Hollow Base Wadcutter?

[scb]

I've never loaded these but was just given a bunch so though I might try them. Somewhere back in the deep recesses of my mind I seem to remember that there can be an issue with the "skirt" separating from the rest of the boolit and becoming lodged in the barrel. Is this something that can happen? Under what circumstances? I though it might be from attempting to push them past their intended velocity. I've looked and haven't been able to find anything about it so either I'm looking in the wrong place or I'm remembering wrong. Thanks.

[shotman]

one of the old Lyman books said not to exceed 700fts. I dont know that is was the skirt problem, but think it was because they would tend to mushroom/expand, and throw them

[L1A1Rocker]

I've read many warnings about this but never read about it actually hapening. It would seem that a hard brittle boolit pushed too fast could do this in theory though. I run a 50/50 mix and never exceed 750 fps and have great results with them. At one time these boolits were the king of target match boolits.

[pps]

You could always load them backwards and avoid the problem. ;)

[captaint]

I did load some Hornady swaged HBWC's upside down for self defence. I ended up shooting them at paper, years later. I'm pretty sure it would HURT to get hit with one of those babies!! Mike

[twotrees]

One for the 38/357 and one for the 44. But in Semi-wad cutter.

I sent Buckshot some of the 38's that cast .359 out of pure lead. He was going to try them in one of his 38 S&W's. But last time I checked, he was too involved, in money making projects, to try them. ;-)

I have shot a few of the 44's at 44 special vel.'s and they worked OK, but no better than my RCBS "Elmer" copy.

At target/low vel.'s they work fine, and would be a boon if you have a "swage-a-matic" framed gun.

Keep the vel.'s low and have fun.

[AbitNutz]

HBWC can be insanely accurate. The length to weight ratio creates a great deal of bearing surface. In a S&W Model 52 they are the way to go...however. I lost that gun in a devastating accident that I blame myself and and HBWC bullets and too much Bullseye powder. It was a wonderful safe load with solid base bullets but 3.1 grains and a HBWC just blew the gun apart. The bullet came apart in the breach, blew the barrel chamber apart, bulged the slide, frame and blew the grips off the gun and fired the magazine out of the bottom. The only reason I wasn't insured was that I had a red dot site aluminum mount on it that replaced the right grip panel. If it was my wooden grips...It might have done more than stung. The gun was a total wreck and while I still have it, I can't bare to look at it.

It makes me cry to this day. It was customized with a Bar-Sto barrel that they don't even make anymore. The gun and modifications were irreplaceable...I had it for 25 years. It would shoot 5 shots into one hole at 25 yards using my ransom rest.

[olafhardt]

these bullets can make a significant reduction in available case volume especially when reversed. I like to reverse the Lee modern minie which is a 50 cal HBWC in my 500s&w handy rifle with 6.4 grains of Unique. I use WW's plus~2% tin air dropped seated flush. Works goodand looks really cool

[deltaenterprizes]

Too high pressure is supposed to make the skirt grip the side walls allowing the top to separate from the top and the next shot bulges the barrel. Also a roll crimp into the side of the bullet gives a place to cause separation.

The recommended procedure is to use moderate loads and either seat the bullet below flush with the mouth and roll crimp or taper crimp.

I have shot many HBWC with a moderate load and taper crimp and I have not had any problems.

[Old Caster]

The problem with seperation was when everyone was shooting a revolver for the centerfire matches. When the bullet transitioned from the cylinder chamber to the barrel and the gap between the cylinder and barrel was too much and the pressure was too high it could cut the skirt off the back of the pure lead HBWC which was very soft. When this occured you didn't have a clue that it happened and would fire another round which would hit the skirt. Consequences weren't always catastrophic but could be. -- Bill --

[scb]

That's what I thought. Thanks guys. What I've got is a box of 500 32 cal. Hornady HBWC's. I was/am going to do is push them thru a Lee sizer (skirt first) and use them to load 30 cal. cat sneeze loads. It was either that or just melt them down.

[williamwaco]

That's what I thought. Thanks guys. What I've got is a box of 500 32 cal. Hornady HBWC's. I was/am going to do is push them thru a Lee sizer (skirt first) and use them to load 30 cal. cat sneeze loads. It was either that or just melt them down.


Those are excellent bullets. Don't melt them. Use them as they were intended. Low velocity loads.

They will need sizing for .30 cal. I would expect a push through sizer to be more effective but I have never sized any personally.

[Huntducks]

I still have thousands of Speer 148gr HBWC they are without a doubt one of the most accurate bullets ever made for the 38 using 2.7 grs of bullseye puts holes in holes at 25yds out of my md 14 smith.

[JIMinPHX]

The hollow base allows you to get good results with low pressures. The pressure pushes the skirt out from the center & causes the boolit to obdurate & fully conform to the shape of the barrel even with modest loads. In a gun with a small chamber throat & a large groove diameter in the barrel, these boolits can cover up for a lot of manufacturing sins & still let the gun shoot great. As others have said, hollow base boolits do not work well with stiff powder charges.

[noylj]

I have had 9-10 holes from 5 shots a couple of times with my M52. Pressures are so low that about the worst is to "ring" the barrel and you notice a loss of accuracy.
Speer and Hornady should have correct loads for their HBWCs that would apply to all HBWCs.
There are real limits to what is safe with a L-HBWC.
Wonderful bullets, but I target no more than 800fps and try to stay around 725fps.
2.5-3.2gn 231/HP38, 2.5-3.0gn AA2, and 2.3-2.8gn H310 are very accurate.

[MT Gianni]

That's what I thought. Thanks guys. What I've got is a box of 500 32 cal. Hornady HBWC's. I was/am going to do is push them thru a Lee sizer (skirt first) and use them to load 30 cal. cat sneeze loads. It was either that or just melt them down.

Thise were built for 32 long target loads. They make a wonderful accurate small game load when used as designed.