1. That factory-loaded cartridges are not, by the time 

 the shooter uses them, "freshly" loaded, and 



2. That his hand-loaded cartridges are specially loaded 

 to suit the particular gun they are intended for. 

 Neither argument is worth the time it takes to state it. 

 Let us look at argument No. 1 . In the Rrst place, how 



many millions of cartridges are ordered months before the 

 shoot they are intended for, or are not all used at such a 

 shoot, but are finished later in the season ? Is any dif- 

 ference noticed in the firing of these "stale" cartridges ? 

 Of course not. Some shooters we know often give to 

 their keepers any cartridges that are left over at the end 

 of the season, but many keep them, and how often you 

 hear shooters, in a surprised tone, saying that they are 

 shooting last year's cartridges and that they are perfectly 

 good. Of course they are. 



The fact of the matter is that if a cartridge is properly 

 stored it is as good certciinly three years after loading as 

 three days or three weeks. 



The hand loader says an old cartridge is not likely to 

 be so good as a freshly loaded one. We say that it is more 

 likely to be good, because, apart from all the advantages 

 that we have shown a wealthy factory can supply, there 

 is this further advantage in an old loaded cartridge. The 

 powder in a cartridge is very largely protected from 

 atmospheric influences. Now the hand loader, who sup- 

 plies the loading fresh, has to do it with powder that has 

 been in his shop for some time lying loose in a tin. It is 

 therefore much m.ore likely to have deteriorated than the 

 powder lying secure in the "factory-loaded" cartridge 

 during that time. 



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