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Sierra BulletsFamily Businesses That DeliverStarline BrassJohn TaffinPhotos: Roy HuntingtonStarline’s entire staff proves there are people behind everycase you use. And any company with a dog on staff can’t be bad!Busy as bees if you ask us. Many employees at bothSierra and Starline count their years there in decades.Management treats everyone like family. Photo: Yamil SuedBrass cups are the first step toward cartridge cases atStarline, just as cups are the first step toward jackets at Sierra.There are a lot of great peopleinvolved in the firearmsindustry including severalgenerations of families. Twoimmediately coming to mindare the Hodgdon and Brownellfamilies. I can’t imagine functioningas a shooter withoutHodgdon’s powders andthe Brownells catalog which coversvirtually everything else needed forgunsmithing and shooting. Anotherprominent family is the Hayden familyheaded up by Robert Hayden. Sierrastarted in 1947 and Robert came onboard in 1969. Interestingly enough,I’ve never met Robert, however morethan 20 years ago my good friend,the late Hal Swiggett, introduced meto Robert’s lovely wife Barbara andthen I met their son Robert. Togetherthey make up Sierra Bullets and Starlineboth of which have relocatedfrom California back to their roots inMissouri. They have both been veryhelpful to me over the years.What rifle shooter doesn’t know ofSierra’s Match King Bullets? I likenames instead of numbers and Sierraoffers great names: Blitzking, Varminter,Pro-Hunter, Game King and70 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010