Lee 148 gr 'soupcan' boolits

[ghh3rd]

I recently used some of my Lee 148 gr WC 'soucan' [tumble lube] .38 cal boolits. I loaded them with about 1/8" of the boolit out of the brass, over 2.7 gr of Bullseye. They are fun plinking boolits, and seem accurate as I could tell using them in a 1 7/8" barrel.

Someone at the range told me that the boolit should be loaded flush to the brass.

Anyone have experience with this boolit?

Thanks,

Randy

[SSGOldfart]

yes sir,I've been shooting this one for almost 40 years flash has been the best way in my book

[ghh3rd]

10 minutes for a reply - what took you so long!? :-)

By the way, crimp or no crimp? I've crimped slightly, but would I go just below flush in order to crimp? Or would neck tension be enough to hold the boolit in place?

Thanks

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

I,ve shot many, many thousands of wadcutters in the last 40+ yrs and had equally good results both ways. The hollow base wadcutters were designed to be loaded flush and the solid bevel base wads were seated out approx. 1/10 inch. Recoil was very light and bullet movement was/ has never been an issue up to 3 grains of Bullseye and no crimp. Both types shot and still shoot as well as I can hold. Case life was good with the mild/moderate pressures both designs produced. Many yrs ago(70's thru mid 80's) 2.7 grains of Bullseye in Winchester cases and Winchester small pistol primers with hollow base wads were the standard "match" loads we used in our modified, heavy barrel PPC revolvers. It was amazing how accurate they could be in the hands of a "Master" shooter.

Best of luck

Smoke-um

[ghh3rd]

Thanks for the replies - that helps a lot.

[kelbro]

I lightly crimp them in the first groove. Great shooting bullet.

[Dave C.]

Seat them flush and use a taper crimp, just enough to
straighten out the bell from seating.

[runfiverun]

put them where you want them....
i don't use any crimp on semi and full wad cutters in the 38.
the case tension is enough to burn 3-4 grains of powder and to keep the boolit in place under recoil.
what i do use though is a taper crimp to just kinda iron the case mouth flatish just enough to chamber.

[Boolseye]

Are we talkin' TL or standard?

[mdi]

I have a Lee mold that casts great plain based wadcutters. I load 'em light and mid range in both my .38 Specials and 357 Magnum and usually put a very light roll crimp in the top groove which puts the bullet with approx. 1/10th inch exposed. I used to shoot a lot of HBWC in my .38s, before I took up casting, and seated all flush with the case mouth (mebbe it was easier to set up?) and lightly taper crimped. For me, I couldn't tell much difference in accuracy...

[35remington]

There are some good reasons to seat the bullets out a little, but I will note that so doing makes more space in the case, and velocities are lower than with a more deeply seated bullet.

I would think that, out of a snubbie, that 2.7 of BE with a seated out wadcutter would see velocities of only between 600 to 650 fps. I have that very bullet mould myself and also chronograph it out of a 2 inch using Bullseye, so I have a basis for comparison.

I'd kick the charge up a little, but if they are shooting well maybe you don't want to bother. Stability is borderline at such slow speeds out of a Smith's slow twist (inferred from your 1 7/8" barrel statement) but it may be just on the other side of adequate for you.

[jimwill48]

If I remember right the original reason for seating the WC flush with the case mouth was for feeding in the .38 spl Target/Bullseye match Semi Auto Pistols. Sorry don't remember model numbers.

[EMC45]

I've run them both ways with standard lube type Lee 148gr. bullet. Both ways were great.

[mdi]

If I remember right the original reason for seating the WC flush with the case mouth was for feeding in the .38 spl Target/Bullseye match Semi Auto Pistols. Sorry don't remember model numbers.

S&W Mod. 52, semi-auto, 38 Spec wadcutter target pistol...

[trooperdan]

I didn't read the entire thread, too anxious to put in my two cents worth. I had a Colt 1911 .38 Super converted to be a wadcutter only gun, like the S&W M52. About 25 years ago, I loaded some .38 WC, loaded flush, with 5 grains of Unique for revolver use and wouldn't you know some of them got loaded into my wadcutter 1911 just when my eight YO son was shooting. Blew the bottom of the case out, split the wood grips and stung his hand pretty good. Not a recommended method of teaching a young one to shoot.

The error was totally mine and I kept that fired case mounted on the wall above my bench for years to remind me to THINK AHEAD! I don't load flush seated WC ammo unless it is appropiate for my .38 WC guns. Just a thought guys.

[rintinglen]

Trooper Dan's experience is why I was taught years nearly 45 years ago that it is best not to use the same boolit for both heavy and light loads. All of my Wadcutters are light to midrange loads, for heavier loads, I use SWC's. Now I have to admit that sometimes I fudge a bit the other way, my 44 specials pretty much all use 429-421s, whether light Unique loads or heavy 2400 loads, but they are being shot out of full size guns at paper. If I had another Charter Arms Bulldog, I'd use one of those Lee 200 grain boolits in it, so I could tell at a glance what I was dropping in there.

[lbaize3]

Just got the Lee six cavity mold, 148 grain WC. Will be whipping up a big bunch of them in the next several days. I have two five gallon buckets of 38 special brass that I intend to load with these bullets. Leaning toward the flush seated loads with a very light load of Clays, Red dot, or 231. I have not noticed any difference in flush seated and seated out to first grove and crimped when it comes to accuracy. However, since I do not have enough boxes to put the loads in, the flush seated will keep all the ammo clean...

[MT Gianni]

Traditionally on this and the Shooters and Aimmo boards that preceded them the Soupcan has referred to the Le 30-113 FP. It is OK to call the 148 gr a wadcutter.

[ghh3rd]

Sorry bout that - I just started calling them that after the first ones fell from my mold. They sure look like a soup can with the paper peeled off. I didn't even realize their was already another "soupcan" out there [smilie=f:

[StrawHat]

I used to buy HBWCs to reload for competition, once I figured out a good load. Always used the Lee boolits for practice. Then I realized my practice scores were as good as my competition scores so I bought a pair of wadcutter molds and really started pouring them! I have seated them flush and out a bit. No discernable difference in accuracy but those seated out tended to go into the cylinder a bit easier under the clock. My load was 2,8 grains of Bullseye.

I still have and use that load when I want a nice target load. I also cast it a bit harder and load it to 900 fps for a great small game load. The large meplat hits with authority.

[ShinyPartsUp]

I am new to reloading ( a few weeks and only shot commercial bullets at this point). But I'd like some experienced advice. I got a deal on some hard cast commercial bullets in .357. They have no crimp groove. I am also interested in using WC and SWC bullets with no crimp groove.

Shooting out of a Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum 4" bbl with mild to moderate Unique or Bullseye loads for target/plinking use in .38 special cases -- possibly .357 down the road if I am comfortable. I am trying to be conservative. I also have a S&W J frame lightweight, but only shooting from the Ruger for now.

My question is can I get away with smoothing out the bell with my Lee roll crimp die or do I need to buy a taper crimp die? How far do you seat bullets without a crimp groove? I'm a bit confused, except the above thread helps me understand seating and crimping wadcutters.

TIA

[SSGOldfart]

I seat them flush for the Dan Wesson and just out of the case for my S&W try it both ways to find what your gun likes best use as little crimp as you can soup cans don't need a crimp

[StrawHat]

If I can find loaded rounds with different seating depths, I will post some photos. Until then, maybe others have photos to post. Having loaded ammo for nearly (mumble mumble) years, I forget others may not have the grasp we old farts do.