shu
Member
B'lieve I've asked this before, but never did get an answer.
Full wad cutters are a popular load for the 38spl. Seating deeper in the case (flush with the case mouth) they have the happy result of reducing case volume behind the bullet.
As to punching holes in paper, I find full wadcutters make nice clean holes. (At least in 38spl. Never been able to try them in 45colt.) Semi-wadcutters (38spl, 45colt, 45acp) are no better than round nose or any other, leaving jagged and ripped edges.
45colt, like 38spl, is a cartridge from the black powder days, with case volume inconveniently large for smokeless powder. Muzzle velocity of 800fps for target loads are about the same - with 148gr bullet for 38spl and maybe 250gr bullet for 45colt.
Why are there not more bullet offerings of 45colt wad cutters?
Is there something about the surface/volume ratio that makes a 45colt full wadcutter cause more leading or higher pressures? something about the geometry that makes the bullet more likely to tumble in 45colt than 38spl?
38spl wadcutters are reported to be 'good for small game out to 50 yards'. (Don't know from personal experience. I'm a paper puncher not a hunter.) Maybe 45colt would leave nothing salvageable from a rabbit. Maybe the CAS folks want a lighter bullet than 255gr (to keep the cost down) and at that weight a bullet with some kind of snout is needed for stability...
Don't know, but I keep wondering.. There must be some reason there are not more 45 colt full wadcutters out there.
Full wad cutters are a popular load for the 38spl. Seating deeper in the case (flush with the case mouth) they have the happy result of reducing case volume behind the bullet.
As to punching holes in paper, I find full wadcutters make nice clean holes. (At least in 38spl. Never been able to try them in 45colt.) Semi-wadcutters (38spl, 45colt, 45acp) are no better than round nose or any other, leaving jagged and ripped edges.
45colt, like 38spl, is a cartridge from the black powder days, with case volume inconveniently large for smokeless powder. Muzzle velocity of 800fps for target loads are about the same - with 148gr bullet for 38spl and maybe 250gr bullet for 45colt.
Why are there not more bullet offerings of 45colt wad cutters?
Is there something about the surface/volume ratio that makes a 45colt full wadcutter cause more leading or higher pressures? something about the geometry that makes the bullet more likely to tumble in 45colt than 38spl?
38spl wadcutters are reported to be 'good for small game out to 50 yards'. (Don't know from personal experience. I'm a paper puncher not a hunter.) Maybe 45colt would leave nothing salvageable from a rabbit. Maybe the CAS folks want a lighter bullet than 255gr (to keep the cost down) and at that weight a bullet with some kind of snout is needed for stability...
Don't know, but I keep wondering.. There must be some reason there are not more 45 colt full wadcutters out there.
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