Speaking of ways to add challenge to your deer hunting (which we were, in this space two weeks ago), perhaps you’ve been considering a handgun, in addition to traditional muzzleloaders or string guns.

It is the nature of mankind to enjoy a challenge, and hunters are no different. This is why some deer hunters turn to the so-called “primitive weapons” — archery or traditional muzzleloading rifles.

It’s a fair question. When I loaded my first cartridge, back in the early ’50s, properly assembled handloads beat factory ammo on every count. The homemade product was cheaper, more reliable, usually more accurate, commonly more powerful and flatter shooting, more versatile, and could use much superior bullets for whatever the task at hand. The only things going for factory ammo were convenience and savings of time.