breath blowing the bolt fast, but there was nothing there and my boots grew a bit lighter. white in the cold air. With a place to focus, to shoot. Still, it all felt good, and when it more parts soon appeared. I realized it feels good it usually is. was staring right at me, but all I could We quickly found blood along tracks see was from its nose to its ears. Then it that were turning up the rich black soil bugled again and started moving to my like a cultivator during spring planting. right. I caught glimpses of its antlers as it Following was not a problem and it passed through tiny holes in the brush, wasn’t far before someone spotted the but never enough to confirm whether it bull where it had rolled down the hill. was a shooter. The general impression I The 225-grain Trophy Bonded was getting was that it was not. So, we had broken both shoulders and exited, let it walk. By the time we got back to the leaving a path of destruction behind. Elk horses and sat down for a late lunch, my are tough, but this one didn’t go far and hands had finally stopped shaking. what distance it did travel was powered That was the third bull I had passed more by gravity than muscle. More game up since daybreak and it was not yet would fall to this new wildcat mid-afternoon. After multitudes of over the next few months, but this bull empty elk hunts this volume of bulls was the first ever, and that is significant. seemed a bit surreal, and, as if it could As a gun guy, this elk hunt was read that thought, another bull bugled enhanced by the fact that my ammo was before I finished my sandwich. Within handloaded. seconds we were laying boot prints I believe there is a connection with again, lunch a memory, its remnants the hunt that can only be achieved with scattered in the leaves. handloads. The great gun writers of the We were hunting in a deep, steep, past knew this, as did their readers. But

38 American Hunter ■ August 2009 handloading for hunting has fallen out price of and jumped into of vogue. Too many of today’s hunters the stratosphere and suddenly “cheap know nothing except factory ammo. ammo” became a thing of the past. More recently the “Obama Guns and How Did It Come to This? Ammo Economic Stimulus Plan” went The once common practice of handload- into effect. Once this guy won a seat in ing hunting cartridges changed after the White House, ammo and gun sales Federal brought “handloader” thinking spiraled upward unlike anything ever to factory . In 1977, with before seen in history. If you have tried the introduction of the Premium line of to buy ammo lately, you know what I factory-loaded ammo, they developed mean. Finding .308 Winchester, .223 “store-bought” ammo using the same Remington or any semi-auto concepts that attracted handloaders. ammo has become like the search for They designed the ammo with the best the Holy Grail. The manufacturers are aftermarket and with close atten- running their machines day and night tion to quality. With better bullets, better trying to keep up with demand and, as a and better accuracy, several result, are likely ignoring a lot of hunting Photos: Author Photos: “reasons” for handloading were negated. cartridges. If existing supplies continue It took a while, but eventually this caught to be depleted without being restored, I on big. All the other ammo makers soon think we can expect to see a shortage of 10 Simple Steps followed suit, and before long a hunter all ammo by fall. could find just about any of his favorite Handloading is of course the answer, to Handloading bullets in somebody’s factory load. and a lot of hunters know it. All the For several decades following the companies who manufacture reloading Ammo introduction of Federal Premium, products that I have talked with are 1 Inspect case, including length ammo costs stayed relatively low, and experiencing huge growth. I think a lot 2 Lubricate case as good economic times gave us more of the current generation of hunters will 3 Resize and deprime case disposable income many shooters elected pick up handloading out of necessity. But to buy ammo rather than invest time in they will discover what the old writers 4 Clean the lube off the case handloading. and hunters often took for granted— 5 Deburr and chamfer case mouth It wasn’t long before gun writers handloading is an interesting and (first reload only) were crafting an obituary for handload- challenging hobby that pulls you deeper 6 Seat a ing. A common article title some into the hunt. While today’s hunters may 7 Charge the case with powder years back was “Is Handloading Still start to save money, they will remain 8 Seat the bullet Necessary?” We all wrote it at least once handloaders for deeper reasons. Perhaps 9 Put loaded ammo in a box and and I was one of the few who concluded it is true that history repeats itself. label the box with load data that it indeed was. Many other writers took the opposing opinion and a lot of Benefits Hold True Today 10 Shoot the ammo the public agreed, as handloading for More Than Ever hunting experienced a decline. Not so long ago when most serious .338 Winchester. Cabela’s lists Federal Then, a few years ago, some things hunters loaded their own ammunition, Premium .338 Winchester ammo with a started to change. Due to world they did so for multiple reasons. The first Barnes 225-grain TSX bullet for $67.99 economics and increased demand by and foremost was cost. Quite simply, it for a box of 20. China and other places, the cost of was much less expensive to handload With Federal 215 magnum primers, materials began to rise dramatically. The than to shoot factory ammo. The same Alliant RL19 powder and Barnes Triple- holds true today. Handloading has always Shock X-bullets (TSX), the components OntheWeb saved money over factory loads, but to reload 20 empty cases cost $23.57 from Log on to www.americanhunter.org today the gap is growing. For example, Cabela’s. So the savings is $44.42. That’s for more information about handloading. one of my favorite elk cartridges is the assuming you have the empty cases,

American Hunter ■ August 2009 39 to allow hunters to use bullets of their 225 grains. If you want the top-of-the- choice. In years past, before Federal line tungsten-core, polymer-tipped MRX Premium ammo, all the big ammo bullet, you can get that in 185, 210 or 225 manufacturers had their own bullets, grains. Then of course there are the bul- which they put in their factory ammo, lets from Speer, , Swift, , but the majority of them were chosen Sierra and many others that you can put for cost rather than performance. This in your handloads. Handloading always kept the ammo competitively priced, has a much wider range of options than but really did little to advance terminal factory ammo. which are easy to get from shooters who ballistics. Back then, if a hunter wanted A handloader can often improve do not reload. But, if you had to buy the a premium big-game bullet in his hunt- the velocity performance over factory new, the price for components for ing ammo, he had to handload. loads, too. In the old days, the factory loading 20 rounds would be $35.68, still a While today’s factory ammo offers ammo was sometimes deliberately savings of $32.31, or nearly half. most of the premium big-game bullets, loaded down to allow for old or poorly Of course there are some costs for the the handloader still has the advantage. built on the market. But if the tools, but handloading quickly pays for Typically, factory loads do not have as handloader had a modern, high-quality itself. Cabela’s sells the RCBS RC Supreme many bullet weight options. For exam- he could load to the full poten- Master Reloading Kit for $289.99. This kit ple, the aforementioned 225-grain .338 tial of the cartridge. Good examples of has all the tools you need to get started Winchester load is the only Barnes TSX this would be the .45-70 Government loading ammo and just six-and-a-half offered by Federal in that cartridge. But or 7X57 Mauser. In modern they boxes of .338 Win. Mag. pays it off. After Barnes has the TSX for .338 in 185, 210, can safely be loaded much hotter than that, the savings is all yours. 225 and 250 grains. If you want it with a typical factory ammo. Another reason for handloading was polymer tip you can get it in 160, 210 or Also, back in the time before My Ultimate Handloaded Elk-Hunting Experience f you really want to experience might be fun to see if I could develop handloading for hunting at its pin- a good hunting load with my wildcat nacle, look into a . cartridge using only ATK products. A wildcat is simply any cartridge ATK owns RCBS, which is the largest thatI is not commercially available and manufacturer of handloading tools must be made from another existing with everything needed to get started cartridge case. Historically, many of our handloading, including instruction most popular rifle cartridges started books and videos. ATK also owns Speer life as wildcats. The .243 Winchester and and Trophy Bonded bullets as well as .22-250 Remington are two examples. CCI and Federal, both companies that My rifle for this elk hunt was a make primers. And they own Alliant custom bolt- chambered Powder, one of the premier makers of for the .358 Winchester Short Mag. . Toss in some once- wildcat cartridge. The “donor” rifle was fired Federal brass and you have all the a Winchester Model 70 short-action. makings to roll your own ammo. Mark Bansner (717-484-2370; www. The brass for the .358 WSM is easy bansnersrifle.com) built the gun, as to make by simply running a Federal he has several other custom rifles for .300 Winchester Short Magnum case me in the past, including all of my into an RCBS with a tapered stem wildcats (I have several). This rifle has to expand the neck for a .358-inch one of his High Tech synthetic stocks, bullet. I typically do a bit more work, which gives it the trademark Bansner like trimming the neck, chamfering the look. I have an ATK Nitrex 3X-9X-40mm case mouth, reaming the primer pocket scope mounted on it and I must admit and deburring the flash hole. But the that I am impressed with this relatively truth is I could simply run the case into inexpensive optic. my die, load it just as it comes out and That got me to thinking: ATK (Alliant expect good results. All the rest is that Techsystems Inc.) is a one-stop shop for “fine tuning” I mentioned. shooters and hunters, and I thought it I tested several powders when

Alliant Powder CCI P.O. Box 6, Radford, VA 24143-0006 2299 Snake River Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501 800-276-9337; www.alliantpowder.com 866-286-7436; www.cci-ammunition.com

40 American Hunter ■ August 2009 chronographs were easily available to things it dislikes. For example, hand- the public, factory ammo was notorious loaders can select from many different Basic Rifle Ammo for producing much lower velocity than powders. If the rifle does not shoot well Reloading Tools advertised. A handloader could correct with one powder, a switch to another Handloading is an avocation that is that and extract the true potential from may result in better accuracy. The infinite in its possibilities and it is very the cartridge. Today’s factory loads handloader also can change variables “tool-oriented.” As a result, the number are much better about delivering the such as the powder charge weight, and scope of the tools you may wish to performance promised, but there are bullet-seating depth, primer brand and add as you advance are almost limitless. exceptions. Even today, at least one many other factors to fine-tune the These suggestions cover the basics: brand of ammo often produces velocity ammo to the rifle. that is well below their catalog claims But perhaps the most important Must-Have Handheld primer- seating tool for many cartridges. Handloading will attraction is satisfaction: Handloading is Press with primer- seating capability Dial caliper/case- ensure that you are getting the best fun. There is something special in hunt- Dies & shell holder length gauge performance from your ammo. ing with ammo you craft, a magic that Scale Loading block The same holds true for accuracy, cannot be accomplished with a cold and Powder funnel Loading trays then and now—the handloader can soulless factory cartridge. Handloading Primer tray tune his ammo to the rifle and greatly brings you into the hunting process and Deburring tool Case lubricant Case lube pad and increase the accuracy. makes you a part of it, rather than just neck brushes Loading manual Each rifle is an individual, with an interloper there to pull the trigger. Vibratory or tum- specific things that it likes and dislikes If you are not a handloader, perhaps bling case cleaner about the ammo it shoots. Handloaders it’s time you take that next step and Useful Case trimmer can design their ammo to meet the become one. I promise it will bring a Powder measure Inertia bullet puller things the rifle likes and to avoid the new dimension to your hunting. ah Powder trickler

developing loads for this cartridge, prefer the opposite. I want two holes and carries more energy downrange but of those I tried, the new Alliant from each , an entry and an exit. I than lighter, smaller bullets. RL17 is by far the best. This powder was also want the bullet to exit with plenty While the .300 Win. Mag. 180-grain TB, developed for the short magnums and of velocity and energy remaining. That .270 Winchester 140-grain TB and the .358 has certainly lived up to its billing in keeps the wound channel large all the WSM 225-grain TB all start out with about the .358 WSM. RL17 produces more than way to the hide on the exit side. It takes the same , because of 100 fps higher muzzle velocity with a a heavy, well-constructed bullet with the heavier bullet the .358 has 860 more 225-grain bullet than any of the other plenty of power behind it to smash ft.-lbs. of energy than the .300 and 1,689 powders I have tried. through both shoulders of a mature bull ft.-lbs. more than the .270 Winchester. At Most .358 bullets are designed for elk and exit, but this one did it without 300 yards the .358 still has 457 more ft.-lbs. the .35 Remington or the .35 Whelen. breaking a sweat. than the .300 and 835 ft.-lbs. more than My cartridge is a lot faster than either of My next stop with the rifle was the .270 Winchester. In fact, the .358 WSM those and, because of that high velocity, it Wyoming, for antelope. Most people has more energy at 250 yards than the requires the best possible bullet. I picked would scoff at the concept of a .358 .270 Winchester has at the muzzle. Who the 225-grain Trophy Bonded. This proven for long-range work. But they must says size doesn’t matter? design is held in high esteem by experi- consider that this cartridge is pushing Sure it’s more cartridge than needed enced hunters and it is a logical choice for a 225-grain bullet as fast as a .300 Win- for antelope, but I wanted an opportu- this wildcat. Pushed by 75 grains of RL17, chester Magnum launches a 180-grain nity to explore the potential of it and to it leaves the muzzle at 2950 fps. Better bullet. It is faster than a .30-06 with a see how the bullet would perform on a still, the load will shoot into sub-half-inch 150-grain or a .270 with a 140-grain. All much smaller animal and at long range. groups. Both the velocity and accuracy three cartridges have good reputations The results could not have been better. exceeded my expectations and I was for hunting in the wide-open spaces. In addition to the elk and antelope, delighted with the range results. But the With a 200-yard zero, the .358 WSM I later took a couple of whitetails with final exam is in the woods. with the TB bullet is 1.7 inches high at the rifle. None of these were huge My bull elk was standing at 248 laser- 100 yards and 7.6 inches low at 300 trophies (well, one whitetail wasn’t measured yards when I put the Trophy yards. If I switched to a polymer-tipped, bad), but they were among my most Bonded through both shoulders. I am boattail bullet, the trajectory would be memorable and enjoyable hunting not of the school that a bullet should even flatter. This heavy bullet does bet- experiences simply because I used my “dump all its energy in the critter,” but ter in the wind because of the weight own handloads.

Federal Cartridge Co. RCBS Speer—Trophy Bonded Bullets 900 Ehlen Drive, Anoka, MN 55303-7503 605 Oro Dam Blvd., Oroville, CA 95965- 2299 Snake River Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501 800-322-2342; www.federalpremium.com 4650; 800-533-5000; www.rcbs.com 800-627-3640; www.speer-bullets.com

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