American Handgunner Jul/Aug 1981 - Jeffersonian

CLARK tI RUCiCR
Adjustable
Rear5ight
44
P.D
S17~L
Add $1.00 for postage
and handl ing.
(White outline blade - $350 extra)
Replaces rear sight on Ruger models with
adjustable sights. Large, flat rear blade with
deeper sight notch. Improved sight picture.
Beller click adjustments.
Also available to fit base on current
production model Mark I.
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED.
Jam.s t.Clark
PISTOLSMITH
Rt.2 - Box 22A
Keithville, Louisiana 71047
(318) 925-0836
~el~
All Caliber Pistol
Cleaning Kit
Complete care for your finest
pistols. Duraluminum cleaning
rod, phosphor bronze
brushes, silicone cloth, nylon
cleaning tips, wool mops,
patches, Gunslick, oil, solvent
and expert cleaning instructions,
Deluxe kits for shotguns
and rifles also available. ~"T
. ·E"
LEARNING LOADS
(Continued from page 43)
on the various semi-wadcutter designs as I
use them in both practice and full power
loadings.
In .44 caliber I use either Lyman
#429421, or RCBS 44-250K. In Al caliber
the Lyman #410459 and the RCBS 41­
210K are fine, and for .357 Magnum both
Lyman #358477 or RCBS 38-l50K are
good choices. However, Jor my last birthday
my wife gave me a Lyman mould
#35891 for a bevel base full wadcutter
bullet that has shot rings around some of
my previously favored bullets-accuracy
wise.
It pays to experiment!
In general gas check type bullets are
good but the gas checks are a needless
Heavy recoil of magnum caliber guns
can be toned down with learning loads.
expense at the velocity level of "learning
loads."
Again; the individual design of bullet is
not so important as long as they are accurate,
plentiful; and reasonably priced~
As important as the bullet design picked
for practice loads is the choice ofpowders.
Accuracy and economy are still the watchwords.
Nearly any of the faster burning
powders are suitable regardless of brand.
Don't figure that just because one ofthe
slower powders is the best choice for full
magnum loads it will be good for reduced
loads with reduced charges. Powders such
as 2400, IMR-4227, or H-110 which are
good fOf the high velocity loads, will give
incomplete burning or maybe even rilisfires
at low pressures. Accuracy will also be
poor.
groups average. about Ph inches. But, the
powder cost per shot is also excellent with
1,750 charges to a one pound (approx.
$8.00) can of powder!
When using these light charges of fastburning
powders it pays to be very cautious
about double charging a case. Where
the above mentioned 4.0 grains ofBullseye
in a .357 Magnum case is fine, a double
charge of 8.0 grains may blow the gun to
pieces. I check every case after charging
them. It takes a little longer-but I'm
loading for accuracy and safety-not
quantity!
The fact that a handgun can be just as
sensitive about its powder charge as a rifle
is generally not well known. However, it is
true.
4.0 GRAINS BULLSEYE
When working up with Bullseye for that
.357 Magnum target load I tried 3.0, 3.2,
3.4, 3.6, 3.8, and then 4.0 grains using the
handgun in my Lee Pistol Machine ~est.
The lO-round groups with 3.0, 304, and 3.8
gave nowhere near the accuracy as those
with 3.2 and 3.6 grains. But none of the
charge weight.s gave near the excellent
accuracy of the 4.0-grain charge, whose
groups very rarely measure over 1.5 inches,
and then only a fraction or so over.
To check this out I shot this test over
again twice and· the order of accuracy
always stayed the same. Loads with 3.0, 3.4
and 3.6 grains always averaged over two
inches; loads with 3.2 and 3,6 grains
hovered right at the two-inch mark, and
the 4.0-grain charge always was much
under that.
This experience convinced me to always
test various powder charges when striving
for accuracy with handguns.
I have also seen the use of a filler
material such as dacron recommended for
light handgun loads. I disagree with this
after trying it. For me accuracy deteriorated
in every instance.
One practice I