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American Rifleman, vol 62, No. 8, May 19, 1917, pages 143, 144, 152
More Shooting for Less Money
By J. R. Mattern
ONE of the reasons for low scores is lack of familiarity with the rifles used and with their practical aiming and handling under range and field conditions. It is saying a good deal, though perhaps not too much, to state that every member of a rifle club should fire at least a thousand shots in what is called instruction practice. It takes a thousand shots to familiarize a man thoroughly not only with the location of the point where his bullets strike at the various ranges-, but with the feel and balance of the rifle, the trigger pull, the action of the bolt and with the nature and appearance of the sights under all conditions.
Practice in aiming, and working the rifle with dummy cartridges, will help a great deal at the beginning, but dependability in shooting can be attained only’ by cultivating an intimacy with the actual throb of the gun as the bullet leaves the muzzle, which the seasoned rifleman so enjoys. The reliable rifle shot must be able to call his shots instantly from a sense of where the sights were lined at the instant of fire. He should be on terms of such close acquaintance with his rifle that hands, shoulder, eye and sights automatically align them selves without delay of 1 second when a target appears before him.
It is probably correct that most men shoot for the pleasure there is in it. Few men, indeed, join a rifle club or arrange for their shooting in some other manner from a sense of duty. The enjoyment increases just as the amount of ammunition is increased.
But the man with only about $50 a year to spend on his shooting—a sum which must cover the cost of a rifle, extra sights in many cases, ammunition, and often a hunting trip in the fall-—finds himself in difficulties if he attempts to buy his thousand cartridges ready loaded. This year especially conditions are against him. Cartridges which a few years ago could be secured for $3.50 to $4.50 per hundred now cost $5.50 to $7.50 when bought of private make, and even Government ammunition is up 40 per cent or more. In these days of the need for economy in all things, the expense of factory cartridges is not desirable. .As it happens, it also is not necessary.
It is practicable for almost any shooter to provide himself with a large supply of ammunition and at the same time keep the total cost down to a satisfactory figure. It can be done by reloading, and by using, for most of the practice shooting, lighter loads than the full-power service load put out by the Government and the factories. A few full-power cartridges should be kept on hand. Many successful reloaders buy all their full-power cartridges, and use them only in shooting for record or qualification. Others reload practically all the cartridges they shoot. This article, however, considers only the reloading of reduced loads. The preparation of full-power charges at home was described recently in a number of ARMS AND THE MAN in an excellent article by T. C. Barrier, which it is hoped readers will have on file, as references to it are made here.
Before proceeding with the detailed recommendations, it is well to consider some advantages of reduced loads other than the great one of less cost. Years are required, when nothing else is fired, to establish that familiarity with the action of the service load in the Springfield or Krag rifle that gives the desired amount of control. The 1906 load is a stiff one, especially to the beginner. Full-power loads in many hunting rifles are equally disturbing to the unbroken shooter. The use of a lighter load, with less recoil, less barrel flip, and more of certain other features, will break in the beginner faster and much easier.
The absence of recoil is one of the elements of the cure of those who tend to be gun shy. They can keep the rifle in position, after a few shots show them that the butt will not punish them, and shortly will find themselves with a distinct knowledge of where the sights were on the target at the moment of discharge. The plentiful supply of cartridges which the use of reduced loads makes possible permits enough shooting to bring out individual peculiarities of eyes and aiming. Less shooting will not do this. As an instance of the importance of such a point, one shooter known to the writer finds his bullets going low and to the right when he fires in the squatting and other such positions. He can make better scores by setting his sights a little higher and with some left windage —but only practice brings out the existence of this condition, or establishes the amount of sight correction that should be made.
Many shooters do considerable hunting, or take short trips on which they like to shoot crows, ground hogs or other small animals, or game such as squirrels in open season. The reduced load provides a means of using the same rifle for these purposes, and in the gallery as well if one is available. Some even use silencers on their regular rifles for crow and other such shooting and for shooting indoors, and for this prepare a special charge giving a velocity of about 1,100 feet——the maximum that can be used if the silencer actually is to “silence” the report. The advantage of using the one rifle is obvious and well understood by most men. The one-gun man knows his rifle, knows its pull, drop and hang, things which are all-important in the woods and in skirmish, magazine and change-position fire on the range.
The reduced load is more satisfactory for shooting at 50 to 100 yards than the full power. Many shooters are situated so that they can go to a short range such as these without much trouble, but must travel miles to get to a longer range. Then, too, there is the matter of targets. Short range requires only small targets, which are easily procured. Long range demands the use of large ones, which cost considerable money and must be mounted on frames put up for the purpose. The man who is equipped for shooting at short range can go out without a pit boy or even without a companion, and can set up his targets and verify his firing frequently without having to walk so far as for long-range shooting.
The reduced loads, owing to lower velocity and to different shaped bullet, require more sight elevation, and, in some instances, more windage than regular cartridges. From a standpoint of convenience this is a disadvantage. A saving point about it, however, is that the very necessity of taking care of higher trajectory and more wind drift teaches the beginner how to meet those problems. The full training in looking after elevations and windage does not come to the man using service ammunition till he fires much at ranges longer than 500 yards; but the lighter loads duplicate in ranges of 200 to 400 yards all the conditions of double those distances.
The windage tables in the score books for the Springfield and Krag rifles naturally will not apply to the lighter ammunition. New tables must be worked out, but this is a simple matter for the man who can afford to shoot a few strings for the purpose. Similar tables must be worked out for hunting rifles that are used, in any case.
The accuracy that can be secured with loads other than those for which the rifles are intended is surprisingly good. It is sufficient to make clean scores on standard bulls at any ordinary range—say up to 400 or 500 yards.
In general the finer shooting of the reloads will group in a ¾ -inch circle at 50 yards. Many others that are extremely serviceable will not group into any circle smaller than 1 ¼ inches with regularity. So long as all the bullets go into a 2-inch circle at 50 yards, how ever, the load is a good one, and one that will give satisfaction for practice work. At 100, 200 and other ranges the accuracy is about in direct proportion to the distance, experience shows, and is not proportioned “on the square of the distance,” or diminished outrageously in any other manner, as has been stated on several occasions. The accuracy of the service load in the Springfield, in a good barrel, is, of course, much superior to anything stated above. That is, groups very much smaller at 50 yards than 1 inch can be secured.
This brings up a consideration of bullets. It is not generally known that the -regular 150-grain service bullet, as made by the Government and by all the private arms factories, can be loaded in front of small charges of powder with great satisfaction. It is one of the very best bullets that the beginner can use, as its handling and loading is the simplest thing imaginable, and good results are assured. These bullets could be bought by rifle clubs up till recently for about $4.50 per thousand. The price perhaps is higher now, but even at a 50 per cent advance these bullets are cheap.
The only objections to the metal-cased bullets are that they do cost a few dollars and they do wear the barrel more than softer bullets. For those men who desire the greatest economy and want to preserve the fine edge of their barrels as well as possible, it is a good practice to buy molds, lead, tin and one or two other items, and manufacture the bullets at home. (Cast bullets can be bought from the Ideal Company, ready made, for about the same price as metal-cased bullets cost from the Government.) The use of cast bullets does away with metal-fouling problems, hence simplifies cleaning.
The pointed Government bullet of 150 grains for Krag or Springfield, or any other 30-calibre rifle, perhaps is the most accurate projectile it is possible to load into cartridges at home. The cartridges loaded with it are clean and fit well, which sometimes is not the case with carelessly loaded cast bullets. And the power of the load may be as great or as little as desired, from the standard 2,700-foot velocity down to less than 1,000.
Of cast bullets for Krag and Springfield rifles, perhaps the Ideal 308,334 should be given first place, as it usually is considered most dependable and reliable for all-round use. There are other good ones, however, including both plain base and gas-check ones. Bullet 308,329, a spitzer gas-check one, is accurate, but can not be crowded very fast. No. 308,241, without gas check, is accurate and excellent for very light loading and shooting up to 200 yards. For rifles of other calibres, the reader is referred to the Ideal handbook, which is almost the last word on bullet molds that are available today. Clubs that are interested in loading should not overlook the advantages of the armory mold, as it is called, which casts ten bullets at once. With a single mold the average man can turn out bullets, after the metal is properly melted, at the rate of about 300 per hour.
Cast bullets should be about three thousandths of an inch larger than the groove diameter of the bore. For the 30 calibre. which measures in most rifles about .308, the bullets should be .311 in diameter. On this account little resizing of the muzzles will be required. Only one shell in ten will be so large that it will not hold the cast bullet tightly. The metal-cased bullet, however, being smaller, calls for resizing. It is well, therefore, to have two resizing dies—one of a size that will reduce the necks of shells properly for the bigger cast bullets; the other of a size to reduce them for the smaller metal-cased bullets. Two such dies are needed particularly for .280 Ross reloading, owing to the fact that there is a difference of fully five thousandths instead of the usual three thousandths between cast and metal cased bullets for that cartridge.
Here the reader is referred to the article by T. C. Barrier recently printed in ARMS AND THE MAN for many useful comments on reloading, as well as to the Ideal handbook. Only special points will be mentioned here. For instance, it is well to try all shells in the chamber of the rifle they are to be used in after they have been resized and cleaned, and before they are loaded with powder and bullets. Then, after they are loaded, the cartridges should be run through the same process, particularly those that are to be used in magazine or other rapid fire practice. Sticking cartridges do little harm in slow fire, provided it is not something that will cause inaccuracy which makes them tight. The test can be made rapidly by piling the shells or cartridges on a bed, couch or floor, and allowing the extractor to throw all normal ones to one side.
Weighing the powder is necessary for accurate results when full-power charges are used, but not with reduced loads. The coarser powders do not pass through the No. 5 measure (which is almost a necessity) well, owing to the catching of grains by the edge of the revolving cylinder. The finer powders, however, give no such trouble, and seem to be measured the more accurately because of it. The main caution in handling powder is to avoid getting two loads in the same shell. When charges of 25 grains or less are used in a shell as large as the Springfield, two loads will go in without being noticed at the time—but they will give notice of their presence when the cartridge is fired.
The powder, no less than the bullets, proves a good example of the economy of loading at home. One can well go twice as far (or even farther) when standard reduced loads are used as when full-power charges are used. A marksman, sharpshooter or expert course can be shot over in practice or even for record, with about one-seventh pound of powder, which is less than a quarter’s worth. All three courses can be covered with less than half of a pound can. It is mighty cheap shooting—comparable in cost only to the use of .22 rim-fire ammunition.
An Ideal lubricating and sizing machine is an excellent help in preparing cast bullets. Other tools that are useful can be located without trouble by anyone interested, and need not be mentioned here.
Primers of any standard manufacture, including that of the Government, are good. It is stated by authorities that the non-mercurial primers so necessary in order to avoid deterioration of brass shells when full—power loads are prepared need not be used when the loads are reduced. Government primers, U. M. C. Nos. 8, 9, 8 ½ and 7 ½ Winchester primers No. 2 ½ and others; U. S. primers, Nos. 8 and 2 ½ , and Peters primers of the right sizes are all good. The club secretary should have prices on each grade of them. Do not buy non-mercurial primers that are old, as they tend to deteriorate with age more than the other type.
The powders to use depend somewhat on the kind of bullet to be used and the velocity desired. Powder requirements are exact. One kind, or type, can not be substituted for another. For instance, it is impossible to use the same powder for reduced loads as for full-power loads, except in isolated instances, and impossible to substitute them the other way about.
For very light loads with any bullets du Pont No. 75 and No. 80 are excellent. The former, under extremely close test, perhaps might give a shade more accuracy, but is subject to slight change or deterioration from dampness, or when exposed for some length of time to the dirt of uncleaned shells. Of late a comparatively new powder, du Pont No. 18, made originally for full charges in the 30-30 class of rifles, has been tried with excellent results in charges of 14 to 16 grains, which practically corresponds to the ordinary load of No. 75. It is likely most successful in this low charge behind the regular metal-cased bullet or behind heavy gas-check bullets.
For heavier, or mid-range _loads—-that is, those giving a bullet velocity of 1,600 to 2,000 feet—No. 18 perhaps is the best powder on the market today. Hercules Lightning, however, gives exceedingly accurate results, though it is said to be a little hard on the barrels. Sharpshooter powder is accurate, but never should be used in barrels intended for fine shooting afterward, as it will erode them. No. 80 is very good also for mid-range purposes behind heavy gas-check or regular metal-cased bullets.
The exact amount of the charge for each rifle and each bullet had better be studied in the handbook referred to, as it is particular in each case and requires more space to discuss intelligently than is available here. The main thing is to decide on the power of load required for your purposes and range, then to select one load and stick to it, learning and memorizing the adjustments of sight required for it and all other details about it. If this is done the practical man will find his reduced loads an enormous help toward qualifying with high scores, and, if he hunts, that the great amount of practice will be just what he needs to prepare him for the woods.
American Rifleman, vol 62, No. 8, May 19, 1917, pages 143, 144, 152
More Shooting for Less Money
By J. R. Mattern
ONE of the reasons for low scores is lack of familiarity with the rifles used and with their practical aiming and handling under range and field conditions. It is saying a good deal, though perhaps not too much, to state that every member of a rifle club should fire at least a thousand shots in what is called instruction practice. It takes a thousand shots to familiarize a man thoroughly not only with the location of the point where his bullets strike at the various ranges-, but with the feel and balance of the rifle, the trigger pull, the action of the bolt and with the nature and appearance of the sights under all conditions.
Practice in aiming, and working the rifle with dummy cartridges, will help a great deal at the beginning, but dependability in shooting can be attained only’ by cultivating an intimacy with the actual throb of the gun as the bullet leaves the muzzle, which the seasoned rifleman so enjoys. The reliable rifle shot must be able to call his shots instantly from a sense of where the sights were lined at the instant of fire. He should be on terms of such close acquaintance with his rifle that hands, shoulder, eye and sights automatically align them selves without delay of 1 second when a target appears before him.
It is probably correct that most men shoot for the pleasure there is in it. Few men, indeed, join a rifle club or arrange for their shooting in some other manner from a sense of duty. The enjoyment increases just as the amount of ammunition is increased.
But the man with only about $50 a year to spend on his shooting—a sum which must cover the cost of a rifle, extra sights in many cases, ammunition, and often a hunting trip in the fall-—finds himself in difficulties if he attempts to buy his thousand cartridges ready loaded. This year especially conditions are against him. Cartridges which a few years ago could be secured for $3.50 to $4.50 per hundred now cost $5.50 to $7.50 when bought of private make, and even Government ammunition is up 40 per cent or more. In these days of the need for economy in all things, the expense of factory cartridges is not desirable. .As it happens, it also is not necessary.
It is practicable for almost any shooter to provide himself with a large supply of ammunition and at the same time keep the total cost down to a satisfactory figure. It can be done by reloading, and by using, for most of the practice shooting, lighter loads than the full-power service load put out by the Government and the factories. A few full-power cartridges should be kept on hand. Many successful reloaders buy all their full-power cartridges, and use them only in shooting for record or qualification. Others reload practically all the cartridges they shoot. This article, however, considers only the reloading of reduced loads. The preparation of full-power charges at home was described recently in a number of ARMS AND THE MAN in an excellent article by T. C. Barrier, which it is hoped readers will have on file, as references to it are made here.
Before proceeding with the detailed recommendations, it is well to consider some advantages of reduced loads other than the great one of less cost. Years are required, when nothing else is fired, to establish that familiarity with the action of the service load in the Springfield or Krag rifle that gives the desired amount of control. The 1906 load is a stiff one, especially to the beginner. Full-power loads in many hunting rifles are equally disturbing to the unbroken shooter. The use of a lighter load, with less recoil, less barrel flip, and more of certain other features, will break in the beginner faster and much easier.
The absence of recoil is one of the elements of the cure of those who tend to be gun shy. They can keep the rifle in position, after a few shots show them that the butt will not punish them, and shortly will find themselves with a distinct knowledge of where the sights were on the target at the moment of discharge. The plentiful supply of cartridges which the use of reduced loads makes possible permits enough shooting to bring out individual peculiarities of eyes and aiming. Less shooting will not do this. As an instance of the importance of such a point, one shooter known to the writer finds his bullets going low and to the right when he fires in the squatting and other such positions. He can make better scores by setting his sights a little higher and with some left windage —but only practice brings out the existence of this condition, or establishes the amount of sight correction that should be made.
Many shooters do considerable hunting, or take short trips on which they like to shoot crows, ground hogs or other small animals, or game such as squirrels in open season. The reduced load provides a means of using the same rifle for these purposes, and in the gallery as well if one is available. Some even use silencers on their regular rifles for crow and other such shooting and for shooting indoors, and for this prepare a special charge giving a velocity of about 1,100 feet——the maximum that can be used if the silencer actually is to “silence” the report. The advantage of using the one rifle is obvious and well understood by most men. The one-gun man knows his rifle, knows its pull, drop and hang, things which are all-important in the woods and in skirmish, magazine and change-position fire on the range.
The reduced load is more satisfactory for shooting at 50 to 100 yards than the full power. Many shooters are situated so that they can go to a short range such as these without much trouble, but must travel miles to get to a longer range. Then, too, there is the matter of targets. Short range requires only small targets, which are easily procured. Long range demands the use of large ones, which cost considerable money and must be mounted on frames put up for the purpose. The man who is equipped for shooting at short range can go out without a pit boy or even without a companion, and can set up his targets and verify his firing frequently without having to walk so far as for long-range shooting.
The reduced loads, owing to lower velocity and to different shaped bullet, require more sight elevation, and, in some instances, more windage than regular cartridges. From a standpoint of convenience this is a disadvantage. A saving point about it, however, is that the very necessity of taking care of higher trajectory and more wind drift teaches the beginner how to meet those problems. The full training in looking after elevations and windage does not come to the man using service ammunition till he fires much at ranges longer than 500 yards; but the lighter loads duplicate in ranges of 200 to 400 yards all the conditions of double those distances.
The windage tables in the score books for the Springfield and Krag rifles naturally will not apply to the lighter ammunition. New tables must be worked out, but this is a simple matter for the man who can afford to shoot a few strings for the purpose. Similar tables must be worked out for hunting rifles that are used, in any case.
The accuracy that can be secured with loads other than those for which the rifles are intended is surprisingly good. It is sufficient to make clean scores on standard bulls at any ordinary range—say up to 400 or 500 yards.
In general the finer shooting of the reloads will group in a ¾ -inch circle at 50 yards. Many others that are extremely serviceable will not group into any circle smaller than 1 ¼ inches with regularity. So long as all the bullets go into a 2-inch circle at 50 yards, how ever, the load is a good one, and one that will give satisfaction for practice work. At 100, 200 and other ranges the accuracy is about in direct proportion to the distance, experience shows, and is not proportioned “on the square of the distance,” or diminished outrageously in any other manner, as has been stated on several occasions. The accuracy of the service load in the Springfield, in a good barrel, is, of course, much superior to anything stated above. That is, groups very much smaller at 50 yards than 1 inch can be secured.
This brings up a consideration of bullets. It is not generally known that the -regular 150-grain service bullet, as made by the Government and by all the private arms factories, can be loaded in front of small charges of powder with great satisfaction. It is one of the very best bullets that the beginner can use, as its handling and loading is the simplest thing imaginable, and good results are assured. These bullets could be bought by rifle clubs up till recently for about $4.50 per thousand. The price perhaps is higher now, but even at a 50 per cent advance these bullets are cheap.
The only objections to the metal-cased bullets are that they do cost a few dollars and they do wear the barrel more than softer bullets. For those men who desire the greatest economy and want to preserve the fine edge of their barrels as well as possible, it is a good practice to buy molds, lead, tin and one or two other items, and manufacture the bullets at home. (Cast bullets can be bought from the Ideal Company, ready made, for about the same price as metal-cased bullets cost from the Government.) The use of cast bullets does away with metal-fouling problems, hence simplifies cleaning.
The pointed Government bullet of 150 grains for Krag or Springfield, or any other 30-calibre rifle, perhaps is the most accurate projectile it is possible to load into cartridges at home. The cartridges loaded with it are clean and fit well, which sometimes is not the case with carelessly loaded cast bullets. And the power of the load may be as great or as little as desired, from the standard 2,700-foot velocity down to less than 1,000.
Of cast bullets for Krag and Springfield rifles, perhaps the Ideal 308,334 should be given first place, as it usually is considered most dependable and reliable for all-round use. There are other good ones, however, including both plain base and gas-check ones. Bullet 308,329, a spitzer gas-check one, is accurate, but can not be crowded very fast. No. 308,241, without gas check, is accurate and excellent for very light loading and shooting up to 200 yards. For rifles of other calibres, the reader is referred to the Ideal handbook, which is almost the last word on bullet molds that are available today. Clubs that are interested in loading should not overlook the advantages of the armory mold, as it is called, which casts ten bullets at once. With a single mold the average man can turn out bullets, after the metal is properly melted, at the rate of about 300 per hour.
Cast bullets should be about three thousandths of an inch larger than the groove diameter of the bore. For the 30 calibre. which measures in most rifles about .308, the bullets should be .311 in diameter. On this account little resizing of the muzzles will be required. Only one shell in ten will be so large that it will not hold the cast bullet tightly. The metal-cased bullet, however, being smaller, calls for resizing. It is well, therefore, to have two resizing dies—one of a size that will reduce the necks of shells properly for the bigger cast bullets; the other of a size to reduce them for the smaller metal-cased bullets. Two such dies are needed particularly for .280 Ross reloading, owing to the fact that there is a difference of fully five thousandths instead of the usual three thousandths between cast and metal cased bullets for that cartridge.
Here the reader is referred to the article by T. C. Barrier recently printed in ARMS AND THE MAN for many useful comments on reloading, as well as to the Ideal handbook. Only special points will be mentioned here. For instance, it is well to try all shells in the chamber of the rifle they are to be used in after they have been resized and cleaned, and before they are loaded with powder and bullets. Then, after they are loaded, the cartridges should be run through the same process, particularly those that are to be used in magazine or other rapid fire practice. Sticking cartridges do little harm in slow fire, provided it is not something that will cause inaccuracy which makes them tight. The test can be made rapidly by piling the shells or cartridges on a bed, couch or floor, and allowing the extractor to throw all normal ones to one side.
Weighing the powder is necessary for accurate results when full-power charges are used, but not with reduced loads. The coarser powders do not pass through the No. 5 measure (which is almost a necessity) well, owing to the catching of grains by the edge of the revolving cylinder. The finer powders, however, give no such trouble, and seem to be measured the more accurately because of it. The main caution in handling powder is to avoid getting two loads in the same shell. When charges of 25 grains or less are used in a shell as large as the Springfield, two loads will go in without being noticed at the time—but they will give notice of their presence when the cartridge is fired.
The powder, no less than the bullets, proves a good example of the economy of loading at home. One can well go twice as far (or even farther) when standard reduced loads are used as when full-power charges are used. A marksman, sharpshooter or expert course can be shot over in practice or even for record, with about one-seventh pound of powder, which is less than a quarter’s worth. All three courses can be covered with less than half of a pound can. It is mighty cheap shooting—comparable in cost only to the use of .22 rim-fire ammunition.
An Ideal lubricating and sizing machine is an excellent help in preparing cast bullets. Other tools that are useful can be located without trouble by anyone interested, and need not be mentioned here.
Primers of any standard manufacture, including that of the Government, are good. It is stated by authorities that the non-mercurial primers so necessary in order to avoid deterioration of brass shells when full—power loads are prepared need not be used when the loads are reduced. Government primers, U. M. C. Nos. 8, 9, 8 ½ and 7 ½ Winchester primers No. 2 ½ and others; U. S. primers, Nos. 8 and 2 ½ , and Peters primers of the right sizes are all good. The club secretary should have prices on each grade of them. Do not buy non-mercurial primers that are old, as they tend to deteriorate with age more than the other type.
The powders to use depend somewhat on the kind of bullet to be used and the velocity desired. Powder requirements are exact. One kind, or type, can not be substituted for another. For instance, it is impossible to use the same powder for reduced loads as for full-power loads, except in isolated instances, and impossible to substitute them the other way about.
For very light loads with any bullets du Pont No. 75 and No. 80 are excellent. The former, under extremely close test, perhaps might give a shade more accuracy, but is subject to slight change or deterioration from dampness, or when exposed for some length of time to the dirt of uncleaned shells. Of late a comparatively new powder, du Pont No. 18, made originally for full charges in the 30-30 class of rifles, has been tried with excellent results in charges of 14 to 16 grains, which practically corresponds to the ordinary load of No. 75. It is likely most successful in this low charge behind the regular metal-cased bullet or behind heavy gas-check bullets.
For heavier, or mid-range _loads—-that is, those giving a bullet velocity of 1,600 to 2,000 feet—No. 18 perhaps is the best powder on the market today. Hercules Lightning, however, gives exceedingly accurate results, though it is said to be a little hard on the barrels. Sharpshooter powder is accurate, but never should be used in barrels intended for fine shooting afterward, as it will erode them. No. 80 is very good also for mid-range purposes behind heavy gas-check or regular metal-cased bullets.
The exact amount of the charge for each rifle and each bullet had better be studied in the handbook referred to, as it is particular in each case and requires more space to discuss intelligently than is available here. The main thing is to decide on the power of load required for your purposes and range, then to select one load and stick to it, learning and memorizing the adjustments of sight required for it and all other details about it. If this is done the practical man will find his reduced loads an enormous help toward qualifying with high scores, and, if he hunts, that the great amount of practice will be just what he needs to prepare him for the woods.