Speer HBWC boolit speed ?

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

Will the skirt on the speer 148gr HBWC stay on at velocities of around that 900 to under 1,000 fps?

Thanks in advance to anyone with their experiences on this.

[reed1911]

I don't see why it would not.

[376Steyr]

Ken Waters in "Pet Loads" relates a instance of a HBWC (not Speer brand) blowing its nose out of the barrel and leaving the skirt stuck inside. He happened to recognize it before he fired the next shot. Just something to think about as you start jacking up the pressure on a soft, delicate design.

[Outpost75]

The Speer will not stand more than they recommend.

The Remington factory 148 HBWC will take standard-pressure (NOT+P!) full charges to 850 fps with 3.5 grs. of Bullseye or 4 grs. of 231. Above that you need a solid based DEWC such as Saeco #348, which will stand up to 1050 fps (+P+) with 9 grs. of #2400 at 1.20" overall, in .38 Spl. brass, but for use in. 357 guns only.

[Larry Gibson]

I shot lots of them; HBWCs. Over 2.7 gr of Bullseye they shot excellently as did the Hornady's. Pushed beyond that (less than 800 fps from 6" barrel M15) the accuracy went south and holes in 25 yard target indicated skirts were getting "blown". Targets at 50 yards with key holes confirmed the skirts were blown. Tried a slower burning powder (Unique) to no avail. Speer says to keep the velocities under 800 fps and they do know their product.

Larry Gibson

[Old Caster]

What you can get away with depends on the distance between barrel and cylinder and varies greatly from one gun to another. Be careful doing this.

[rintinglen]

Short answer: No!
I shot many thousands of those back in my PPC days. My experience almost perfectly Mirrors that of Larry. Accuracy went south once the charge weights started getting heavier. IIRC, I could not even shoot the top end loads for the Speer HBWC in the manual without groups opening up.

For hotter loads, I used the 16H Cramer or the 358-432 boolits. Loaded over a generous charge of Red Dot, I stalked Jacks, ground squirrels and assorted rocks, branches, and other varmints in the southern California Desert. Believe it or not, this was once a decent place to live.

[Char-Gar]

You most certainly are in danger of blowing off the skirt of that Speer HBWC at 900 to 1,000 fps. I would not do it. Some HBWCs can be pushed to 800 - 900 fps, but the Speer is not one of them.

[Old School Big Bore]

Ditto. HBWCs are for midrange. If Meister still made their hard swaged one it'd survive, but they're discontinued.

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

Thanks, guys. I like it when there is more knowledge saying the exact same thing than anything else!

I tried a bit of a larger charge in my test loads, but I think that I'm going to play it safe and stick back down in the lower seats of velocity. When the larger charges were tried, I didn't notice anything out of sorts, but it isn't worth screwing up a new Ruger GP100 Wiley Clapp over a bit more velocity increase!

[Good Cheer]

Well, if you want greater velocity, might put a gas check on the nose and load them backwards. The little bump on the nose of the Speer was easy to trim off with a sharp blade and the step on the nose worked good for a gas check. But, that's been many years ago and don't know if the design has changed.

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

Higher velocity was only a goal as far as trying to mimic my 357 loads. I realize that I am never going to get them to do that so....I will just make plinker rounds like they were designed for. It isn't worth the work to trim them down just to make them scream fast down the barrel.

[Char-Gar]

Bubba...The world is full of good solid base wadcutters that you can jazz up if that is your goal. I use a 150 grain wadcutter over 10/2400 in 357 Magnum cases with good results. Speed is around 1,100 fps or more and it hits with authority. Accuracy is all I can utilize in my revolvers. Of course these are for .357 Magnum sixguns. The HBWCs are special needs children and best relegated for more pedestrian uses.

[Bubba w/a 45/70]

Bubba...The world is full of good solid base wadcutters that you can jazz up if that is your goal. I use a 150 grain wadcutter over 10/2400 in 357 Magnum cases with good results. Speed is around 1,100 fps or more and it hits with authority. Accuracy is all I can utilize in my revolvers. Of course these are for .357 Magnum sixguns. The HBWCs are special needs children and best relegated for more pedestrian uses.
I didn't know that HBWC's were quite like this, but now I know better. I will just have to load up the 1500 appropriately and not get too excited with them.....

[reed1911]

Use them like .22's. Slow and repeatable, cheap, and good practice with the magnum revolver. I own a lot of magnums, but I shoot a bunch more specials than mag. .38/.357, .41 mag and sp, 44 mag and sp, and 45 colt (SAA and Ruger).

A little 146 @ 800FPS in a 586 is just too much fun.