$4.99 U.S./$5.99 Canada

June 2007 No. 247Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER

Printed in USA0 74808 01240 4

0 6

$4.99US $5.99CAN

Page 28. . .

4 Handloader 247

AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNALAMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNALAMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL

June-July 2007Volume 42, Number 3

ISSN 0017-7393Issue No. 247

6 .38 WCF Loadsfor DeerReloader’s Press -Dave Scovill

10 The 6.8 SPCSnap Shots -Charles E. Petty

12 The Kimber .22 LRConversion KitFrom the Hip -Brian Pearce

16 .25-06 RemingtonCartridge Board -Gil Sengel

20 Vihtavuori 3N37Propellant Profiles -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

24 Cimarron’sModel 1876Mike’s Shootin’ Shack -Mike Venturino

Page 58. . .

Page 24. . .

28 The All-AmericanDeer CartridgeFrom the .25-35 WCF tothe .257 WeatherbyJohn Barsness

38 All-Purpose.45-70 LoadsVersatility is the nameof the game.Mike Venturino

48 Handloading the.22-250 RemingtonPerformance Loadsfrom A to ZBrian Pearce

58 .460 RowlandA Hot Rod .45Bob Campbell

On the cover . . .The New Ultra Light Armsis chambered for the .257Roberts and features a Cabela’s3-9x Alaskan Guide scope.The Model 94 Winchester ischambered for the .25-35 WCF.

68 6.5x55SwedishMauserSensibleCartridgeSelectionJohn Haviland

78 New Vaquero.45 ColtBullets & Brass -

90 What’s New inthe MarketplaceInside Product News -Clair Rees

95 Website ShowcaseSpecial AdvertisingSection -

98 Never CleanRifle Barrels!Hunting Handloads -John Barsness

Publisher of Handloader™ is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of publishedloading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout written permission from the publisher. All authors are contracted under work for hire. Publisher retains allcopyrights upon payment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot acceptresponsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.

Issue No. 247 June-July 2007

AMMUNAMMUNITITIONON REL RELOADING NG JOJOURURNALAL

Publisher – Mark Harris

Associate Publisher – Don Polacek

Editor in Chief – Dave Scovill

Managing Editor – Roberta Montgomery

Art Director – Gerald Hudson

Production Director – Becky Pinkley

Contributing Editors

Associate Editor – Al Miller

Advertising

Don Polacek: don@riflemag.com

Stefanie Ramsey: stefanie@riflemag.com

Tom Bowman: bowmant@mauryboyd.com

Advertising Information: 1-800-899-7810

Circulation

Circulation Manager – Michele Morgan

circ@riflemagazine.com

Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810

www.riflemagazine.com

Handloader® (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bi-monthlyby Polacek Publishing Corporation, dba Wolfe Publish-ing Company (Don Polacek, President), 2625 StearmanRd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. (Also publisher ofRifle® magazine.) Telephone (928) 445-7810. PeriodicalPostage paid at Prescott, Arizona, and additional mail-ing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions – sin-gle issue, $4.99; 6 issues, $22.97; 12 issues, $39.00.Foreign and Canada – single issue, $5.99; 6 issues$29.00; 12 issues, $51.00. Please allow 8-10 weeks forfirst issue. Advertising rates furnished on request. Allrights reserved.

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

Wolfe PublishingCompany

2625 Stearman Rd.Suite A

Prescott, AZ 86301Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124© Polacek Publishing Corporation

John Barsness

Brian Pearce

Clair Rees

Gil Sengel

Ron Spomer

Stan Trzoniec

Mike Venturino

Ken Waters

Page 58Page 38Page 28

June-July 2007 5Background Photo: © 2007 Michael H. Francis

Page 90. . .

Page 68. . .

6.5x556.5x55

Handloader 247

175 yards of Joe and his 6.5 was likely on the menuas raven fare.

In previous years Joe followed along enough whilehis father hunted to know killing game with longshots usually required luck and a few Hail Marys.He had seen that the sure bet was to stalk intocertain range and fire a carefully aimed bullet.

6.5X55 STATUS

Hunters like Joe have used the6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser since itwas introduced in 1894 as the mili-tary cartridge for Sweden andNorway. The Swedish military

68

John Haviland

T welve-year-old Joe Mannixstarted his first huntingseason last fall by firingone shot at a calf elk froma distance of 75 yards. The

elk staggered 20 yards and fell. Acouple of weeks later, Joe fired an-other bullet and killed a buckpronghorn standing 150 yardsacross a sagebrush flat. Two dayslater he shot a whitetail buck withfive points on each antler. The deeralso required just one shot.

Did young Joe’s success occur from shooting amagnum cartridge capable of firing a bullet fromone mountain peak to the next andwith enough energy when it arrivedto punch through Superman’s cape?Nope. Joe’s rifle was a bolt-actionMauser Chileno Modelo 1895 thathad been rebarreled to 6.5x55mmSwedish Mauser. The 140-grainbullet he fired at the elk had amild velocity of 2,500 fps at themuzzle. The 130-grain bullets heshot at the antelope and deerflew somewhat faster, about2,700 fps.

His accomplishments werethe result of a rifle that al-lowed meaningful practice,and some common sense onhis part.

He started preparing forhunting season during thesummer by shooting fromfield positions at groundsquirrels from 75 to 200 andsome yards. The 6.5x55 car-tridges he shot were loadedwith Sierra 85-grain bulletswith a velocity of 3,055 fps.The gentle recoil of thoseloads allowed him to concen-trate on learning proper trig-ger pull and sight alignment.Along the way, he discovereda set of shooting stickshelped immensely to steadyhis aim. By the end of thesummer, any gopher within

www.handloadermagazine.com

SwedishMauserSwedishMauser

Sensible CartridgeSelection

rifles included the Mauser Mod-els 38, 94 and 96 and the Norwe-gian rifles, the Krag-JørgensenModels 1894 and 1912.

The 6.5 Swedish remains verypopular in Scandinavia. TheFinnish Vihtavuori Reloading

Manual, 3rd Edition, lists 6.5x55loading data for 20 different bul-lets weighing from 77 to 160grains. The Swedish Norma Re-

loading Manual Edition No. 1

provides loading information for14 bullets. The Norma manualstates “. . . the 6.5x55 is still thestandard Scandinavian round forcompetitive shooting and is, per-haps, the most popular huntingcartridge in Norway, Sweden andFinland.”

The 6.5 made its way to Amer-ica during the 1950s whensurplus Swedish rifles were im-ported. Those years were the eraof “sporterizing” military rifles,and thousands of these Mauserrifles were worked over andended up in hunters’ hands.Some of these surplus rifles arestill available today but are of

questionable quality. Customriflemaker Charlie Sisk

recently made a6.5x55 on

a Model1896, only

June-July 2007 69www.handloadermagazine.com

This was Haviland’s setup at therange for testing 6.5x55 loads.

Handloader 247

Every once in awhile you’ll seean American hunter carrying a6.5x55 rifle but rarely a new 6.5rifle. The problem with the 6.5 inAmerica is its cartridge lengthof 3.150 inches requires a boltaction the same length as the

.30-06, 3.340 inches. So hunters inthe market for a new rifle con-clude they would just as soonbuy that rifle in a .270, .280 or.30-06 that is somewhat morepowerful and with commonlyavailable ammunition.

Then again, maybe it’s a case ofAmericans disliking 6.5-calibercartridges. The .260 Remingtonprovides great performance andcomes in some handy short-action rifles, like the KimberModel 84M Montana. But regardis slim for the .260, and the car-tridge may even be slipping away.We won’t even touch on the fail-ure of the 6.5 Remington and the.264 Winchester Magnum.

That opinion is unfortunate, be-cause the 6.5x55 offers good ve-locity and accuracy with a widerange of bullet weights. After 12years of loading and shooting myown 6.5 and lately a custom riflefrom Sisk Rifles, I’ve concluded ifyou handload for a 6.5x55 thereis little need to own a .243 Win-chester, .25-06 Remington or a

to discover the receiver metalwas so soft the bolt lugs set backinto the receiver the first time hefired the rifle.

A few new 6.5 rifles are im-ported today, including the CZ550 and Tikka T3. Strange, butthe Tikka T3 Varmint and SuperVarmint rifles are chambered in6.5x55, while various versions ofthe T3 Hunter rifle are onlychambered in .260 Remington.

American firearm manufactur-ers occasionally chambered thecartridge. Remington chamberedthe 6.5 in its limited run Model700 Classic in 1994. Winchestermade a Model 70 Classic Feather-weight for a few years. Ruger isthe only American manufacturerI found that currently chambersthe 6.5, and that is in the stan-dard length bolt-action Model77R MKII.

70 www.handloadermagazine.com

6.5x556.5x55

Left, how deeply to seat bulletsfor a 6.5x55 rifle depends onthe angle and length of itschamber throat. The cartridgeon the left fits a chamber withlots of freebore. The cartridgeon the right fits the shorterthroat of the Sisk Rifles 6.5.Below, the 6.5x55 cases areslightly larger in diameter at thehead and rim than .30-06 cases.

If you handload for a 6.5x55 (4), there is little need to own a (1) .243Winchester, (2) .25-06 Remington or a (3) .270 Winchester.

1 2 3 4

June-July 2007 71www.handloadermagazine.com

.270 Winchester. However, I’lldeny saying that because whatfun is owning one rifle when youcan enjoy four?

Handloading

Considerations

In handloading the 6.5 over the

years, three slight concerns havearisen: case dimensions, bulletseating depth and pressures. Allof them were easily solved.

Dimensions of 6.5 cases are allover the map. Cartridge drawingsin various reloading manualsshow the rim and head of 6.5cases are the same diameter.

These bullets were tested in the Sisk Rifles 6.5. They include (left toright): Sierra 85-grain hollowpoint, Nosler 100-grain Partition, Nosler120-grain Ballistic Tip, Barnes 120-grain Triple-Shock, Sierra 120-grainsoftpoint, Speer 120-grain softpoint, Nosler 125-grain Partition, Hor-nady 129-grain SST, Swift 130-grain Scirocco, Nosler 140-grain Parti-tion, Berger 140-grain VLD, Swift 140-grain A-Frame, Hornady140-grain SST, Hornady 140-grain A-MAX and Norma 156-grain Oryx.

Some 6.5 bullets are long andmay require a twist of one in 8inches or faster to stabilize.

Handloader 247

der. One batch was so short theRuger Model 77 extractor on theSisk rifle failed to grasp andpull them from the chamber.Some new cases were just shortenough so the firing pin in theSisk rifle failed to make a deepenough hit on primers and aboutevery fifth cartridge failed to fire.

The solution to that is to eitherreturn the cases or create a falseshoulder on the cases. To makefalse shoulders, run a .270 ex-pander ball through the casemouths, then size the cases in a6.5 sizing die just enough so the

However, these stated measure-ments varied from .476 to .4803inch. Unfired Remington, Speer(discontinued) and Winchester6.5 cases I measured all had a rimand head diameter of .473 inch.Finnish Lapua brass had a diame-ter of .475 inch on the rim and.4765 inch on the head.

It’s been said this narrowerwidth of American manufactured6.5 brass is because the cases aremade from .30-06 brass, whichare slightly smaller than 6.5 brassat the rim and head. However,unfired Federal and Winchester

nearly an inch. That extendedcartridge length is needed to setbullets close to the full diameterof the rifling in chambers with alot of freebore or throat angles of2.5 to 3.0 degrees.

My 6.5x55 has a throat with alot of freebore, and bullets mustbe seated way out of the case tocome close to the rifling. For in-stance, Nosler 120-grain BallisticTips sit .03 inch from contactingthe rifling in my rifle with a car-tridge length of 3.15 inches. But Iseat the Ballistic Tips, and someother bullets, for a loaded car-tridge length of 3.00 inches. Thatplaces the base of the bullet atthe bottom of the neck,so the full lengthof the neck sup-ports the bul-let to helpseat it

.30-06 cases I measured had a rimdiameter of .467 inch and a headdiameter of .464. So that’s not thetruth of the matter.

Ignoring the slight difference inthese numbers solved the prob-lem. I’ve shot Remington, Speerand Winchester brass in my 6.5rifle and the Sisk rifle and neverhad any of the cases bulge at thehead. Neither have I heard ofanyone else having 6.5 casesswell at the head.

Several lots of brass have beenshort from the head to the shoul-

action closes with a bit of resist-ance. That keeps cases tightlyagainst the bolt face so the firingpin gets a good hit on the primersand prevents the cases fromstretching at the web on firing.

The first time someone looks ata 6.5 cartridge, they com-ment on the long bulletlength. The heavier bul-lets are long, and theystick out of the case

72 www.handloadermagazine.com

6.5x556.5x55

The Sisk Rifles 6.5 shot Nosler 125-grain Partitionswell at 100 yards.

These groups were shot with Berger bullets at 100yards from the 6.5x55.

A Sisk rifle wasused to test

loads listed inthe tables.

The 6.5 made its way to America during the 1950s.

June-July 2007 73www.handloadermagazine.com

RCBS dies were used to load 6.5x55 cartridges. These powders all worked well in the 6.5x55.

straightly and keep it straight.That length cartridge also feedsmore surely from the rifle’smagazine to the chamber thanlonger cartridges. The differencein accuracy is indistinguish-able between the two seatingdepths.

How much powder to load in6.5 cartridges depends on therifle. Many reloading manualspoint out 6.5x55 loads should bekept at 45,000 psi in deference toold military rifles. However, don’tassume listed maximum loadsare kept on the mild side. In the

Charlie Sisk said he cut theangle the standard .75 degree tothe leade at the front of thechamber to the rifling lands. “ButI didn’t include any freebore, likethe older military rifles have,”Sisk said. “That way a bulletdoesn’t have all that room tocant.” Without that extra room,the Sisk rifle required a cartridgewith a length of 2.87 inches toposition Ballistic Tip bullets .03inch from contacting the rifling.Even with deeply seated bullets,enough room remains in 6.5cases to hold plenty of powder.Only a couple of the powdercharges listed in the load chartwere compressed by the seatedbullets, and then only slightly.

Vihtavuori Reloading Manual,

3rd Edition, listed maximumloads reach 55,100 psi. The firstloads shot in the Sisk 6.5 with afew Vihtavuori and other brandsof powders had to be reducedone or two grains because theycaused hard bolt lift or a bright

If itdoesn’tunfold ...it’s not aChrony!

If itdoesn’tunfold ...it’s not aChrony!

SHOOTING CHRONYThe Greatest Bang for Your Buck!SHOOTING CHRONYThe Greatest Bang for Your Buck!

• For Precise AmmoVelocity Measurement

• For Rifles, Handguns,Archery, Shotguns,

Airguns & Paintballs

• Choose from 10 Models

• MSPR: $89.95 to $205.95

• We Accept Trade-ins

• For Precise AmmoVelocity Measurement

• For Rifles, Handguns,Archery, Shotguns,

Airguns & Paintballs

• Choose from 10 Models

• MSPR: $89.95 to $205.95

• We Accept Trade-ins

Have alook at ourShooting ChronyBallistics Programon our Web Page:www.shootingchrony.com

Have alook at ourShooting ChronyBallistics Programon our Web Page:www.shootingchrony.com

SHOOTING CHRONY, INC.1-800-385-3161

3840 E. Robinson Rd. PMB #298Amherst, NY 14228

e-mail: chrony@shootingchrony.com

SHOOTING CHRONY, INC.1-800-385-3161

3840 E. Robinson Rd. PMB #298Amherst, NY 14228

e-mail: chrony@shootingchrony.com

NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADAMoose, Woodland Caribou & Black Bear Hunts

Book now for 2007 & 2008 • Tel/Fax: (709) 681-2191dean.wheeler@nf.sympatico.ca www.biggamecanada.com

P.O. Box 159, York Harbour, NL, Canada A0L 1L0

Dimensions of 6.5 casesare all over the map.

So for 6.5s built on one of theweaker actions, it’s probably bestto stay on the safe side and startwith minimum loads listed in re-loading manuals and cut threegrains from the powder weightslisted in the accompanying loadtable.

As the load table shows, the 6.5worked well with a variety ofpowders. With the lighter bullets,up to, say, the Nosler 100-grainPartition, relatively faster-burn-ing powders like H-4985 up toVV-N160 provide the highestvelocities. But the heavier 6.5-caliber bullets are about as longas a sharpened new No. 2 penciland require the sustained push ofslower-burning powders.

IN CONCLUSION

Young Joe Mannix is the 10thyoung hunter to use my 6.5x55 ashis first big game rifle. Togetherthose beginning hunters haveused the rifle to kill nine deer,four antelope and three elk. Onlyone deer required a second bul-let. That excellent success canbe attributed to the 6.5’s light re-coil that enabled the hunters topractice shooting and then gohunting and place a bullet in theproper spot. That is what sen-sible big game cartridge selectionis all about.

74

smear on the rim face – definitesigns of excessive pressure. How-ever, the primers in the casesthese loads were fired in ap-peared unchanged with no flat-tening or cratering of the firingpin indent. That shows the follyof reading primers as a sign oftoo much pressure.

6.5x55mm Swedish Mauseroverall

bullet powder charge velocity length group(grains) (grains) (fps) (inches) (inches)

85 Sierra hollowpoint H-4895 44.0 3,346 2.82 1.47IMR-4320 44.5 3,204 .85VV-N150 45.5 3,313 .90Varget 44.0 3,283 1.15

100 Nosler Partition AAC-4350 45.0 2,751 2.86 1.11H-1000 50.0 2,765 1.06VV-N160 50.0 3,204 .98VV-N550 45.5 3,027 1.06

120 Barnes Triple-Shock AAC-2700 44.0 2,799 2.90 1.89H-4350 46.0 2,971 1.30VV-N150 40.0 2,807 1.86W-760 44.0 2,787 1.62

120 Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunter 44.5 2,673 2.87 1.21H-4350 47.0 2,946 1.14RL-19 48.0 2,812 .72Varget 41.0 2,882 .66

120 Sierra softpoint AAC-4350 45.0 2,703 2.88 1.35VV-N160 48.0 2,984 .95VV-N550 43.0 2,707 1.12RL-19 49.5 2,929 .81

120 Speer softpoint H-4350 46.0 2,852 2.90 .72IMR-4831 49.0 3,011 .65VV-N160 48.0 2,964 .45RL-22 50.0 2,869 .75

125 Nosler Partition H-4831 47.0 2,788 2.91 .96H-4350 45.5 2,889 1.04VV-N550 42.0 2,725 .64VV-N560 50.0 2,918 .63

129 Hornady SST AAC-4064 41.0 2,780 2.93 1.11AAC-4350 45.5 2,616 .83VV-N560 49.0 2,864 1.20RL-22 45.0 2,573 1.21

130 Swift Scirocco IMR-4350 41.0 2,566 2.99 2.19H-1000 48.5 2,711 –H-4831 47.5 2,820 2.77IMR-4831 46.5 2,869 2.62VV-N560 47.0 2,731 1.94

140 Berger VLD VV-N550 39.5 2,576 3.07 1.34VV-N560 46.5 2,685 .80RL-22 47.0 2,765 1.46W-760 43.0 2,696 1.31

140 Hornady SST Magnum 50.0 2,562 2.98 .99VV-N160 41.0 2,512 1.37VV-N550 40.0 2,513 1.32VV-N560 47.0 2,668 1.24

140 Hornady A-MAX H-4831 44.0 2,548 2.99 1.06IMR-4350 41.5 2,552 1.11IMR-4064 40.0 2,706 1.09RL-22 48.0 2,791 1.48

140 Nosler Partition H-1000 51.0 2,745 2.93 1.55IMR-4831 44.5 2,645 1.60Magnum 49.5 2,600 1.64RL-22 45.0 2,564 1.16

140 Swift A-Frame H-1000 47.5 2,570 2.86 1.05IMR-4350 41.0 2,490 .83IMR-4831 42.5 2,570 1.30RL-22 46.0 2,656 .88

156 Norma Oryx AAC-4350 45.0 2,623 2.83 1.10VV-N160 44.5 2,656 2.06VV-N560 46.0 2,629 1.56RL-22 47.0 2,649 1.57

Notes: The 6.5x55 used to shoot the load data was made by Sisk Rifles based on a Ruger Model 77.The 22-inch barrel was made by Lilja and all metal parts are covered with a black matte coat of Fit 4Duty CeraKote. Everything is held in a High Tech synthetic stock.All loads were fired with Winchester cases and Winchester Large Rifle primers. Groups are threeshots. These loads are intended for rifles of new manufacture. Reduce powder weights three grainsto start for older rifles.

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

Many reloading manualspoint out 6.5x55 loads

should be kept at45,000 psi.

6.5x556.5x55

•

Enter theKimber

ClassicGiveaway!

Enter theKimber

ClassicGiveaway!

Enter Now and Win aKimber® Model 8400™ Classic in

.300 WSM with a Leupold® Scope!Considered by many as the finest production rifle ever manufactured this Model 8400 Classic

features a select-grade claro walnut stock, hand finished and checkered with a Pachmayr®

Decelerator recoil pad. A match-grade trigger and chamber are mated to a 24-inch, free-floatingbarrel. The action is both pillar and glass bedded for outstanding accuracy and comes complete

with scope mounts. A Leupold® VX®-III 3.5-10x40mm riflescope featuring the Index Matched LensSystem® and 1⁄4-MOA adjustments complete with matching rings tops off this elegant firearm.

The entire giveaway package is a $180000 VALUE!$180000 VALUE!

Enter Now and Win aKimber® Model 8400™ Classic in

.300 WSM with a Leupold® Scope!

See the OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM in this issue.See the OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM in this issue.

- OFFICIAL RULES - You must be 18 years or older to enter the drawing. One entry per subscription per magazine for a total of three entries per person usingthe official entry form. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY: To enter without purchase, print in block letters, the words KIMBER CLASSIC GIVEAWAY across the top ofa 4x6 card along with your name, age, address and phone number and enclose in an envelope. You may submit up to three entries (each card must be mailed ina separate envelope). Failure to follow these directions will void your entry. Please send entries to Wolfe Publishing Co., Dept KCG, 2625 Stearman Rd, Suite A,Prescott, AZ 86301. Wolfe Publishing Co. is not responsible for misdirected, damaged or undelivered mail. All entries must be received by December 31, 2007.The drawing will take place on January 15, 2008. Winners will be notified within 15 days of the drawing. All decisions are final. No substitutions for prizes otherthan those necessary due to availability. Applicable taxes and charges not included in the giveaway are the responsibility of the winner. Odds of winning are de-pendent upon total entries received. Void where prohibited by law and regulations. Employees and families of Wolfe Publishing Co. and Kimber Mfg., Inc. arenot eligible to enter. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Winner’s name will be published in the magazines following the drawing.

SUBSCRIBE or RENEW toyour favorite magazinesand enter the KIMBERCLASSIC GIVEAWAY foryour chance to WIN!

SUBSCRIBE or RENEW toyour favorite magazinesand enter the KIMBERCLASSIC GIVEAWAY foryour chance to WIN!

For more information see the OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM attached to this issue or contactWolfe Publishing Company - 2625 Stearman Road - Prescott AZ 86301 - Suite A

Tel: 928-445-7810 Fax: 928-778-5124 Toll Free: 800-899-7810 Online: www.riflemagazine.com

ENTER TODAY!Contest Ends

December 31, 2007

Handloader 247

Berger Bullets has just pro-duced a new promotional videoillustrating the effectiveness ofthe company’s VLD (Very LowDrag) bullets in the field. The 30-minute DVD shows VLD bulletsbeing used to take a wide varietyof game including whitetail deer,elk, antelope, kudu and otheranimals.

“Many bullet companies claimto make the best hunting bullet,and hunting magazines are full ofpictures of pretty, expanded bul-lets claiming great penetrationand amazing weight retention,”the company says. “Never beforehas a bullet company been will-ing to produce a video to docu-ment how its bullets really workin true hunting situations.

“The video explores the use and

application of the Berger BulletsVLD bullet for hunting and dis-pels many of the myths about

Berger Bullets DVD

90 www.handloadermagazine.com

While this case offers an excel-lent means of long-term storage,you need to wipe the gun downfirst to remove moisture andrust-promoting fingerprints.While the case offers good pro-tection afield, it’s thin enough –with a rifle inside – to easily fitinside my gun safe.

For simple storage (not fielduse), Birchwood Casey also of-fers CopperTect protectionsleeves for rifles, shotguns andhandguns. The suggested retailprice is $38 for rifle and shotguncases and $26 for the handguncase. The rifle and shotgunsleeves sell for $19, while thehandgun sleeve goes for $13.

For more information, contact:Birchwood Casey, Dept. HL, 7900Fuller Road, Eden Prairie MN55344-2195; call toll-free: 1-800-328-6156; or you can visit onlineat: www.birchwoodcasey.com.

will floatwith a gun

weighing up to 12 poundsinside.

Many gun case linings –

particularly wool or syn-thetic pile – absorb and retainmoisture. After a hunt, it’s a badidea to bring your cased gun in-doors and store it away. Evencleaning and oilingthe gun before-hand won’t offerlong-term

protection tofirearms stored

in cases having hygroscopiclinings.

Birchwood Casey’s new line ofCopperTect gun cases offersbuilt-in rust protection. The softgun cases incorporate InterceptTechnology®, a process patentedby Lucent Technologies combin-ing reactive copper sheeting withplastic. Called Corrosion Inter-cept®, this material neutralizescorrosive gases. The copper lin-ing in each case is said to preventrust and block mildew for 20years. Intercept is claimed to befree of volatile chemicals and en-vironmentally safe. The liningchanges color from copper togray when the protective mate-rial is exhausted.

The CopperTect rifle case I’vebeen using has a tough, non-absorbent 600 denier polyesterexterior, along with 10mm of

closed-cell foam padding be-tween the outside of the case andthe slick, copper/plastic lining.While I didn’t test this claim,Birchwood Casey says the case

Clair Rees

INS

IDE P

RO

DU

CT N

EW

SIN

SID

E P

RO

DU

CT N

EW

SCOPPERTECT

™

GUN CASES

COPPERTECT™

GUN CASES

Handloader 24798 www.handloadermagazine.com

John Barsness

and Ramshot TAC is the primarypowder used in that .223. Ram-shot powders were developed formilitary full-auto rifles, so alsocontain a compound that reducesmetal fouling. The first time Icleaned that Remington .223 bar-rel, after over 450 shots, fourpatches of Hoppe’s No. 9 cleanedout the powder fouling, and an-other two patches with coppersolvent removed the (very light)jacket fouling.

Some of my other varmint boresaren’t quite so slick, or the car-tridge doesn’t take to any Ram-shot powder. My Ruger No. 1 .22Hornet, for instance, shoots bestwith Hodgdon Lil’Gun, as do

rately. Copper fouling has almost

been eliminated.

The ideal, however, would besome sort of “slickening” thatprevented copper fouling at all.This was the notion behind mo-lybdenum disulphide (“moly”), allthe rage a few years ago. Someshooters still strongly believe inmoly, and I am not about to arguetheir points. But wouldn’t it makemore sense to apply a coating in-

side the bore, instead on everyone of the bullets you shoot?

Lately I have been experiment-ing with Ultra Bore Coating(Doug Burche, Ultra Coatings,

Accuracy deterioration comesfrom powder fouling and copperfouling, one reason many varmintshooters clean their barrels every50 rounds: They’re still using an-tique Ball powders that coat thebore like a smokestack. I havementioned before how cleanlyRamshot rifle powders burn –

most Hornets. Lil’Gun burnspretty cleanly but still leavesenough residue that after 200rounds accuracy goes downhill.So now a Bore Snake gets runthrough the bore every 100rounds or so to knock out thepowder fouling – and the Hornetjust keeps on shooting very accu-

Most of us clean rifle bores

far too frequently, primarilybecause we’ve been told, overand over, that we had to do it, byour father, the military or a gunwriter. We clean after every rangesession, or every 20 rounds, orwhatever.

Over the decades I’ve kept trackof the number of rounds throughevery centerfire rifle I’ve shot, in-cluding cleaning intervals. Atfirst I cleaned every 20 rounds,the common wisdom in my earlyrifle-loony days, derived frombenchrest shooters who cleanafter every (guess what?) 20-round relay.

Now, maybe if a match is ridingon a few thousandths of an inch,a clean barrel might make a dif-ference. But over the years, I’veowned exactly three rifles thatstarted shooting weird after 20rounds. Two were replaced bytop-grade match barrels, and thethird rifle (a new factory job)was quickly sold.

The other few hundred rifleshave held their accuracy for any-thing from 100 to 500 roundswithout cleaning. My favorite ex-ample is a Remington 700 .223Remington with a heavy chrome-moly barrel and laminated stock.This rifle has twice been fireduncleaned for around 500 rounds.Accuracy was the same. For all Iknow it might shoot accuratelyforever, the reason I’m not clean-ing it any more.

These days I never clean barrelsunless the barrel asks for help,because cleaning generally justmeans having to foul them againto get back top accuracy. And no,I do not go through any compli-cated “break-in” procedure. Myrecords and experiments indicatethat break-in is a waste of time,just like over-cleaning.

NEVER CLEAN

RIFLE BARRELS!NEVER CLEAN

RIFLE BARRELS!

HU

NTIN

G H

AN

DLO

AD

SH

UN

TIN

G H

AN

DLO

AD

S

Will these fine products become obsolete?

(Continued on page 97)

Inc., 425 S. Kansas Ave., Ste. B,Olathe KS 66061). This is a ce-ramic compound applied to thebore via a liquid glue. After theglue dries, the heat and pressureof a few shots force the ceramicinto any scratches or toolingmarks. Doug claimed it wouldjust about eliminate copper-foul-ing, something I had to see.

The first barrel tried was a new,stainless .223 barrel with a one-in-9-inch twist from E.R. ShawInc., fitted to a Remington 788 ac-tion. First I shot the barrel withsome Remington factory loads.After 50 rounds the rifle wasgrouping five shots into an aver-age of just under .6 inch at 100yards, but the borescope re-vealed noticeable copper fouling.I cleaned it down to bare metalwith 50 BMG (Montana X-tremeGun Care’s heavy-duty coppersolvent), requiring three repeti-tions of the directions to removethe last traces of copper.

the barrel was a dog before coat-ing, it will still be a dog – but alot easier to clean!” Evidentlygetting Ultra Bore Coating towork right in bores larger than.30 is a little trickier, and I amstill experimenting, with helpfrom Doug; but for smaller boresthat get shot a lot, it seems likethe answer to a prayer.

John contributed two chap-ters to the six-author bookRifle Bullets for the Hunter:

A Definite Study. Copies areavailable by check for $38.50(postage paid) from DeepCreek Press, PO Box 579,Townsend MT 59644; or youcan use a credit card bylogging onto www.riflesandrecipes.com.

The bore was then degreasedwith rubbing alcohol, and UltraBore Coating was applied withan undersized cleaning patch andallowed to cure overnight. Thenext day I fired another 50rounds of the same ammunition.The first few five-shot groupswere so good that I fired the last20 into one group: 1.01 inches,with 17 in .75 inch.

The borescope couldn’t find anycopper fouling, so I ran a patchsoaked in 50 BMG down thebore, waited 10 minutes, then rana clean patch down. It came outwhite. Since then I’ve shot thesame rifle a couple of moretimes, and there’s still no copperfouling. Now, a full prairie dogseason will tell me more, but sofar I have Ultra Coated all thebores of my varmint rifles up to.25 caliber, and it has eliminatedor vastly reduced copper foulingin every one.

Ultra Bore Coating does not af-fect velocity, pressures or accu-racy. As Doug Burche says, “If

June-July 2007 97www.handloadermagazine.com

Hunting Handloads(Continued from page 98)

•

Action Bullets, Inc...................................................97Alliant Techsystems, Inc. ......................................100ALM, Inc. ................................................................11American Gunsmithing Institute ...............................8AuctionArms.com...................................................64Bald Eagle Precision Machine Co............................93Ballistic Specialties .................................................85Bandera Gunleather ................................................80Barnes Bullets.........................................................15Belt Mtn. Enterprises, Inc. ......................................86Berry’s Mfg. ..............................................................2Big Shooter, The.....................................................92Birchwood Casey ....................................................21Black Hills Shooters Supply, Inc. ............................79Brown, E. Arthur, Company ....................................16Brownells, Inc.........................................................95Bruno Shooters Supply...........................................75Bullet Metals / Bill Ferguson .............................18, 95Clearwater Custom Bullets......................................63Colorado Shooter’s Supply .....................................56Conetrol Scope Mounts ....................................19, 79Corbin Mfg. & Supply ...............................................8Corrosion Technologies Corp. ................................80Custom Brass and Bullets.......................................23Dave Manson Precision Reamers ...........................86Dayton Traister Trigger Co......................................21Dillon Precision Products, Inc. ...............................36Douglas Barrels, Inc. ..............................................62Ensley’s Shooting Supplies.....................................13Faith Associates......................................................21Forster Products .....................................................56Gemmell’s Machine Works .....................................23Gentry Custom........................................................79GOEX, Inc. ..............................................................47Gradient Lens Corporation............................9, 11, 13Green, Arthur (metals for casting) ..........................96

Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc............................34High Plains Reboring & Rerifling ............................83Hornady Manufacturing Co.....................................37Huntington Die Specialties................................14, 93IMR Powder Company............................................25James Calhoon, Mfg. ..............................................23Johnson Design Specialties ....................................18Kimber of America ....................................................3Leadheads Bullets...................................................82Lee Precision, Inc. ..................................................91Leeth Machine & Tool.............................................11Lock, Stock & Barrel Shooting Supply, Inc.............81Lyman Products Corporation..................................35Marathon Seat Covers ............................................20Match Prep .............................................................94Meacham Tool & Hardware, Inc. ............................23Midsouth Shooters Supply Co. .........................26, 27MidwayUSA ............................................................82MLV Enterprises .....................................................91Modern Gun School................................................14Montana Bullet Works ............................................21Montana Precision Swaging ...................................76Mount Baldy Bullets................................................83Moyers Gun Repair.................................................92MPI Stocks .............................................................85MTM Molded Products Company ...........................18Multi-Scale Charge, Ltd. .........................................76Natchez Shooters Supplies .....................................67Neco-Accuracy Products ........................................84North Fork Technologies, Inc..................................78Northwest Custom Projectile ....................................9Nosler Bullets .........................................................43Oregon Trail Bullet Company ..................................57Parsons’ Scope Service ..........................................79Puff-Lon .................................................................76

Quality Cartridge .....................................................19Quinetics Corporation.............................................82Rapine Bullet Mould Co. .........................................80RB Outfitters ...........................................................62RCBS c/o Federal Cartridge Company.....................64RCE.....................................................................8, 76Redding Reloading Equipment .........................19, 95Remington Arms Company, Inc..............................61RiflesandRecipes.com ............................................89Rooster Laboratories ..............................................83Savage Arms, Inc....................................................71Sharpshooter, Inc. ..................................................62Sheep River Hunting Camps...................................92Shepherd Enterprises, Inc. .....................................45Shooting Chrony, Inc..............................................73Shotgun Sports ......................................................81Sierra Bullets ..........................................................23Sinclair International, Inc..................................17, 95Sonoran Desert Institute.........................................88Sou’Wester Outfitting .............................................73SPG Lubricants.................................................79, 96SSK Industries........................................................89Starline .............................................................63, 95Stukey’s Sturdy Shooting Benches.........................14Swift Bullet Company ...............................................7Target Shooting, Inc. ..............................................13Timney Mfg., Inc.....................................................88Tru-Square Metal Products.....................................84UniqueTek, Inc........................................................93Vais Arms, Inc. .......................................................44W. Square Enterprises ............................................21Western Powders ...................................................33Williams Firearms Co..............................................56Wineland Walnut ....................................................18Wolfe Publishing Co. ................77, 81, 87, 95, 96, 99

AD

IN

DE

X

ACTIONBULLETS & ALLOY, INC

P.O. Box 189 - Quinter, KS 67752Tel: 785-754-3609

E-Mail: bullets@ruraltel.net

LLIINNOOTTYYPPEEPPure Tin, Pure Lead, WW alloy, Lyman #2,

16/1-20/1-30/1, other alloys available.Manfacturer of hard cast pistol bullets.

Cowboy Action Shooting bullets.