2011 Issue Number 274 [hot] | Handloader Ammunition Reloading Journal October

is more than just a collection of loading tables. It is a historical document that bridges the gap between the post-war wildcatters and the modern precision movement. In its pages, you will find no hype, no sponsored influencers, and no "sponsored reviews." Just gray-bearded wisdom, Oehler chronograph printouts, and the smell of Hoppe’s No. 9.

: A technical review by Rocky Raab regarding this essential manual. is more than just a collection of loading tables

Turning to page 42, Griz found the notes. They were handwritten in faded blue ink, full of cross-outs and odd symbols. The powder wasn’t IMR 4895 or H380. It was a blend: 31.5 grains of old DuPont IMR 4064, but only after it had been “sun-dried on a tin sheet for two August afternoons.” The primer was a Remington 9½, but with the anvil “tapped 1/8-turn counter-clockwise.” The brass had to be once-fired Winchester, and the bullets—82-grain custom swaged soft points “lubricated with melted beeswax and a single drop of bear oil.” They were handwritten in faded blue ink, full

: R.H. VanDenburg, Jr. examines the characteristics of Ramshot's Zip powder. the .280 Ackley Improved is it.

If there was ever a "cult classic" cartridge, the .280 Ackley Improved is it. The October 2011 issue dove deep into this wildcat-turned-standard. Long before Nosler standardized it with SAAMI specs, handloaders were fire-forming brass to get that 40-degree shoulder.