Wadcutters

[SwampWolf]

Years ago, I read a report where the author experienced remnants of hollow-based (hb) bullets being left in the bore of a pistol he was using (loaded conventionally-not "backwards"). Accordingly, and playing it safe, I have since used only solid-based (sb) bullets when reloading ammunition to be used in Bullseye competition with my Smith Models 52 and 14 and my Colt Officers Model Special handguns.

 

[Plastikosmd]

bass: I didn't know about ppc or this gun either. I bought 2 38's sight unseen and that was one, other was the Glen

wolf, I think if u keep them at around 850fps you are ok. That is what I aim for. Push them fast and you will have a problem

 

[Steve Cover]

It used to be <ahem> "recommended" that the hollow-based wadcutters be loaded backwards to form a low-velocity expanding hollow point. Don't know what the results would be in ballistic gel testing, though. Never did it myself.

Chopinbloc? Wanna try that?

Thanks for the photos, guys. Saved me the trouble of resurrecting an old box of W-W target wadcutters and posting pictures of them. They look just like the other flush-with-the-mouth cartridges. Great pix !

Terry, 230RN

About 40 years ago, there was an article in one of the gun magazines suggesting this.
The author placed a gas check on the nose of the bullet before seating.
He drove these at higher than target velocity and highly praised his own idea.

Always looking for something new to try, I worked up a load that pretty much duplicated his out of my Blackhawk.

In close, they worked fine but wouldn't group well beyond about 20 yards.
I suspected that it was a factor of the center of mass of the bullet being so far aft, that it lost stability.

Other bright and shiny things grabbed my attention and I didn't return to backwards loaded HBWC loads for many years.

A couple of years ago, there was an article in another gunzine where the author seated a "T" sized shot in the open gap of the backward hollow base bullet.
He claims that the stability problem has been corrected and that the now hollow bullets still upset dramatically.
(I haven't tried this yet)

However, since I had a S&W M-15 rebarreled to 2" a couple of years ago, I've gone back to reversing the HBWCs again.

At belly gun range, they work really well, but normal wad cutters shoot more accurately for me so are more often carried when I'm in a "Dick Tracy" mood.

My usual EDC is a SIG 229 40 S&W full of Hydroshocks in a IWB holster.

The need for the HBWC 38 Special load really isn't there.

Steve

 

[susieqz]

for target shooting, it's more than cutting nice holes. in my model 15, wcs will give me a group of one jagged hole at 25 yards.
nothing else comes even close to this accuracy.

 

[stu1ritter]

Steve, thanks for bringing this thread back to life.
Ashtrays, oilcans, how about flying trash cans?
32 S&W Long, 32 H&R, 38 Spc, 44 Mag.

Stu

 

[Cleveland48]

Steve, thanks for bringing this thread back to life.
Ashtrays, oilcans, how about flying trash cans?
32 S&W Long, 32 H&R, 38 Spc, 44 Mag.

Stu

How do those 44 wad cutters do at farther ranges? I've only tried the 38's and they were extremely accurate, but I've only shot them at 15 yards. I'm asking cause it seems the big 44 hard cast wad cutter might be a awesome deer load. Well if it's accurate to 50 to 75 yards and pushed at reasonable speeds?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[stu1ritter]

They will do 1.5 - 2" at 25 yds. with moderate loads from my 4" barreled 629 from a rest. I have never shot them further than that.

Stu

 

[Deanimator]

Wadcutter bullets are seated deeply to decrease internal case volume.

Small powder charges are used in these rounds and decreasing the case volume will cause more consistent powder burn. This will lead to more consistent velocity between shots.

They're also seated deeply to allow them to feed through semi-autos like my Giles M1911 and the S&W Model 52.

 

[Merle1]

Folks
I have never shot wadcutters but the ones I have seen would be like a LRN just with a flat nose. Today I was given a box of .38 special wadcutters where the entire slug is sank into the case. It is possible the case is longer than LRNs I am used to, I can't compare them tonight because I forgot and left the box on my desk at work. :banghead:

Is there a purpose to the profile that has the slug entirely within the case? The box is old and only says .38 Special Wadcutters on it.

thanks
Mark

The first ammo you mention is Lead Round Nose - Flat Point; typically used in Cowboy Action Loads.

True wadcutters are (more or less) flush with the case mouth.

 

[HankB]

Hollow base wadcutters are the "traditional" .38 Special target load for bullseye competition. Weight is usually 148 grains, and the traditional powder charge is 2.7 grains of Bullseye. (A few decades back some people claimed that this load would "detonate" and blow up your gun, but the NRA technical staff and one of the powder manufacturers thoroughly debunked this through testing and microscopic fracture analysis of the blown up guns; multiple charges and deeply seated bullets were the culprit.)

I've loaded a lot of HBWC bullets backwards over a hefty charge of SR-4756 and never experienced tumbling, either before or after impact. The original Scorpion Hydra Shok was a modified backwards HBWC, although the powder charge was quite modest.

I wish someone made an HBWC bullet in .44 or .45 caliber.

There's at least one commercially made backwards HBWC on the market today - the ad copy sounds really good, but I've never tried anything from this manufacturer, so I can neither praise nor condemn it.

 

[the Black Spot]

Hank pretty sure matts bullets sells a 44 hbwc.

I wish lee or someone would make a mold for wadcutters in 44 or 45 that were at least 245 gr.