The Black Powder Cartridge News Fall 2025

In 1871, the National Rifle Association was formed, (quoting from one of their founders) to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis.” Col. William C. Church penned those words in an editorial explaining the mission statement of the newly formed association. This was an admirable goal then, and still is today. America has always been a nation of riflemen and hopefully will always be. As shown by the wording, the NRA’s primary mission when it was formed was to promote rifle shooting and by extension, support the 2nd Amendment. ...Read More >

This issue’s cover shows a complete shooting outfit similar to what Professor Charles E. Dwight would have used when shooting his Maynard No. 14 Long Range Creedmoor rifle. From left to right, top to bottom, we show the multi-drawer tool chest used to hold all the components. ...Read More >

I would like to submit a Product Report on the RCBS Pro Melt-2 Electric Lead Furnace. This product provides an important safety aspect, in addition to several convenience attributes that help make bullet casting somewhat more enjoyable! ...Read More >

Bear Creek Sports Shooting Club / Yaupon Creek Silhouette Association / Park County Rod and Gun Club ...Read More >

List of "Rifle Clubs" by state. ...Read More >

The selection of days was most unfortunate. The 24th and 25th were the first chosen, but a picnic, to which several of the team wished to go, induced a postponement to the 25th and 26th, and thereby gave them a pair of difficult days, and a finish in the grandest sort of a wind and rain squall. The team was made up of five Bostonians, a Virginia man, one man from Poughkeepsie and but one ancient Creedmoor marksman. It had never fired over the ranges as a team, and, the squadding was a matter of chance. Under these circumstances the score it made was remarkable. ...Read More >

The 2025 Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match started out much like it has for many years in the past. Before the match began, the match director reviewed a few things at the Shooters Meeting. One of the points he brought up was he said that while there are certainly awards for the winners, most of the shooters were there competing against themselves to beat their old scores. With that statement, he was really talking to me. I had a couple of goals to achieve for this year; one was to beat my previous best score (which was shot more than a few years ago with my 44-90), and the other was to win an Eight-Straight pin. Those two goals were met and this was my best year at the match, so far. ...Read More >

The 22 BPCR shooting sport is where shooters act like adults on the outside, but feel like kids doing some serious plinking. Shooting a full-size, single-shot rifle chambered in 22 Long Rifle, is the essence of zero recoil and tack-driving accuracy. ...Read More >

How do you determine the rear vernier sight setting for a distance that you have never shot at before? In other words, how do you find a setting for a distance that is not already listed in your shooting notebook? For short ranges, you can walk the bullet impacts up from the bottom of the paper target until you get into the black. At longer ranges, most of us use a lot of valuable ammo looking for bullet impacts in the dirt, moving the sight up incrementally until we get on target. However, it is very aggravating if you can’t see the splashes because the dirt is wet, covered with grass, or you don’t have a spotter. ...Read More >

I’m always amazed at how often we, as people, set barriers for ourselves. “Can’t” seems to be word most often used to set those barriers. I hear it all the time among shooters. “I can’t shoot offhand…I can’t make Master Class… I can’t shoot in the wind… I can’t break 1,200 in the Winter .22 Schuetzen League”. You name it – I’ve heard it – and it drives me crazy! Henry Ford is credited with saying, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.” I love that saying and shooters have learned not to use the CAN’T word around me. ...Read More >

According to Cartridges of the World (14th ed.), the 44 Winchester Center Fire Cartridge was introduced as the original chambering for the Winchester Model 1873 rifle. The 38 Winchester Center Fire Cartridge was introduced in 1874, based on the 44 WCF necked down to take a .401 diameter bullet. Colt began chambering these cartridges in their Model 1873 revolver around 1878.1 These two cartridges in various forms have been chambered in a wide variety of rifles, carbines, revolvers and shotguns. ...Read More >

Ever since 1865, when Ireland had been allowed to compete for the Elcho Shield (the rifle marksmanship trophy emblematic of the championship of the British Isles), the Celts had placed second to England in that annual long-range competition. In 1873, however, the underdog Irishmen posted the top score of 1,195 points, 20 ahead of the Brits. Perennial “weak sister” Scotland, lagged again at third place, a humbling 67 points out of first place. ...Read More >