Seat wadcutter all the way inside or to the top grease groove?

[Twmaster]

I've cast some nice 148 grain DEWC's from an old Ideal mold.

These have 3 big grease grooves. Should I be loading these as I have in the pic where I'm crimping into the top grease groove or should these be fully seated into the case?

If fully into the case it's likely I'm going to have to make a new flat faced seating stem for my die.

Thanks.

125735

[Echo]

Try it both ways and use the method that produces the best accuracy. And it is usually recommended that only one grease groove be lubed, for best accuracy.

[fecmech]

As long as what you have chambers I see nothing wrong with it. The flush set thing is mainly for semi auto's like the S&W 52 that require a flush seat. For revolvers I use the H&G #50 or the Lyman 358495 which have a small crimp groove and stick out of the case about 1/8". You may need to seat a little deeper if the bullet is too big for your throat.

[tazman]

I actually seat them in the middle groove part of the time. This allows me to use full power charges because the case isn't full of boolit.
I get good accuracy that way.

[GSM]

Seat to fit the firearm they will be used in.

Revolvers - enough to match cylinder neck down length, more or less.

Auto feeders - enough to fit chamber and function through magazine.

[Twmaster]

Thanks gang. I'll try a few loaded each way. Should have mentioned, I'm loading these for .357 Mag. Still .195" of cylinder left in my S&W Highway Patrolman.

[Dale53]

Twmaster;
You might want to take a look at this:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/75f11fe4e235da7c69cabf94daa7dbd9-932.html

They WORK!

Dale53

[tazman]

There is a Lyman wadcutter(#358432) that is set up with the crimp groove about where you are crimping that double end wadcutter. I use it more than most other wadcutters. It shoots extremely well at full power or light loads either one.

[Echo]

^^^^ I like the -432 boolit, too!

[StrawHat]

I was going to mention the Harris article, Dale53 beat me to it. I load the wadcutter about like the one in your picture. I cast mine a bit harder than for target and can get around 850 to 900 fps from my M15.

Good luck, and keep us informed.

Kevin

[Twmaster]

Twmaster;
You might want to take a look at this:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/75f11fe4e235da7c69cabf94daa7dbd9-932.html

They WORK!

Dale53

Dale thank you. That is a nice article. I've bookmarked it to go back to. Still hoping to get out and shoot some of these wadcutters this weekend.

And thanks to everyone else. The input is appreciated.

[Twmaster]

Finally got out to shoot these. I am very pleased with the performance. Pretty much dead nuts on at 7 yards with good grouping out of my model 28-2 S&W. Need to load more to verify then load a big ol' mess of them.

In 38 SPL these would not reliably chamber. So I'll try them fully seated next. The loaded 38SPL shot just as well as the 357 loads in the 357 revolver.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I use H&G #251 in my S&W M52 so it has to be seated flush with the case mouth. The H&G # 50 in the same mode doesn't work as well. If I use the 50 crimped slightly in the first groove it works well in other 38/357 loadings. When varying the eating depth you have to take into account the change of air space in the loaded round as it will change the grouping/accuracy. Another factor to keep an eye on is how much lube you use. One groove filled with a good lube is usually enough...too much lube=excessive smoke + cruds up the gun. LLS

[RedHawk357Mag]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/15/1132a0f394a9d1b223fed2b44b27163c.jpgSince a couple different bullets were talked about I think this might help others keep the bullets straight. Not my photo but nice display of some bullets available.

[Twmaster]

Nice photo. The 35863 (second from the right) is the mold I am using.

[RedHawk357Mag]

It helps me when looking at eBay and classifieds. I enjoy messing around with the wad cutter.

[tsubaki]

Here is where I was seating a 148gr DEWC pushed with 3.0gr of Bullseye in 38spl next to a factory 38S&W. Velocity was 705fps but I have no idea where I got the load and seating info from, the last one I loaded was in 2006.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/38swspl.jpg
Here is one that was recovered.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/DEWC_zps20824bcd.jpg

[bobthenailer]

IMO ! I would lightly taper crimp into the center of the top driving band. or over the front nose of the bullet , your bullet has only lube groves, and no crimp grove
you do not need to lube all 3 lube groves, one or possibly two are more than enough for target loads. you may also get better accuracy that way.

[bedbugbilly]

I have several designs but always seem to keep going back to the Lyman 358-242. I like a little sticking out and it shoots well for me. Play with your design and see what works best in your revolver. If you can seat it with your present seating stem to a depth that works well when you shoot it - you're just that much further ahead instead of having to screw around with a new seating stem.

[mdi]

I keep one of my "house guns" stuffed with a DEWC over a near max. load of W231 (wheel weight alloy, air cooled and lubed with Speed green, or alox/45-45-10, or whatever is handy). I have the Lyman/Ideal mold producing 150 gr WCs with a crimp groove which I lightly crimp into and another mold (Lee?) with two lube grooves and no crimp groove. Very good accuracy out to 12-15 yards in my 2" and 3" .38 Specials and as good as I can see at 25 yds. in my 4" .357 Magnum. I while back I experimented with different seating depths and any depth out of the case (not flush seated) worked about the same. Seated with bullet about 1/16" inch out of the case up to about mid length, crimped lightly over center driving band. I could not determine, in my revolvers, if the seating depth made much if any difference in accuracy, but it was fun...

[country gent]

I have to load all the wadcutters into the case and just lightly taper crimp over edge. Much over that and the dont fit in the mag of my 1911 wadcutter gun in 38 special. I have revolvers also but it is faster and easier to put together a load that works and is accurate in all of them than special loads for each