Seating depth for WC

[s1120]

I seat my Lyman WC flush, with a slight roll crimp over the top. I also tried seating it out more. The Lyman has a small crimp grove... but my gun [S&W model 19] liked it flush better. Also It took about .3 gr less powder to get the same performance with it flush.

[mdi]

I seat my Lyman WC flush, with a slight roll crimp over the top. I also tried seating it out more. The Lyman has a small crimp grove... but my gun [S&W model 19] liked it flush better. Also It took about .3 gr less powder to get the same performance with it flush.

"Same performance"? Accuracy? Velocity? Not being snarky, just for my information...

[DerekP Houston]

Char Gar's second picture is very similar to how I seat the Lee 148 TLWC. Due to its very generous meplat, very similar to Char Gar's second picture bullet, it is a favorite of mine for anything that needs maximum whap on target.

That is the same as how I seat mine. If I leave them out to the first groove then they don't chamber in all my revolvers just the 357 ones.

[Bullwolf]

I have two Lee 148 full wad cutter moulds.

The Lee 358-148-WC regular lube groove version with a button nose.
And the Lee TL358-148-WC TL (Tumble Lube) band 148 grain version.

I seat the Lee "button nose" 148 grain wad cutter (Lee 358-148-WC) in the seat/crimping groove.





3.0 to 3.5 grains of Bullseye works great for me with either of the full wad cutter loads in 38 Special tumble lubed in Alox, 45-45-10, or BLL.



I usually seat/roll crimp the TL full wad cutter into the last TL band. The Lee tumble lube wad cutter is one of my favorite plinking boolits in 38 Special. Seated this way, they have worked great in my various 38 Special caliber revolvers.





Occasionally I change the seating depth with the TL wad cutter, and will crimp between the tumble lube bands for warmer loads, like in the 357 Magnum.

I seat the TL wad cutter out much farther, when used in conjunction with bird shot in my snake loads for easy visual identification. Doing so also helps make room so that 80 grains of shot will fit in the case under half of a (75 grain) TL wad cutter. That's my variation on the shot and a round ball load.



My snake loads get fired in a 357 Magnum revolver. My load data was worked up in MY revolvers and has proven to be safe in my guns. Please don't duplicate my loads without working them up for yourself to see if they are safe in YOUR pistol.



- Bullwolf

[s1120]

"Same performance"? Accuracy? Velocity? Not being snarky, just for my information...

I have no means to measure velocity, but the lower charge, flush seated, had the same grouping size, and the same point of impact on the target, as the higher charge set out to the crimp grove. So for me, and my gun, the flush seated, made sense. Its a revolver, so no issues with feeding one or the other. When I was searching for my load for bullseye shooting I made up 4 diferent loads of each flush, and out to the crimp, and the lowest flush, and the few grans more, out to the crimp grove shot the best. Makes sense because seating a little deeper will increase pressure a little bit, and my guess is both loads, equaled the same pressure.

[hanover67]

I read somewhere that if a wadcutter is seated slightly out of the top of the case, it centers itself in the cylinder throat better and is more accurate. Can't remember the source...