Wad cutter boolits.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have some questions about wad cutters.
1. what depth should they be seated at? I have loaded some ( very few) in the past and I seated them with about 3/8" inch of the boolit showing above the mouth of the case. They shot quite well. These were factory swedged soft lead. The ones I will be loading will be Lee Tumble lube DEWC.
2. Will the Lee TL boolit work very well loaded in 357 mag cases, using the same load I've loaded in the 38 cases? 3.2 gr. bullseye. I am shooting these in a S&W Mod. Highway Patrol 4". Nice heavy revolver.
3. I notice a number of loads are shown in my 49th edition Lyman reloading manual for 148 gr wad cutters in 38 special, but no loads for 357 using wad cutters. I know the obvious here, but I don't have a 38 special pistol. I'm not sure what my third question is other than what fast powders would be best for my gun using WC.? I have been loading for a long time but have just never loaded many wad cutters.

This Highway Patrol ( it is a 5 screw) belonged to my dad, I think he bought it in the 1940s and carried it for at least 20 years as a deputy sheriff, my older brother carried it for at least 15 years as policeman. I've had it for at least 20 years I know there are some missing years there but my dad and brother also had other carry guns besides that one. This gun has probably had 100,000 rounds put through it and that is not a stretch. My brother used it in compition for most of his police career. When I got it I had to have it worked on, it was locking up so the gun smith put a shim in front of the cylinder no more problems. I know I have put over 10,000 rounds through it my self. The barrel still slugs at .355 which is a little small but it shoots any thing I put in it, jacketed or other wise. It is certainly not ready for retirement.

[cbunt1]

The DEWC's typically seat flush with the case mouth. The ones with the slightly rounded ends, I seat to the top crimp groove, which leaves them just above the case mouth. I don't have any loaded right now or I'd give you the measurements.

They'll work fine in .357 cases. Loading manuals specify the wadcutter charges as significantly lower than standard bullets due to the decreased case capacity from the deep seating.

I put together a really nice plinking load in .38 spl cases with 2.2 grains of Bullseye that runs about 600 fps...originally built it for the kids to shoot, but the adults loved it so much it became one of my bulk loads.

And you're a long way from retiring that pre-model 28 Highway Patrolman. Fine gun! Had one for a week or two, but my mother enjoyed shooting it so much that she took it home with her. I think it had something to do with her nailing the 100-yard ram free-hand with it...

[StrawHat]

...
1. what depth should they be seated at? I have loaded some ( very few) in the past and I seated them with about 3/8" inch of the boolit showing above the mouth of the case. They shot quite well. These were factory swedged soft lead. The ones I will be loading will be Lee Tumble lube DEWC.
2. Will the Lee TL boolit work very well loaded in 357 mag cases, using the same load I've loaded in the 38 cases? 3.2 gr. bullseye. I am shooting these in a S&W Mod. Highway Patrol 4". Nice heavy revolver.
3. I notice a number of loads are shown in my 49th edition Lyman reloading manual for 148 gr wad cutters in 38 special, but no loads for 357 using wad cutters. I know the obvious here, but I don't have a 38 special pistol. I'm not sure what my third question is other than what fast powders would be best for my gun using WC.? I have been loading for a long time but have just never loaded many wad cutters...

#1 I have seated WCs flush with the mouth of the case, and got decent accuracy. After some experimenting, I found my revolvers preferred them seated out about 1/16". You might try loading them to various heights to see what works in your S&W.

#2 I don't use the TL boolit but, using 38 Special loads in the larger 357 cases will result in a little less pressure and a little less velocity. Seatting the bullet out will also decrease the pressure as you are giving the powder more room in the casing.

#3 When I was in competition I used Bullseye but some of the fellows were using 231. For hunting I was using a stiff dose of Unique and cast a much harder WC boolit. Others will be able to recommend other powders to try.

The search feature will also help you. Lots of threads about WCs and there uses.

[catboat]

I'm shooting in the winter bullseye pistol league at our local club. One of the bullets I'm shooting (I've been testing a couple) has been the Lee 358148 tumble lube wadcutter. (Aside...I bought them from a vendor on castboolits.com: Carolina Cast bullets. Good quality. Recommend them.)

I've shot it in my primarily in my S&W 586, and some in my S&W model 28 Highway Patrolman (6" barrels). I have to shoot 38 special cases in 357 mag chambered revolvers, so all my loading has been with 38 special cases.

I load the Lee 358148-.358" bullet over 3.4 grains of Bullseye, with "4 rings out" on cases to be shot in my SW 586 and SW m28. They print 5 shot groups in about 1 inch at 50 feet (two hand rested position). No leading. ""4 rings out" seating depth shoots about 0.25 - 0.50" better groups in these two revolvers than loading it flush with the case mouth. 3.4 grains of Bullseye shot better than 2.50, 2.75, 3.0 and 3.25 grains in these two revolvers (in 38 special cases). I've shot 3.5 grains of Bullseye with good results two, but have reduced it down a bit without any apparent loss of accuracy.

I load them "4 rings out" so the bullet just touches the entry point of the throat (from a 38 special case). "5 rings out is a tough too long, and doesn't seat flush-which can bind the action a bit. I have .357" throats on these two revolvers.

I don't see why you couldn't load them in 357 mag cases. Pressure will decrease as you increase the volume of air in the case under the bullet-for each powder load (ie 3.4 grains Bullseye in a 357 mag will have lower pressure than the same load in a 38 special case, shooting same bullet at the same seating depth).

[runfiverun]

you may be able to not use a crimp also.

i'd go with the old start flush, move them out, try a couple of loads each way.
you should see a clear winner.
the only down side is some time on the range. :lol:

[Bret4207]

I've played with this a bit. You can vary the seating depth by a wide amount if you are willing to play with the charges. I did it with the 32-20 and the 38/357. I've seated the boolit way down into the case and way out of the case and both work to one degree or another. I have a 32-20 Stevens rifle that liked a dead soft HBWC seated way out into the throat. I have a M-19 Smith that liked a HBWC seated about 1/8" below the case mouth with a load of Red Dot. In an attempt to get the most from a pound of Bullseye I tried seating a DEWC way down into the case on about .9 -1.0 gr BE. The web of the case was my bottoming point. They shot good, not great, but the mouth would catch on the cylinder edge so I gave up on it as being a bit too frugal for what I gained.

So my advice is try it and see what you think. Seating out into the throat is easier IMO than into the case more.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Thanks guys, I think I got enough info.

[lwknight]

I had a hard time with the roll crimp on WCs in the groove so I just went with a light taper crimp. Since there is like zero recoil , I only crimped enough to let the case slip easily into the cylinder. It seemed to help a lot with the accuracy but I never really tested it scientifically.