38 wadcutters?

[horsemen61]

Question I am wanting to load up some 38 wadcutters any advice or tips good powder? Why cant I find any plain wc in a heavier grain than 148 and do I have to seat them super deep?

 

[mdi]

I normally seat my cast wadcutters to the crimp groove (Lee mold). But many wadcutters don't have a crimp groove. Those are normally seated flush with the case mouth and a light taper crimp is used. Classic load for .38 Spec. wadcutters is 2.7 gr. Bullseye. Most loads are fast powders loaded light. I guess 148 gr. just worked out right with good proportion of length vs weight for besy accuracy, and I haven't seen anything much heavier in .38 cal. My house gun is loaded with 150 gr. (my ww alloy) DEWC over a stiff load of W231. Large, flat meplat = lots of tissue damage, shock, and no over penetration.

 

[Walkalong]

A couple of options for crimping 148 Gr HBWC's. Works for DEWC too.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6284607&postcount=64

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6287025&postcount=65

 

[Beat-tu]

I use double ended wadcutters from Missouri Bullets. 3.6 grains of HP-38. Seat them in the second crimp grove (one grove on each end, hence "double ended") giving the deeper seat.

Tom

 

[poco loco]

I use the 141g Lyman 358495 button nose over 3.5 of Winchester 231 seat to the crimp groove and crimp it well. Super accurate at 10 yds out of my 1 7/8 Model 60 and very mild recoil wise.... but it punches right through a 1lb propane cylinder.

I use it as my edc load with no qualms. Like mdi wrote

Large, flat meplat = lots of tissue damage, shock, and no over penetration.

Just picked up the little 112g Ideal 358425 button nose wadcutter mold but have not loaded any yet to see how they shoot.....cute little shorty though, anyone have any exp with it?

 

[loadedround]

Two thoughts on seating your wadcutter bullets:

1. If loading for a revolver, you may load to the top crimp groove and give the
case just a kiss of taper crimp. You may also flush seat the bullet if
you desire, it makes no difference in a revolver.
2. If you are loading for a semi auto target pistol like the S&W Model 52
pistol, then you must seat your bullet flush to the case mouth, again
with just a kiss of taper crimp. This pistol along with the Colt Gold Cup in
in 38 spec (both now discontinued) will only chamber this round with
flush seated wadcutter bullets. 2.7 gr of Bulls Eye with a 148 gr
bullet was standard target load in those days, and still is today.

 

[TonyT]

Ditto on the previous poster's comments. I use the Remington 148 gr. LHBWC, 2.8 gr. Bullseye, RemSP for my Model 52 and revolvers. In the past I used a plain base 148 gr. DEWC with 2.7 gr. Bullseye.

 

[paw080]

Ditto on the previous poster's comments. I use the Remington 148
gr. LHBWC, 2.8 gr. Bullseye, RemSP for my Model 52 and revolvers. In the
past I used a plain base 148 gr. DEWC with 2.7 gr. Bullseye.

Hi Tony T, I use a very similar load as you. when loading 148gr LHBWCs,
I use 2.7 gr Bullseye seated out 4mm and when loading H&G #50 LWCBB 148gr,
I use 2.7gr Bullseye, seated out to the crimp groove. These loads are
for a Colt Trooper, foolishly used for Center fire Bullseye. I used to load the
LHBWCs flush, but I'm getting a bit better accuracy at 50yds with the 4mm
seating.

Tony

 

[Captcurt]

For a good home defense round load the hollow base as a hollow point. Still shoots good, mushrooms well and doesn't pentetrate completely thru the house. I ran ballistics test and this light load will blow chunks thru stuff.

 

[loadedround]

Quote TONYT: Ditto on the previous poster's comments. I use the Remington 148 gr. LHBWC, 2.8 gr. Bullseye, RemSP for my Model 52 and revolvers. In the past I used a plain base 148 gr. DEWC with 2.7 gr. Bullseye.

I likewise shot a S&W 52-2 in bullseye competion for many years and still own that pistol. BTW, I also used the same load in my 6'' Python when shooting revolver competition...remember those days when the cops still carried revolvers.

 

[Hondo 60]

AFAIK the standard for DEWCs is 148 grain.
Don't know of any other size.

I use Berry's & they don't have a crimp groove.
So I seat 'em flush & roll crimp over the top edge of the bullet
- comes out at 1.160".

In throwin 'em across my chrono, they're VERY consistent.
The standard deviation on my last box was only 7.

 

[Walkalong]

I load them about .125 out of the case to let them align with the throat. They take up a lot of space in the case, helping to get those small ES numbers. I use a very light taper crimp.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

For many years my standard plinking/target load for the 357 was the Hornady Bevel Base Wadcutter over 3.0 grains of Bullseye seated flush in a 357 case. Always worked very well. Never tried the HBWC as there didn't seem to be any need...and I rarely saw them on the LGS shelves.

Looking at some old load books, I see that the BBWC can be pushed harder than the HBWC. This is important if using wadcutters for defensive purposes.

Hornady appears to have dropped the BBWC. I'm using up my last box of 300. So far, my experience with DEWCs from other sources has been mixed. Some leading occurs even with my 3 gr. BE loads.

 

[ranger335v]

Why cant I find any plain wc in a heavier grain than 148

Because that's the only .38 weight they're made in.


and do I have to seat them super deep?

No.

 

[brickeyee]

and do I have to seat them super deep?

No.

You will further reduce the velocity obtained though.