Lock, Stock & Barrel

These very different 6.5 Creedmoors include an original Ruger with a walnut stock and a new Howa 1500 Super Lite Kryptek Altitude without a scope.

It’s not unusual for riflemen to verbally wrestle about this or that cartridge/rifle now and then in a hunting camp or at the local shooting range. Some folks even like to pick nits with gun writers and that sometimes includes the staff of Rifle and Handloader. Most people are polite and we try to respond with a letter or email as soon as possible. However, a recent note to yours truly came as a bit of a surprise.

The correspondent was gruff enough that I declined to engage in an argument without purpose. It seems this gentleman took offense at something I had written in a previous column, “Rifles Worth Keeping.” The gentleman took issue with my treatment of the tried, true .30-06 cartridge. He had decided the old ’06 was “so outdated that it’s no longer worth shooting,” much less using the “archaic cartridge” (his words) for hunting. He indicated there were far too many new cartridges that trump the old .30-06 ballistics, and this fellow’s ideal cartridge was the 6.5 Creedmoor. Where have I heard that before?

Trying to stay out of an argument, my response was kind and short: “Yes, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a highly-useful cartridge in many ways, and we have given it great coverage over the years in Rifle and Handloader magazines, but there are many other cartridges to choose from, and here at Wolfe Publishing, we cover all types of rifles and cartridges.” Frankly, I don’t understand why some riflemen still want to engage in a heated back-and-forth over what cartridge is better than another since they all have their purpose.

For the record, my vault includes not just one, but two, 6.5 Creedmoors. One is a somewhat scratched-up, first-run Ruger Hawkeye (2008) with a 25-inch sporter barrel and a Leupold VX-II 3-9x 40mm scope that, combined, weighs a near even 8 pounds. This rifle has been used to take two mule deer and several pronghorns and I see no reason not to hang on to it.

The other 6.5 Creedmoor on hand is a newly-introduced Howa 1500 Super Lite Kryptek Altitude with a short 20-plus-inch barrel, and perhaps the lightest carbon fiber stock made today. This rifle is also my personal choice for having perhaps the longest name I can remember ever seeing in print in all my time in this business.

Right out of the box, with only the Picatinny rail and bolt attached, the otherwise bare rifle topped out at only 4.5 pounds. Unfortunately, the flyweight Howa is waiting on a set of scope rings, and a somewhat newly-introduced Leupold VX-Freedom Creedmoor 4-12x 40mm scope that has a holdover reticle. It includes three descending dots that apply to the cartridge’s ballistics to assure bullets are planted where a hunter wants them.

To top off all this waiting for various parts, shooting on local forest land has been banned throughout the state (except indoor ranges, few of which have rifle facilities) due to current state fire restrictions. Oh, and yes, I still believe all hunters should own at least one accurate .30-06. He or she can take game up to elk and even bull moose. I’ve done it.

Aluminum Powder Funnels

During these strange days when propellant powders tend to be scarce in most outlets, and manufacturers continually struggle to keep up with demand, handloaders may become frustrated over spilling expensive powder while dumping carefully measured charges into new or resized brass cases. The rifleman may come to find, as I have over the years, that the little black granules begin to collect in and around the loading tray, loading bench or on the floor. Spilling powder is both an irritating and expensive issue.

Lee uses a top-grade, heavy-duty Area 419 funnel kit made of machined billet aluminum, which weighs more than plastic funnel kits.

Progressive loaders tend to work extremely well, though not all handloaders have the space or cash to use one, an issue that I have sometimes dealt with since my father first showed me how to load metallic cartridges back around the time I was 12 years old. I spilled a lot of powder then, and still do, now and then. However, one way I have learned to conserve precious powder these days is to box up all my lightweight, plastic funnels and drop tubes, and buy a good heavy-duty aluminum set. The extra weight helps to mitigate powder loss.

There are a few options, including the excellent, modular products from Area 419. Having used this company’s tools for some time now, I would challenge any funnel maker to come up with something better. For instance, Area 419 uses high-quality, machined billet aluminum for its loading blocks, funnel kits and stackable drop tubes. To test durability, I dropped several parts of the funnel kit from 5 feet on concrete and could only find slight scratches. More importantly, the heavier tools help to keep powder charges off a handloader’s bench or floor and into brass cases. The set I have been using tops the scale at 2 pounds and is less effected by the loader’s tendency to move or shake.

Clamtainer Ammo Buddy

Most serious hunters usually ignore new products that are said to be the up-and-coming, fix-it-all gear that everyone should run out at once and purchase. In fact, why not buy two or three while they last! Now and then, however, something small and interesting shows up that turns out to be useful in some way.

This Clamtainer Ammo Buddy plastic cartridge box holds 20 cartridges.

Clamtainer Ammo Buddy cartridge “boxes” are made of a nifty, clear, rugged plastic (not cardboard) for a great number of caliber options that range from the .223 Remington/5.56x45 all the way to the 8mm Mauser. There are also Ammo Buddys for shotshells. These plastic Ammo Buddy cartridge “boxes” can be had in

several sizes that fit more or fewer loaded rounds. I have several of these see-through containers, most of which are used to store handloads and factory ammunition. Due to the fact that the containers are clear, adding a slip of paper with load data makes it easer to find the load or loads of interest. Contact Clamtainer at (716) 792-4144.

Postscript: As this goes to print, Hornady has also recently introduced its new, anti-static Premium Powder Funnel Kit with all aluminum and brass parts. It comes in a sturdy plastic box and incudes nine funnel bushings.