“Tag: Behind the Bullet”

Curious about one of the original wonder cartridges? A cartridge that literally broke the 6000 fps mark with specialized, lightweight options? Follow along with Phil Massaro as he dives into the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum.

Norma’s ballistician Nils Kvale saw the wisdom of having the velocity and horsepower of the .300 H&H Magnum, but in a shorter, more affordable receiver, and used the H&H case to develop his .358 Norma Magnum in 1959 as well as the .308 Norma Magnum one year later. The .308 Norma Magnum closely resembles the wildcat .30-338 cartridge, though the shoulder of the former is located a bit more toward the base than that of the .308 Norma Magnum. Intrigued? Read on about this often unfairly overlooked hunting classic.

Among the lot of Nitro Express cartridges—a term coined by James Purdey to compare the power of these cartridges to a locomotive and newly loaded with smokeless powder—the .450/400 3” N.E. represents one the best blends of hunting power and ease of shooting. Curious? Read on, as Phil Massaro goes in-depth on this classic, though esoteric, favorite.

Ever heard of the .17 Mach 2? Go behind the scenes on this hot little rimfire round with resident ammo guru Phil Massaro.

What is the first American metallic cartridge? While many of you may not have even heard of it, let alone shot it, the miniscule cartridge deserves a place of honor, if for nothing more than inspiring the ballisticians to develop our beloved .22 LR.

Despite the lack of factory-loaded ammunition, a competent handloader can provide a lifetime’s worth of hunting ammunition without much trouble, and the ballistic formula provided by the .284 Winchester leaves very little to be desired.

Launching a 160-grain bullet in excess of 3200 fps, the 7mm RUM is among the fastest commercially loaded 7mm cartridges available.

Like hot rods and jet planes, the .300 Weatherby Magnum may have been born at the close of the Second World War, but its appeal remains. Read on for the history of the sleek copper speedster.

Phil Massaro dives into the history and performance of the .33 Winchester.