Why Not Load Your Own

Save money and get exactly the loads you want!

Why Not Load Your Own! explains how to get the results you want by handloading. The step-by-step guide has shown huntsmen how to shoot on a budget and produce ammunition that will give you more accurate results than any other load. Without assuming any prior knowledge on behalf of the reader, Colonel Townsend Whelen explains every step of the handloading operation: decapping; cleaning the primer pocket; chamfering the neck; recapping; neck sizing and expanding; powder measuring; and inserting and seating the bullets after you have cast, lubricated, and sized them. Whelen even provides basic equipment recommendations for those who are getting started. Ranging from the .218 Bee to .45-.70 US Government, Whelen covers 40 basic loads that are most useful to beginners. Whelen's precise instructions cover all of the precautions necessary for loading safe, accurate, and dependable cartridges. Originally published in 1957, this reprinted fourth edition offers a historic account of the art of handloading.

Colonel Townsend Whelen (1877-1961), an American soldier and outdoorsman, is best known for his expertise with rifles, reloading, and cartridge development. An avid writer on hunting and outdoorsmanship, Whelen contributed to a variety of magazines and authored numerous books, including Wilderness Hunting & Wildcraft.

Readers interested in related titles from Townsend Whelen will also want to see: Wilderness Hunting and Wildcraft (ISBN: 1626541027).

The author is the oldest and most experienced handloader in America. Since 1899 he has handloaded thousands of rounds each year, all of which he has fired himself in experiment, target shooting, and game shooting. For some years he was Commanding Officer of Frankford Arsenal, which makes all Government small-arms ammunition. He is retired Colonel of the Regular Army. A Distinguished Rifleman, he won the U. S. Army Competitions in 1903, and for many years shot on the Army’s Infantry Rifle Team. He has won many rifle matches, and is still shooting in competitions. He is also an enthusiastic hunter, and has bagged over 115 head of big game, including almost all species.