Q: Recently, my dad gave me a Model 1886 Winchester .45-70 rifle, originally a blackpowder-cartridge gun. Are there any modern cartridges or companies that make ammo that would be safe to fire in this rifle? It has been evaluated to be in "very good" conditions by local gunsmiths and was last fired in 2004. - R.A., Jacksonville, Fla.
A: Goex Inc. of Doyline, La., offers a wide range of blackpowder cartridges under its ¡°Black Dawge¡± line, including loads in .45-70 Govt and .45-90 Win. The company also offers custom.45-100, .45-110 and .45-120 Sharps blackpowder cartridges. For more information, call (318) 382-9300 or visit www.goexpowder.com.
-- Larry Teague
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Q: I am thinking about getting into reloading and was wondering if you could recommend a particular reloading press or reloading starting kit, or several to choose from. I don't want to spend a lot of money, but at the same time, don't want to end up with junk I won't or can't use. At this point, I only want the essentials to get started and don't want to go overboard. Also, how many reloading books do I need, and which ones are best? - S.D. / Raleigh, N.C.
A: You're in luck because every reloading equipment manufacturer has you in mind. They know that once you buy the basic handloading gear and you catch the reloading bug, you'll buy lots more equipment to make handloading easier and your handloads more accurate. Good basic presses include the Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic, Lyman Crusher, RCBS Partner and Reloader Special-5, and Redding Boss. These presses also come in kits that include, among other items, a magnetic scale, case lube and lube pad, powder funnel, priming system, case trimmer, deburring tool and reloading manual. You probably need only one reloading manual to provide you with the how-to basics of handloading. If I were going to choose one, it would be Hodgdon's manual because it lists loads for Hodgdon, IMR and Alliant powders. Second would be the "Sixth Edition Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading" for the large number of cartridges listed. If you favor a certain brand of bullets, you'll also want to buy their manual. You can also pick up free pamphlets of loading data at sporting-goods counters by companies such as Accurate, Alliant, Hodgdon, IMR and Ramshot powder companies. Many of these manufacturers also post reloading data on the Internet.
-- John Haviland
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Q: Could you help me find a clip for a Winchester Model 100 in .284 caliber? - Patrick K./Elkhorn, WI
A: Replacement magazines for the Model 100 Winchester in .284 Win. are available through Brownells, a mail-order firm that caters to gunsmiths and recreational shooters and stocks over 30,000 items. To order, call (800) 741-0015 or visit www.brownells.com.
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Q: I recently purchased an H&R slug gun and was wondering which sabot-style slugs you recommend. I intend to test three or four different brands at the range. However, if you could narrow down the field, it would make the testing process a lot quicker and easier. As you know, there are literally dozens of sabot-style slugs on the market today. - D.Z., via e-mail
A: Your H&R shotgun should shoot a wide variety of slugs accurately. I would try the Hastings Magnum, Lightfield Hybred, Remington BuckHammer or 1-ounce Federal Barnes Expander loads. Use only 23/4-inch slugs for the best accuracy. The Hornady SST is a high-performance slug, as is the Winchester Partition Gold and Remington Core-Lokt, but they are not accurate in all guns.
- Dave Henderson
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Q: At a gun show recently, I saw a rifle with a stock extending almost the full length of the barrel. The seller explained that it was a Mannlicher-type stock. What are the pluses, if any, of having one of these? Seems to me that it would just add unnecessary weight to a gun. - M.V. / Houston, Texas
A: Full-stocked rifles originated in the military, where the extra wood protected a soldier's hands from barrels heated by fast firing. Probably the most famous firearm of this type was the Model 1903 Greek service rifle designed by Ferdinand Ritter Von Mannlicher. It was the basis for the highly prized 6.5x55mm Mannlicher Schoenauer rotary-magazine carbine. Mannlicher-style stocks remain popular on carbine-length sporters primarily because of their aesthetic appeal. In my opinion, few rifles are as graceful and attractive as a full-stocked carbine. Mannlicher is a registered trademark of Steyr. It's technically incorrect to call wood-to-the-muzzle rifles made by other manufacturers a Mannlicher.
- Clair Rees
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Q: I am going on a black bear hunt in Canada. My outfitter suggests that I bring a gun along with my bow. This is in case a good bear does not come in close enough for an archery shot. I have read a few articles regarding bear hunting guns. Some state that a rifle chambered in .30-30 Win. is adequate for black bears within 100 yards. Others say the .30-30 is not an acceptable bear gun at any distance. I am confused. Which is it? I would love to take my Winchester .30-30 because it's so light, compact and reliable. Keep in mind that I intend on using my bow. The gun would only be used if a bear does not come in to the bait. If this caliber is sufficient, which bullets would be best? The largest I can find for the .30-30 weigh 170 grains. Ballistics seem to be identical for the 170-grain load in different brands, another confusing matter. - Rich / Garden City, MI
A: I've seen many articles touting rounds as small as the .243 Win. as adequate for black bears, so it's easy to see how you could be confused. With good, heavy bullets like Federal's 170-grain Partition or Remington's 170-grain Core Lokt, your .30-30 is adequate for hunting bear over bait. However, it would not be my first choice. I think you would be better off with a .30-06 or one of the .30-caliber magnums stoked with a quality 180- or 200-grain bullet. But if you feel comfortable with your .30-30, by all means stick with it. If you plan to use your rifle for backup while bowhunting bears on the ground, I would not use that .30-30 under any circumstances. While black bears are not thought of in the same light as grizzlies, they are, indeed, dangerous animals. As with any animal with sharp teeth and claws, they are even more dangerous after you poke them with a sharp stick. For a true backup rifle, go with a .30-caliber or larger magnum rifle with tough, heavy-for-caliber bullets.
- Greg Rodriguez
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Q: How far can a shotgun slug travel? - John T. / Cedar Key, FL
A: When fired at a 30-degree upward angle, a shotgun slug can travel for more than a half-mile. This is its absolute range. Normal "effective range" of a slug is 80 to 125 yards when shot from a horizontal barrel. A conventional-velocity slug fired from a level barrel 5 feet above the ground will travel 240-250 yards before falling to the earth.
- Dave Henderson
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Q: I need information on a shotgun I have. It is a Colt double-barrel 12-gauge break-action shotgun with Damascus barrels and rabbit-ear hammers. The serial number is 18798. When was it made and what is its approximate value? - C.K., Mission Viejo, CA
A: Colt didn't make many shotguns, and the only smoothbore that fits that description and is listed in my reference books is the Colt Model 1878 Double Barrel Shotgun, also dubbed the "Colt Mule Ear." Some 22,690 of these guns were made from 1878-1876. Barrels were manufactured in Belgium and finished by Colt in a variety of Damascus patterns. All of these guns sport exposed hammers and double triggers. Barrel lengths are from 28 to 32 inches.
According to "Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Arms and Their Values" (Eight Edition), the gun is worth from $375 (plainest grade) to $4,250 (finest grade in excellent condition). Check the barrel for "COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG CO. HARTFORD CT USA" and the lockplates for "Colt's Pt. F.A. Mfg" to make sure it's this model.
Flayderman's 669-page reference is a must-have for antique arms collectors or anyone wanting to identify generations-old long arms or handguns made on American shores. To order, call (800) 258-0929.
- Larry Teague
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Q: I have just moved up from a .270 Win to a 7mm Rem Mag. I would like to add a muzzle brake to reduce recoil. A gunsmith said he could cut my existing barrel to make a muzzle brake. Is this as good as installing a threaded muzzle brake? - D.M., via e-mail
A: A "cut" or ported rifle barrel does not soften recoil as effectively as the Browning BOSS System or various muzzle brakes offered as aftermarket items. All muzzle brakes work to various degrees of efficiency, but at the price of increased muzzle blast, or noise. If, like me, you can't afford to lose any more of your hearing, consider adding a recoil suppressor to the stock or using low-recoil ammunition. Remington's Managed Recoil ammo, which reduces recoil by 50 percent, is available in 7mm Rem Mag. It's proven to be effective on deer-sized game out to 200 yards.
- Larry Teague
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Q: I'm going hunting in Illinois for the first time, and am searching for a good slug gun. I already have a Ruger Red Label O/U. Will this work? I read an article awhile back about a shotgun that shoots out to 200 yards. Is this possible? I think the name of the shotgun was Tar something. Have you ever heard of it? Please point me in the right direction. - J.M., via e-mail
A: No, I'm afraid that a Ruger Red Label will not work as a slug gun. The barrels of double guns shoot to different points of aim. Your reference to a 200-yard slug gun would be the Tar-Hunt RSG-12. They start at $2,000, but a novice shooter wouldn't be able to shoot one more accurately than any other slug gun. Most slug guns are effective at 125-150 yards with the right ammo. Probably the most accurate slug gun for the money is the Savage 210 bolt action. It's the only bolt-action slug gun on the market, and sells for around $340. One of the simplest, accurate slug guns is the H&R 980, a 10-pound single shot with a bull barrel. It sells for about $225. If price is the main consideration, check out Remington's 870 Special Purpose Deer pump gun. Try a variety of slugs, starting with the Lightfield Hybred, Hastings Magnum or Federal Barnes Expander (1 ounce). If you want flatter-shooting slugs, try the Winchester Partition Gold, Hornady SST and/or the Remington Core-Lokt Ultra. You'll find that one or two brands shoot better out of your gun than the rest. All sabot slugs are expensive. Don't shoot sabot slugs out of a smoothbore gun, and don't shoot conventional rifled slugs out of a rifled barrel, since it will skid and fill the grooves with lead. Rule of thumb: Sight-in 1,400- to 1,600-fps slugs 2 inches high at 50 yards, and they'll be dead-on at 100. Sight faster (1,700-2,000 fps slugs) 3/4 inch high at 50, and they'll be dead-on at 100. A novice shooter cannot shoot accurately at 200 yards, or even at 150, but the slugs are definitely lethal at those ranges. If you're looking for deep reference, try my book, "Shotgunning for Deer," which is available through my website, www.hendersonoutdoors.com.
- Dave Henderson
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Q: I recently had a rifle built for the .224 TTH (Texas Trophy Hunter) and am enjoying it tremendously. Have you taken any deer with this caliber? What were the results? - J.M., via e-mail
A: Back in the days when I was staff writer for Texas Trophy Hunter magazine, it became apparent that lots of Texans were using hot-loaded .22s for deer. Problem was, the rates of twist in most of the .22 centerfires were set up for varmint bullets. What we needed was a bigger, stouter bullet driven to adequate velocities to reliably take deer-size game.
After much experimentation, I settled on the 6mm case necked down to .22 caliber, matched to a barrel with a 1-in-9 twist. That combination adequately drives 64- to 75-grain bullets, and the .224 TTH was born.
Fortunately, manufacturers have responded with stout .22 bullets like the 70-grain Swift and 69-grain Lost River. With these bullets, I have taken more than a dozen deer and about half as many antelope with completely satisfactory results.
One word of caution, however. Avoid target-style bullets like the 70-grain Sierra, as these are fragile and will shatter rather than penetrate. Stick to the thick-walled heavyweights, and you won't have a problem.
In developing the .224 TTH, my goal was not to condone the use of .22 bullets on whitetails, but to provide an adequate platform for those who insist on doing so. The .224 TTH is an inherently accurate and flat-shooting cartridge extremely well suited for long-range varminting and bigger game up to the size of Texas whitetails and pronghorns.
- Ralph M. Lermayer
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Q: I'm interested in purchasing a rifle that can shoot long distances because we may go hunting in the mountains for elk, bighorn sheep and deer. I already shoot my dad's .30-06 and want to have a better chance at taking something. We normally set up on a large field. Shooting across it is hard for me because the gun is sighted at 150 yards, and the end of the field is about 300 yards. What would be a good, inexpensive setup?
--M.F., via Email
A: If you want to make a long-range rifle out of your dad's .30-06, you can sight it so 180-grain bullets at 2,700 fps hit 3 inches high at 100 yards. That will put the bullets right on the mark at 240 yards, 21 inches low at 400 yards and 46 inches low at 500 yards. A .300 Winchester Magnum with the same bullet at 3,000 fps and sight setting will reduce that bullet drop by 9 inches at 400 yards and 18 inches at 500 yards. A 7mm Remington Magnum firing a 160-grain bullet at 3,000 fps will shoot about 3 inches flatter at 500 yards than the .300 magnum.
The Savage M111FHNS is a great entry-level gun, and you will be hard-pressed to find a more accurate rifle at any price. Its AccuTrigger is a delight to use. The Nikon Buckmasters 3-9x40 is a good scope to put on the rifle and provides all the magnification you'll need for long-range shooting.
Good luck hunting in the mountains.
--John Haviland