Wadcutters?

Eutycus said:
I am fairly new at this forum and I apologize in advance if this question has been asked recently.Do any of you load .38 wadcutters backwards in the case to provide a "super hollowpoint"?
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No, but I do load 148gr DEWCs very hot for critter control. They put a nice hole in things.

I also buy 200gr .358” WFRN and load them up to around 700fps to replicate the old Super Police Special.

I think either one is better than the backwards HBWC.
 
I have, but it was decades ago. I'm not completely sure of their application. Some folks claim that they are effective manstoppers, but I doubt there is much if any data on that. I used them on small game, but found them too destructive. I suppose they might be good for pests.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Not my bag of marbles. So, that’s a No. For home defense in .38Spl I load a variety of lead and jacketed rounds, all designed specifically for hunting or home defense purposes. Hunting bullets are designed to deliver a quick kill and if I’m facing a rabid animal that’s exactly what I want.
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So penetration then? Save the backwards wadcutters strictly for mushrooming.
 
I experimented with this.in the 70s. When they worked that worked well. However maybe 50% of the time part of the hollow base would shear off and they would tumble limiting penetration.

I still carry factory loaded HBWCS in a j frame. Why?

1. The bullet is already in an efficient shape. A hollowpoint has to penetrate a little to get to the shape a wadcutter starts out as.

2. A HBWC has adequate penetration from a 2" j frame. Why? The HBWC has it's weight bias to the front of the bullet. If it hits something solid (bone) it keeps on going.

A swc (my 2nd choice for short barrels) along with any other bullet design, will start to tumble as the weight bias is at the reae of the bullet.

3. A factory velocity hbwc at about 700-725 fps is easy on your revolver. It's also easy on you. Low recoil and muzzle flash make repeat shots easier.

Jim Cirillo, who knew more about combat shooting than most people on this forum, sought out the best combat bullet. His designs all looked like wadcutters some with a cup point. When he carried a 1911 on NYPD Stakeout Squad he had a wadcutter in the tube backed up by hollowpoints.
 
Eutycus said:
How about for self defense?
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I Absolutely never use any of my hand loads for self defense. There have been numerous writings from both firearms gurus, and attorneys warning about not using your hand loads for self defense. It boils down to if you end up in a civil suit from some dirtbag's family after you have to defend yourself, their lawyer will make you out to be some crazed gun nut who built special ammo that was more deadly than anything you could buy.
I was told to buy factory ammo for carry defense, and if asked why I chose a certain ammo to say it was just what the guy at the gun store handed me.
 
My next question was going to be about off-the-shelf wadcutters.They sound like a good defense round in a snub nose.
 
I tried shooting Remington hollow base wadcutters into jugs of water before and the bullets shattered. I also shot Gold Dot 38-135 bullets and they expanded perfectly.
 
I almost bought a box of wadcutters last month but if I recall they cost more than 158 round nose.
 
The last time I looked, which was awhile, Midway sells hollow base wadcutters. MP Molds sell hollow base wadcutter molds. You can cast varying alloys of Pb:Sn and see what works fine for you.
 
BJung said:
The last time I looked, which was awhile, Midway sells hollow base wadcutters. MP Molds sell hollow base wadcutter molds. You can cast varying alloys of Pb:Sn and see what works fine for you.
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Thanks for the info but I don't cast anymore. Melting lead was fun while it lasted but my Doctor advised me to "give it up".
 
I experimented with reverse loading HBWC in the mid '90s. I used mid to upper charges of W231, but not max. My results were not to good. Some shots into wet newsprint at 12 ft the skirts collapsed and bullet tumbled shallowly. A few expanded but most not evenly and penetration was very shallow. I had a "house gun load" of a 150 gr DEWC over a max load of W231 (not +P) and it worked pretty good and was accurate from my 3" 38 Special house gun. Today defensive bullets have improved many times over, specifically for controlled expansion and penetration and there are many much better choices for SD bullet loads.

Factory HBWC are meant for target shooting and perform very consistently, but at lower velocities (about 700 fps from 4"). Not a good SD load....
 
Eutycus said:
Do any of you load .38 wadcutters backwards in the case to provide a "super hollowpoint"?
Click to expand...
That is pretty old technology. I remember it being very popular back in the 70s for short barreled revolvers where you weren't likely to get much velocity. The issues folks ran into was unreliable/inconsistent expansion and poor accuracy

Since that time, the study of fluid dynamics has made great advances in understanding what it takes to get reliable expansion out of short barrels

BJung said:
I tried shooting Remington hollow base wadcutters into jugs of water before and the bullets shattered. I also shot Gold Dot 38-135 bullets and they expanded perfectly.
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This experience has been very similar to my own. The Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr HP load has been my choice for short my J-frames...that is the barrel length (<2") it was designed to expand out of
 
I’ve loaded and shot plenty of them over the years. They are great for pest control out of a rifle.

Dan
 

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I tried that with hollow based wadcutters some decades ago. Some were accurate, others not so much, and they tended to hit the target sideways at 25 yards. On the other hand, factory full wadcutters seem to be accurate and stable to 50 yards, cutting down overpenetration of walls, etc. The 135 gr. Speer GOLD Dot Short Barrel ammo in 38 +P or 357 Magnum do very well...if/when you can find them. Perhaps belt & suspenders...use factory ammo for defense, and load to equal recoil for practice and enjoyment.
 
I frequently load 148 gr. DEWC in .38spl cases and find them extremely accurate using 3.8 - 4.0 gr of HP-38 powder. Have never loaded or shot any hollow base wadcutters.
I have been tempted to carry DEWC ammo for self defense but still carrying Speer Gold Dots.
 
yes, loading hollow base wad cutters upside down produce a nice hollow point bullet, but really are not more effective for self defense loads.
They work nice for critters like snakes but for two legged critters solid wad cutters are excellent "show stoppers." Now talking with a LEO I found there is
a draw back in loading your own WC. Scene investigators can determine distances and support defensive statements in court proceedings when using commercial ammo.
They don't always have that capability when reloaded ammo is used. Their equipment can test most commerical ammo, but reloaded ammo can throw a "monkey wrench" into
their findings.
 
I will be going to a town tomorrow that has an Academy and see if they have any factory wadcutters. They sound like the right "diet" for a snubnose.
 
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