light .38 Spl target load with plated HBWC?

[ric426]

I've found that my 6" PPC revolver really likes 1.8gr of Bullseye behind a Speer 148gr HBWC (for indoor PPC). I've got some Berry's plated HB wadcutters that I want to try, but based on the info from Berry's, it sounds like it's bad to use them for light loads.

"When loading for these bullets, you need to use data that will attain 800 fps as a minimum. Most of the data for this bullet weight was created using a dead soft lead projectile with velocities under the 800 fps and will not work for a this bullet at those lower velocities."

What do they mean by "will not work?". I understand that the plating gives more friction in the bore, but are we just talking poor accuracy or a bullet that doesn't even clear the barrel?

Has anyone worked up a light load with plated wadcutters?

 

[Quoheleth]

I'm just guessing, but the plating may provide *just* enough friction that <800fps will stick them in the barrel, making a squib load.

Q

 

[jbrown13]

Use this data at your own risk. Always start low and work up all loads for your handgun.

I have worked up a light (at least to me) 38 special load with Berry's Plated 148 HBWC w/ Universal Clays. I settled on 3.4 gr and seated the HBWC flush with a light roll crimp over the top edge. I don't have any chrono data, but I have shot most of my entire box of 1000 thru my 5.5" Vaquero with no problems whatsoever. I have also used 3.2 gr Accurate #2, but don't have more than about 50 thru the Vaquero with that charge, but those that I shot were light, accurate and reliable, and showed no signs of excess pressure. I will continue to use these loads in my Vaquero, and probably will settle on the AA #2 load because it is cleaner shooting.

 

[918v]

1.8 grains of Bullseye is too light a load. It may detonate instead of burning.

Use 2.5+ grains

 

[GRIZ22]

1.8 is way too light. At one time (before I knew better) I loaded a 148 HBWC with I think 2.0 of Bullseye. I was shooting PPC at the time and figured this would speed up my shooting and help my accuracy. At 7 yds they worked fine but at 15 yd they alreday started to keyhole. I quit doing this without ever having one get stuck in a barrel.

I recently read an article written by a ballistician who used to work for one of the big bullet manufacturers in a gun magazine. A guy called complaining that their 148 HBWC bullet was leading bad with a load of 2.5 B'eye. The ballistician told him to load 2.7 and the leading ended. With too low a pressure the base won't expand to fully engage the rifling.

What do they mean by "will not work?". I understand that the plating gives more friction in the bore, but are we just talking poor accuracy or a bullet that doesn't even clear the barrel?


A very light load with the plated bullet would likely give both accuracy problems and a possibility of not clearing the barrel. I never loaded a plated HBWC but if i did I'd try 2.7-3.0 of Bullseye. That's just a guess.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Your load of 1.8 grains of Bullseye is way too light. It won't detonate, but it also won't push the plated HBWC out the end of the barrel. You need to step up your load for both bullets.

When I was shooting PPC heavily in the late 1970's, the standard load was 2.7 grains of Bullseye and a lead HBWC bullet. It hasn't changed.

Don't even try to load plated HBWC bullets over a charge of 1.8 grains of any powder..

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Walkalong]

158 Gr plated bullets need at least 400 plus to get out of a 6" barrel reliably. 500 plus is much better, and 600 plus makes me a great deal more comfortable. I tried one 125 Gr load that would do 900 FPS with the powder back that would stick a bullet powder forward. Something to remember as well when using very light loads.

The Berrys 148 Gr WC (haven't tried the Berrys 148 Gr HBWC, but have some ordered) doesn't have to reach 800 FPS to work, but it needs a powder and charge weight that will reliably break 500 FPS with the powder forward, away from the primer.

 

[918v]

Your load of 1.8 grains of Bullseye is way too light. It won't detonate, but it also won't push the plated HBWC out the end of the barrel.

Mine did, every other primer was pierced and the brass stuck in the chambers.

 

[ric426]

Well, I'm glad I asked because I was just going by what a couple of people in the PPC league said they were using. I wasn't aware of detonation issues and certainly don't want to take chances.
I've only put 24 rounds through my gun at 1.8 gr, so I'll bump that back up to at least 2.5 gr. I think I'll start the plated wadcutters at 2.8 gr. and see how it goes. I've got a Lee Auto Disk powder measure so I'm stuck with the increments it provides until I can replace it with a Uniflow or something along those lines that will let me move in .1 increments. The numbers I'm getting are all based on what my Lee scale is reading and I'm not all that confident in it's absolute numbers. I'm mainly using it to verify consistent charges after changing disks or charge holes on the Auto Disk.

 

[7.62 Nato]

Are you actually weighing any of your powder charges or are you just going by the measure ?

 

[ric426]

Whenever I make a change I discard the first 10 charges, weigh the next 5 and then weigh every 15th charge. After having a few come through with no charge I'm putting the charged cases in a reloading block and visually inspecting them before seating and crimping on a single stage press. It slows the process way down, but I'll gladly trade speed for confidence.

 

[joneb]

I would not load below3.2gr of Bullseye with a 148gr plated HBWC