Question about hand loading Wadcutters

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Pat Riot

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Hello,
I am not new to reloading, but I have never loaded wadcutters. I made a couple of practice rounds and I wanted to ask if they appear to be correct or okay, mostly regarding the crimp and the position of the bullet itself.
The cases are once fired brass
The bullet is a 148 grain Bear Creek Supply button nosed wadcutter. They are not hollow based.

Here are a couple of photos of my examples. Do they look okay?
Thank you

482B127C-438E-427B-9CB8-F33BD8BF1697.jpeg

085B7B40-D7D3-43F3-8DE7-AB96E1763CC9.jpeg
 
They look good. There are 2 types of wadcutter reloader. Flush seaters which you seem to be, and proud seaters, which I am. I seat deep but crimp hard into the side of the wadcutter making sure it can’t move around in the case. I always worried about recoil driving a wadcutter back into the case and increasing pressure since it’s only a friction fit the few times I seated flush. Assuming you loaded light like most folks do for wadcutters, your probably perfectly fine.
 
I am a "flush seater", even though it sounds kind of dirty.

As WestKentucky points out, it is worth worrying about taking up too much room in the case and thus increasing pressure, but again, few of us are loading wadcutters anywhere near dangerous pressure levels. As always, I like an expander ball a few thousandths under bullet diameter to ensure good pull, which helps prevent bullet setback, among other things.

Tl:dr is that the cartridges in the OP look fine, as long as you aren't using 2400. :p
 
Thank you all very much. I tried to simulate that same seating and crimp that I had on some Federal Gold Match wadcutters. Unfortunately I shot them all up so I had none to photograph in comparison to these.

I plan on using Universal powder, which is all I have now and no others are available anywhere right now. I plan on loading under the recommended max per the Hodgdon website and my Hornady book. I plan to make up a series of loads starting at the minimum and working up from there. I am going for accuracy, not velocity.

I appreciate the responses. :cool:
 
Thank you all very much. I tried to simulate that same seating and crimp that I had on some Federal Gold Match wadcutters. Unfortunately I shot them all up so I had none to photograph in comparison to these.

I plan on using Universal powder, which is all I have now and no others are available anywhere right now. I plan on loading under the recommended max per the Hodgdon website and my Hornady book. I plan to make up a series of loads starting at the minimum and working up from there. I am going for accuracy, not velocity.

I appreciate the responses. :cool:
Sounds like a good plan. Universal is a good and well used powder for .38 wadcutters. The crimp looks good to me, if maybe a couple thousandths deep ;) but that's fine, too. They only need to be crimped in the groove with heavier loads, like has been said.
 
I assumed he was using them in a Model 52 and was worried about them banging around in the magazine. :neener:

It ain't the "banging around" it is the OAL. The 9mm length magazine well demands a flush seat and no fooling. It also needs a roll crimp for feeding. I tried The Internet Taper Wondercrimp and feeding was poor.
 
My own term. There are things that the Internet Experts can be relied upon to recommend at every turn.
The taper crimp is one of them.
Kind of like the Internet Official SWC OAL. If you don't load your .45 semiwadcutters to 1.250" OAL, you just aren't with it.
Ah, gotcha! Thanks for the explanation! Frankly, it sounded painful. :what:

"I saw it on the internet so it must be true!" :rofl:
 
Thank you Gents.

I will be shooting these in my models 36, 10, 19 & 442. EDIT: I forgot to add my Colt Detective Special. Mostly just for targets. It just dawned on me that I didn’t mention these were for .38 Special loads.

I think I will set the seating die so that it doesn’t push the bullet in as far.

Thank you all for your input. :thumbup:
 
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I thought I had a better Wadcutter pic, but this was all I could find in my phone.

The top ones are .38 Spl. loaded with 2.8 gr Bullseye and an Extreme 148 gr plated DEWC.

2102F8F1-53C4-4A07-BAA5-6267DE52E63E.jpeg

I let roughly 1/10 inch peek out of the case with the Wadcutter bullets, but the flush seated rounds shoot the same to me so I believe you’ll be just fine. :thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
I will be shooting these in my models 36, 10, 19 & 442.
I always assume revolver when folks talk about .38 Spl WCs, and keep forgetting about the wonderful old Smith autos that shoot it, which is silly, as I lusted over them for years. Anyway, I played with roll crimp vs taper crimp etc (revolvers) and could never shoot the difference, so I taper crimp. Plus I don't shoot lead WCs anymore, plated or coated for me these days.

A Berrys .32 HBWC seated so the round front of the bullet serves to help it feed
in my Benelli, with a taper crimp so light all it does is remove the bell.
Light Taper Crimp on a .32 Long WC - Berrys 83 Gr HBWC - Pic 1.JPG

A Berrys .38 HBWC seated long to "line up" in the throats. (Does that work?)
Light taper crimp again.
Light Taper Crimp on a Berry's 148 Gr HBWC In .38 Spl - Pic 1.JPG

Back in the day. Still just a light taper crimp. (Revolvers again)
Light Taper Crimp on a 38 HBWC Pic 1.JPG
 
Okay, I looked at the load data for .38 Special LHBWC on the Hodgdon site. Technically my load on the right of this photo meets the COL ( cartridge overall length) of 1.060” at the top of the button, but is about .040” shy of the case mouth if measured to the edge of the wadcutter.
I tried leaving some of the bullet exposed on the cartridge on the left. This cartridge measures 1.200 in length at the edge of the wadcutter. The measurement excludes the button.
1C99F68A-8887-4BDF-877B-BA8167F0C652.jpeg

Now, since the one on the left doesn’t jibe with the COL on the Hodgdon load data (posted below) will this be a problem? The cartridge COL is a bit longer than COL. Personally, I don’t think this is a problem in regards to pressure and I am assuming since you @Walkalong and @Riomouse911 load yours a bit long, would you agree?

Here is a screenshot with my added notes from the Hodgdon website.
143A42AE-DCB5-4CB1-BEEB-272862AB58F0.jpeg

This screenshot is from here:
https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center?rdc=true&type=53

Thank you
 
Split the difference; have the main part equal to case mouth with the button above that and you should be GTG
 
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