.38 Spl. Load

[Chainsaw2]

My apologies of this question has already been asked several times, but I don't know the answer.

Can a 148gr. HBWC, loaded inverted with the hollow base out over 3.0 gr. of Bullseye be an effective round for 2" to 4" bbl revolvers?

jim

 

[keyboard commando]

It sure can.

 

[Hardtarget]

I've loaded that very set up. I've killed several phone books. Never have had to shoot to defend myself. No reason it shouldn't work.

Mark

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

Except that its going to penetrate absolutely zero if it opens up within the first few inches like the one keyboard commando posted. You do NOT want that kind of expansion!

Load it front toward enemy and it would work much better.

 

[SaxonPig]

This load is not seen by ballistic experts as particularly good. Accuracy is iffy at best and the bullet is not designed to expand as is an actual HP design. I would counsel against it.

 

[StrawHat]

Yeah, it can be done and I did it back in the 60s. (Didn't everyone?) I tried it on small game and realized I was getting tremendous expansion and NO penetration. Looking back, I believe it was staying inside cottontails. Eventually I quit on that idea and went to hardcast wadcutters at about 900 fps. That is an idea that I stayed with.

 

[Nasty]

It was popular before the modern controlled expansion projectiles were developed. The idea was maximum stopping power with minimum penetration, such as in housing with thin walls.

They will still do the same today...but there are better alternatives now.

 

[MCgunner]

There are really good .38 defense loads on the market now days. It's the 21st century, ya know.

 

[TonyT]

Many years ago before the advent of current quality JSP's a number of people loader the 148 gr. LHBWC with the base exposed and a gas check over what was the front of the bullet.

 

[rbernie]

I tried it a little while back with the current crop of Hornady HBWCs (sans gas check), and they would keyhole badly out of anything that I used to shoot 'em....

 

[PO2Hammer]

I would go with something like this, Buffalo Bore's short barrel wadcutter load.
Or you could load up your own version.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm thinking a good DEWC loaded over a stiff charge of your favorite .38 Special powder will work much better for SD than an upside down HBWC.

 

[Oyeboten]

A plain 148 or 158 Grain flat base Wadcutter would be a better Hole Puncher, and one can Load those upsidedown, too, for a flat, all Meplat front...might mushroom if peppy enough in SD, too.

Edit:

ArchAngelCD had already said it in the post above mine...but I was in 'edit' mode for over an hour and had not see their post...Lol...sorry to be redundant.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Hey, I never mind when someone makes a post that agrees with me... lol

 

[kludge]

http://www.brassfetcher.com/38wadcutter.html

 

[Bubba613]

Blue Bunny loads almost that exact combination (different powder) in it's "Golden Shot" load.
The load chrono'd at 885fps out of a Smith 640 2". It penetrated 15+ inches in PermaGel. The front blew off about 3" in and the back 2/3s of the bullet continued all the way.
Darn sure sounds like an effective load to me.
Yes, accuracy past 7 yards gets iffy as the bullet keyholes but so what? If you're shooting someone with a snub past that point you'll have some explaining to do.

 

[Walkalong]

I'm thinking a good DEWC loaded over a stiff charge of your favorite .38 Special powder will work much better for SD than an upside down HBWC.

I know for a fact the terminal performance is better.

Hey, I never mind when someone makes a post that agrees with me... lol

Your two for two ArchAngel.