38 Special WC seated to 2nd band

[BJung]

Has anyone tested a 38 Special WC with the bullet seated to the second band and shot through a .357 magnum? I have and noticed an improvement in accuracy compared to a .38 Special case with the WC seated to the first band. I am wondering if anyone had similar results? My first test load with the extended bullet used 3.1gr Bullseye and the test load seated to the first band was with 2.8gr Bullseye. I'm thinking of seating the bullet flush with the case mouth next time and compare 2.7gr test loads to 2.8gr testloads.

 

[mdi]

What bullet are you using?

 

[Hondo 60]

Pics of your rounds would help.
Did you change anything else?
Primers, powder, cases?

 

[reddog81]

What bullet are you using?

Yeah, Knowing which bullet will help greatly. There are many different wadcutters bullets that we could be talking.

 

[AJC1]

The 38156 bullet was designed to be used exactly that way.

 

[BJung]

I am using Dardas 148wc and the Lee 148wc. I made more test loads today and discovered that wadcutters seated to the second band was the same COL as a wadcutter seated in a .357 case to the first band.

 

[BJung]

Here is a photo of test load samples I made today. Notice the .357 mag case on the right.

 

[.38 Special]

Quite a few revolvers will get grumpy when freebore is too long. My pet Model 19 really does not like .38 loads but will shoot wadcutters from a .357 case just fine.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Here is a photo of test load samples I made today. Notice the .357 mag case on the right.

On the left looks like a Lyman's #358091 or maybe a #358495 button-nose wadcutter (145-160gr. depending on the alloy):


I think what you're calling, "...the second band..." is actually the top lube groove. Seating to the top lube groove and roll-crimping lightly or not at all and just relying on good neck tension/low recoil energy has been pretty common for quite a while. Yes, in some revolvers it works better and in others not well at all, you just have to experiment to see what YOUR guns like. I have also seen and used #358091 cast with Linotype and pushed at FMJ velocities for hunting. It's very darned effective on medium game at close range with full-house .38/44 or .357Magnum velocities - in that alloy, the bullets end up around 150gr. and have to be tightly crimped to avoid walking forward and blocking the cylinder from rotating. It's also common to cast that bullet with antimonial lead, use no lube, just wax or liquid Alox, and seat to the middle lube groove with a very mild charge of some very fast powder like Nitro 100, N-310, Clays or on the slightly slower end, Bullseye. At close range it's a very accurate, low-pressure target load. I have some 150gr. Linotype-cast #358091 red carnauba lubed bullets I bought online some time back and seat them to the crimp groove over 3.5gr. of Bullseye for my Colt's Official Police revolvers. 50 yard accuracy is better than I can hold these days. I also have some 145gr. 96-2-2 alloy cast #358495 I bought about the same time locally that are waxed, not lubed, and I seat those to the middle lube groove over 2.7gr. of Bullseye for my S&W Model 15-3. I don't bother crimping the longer seated bullets because it's a light enough charge they're not going anywhere. 25 yard accuracy is ditto (better than I can hold) and it's a great round for new shooters - real mild.

Wadcutters are, in my opinion, about the most flexible bullet design ever. Here's a pretty good reference article, if you're interested:
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_11_Wadcutter.htm

 

[forrest r]

Been loading the h&g #50's and the lyman 358495 & 358395 bullets long for decades (since the 80's) crimped in the middle lube groove using 38spl cases to use in the 357's.

Started pc'ing bullets in 2014, took this picture of the h&g #50's in 38spl cases before 2014. Used to lube the bottom 2 lube grooves only.


Post 2014 with the same h&g #50 that has been pc'd loaded in 38spl cases next to it is a mihec 640 158gr fn hp. The 640 has 2 crimp grooves just like the lyman 358156 bullet & is crimped long in the bottom lube groove in 38spl cases.


6-shot groups @ 50ft with those loads pictured above shot in a s&w 686


Testing 220gr hbwc's in a s&w 624/44spl. The 220gr hbwc is seated flush, crimped in top lube groove, crimped in the bottom lube groove and seated backwards making a huge hp. I also test lube in 1 groove, 2 grooves, tumble lubes, etc.


Moving the bullet out further in the case is putting the shoulder of the bullet in the leade of the cylinders. This aids in alignment and increases accuracy. The top bullet is seated to the standard "book" oal. The bottom bullet is seated long putting the bullets body into the leade of the cylinder.


I never hurts to test different oal's. I cast my own bullets and pretty much have an unlimited supply of free lead so it no big deal to burn 700/800 bullets playing around with oal's, diameters, lubes, etc. Looking for a combo that puts bug holes in paper.