Looking for good WC design for 38spl.

[Petrol & Powder]

Ok- I know I’m about to open up a lively discussion…… but here it goes.
I’m looking for a good 148gr≈, plain base, solid wadcutter for 38 Special. I’m leaning towards the Saeco #053 due to the single grease groove and dedicated crimping groove. Anyone have experience with that design? Other suggestions?

[turmech]

The Lyman 358477 seems to be one of the most popular. works good for me.

[Petrol & Powder]

10-4 on the 358477 I have an RCBS mold that's very close and that's a great SWC mold.

[avogunner]

If you can find one, the Lyman 358432 is a fantastic WC. I've got a 4 banger inherited from my uncle and it's my go to boolit.
59968

[MT Gianni]

My K-38 prefers the 35891 to the 35863 but any of them will work. I would not worry about design being much of a factor until your groups @ 25 yards are under 3/4". I believe that lube in a wc plays as much of a role as design and too much hurts performance more than not. Over crimping, brass, primer & pocket uniformity and especially hardness all play as much or more of a role as design. No I am not there [3/4"] nor will be @ my age but have gone through 5-6 wadcutter molds.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I use a Lee 148 gr 6 cavity WC mold, the cost including buying handles will be just a little more than a 2 cavity Lyman mold with out handles. I shoot this boolit with 3.5 grs of Bullseye and it shoots great out of my Highway Patrol S&W. It's hard to beat dropping 6 boolits at a time from a mold. When it comes to WC's any brand will work just fine, I guess it just depends on how deep your pockets are.
Thought I should add this, my 6 cavity mold is a Tumble Lube design and I have no leading using Lee's liquid lube thined with mineral spirits 50/50. I got the idea of thinning with mineral spirits from some one on this web site.

[Petrol & Powder]

Thanks, MT Gianni-
Yea, I'm a long way from 3/4" groups myself but I'd like to keep my logistics simple.

[jdgabbard]

I have no problems whatsoever with the 358495/H&G 50.... This is kinda the standard for WCs in my opinion.

[catboat]

I think the SAECO 053 double ended wadcutter would be a fine mold. The design element that might be an issue (for me) is the crimping groove on this design. I like to seat my wadcutters out so they are just off the cylinder throats. Both my k38s shoot better when the bullet is seated long like this. The SAECO 053 may shoot lights out loaded to the designed lube groove, but you don't have the option of using a lube groove as a crimping groove on the multi-grooved designs. Again, the 053 may be a "one-holer," you won't know until you try. I've never used this bullet mold.

I use two molds with full satisfaction in my k38s (have two, and they shoot well in both). The first is the H&G model 50 (flat base "classic" 148 grain button nosed wadcutter). The other is a Lee Precision 6 cavity tumble lube/micro groove double ended 148 grain bullet. The Lee 358-148 TL is fast, and I don't even size them. I'll tumble lube a batch of 500 or so, let them dry, and then load them.

I have the Ideal/lyman 358495, 35891, and 35863 wadcutters, but haven't done a lot of testing with them.

I "size" my non-tumble lube bullets designs in my .360" SAECO lubrisizer die (mostly just lubes them, and may round out a spot or two, and I just lube one lube groove/most rearward for best accuracy-with no leading). I load them over 3.2-3.5+ grains of Bullseye (depending if its a 38 special or 357 case). I also have found best overall accuracy if the wadcutter is seated out to just be off the cylinder throat. It shoots better than flush-seated. My theory is that there is less unsupported bullet jump when seated out further-but it's just a guess.

If I were starting over again and could use just one mold, I'd buy the Lee 6 cavity tumble lube wadcutter. Simple, fast, accurate, and low cost ($40-45, and you don't need a lubrisizer or sizing die.

I get ragged one-hole groups at 50 feet (indoor range) with my SW k38 (14-2 and full-lug 14-4). My 6" bbl SW 586 (357 mag) does almost as well. I also load the Lee 358148 TL sprue foward, for a clean base. The multiple micro-band lube grooves gives me a lot of options for crimping/overall length/seating depth of bullet.

[runfiverun]

the 358477 is a 158 swc.
good boolit and dang accurate i use it in the 38 special cases.
i prefer the 358091 in the 357 cases.

[Petrol & Powder]

Is there an advantage to a heavier WC? That Lyman 358432 looks like a good option and that forward section seems to be slightly rebated, probably bore diameter in front of the first driving band. I assume (read that as "guess") that forward section would "ride" in the cylinder throat and help transition in the forcing cone. I've never seen one before but I like that design. With a chamfered cylinder that bullet might work with a speed loader a little better than others. I've heard a lot about excessive lube contributing to poor accuracy which steered me to the Saeco 053.
Wide open to the thoughts & experience of others.

[Hardcast416taylor]

At the peak of my .38 wadcutter shooting I had 2 Lyman #358495 molds that were 4 bangers each. I`m down to only 1 now for my shooting. I burned a lot of loads using 3.5 gr. of either HP-38 or Win. 231 powders.Robert

[Ed_Shot]

+1 for Lyman 358495. If you can find one, it's superb in both .38 and .357.

[TCFAN]

This is some of my wadcutter boolits that I have molds for. My Smith 14-6 shoots all of them good except the 358432.I have never been able to get the 432 to shoot good in any thing except a Ruger SP101 38 special.I hate that it will not shoot good in my smith because my mold for it is a old Lyman Ideal 4 cavity that is one of my better casting lyman molds.

My go to mold is the Lee TLWC 6 cavity mold for the accuracy it has and the speed that it make boolits.

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx200/TCintheOzarks/Cast%20Boolits/DSCN8264-wad-cutters.jpg

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm starting to see a trend here8-)
What's the best way to lube only one groove on that 358495; Assuming I can find one?

[Cherokee]

I used the 358495 for WC loads but finally just went to the 358477 for 38 Special, shot just as good for me.

[Mk42gunner]

There is an article on either castpics or the lasc website that compares accuracy of several wadcutters using several guns and shooters.

Robert

[Petrol & Powder]

All good info!
How does one size a bullet but only apply lube to one groove?

[Echo]

One uses a Lyman/RCBS/SAECO loob sizer and adjusts it so that only one groove catches loob. Might have to plug some loob holes in the size die so the top grooves don't get any. Might be able to do it with a Star, also - in fact, I guess it IS possible with a Star...

[Hardcast416taylor]

I only lubed the bottom groove of the #358495 and sized it with the RCBS .358" sizer.Robert

[palmettosunshine]

I like this one. Lee 148 seated at the crimp groove and flush.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/palmettosunshine/IMG_20130101_165910.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/palmettosunshine/IMG_20130101_155616.jpg

Still very new at this, I just know that my model 65-3 loves them as does my 638.

[cajun shooter]

Being a former police officer and Firearms instructor with a full time range position I think I can help you some. I shot PPC matches once a week for many years.
The test have been run many times over the years and the end result was that a wadcutter round with 1 or 2 lube grooves filled instead of them all was much more accurate.
The most accurate load I ever shot was factory Speer 148 gr HBWC ( Hollow base wadcutter) in front of 2.7 grains of Bullseye powder. I have seen this load shoot a perfect 1500 on more than one occasion.
You are of course wanting to shoot your own castings and I understand that. You don't need a crimp groove on a 38WC bullet. Load your powder and use a very slight roll crimp that puts the case mouth just over the top edge of the flush seated bullet.
This load will shoot out the x-ring at 50 yards all day long on a B-27 target.
If you prefer to use another powder then 231 is a good one.
Keep your bullet weight at about 148 and your loads in the correct range and you will be able to hit anything you care to shoot. Try a box of the Speers loaded as I posted and you will have a standard to go by. Take Care David

[357shooter]

Ok- I know I’m about to open up a lively discussion…… but here it goes.
I’m looking for a good 148gr≈, plain base, solid wadcutter for 38 Special. I’m leaning towards the Saeco #053 due to the single grease groove and dedicated crimping groove. Anyone have experience with that design? Other suggestions?
You may be interested in this article: http://hgmould.gunloads.com/casting/38wadcuttertests.htm

As for me, I no longer cast or shoot wadcutters. The accuracy is better (groups measured center to center) with SWC bullets. I also don't compete so I don't need a clean cut hole to help with scoring.

In the past the Lee 148 conventional lube groove mould proved as good as any other wadcutter mould, and better than most.

[1Shirt]

They will all work and shoot well. That said, would suggest that one cast in a 6 banger lee and tumble lubed as cast would probably be easiest, and would work well on both a production and shooting basis.
1Shirt!

[TCFAN]

As much as i like to cast and shoot my own wadcutters I have to agree with cajun shooter about the Speer hollow base wadcutters. They are the most accurate boolits that I have ever shot from my Smith 14-6 using 2.7 grs. of Bullseye. For my own cast wadcutters I have to go up to 3.5 bullseye to get the best accuracy......Terry

[jdgabbard]

In my particular gun after testing I found lining one groove gave me less accuracy. If I went to two grooves it improves, and there is no difference that I can tell with all three lubed (read 358485/h&g 50). I load both of these over 3.0gr of Bullseye, and it satisfies my accuracy needs. 25yds in a Smith 65 I can keep them in the 9 ring. Could probably do better in a gun with better sights an a longer barrel. But that is just a guess. And this gets no leading period. The only thing I have to do is wipe the carbon off the gun, and every once in a while run a swab through the cylinder to clean the carbon/lube out so that cases don't stick.

[StrawHat]

Like cajun shoter, I was a Training Officer and PPC competitior. I taught about twice a month and shot every day. I started using the HBWC in competitions because it was more accurate and used DEWC for practice. My DEWC was cast from a pair of two cavity Lee molds. I used them in rotation and could drop a large number in a short time. (This was prior to Lee making a six cavity.) Eventually, I noticed my practice scores and competition scores were the same so I quit buying the HBWC. I used 2.8 grains of Bullseye under my boolit. I still like that boolit and when cast a bit harder and loaded a bit faster, it can be used for hunting.

This boolit is a traditional greased groove boolit, I got the molds long before Lee came out with the TL things.