.38/.357 125 gr HBWC. yay or nay?

[rromeo]

Has anybody used these? Is there a good reason to use them over a SWC? It's hard to find any load data for these.
I will be loading for a S&W M10 and a 66, both with 4" barrels.

Thanks

[olafhardt]

The hbwc's seal the barrel to cylinder gap longer than swc's so theoretically they may be more efficient. Also hbwc's especially seated backwards take more of the excess space in a 38 if seated flush. The hbwc's mess up if pushed to high pressures. The wadcutters provide maximum striking surface when velocity is insuffient to eexpand. Swc's can be easier to cast and are more ameniable to multiple molds and more available.Oh, also wc's cut neat little holes.

[olafhardt]

BTW I killed the chrony with a swc.

[JeffinNZ]

Loaded backwards they make a great hollow cavity.

[Lon246]

"Loaded backwards they make a great hollow cavity."
Up here, where water rotates the other way going down the drain ... they tumble.
OK, well, mine did.

[paul h]

The advantages of a wadcutter over a semi wadcutter is the wadcutter has a longer bearing length which helps it stabalize in the barrel, and it takes up more case capacity so it will allow more efficient burning of powder with light charges. Hence I'd say it theoretically should be capable of better accuracy than a same weight swc.

I have a wadcutter mold that I cut down that drops a ~120 gr bullet and I found loaded with 3.5gr of bullseye it shoots fairly well out of the 357 mag. I haven't worked up a 38sp load.

You'll be safe using 148gr wadcutter loads, can't help you on where the upper end of loads will be, but it's really not the type of bullet for using with upper end loads.

[rromeo]

Thanks for the help. I'll give them a shot.

[williamwaco]

"Loaded backwards they make a great hollow cavity."
Up here, where water rotates the other way going down the drain ... they tumble.
OK, well, mine did.

Ditto.

AND if they don't tumble before they hit, they tumble after they hit.
Never did get a real mushroom with one.

( I didn't try very long. Only loaded about a dozen of them. )