Deep seating

[subsonic]

Revolver cartridges have a lot of room in them for powder. This can be a great thing if you are shoveling in H110 and trying to make serious power.

Most of us also like to concoct some "lighter" loads to shoot in quantity when shooting for fun - which is where this post comes in. In general, a load pushing a "standard weight" boolit at 800-1100fps is the kind of load we like, maybe less in some circumstances. To acheive this type of load, we put in a pinch of a medium to fast speed powder that leaves a lot of air space.

We will all agree that .38 wadcutters can be very accurate, especially within 25yds. The whole point of a wadcutter is to take up case capacity for low powered target loads.

So this leads me down the road of deep seating "normal" boolits.

Anybody tried it? I have played with it enough to be interested in playing with it more.

[fecmech]

I'm not sure what the problem is with "air space" if you use appropriate powders. My 900 fps load for the .38 spl with a 158 is 4.2/BE and that leaves a lot of space. Chrono ES (all figures are 10 shot strings)with that load is 37 fps and SD of 11 fps. Load is sub 2"@50 yds. Another is 4.9/231 for 915 fps/ ES 31/SD 12. How about 125 Lee RNFP 3.5/BE 740 fps/ES46/ SD 12. In the .44 mag 7.7/231/429421/ 941 fps- ES 46/ SD 15. I really don't see a problem.
As far as .38 spl wadcutters being so great my records show(again 10 shot strings) Remington factory match with a 71 fps ES and Winchester with 63 fps ES. At the time I did those my chrono did not give SD's.
Many years back when I was machine rest testing I watched as bullets ( at 50 yds) that were 50 fps apart velocity wise essentially go in the same hole and two shots with the same identical velocity go 2"-3" apart. I would suggest not worrying about the space in the cartridge and just find a load going the speed you want that is accurate. Super uniform loads are not necessarily accurate loads.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have a old model 357 converted to 41 mag by dave clements. It has a short cylinder and most swc designs have to be crimped over the driving band. Just for girns i tried them in my 58 smith and found they shot better in that gun then anything id previously tried so its sure worth a try, especially if you have a gun thats a bit finiky.

[Whiterabbit]

I've thought about it, but like to choose bigger bullets and bulky powders. IMR 4198 has worked really well, as has SR4759. Trailboss for lighter bullets.

[45sixgun]

I live in a semi-rural area and am just far enough from my neighbors for light shooting. My standard load is about a grain and a half of Clays in .38 special cases with a very deeply seated 158 gr. bullet (flush with the mouth). This is with a Ruger BH .357. Very accurate and lots of fun for the family. Our fun targets are cans of soda we get free, shaken up and ready to explode. I hit them easily shooting off hand with one hand at 15 yards. I have a backstop and recycle the bullets.

[44man]

Should work OK. As always work loads because safety is always first.