Lyman 358477 and RCBS 38-150

[tiredcarpenter]

Does the Lyman 358477 or the RCBS 38-150 shoot as well as your favorite wadcutter? By the way, what is your favorite wadcutter? Do you ever push them past target velocity?
thanks, tiredcarpenter:coffee:

[Dale53]

It used to be common to have available (when I was but a lad) full charge wad cutters in .38 special. Ed McGivern in "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting" recommended them. Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook shows loads with the Lyman 358495 at up to 1000 fps (4" vented barrel) at less than 17,000 lbs c.u.p.

Some guns shoot this load very well up to fifty yards or so. The meplat is pretty much as wide as the bullet is (wadcutter :mrgreen:). This is for solid lead wadcutters, only.

LITTLE CAUTION HERE, you do NOT want to try to make performance loads using a hollow base wadcutter. They are designed JUST for target velocities. I had a friend who blew up his PPC gun trying to do this. It only took a new cylinder and barrel, tho':( .

Dale53

[Glen]

Yes, both the 150 grain version of the 358477 and the RCBS 38-150 SWC shoot just as well as target wadcutter loads. I generally shoot those bullets over 5.4 grains of Unique for about 950 fps, and excellent accuracy. I have used these loads to take small game out to about 90 yards. Good stuff!

My favorite wadcutter would be a toss-up between the Lyman 358495 and the H&G #50 (they are virtually identical). BTW, 4.6 grains of Winchester 231 underneath these wadcutters will give you around 950 fps and makes a very good short range small game load.

[lurch]

+1 on the 358495.

Best shooting boolit/bullet I have tried in my 586. I have just acquired a 150gr. 358477 but have not had a chance to do anything with it yet so can't offer a comparison.

[tiredcarpenter]

Glen, thanks for the reply. I like your choices in WC and thanks for the loading tips. I think the flat base WC should be the best, but maybe not the easiest for loading. The 150gr. SWC's mentioned must have greatly better ballistic coefficients giving them a huge down range performance advantage.
For a plinker who shoots a little paper to better myself and to test loads + a few cans and rocks + a crow or blue jay that seems too stupid, do I need to worry myself about loading wadcutters? I am only looking for great midrange loads for 38/357.
thanks, tiredcarpenter

[9.3X62AL]

I have used #358477 for a LONG TIME in mostly 38 Specials and a little in 357 Magnum. From 700 to 1100 FPS, they are at least as accurate as any factory wadcutter load I've fired, and that spans usage in about a dozen revolvers. I have one WC mold--Lyman #358432--and I haven't poured into it for at least 15 years. I am very fond of the all-purpose nature of SWC's for revolver use, and consider wadcutters to be kind of a specialized target boolit with limited range due to their flat fronts and nasty habits of taking a dive and/or cartwheeling at 65 yards or so. In terms of "number of castings fired in a given design", #358477 cops first place at my house.

[45r]

I've shot many 1 inch groups with heat treated 150 rcbs swc in my 357.Same with wc but swc is more flexable.800 to 1400 fps no problen if heat treated.

[9.3X62AL]

Messrs. Thompson and Keith did handgunners some great favors with their designs, for sure.

[Glen]

And let's not forget Phil Sharpe either....