What are wadcutters?

[monotonous_iterancy]

What exactly is a wadcutter round? According to Wikipedia they're flat tipped bullets designed for target shooting. Although I've heard people recommend them for defensive situations. So what's up with wadcutters? What are they for?

 

[utbrowningman]

Punching nice neat holes in paper.

 

[cfullgraf]

Just you said, wadcutters are flat nose bullets primarily for target shooting. they cut a very clean round hole in the paper to make scoring easier.

There are solid base and hollow base wadcutters

Yes, some folks like them for self defense but generally factory loaded rounds are not very powerful. In the past before the recent high quality self defense bullets, some folks would load the hollow base wadcutters upside down to get the large cavity facing forward. The soft skirts of the hollow base would expand fairly well at the slow velocities.

 

[b4uspeak]

Wadcutters are use to cut a nice round hole in the target. Same for what is called a simi-wadchtter. The flat nose on the round is good for in the house defense they in a 38 do not travel very far through walls.

 

[MaterDei]

what he said. Also, they are a cheap bullet for reloading. I don't agree that they are good home defense rounds though. Hollow points create better wound channels and also don't penetrate as well as FMJ. Wadcutters are for paper punching, not HD.

 

[OptimusPrime]

Do not ever rely on drywall to stop any rounds. There is no such thing as "safer to shoot inside the house" rounds.
Refer to The Box o' Truth to see plenty of startling examples and run your own tests as well. Bullets penetrate walls no problem, flat, HP, ball, buckshot, anything. Know what lies beyond your target.

 

[evan price]

Typically a wadcutter is used for target shooting, punching perfect circles in target papers.

 

[Hondo 60]

I was gonna post a pic, but evan beat me to it.

Dont forget: The only dumb question is the one NOT asked that gets you or others injured or worse

 

[bluetopper]

This is a 38 double ended wadcutter loaded round. It looks the same at the back of the bullet as it does at the front. Just a 148gr cylinder of lead. It has the maximum bearing surface possible on the bore and very accurate.

 

[Grassman]

What he said.

 

[Sport45]

Here's a picture of LSWCHP ammo. The Remington load is on the right. The other is a reload I use for practice.

 

[joneb]

I am comfortable carrying what I practice with.
I cannot afford to practice with factory loaded ammo, supper dupper or otherwise. So I carry what I reload, these consist of lead SWC SWC/HP and WC.

 

[StrawHat]

The 38 caliber, 148 grain wadcutter is probably one of the bullets with the most R&D behind it. For years it has been the pinnacle bullet for tearget work. I have shot pallets of them when competing in PPC and since then many thousands for small and medium game hunting. I believe all the bullet mold companies stock at least one style of the bullet and maybe more. I cast all of mine and vary the alloy for the purpose I intend to use. Cast a bit harder and shot at 900 fps, they make a great hunting round. And I would not be hesitant to use them for defensive roles either.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

They are great for hunting up to about 50yds, that large flat front is all over their aerodynamics and they can become unstable in flight and start tumbling.

 

[345 DeSoto]

The reason Wad Cutters and Semi-Wad Cutters are an excellent Home Defense round is the same reason they are ideal Target rounds...they punch a nice clean round hole...

 

[Jim Watson]

If you look behind the target, you will see little snowdrifts of paper discs, the wads the wadcutters have cut.