Revolver + Lead = Rabbit.

[Lucky Joe]

I used to hunt with Beagles and it is my favorite way to hunt rabbits. Don't have a Beagle now so I look for a track and follow it until the rabbit jumps up. Probably won't get as much game but stalking is a lot of fun this was today took about half an hour. Ruger Blackhawk .38/.357 Mag., hand cast 74 gr. bullet from a Lyman mould # 358101, 3 gr. Red Dot. Would like to get another Beagle.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k168/Luckyjoe_01/646d72b7-e248-473c-bbcb-655264105588_zps386ec02b.jpg (http://s88.photobucket.com/user/Luckyjoe_01/media/646d72b7-e248-473c-bbcb-655264105588_zps386ec02b.jpg.html)

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Looks like a great little load. What's the effective range with those?

[Wolfer]

When I was young and newly married my father in law and I hunted with beagles and 22 pistols a lot. An amazing amount of fun. He always wanted to strike the deal that we would take no sitting shots. I would hold to this agreement but he always outshot me. If I killed two he killed three etc.
One day I had worked up on the ridge behind him without him knowing. I could see the dogs coming and knew he would see the rabbit shortly. About that time I heard him give a low whistle. A second later he shot then walked over and picked up the rabbit. I kept quiet about seeing him whistle the rabbit down and started taking sitting shots when I got the chance. It didn't help he still always outshot me.
Some days we would only kill a couple, some days five or six. 50 to 100 rds fired was a common day.

We ate for supper whatever we killed that day but never had any interest in killing lots of rabbits.
The best thing about this sport was if you found a good spot that the shotgun boys didn't know about you could hunt there all season.
I hunted one season with an old Iver Johnson DA eight shot with no back sight. Burned thru lots of ammo, killed a few rabbits and had a lot of fun.

By the next year I had a Ruger single six. This caused me to have to skin a lot more rabbits.

[pworley1]

Nice shot, Great shot if the rabbit was running.

[Lucky Joe]

pworley1 = Nice shot, Great shot if the rabbit was running.

No he wasn't running he was about 10 yds. out and I couldn't see his head. I had to thread the shot through a bout a 2" hole in the brush. If he had been running more than likely wouldn't have been able to post this.

[Lucky Joe]

Looks like a great little load. What's the effective range with those?

I have it for 20 yds., originally this is a squirrel load and it will take a squirrel out of a 60' tree. Doesn't destroy any meat, and I shoot it out of 2 Blackhawks, a Security Six, S&W 686 and a Redhawk all sighted in for the 60' mark. I currently have a receiver in to H&R for a .357 barrel, not sure if the twist will accommodate this little boolit. Might have to move up to the Lee 105 gr., hope not, we'll see.

[Lucky Joe]

Thanks for sharing, I've been in the mood for some hossenfeffer. With dogs do you use a shotgun?

When I was younger I always used a shotgun and always had beagles. I'm sending an H&R 20 ga. shotgun in to have the barrel shortened to 20" and threaded for chokes. If the patterns are good this will probably be my go to shotgun for small game. Do like the satisfaction of the hand gun shooting though.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

[L Ross]

Nice job Lucky Joe. I like the photo and the details. I enjoy that every bit as much as any other hunting story. Our snow has returned and I'm about over the flu I think I'll try to emulate your efforts.

[nagantguy]

My very first rabbit with a wheel gun was in 1999, dad and his friend were out with me, the friend Gary liked a fence roll and nothing about 10,seconds later a rabbit bolted out. What happened next is as close to gosphel as I can recall, the rabbit ran out at a strong left angle and was at about top speed I drew and snapped off one shot and rolled him at about 10 yards right between the ears!! With two witnesses, not one to heap praise needlessly my dad later pointed out that the shot was actually slightly to the right of center and I needed more practice!

[w5pv]

Glad I wasn't telling the story,that rabbit would have been running and jumping so high ,never mind, good shot

[shoot-n-lead]

LJ, nice shot on the rabbit...

What is the velocity on that bullet?

[TCFAN]

Lucky Joe I really like your photo.Your load sounds interesting. I may have to try that in my Blackhawk and my K38.I don't have any rabbits to try it on though. It will have to be paper for me......Terry

[HABCAN]

Many decades ago when we were far less tolerant, a noob boob joined our pistol club and proceeded to get on everyone's nerves. He was all mouth and no gun: couldn't shoot for beans but was always asking about our loads that he might improve and 'shoot just like you guys'. We convinced him it was our 'special load' that gave us the edge and offered to lend him a cylinder full or so. He jumped at the chance and we gave him five rounds of the 'special' which was loaded with TWO of those little Lyman WC's back-to-back. Range procedure and commands....."Ready on the Right, Ready on the Left, Ready on the firing Line..........FIRE!" Everyone fired 5 and then the RO called "Advance and score" so we all started down to the pits. He was jumping up-and-down, demanding to fire his second five rounds. We told him "You fired them!" He was amazed at the targets.......every one, even HIS, had 10 holes in it! You might want to remember this?

[Lucky Joe]

LJ, nice shot on the rabbit...

What is the velocity on that bullet?


Don't know the velocity although I've been shooting it for years. I'm going to try to get it chronographed this spring.

[Orchard6]

Good job! I too took up hunting small game with my blackhawk in .357 this past fall. It sure is a lot of fun. A buddy and I got 3 squirrels yesterday and had a blast doing it!

[reloader28]

Good job.
Not much funner than going out in the morning on fresh snow and tracking rabbits thru the brush.
Trying to spot and shoot them sitting there before they take off running is a major chore, but WELL worth the effort.

I had some 100gr Ranch Dogs loaded last year for rabbits in 38spl, but have shot them all up.

[Lucky Joe]

Many decades ago when we were far less tolerant, a noob boob joined our pistol club and proceeded to get on everyone's nerves. He was all mouth and no gun: couldn't shoot for beans but was always asking about our loads that he might improve and 'shoot just like you guys'. We convinced him it was our 'special load' that gave us the edge and offered to lend him a cylinder full or so. He jumped at the chance and we gave him five rounds of the 'special' which was loaded with TWO of those little Lyman WC's back-to-back. Range procedure and commands....."Ready on the Right, Ready on the Left, Ready on the firing Line..........FIRE!" Everyone fired 5 and then the RO called "Advance and score" so we all started down to the pits. He was jumping up-and-down, demanding to fire his second five rounds. We told him "You fired them!" He was amazed at the targets.......every one, even HIS, had 10 holes in it! You might want to remember this?

I did that once at a shoot, seems like it was 6 rounds in 5 seconds at 7 yds.. When the range master walked down the line to score each shooter he looked at my target and said to me with a scowl on his face "what the hell is this". I knew he wasn't impressed so I replied "speed loader" I wasn't going to place that day so I thought what the heck, should be good for a laugh, not so. Though later when we were standing around talking those little boolits gained "celebrity" status with the other shooters.

[clearcut]

Nice kill hope it taste good.:)
CC

[ammohead]

I had been practicing double action quite a bit with my S&W model 25 4" in 45 colt. My friend and I were scouting for his bull tag east of Jackpot NV and hadn't seen even a jackrabbit all weekend. Sunday morning while breaking camp I saw a large jack sitting in the dirt road. I said, just funnin, "If he is still there when I get my pistol I am going to shoot him"! I let go, double action, with a 280 gr ogival wadcutter and from the recoil could only see dust fly. I asked how close I got and my buddy yells "you nailed him"! I counted 100 steps and sure enough that big ol' jack was laying drt. Could I do it again? Sure, just not everytime. lol.

[Bazoo]

Nice Lucky Joe. Id love to hunt small game with my blackhawk. But sadly, in KY, its rimfire or scattergun only. We can hunt deer with anything centerfire though. Get me one of those instead one day with it.

[taco650]

74 grain? Got a pic of the boolit and loaded round? Were they loaded in 357 cases or 38 Special?

[wonderwolf]

Lucky Joe, I just cast up my first batch of 358101 this past weekend and was looking for info and came across this thread. Is it safe to assume you are loading those 3gr of red dot in a 38 case? I didn't which case you were loading it in although I might have overlooked it.

Also any suggestions on how to lube/size these in a 4500 and get them out? I don't like the idea of making a tall plunger but these things simply will not pop out...not much to them. Cute little buggers though. 358429, 358101, speer factory 148 HBWC 127453

[taco650]

Lucky Joe, I just cast up my first batch of 358101 this past weekend and was looking for info and came across this thread. Is it safe to assume you are loading those 3gr of red dot in a 38 case? I didn't which case you were loading it in although I might have overlooked it.

Also any suggestions on how to lube/size these in a 4500 and get them out? I don't like the idea of making a tall plunger but these things simply will not pop out...not much to them. Cute little buggers though. 358429, 358101, speer factory 148 HBWC 127453

If fixing the Lyman to work doesn't work out, spend $20 on a Lee push through with their LLA. The LLA will work fine at the velocities you'll be shooting them.

[Rusty W]

(Also any suggestions on how to lube/size these in a 4500 and get them out? I don't like the idea of making a tall plunger but these things simply will not pop out...not much to them.)

I use a spent primer set on top of the lifting pin & the pin in the die. A small pistol or rifle usually works & there's enough lube between the two to hold it in place.

[wonderwolf]

If fixing the Lyman to work doesn't work out, spend $20 on a Lee push through with their LLA. The LLA will work fine at the velocities you'll be shooting them.

I've thought about a push through sizer too last night, may end up getting one as I want to try lee's TL 148gr Wadcutter.


(Also any suggestions on how to lube/size these in a 4500 and get them out? I don't like the idea of making a tall plunger but these things simply will not pop out...not much to them.)

I use a spent primer set on top of the lifting pin & the pin in the die. A small pistol or rifle usually works & there's enough lube between the two to hold it in place.

Thats one of those ideas it makes so much sense I ask myself..."why didn't I think of that....." Thanks Rusty, I'll try that this evening as those little pills are all I have left to size/lube, just finished a nice size box of 358429 and loaded a few up last night.

[Lucky Joe]

74 grain? Got a pic of the boolit and loaded round? Were they loaded in 357 cases or 38 Special?

I load them in a .38 most of the time. I use a Lee push though although I do not resize these. I have a new 358101 but these came from the Lee group buy we had her a while back.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k168/Luckyjoe_01/GEDC1344_zps4fdbbcde.jpg (http://s88.photobucket.com/user/Luckyjoe_01/media/GEDC1344_zps4fdbbcde.jpg.html)
They look like any WC this one just happens to be power coated. I usually use 45-45-10. Pc'd are two projectiles that's one way to tell them apart for me.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k168/Luckyjoe_01/Powder%20Coating/GEDC2360_zps630cd2a1.jpg (http://s88.photobucket.com/user/Luckyjoe_01/media/Powder%20Coating/GEDC2360_zps630cd2a1.jpg.html)

[wonderwolf]

Is there a explanation out there for why there is a raised platform of sorts atop most of ideal/lyman wad cutter designs? I've been thinking that maybe it shifts just a little more weight forward but I'm not sure if that would greatly effect accuracy at the distances most people shoot these at.

My 358101 mold is a single cavity I got in trade not long ago, we'll see how it shoots but I'm half tempted to take a Lee 6 cavity Tumble lube mold and mill away the top of the mold till I get about half wad cutters, wouldn't be hard and I would have a 6 cavity mold that could make a lot of button plinker bullets.

[Lucky Joe]

This is a boolit from another Lee Group Buy, 105 gr. WC .358. It does not have the button and essentially a double ended WC. When the 74 gr. was being designed a vote was taken as to have the button or not, button won. Dean Grennell once had H&G make a 66 gr. .358 .boolit it did not have the button also had one made for the .44. I have the article scanned I can email it to you if you like. In it he writes about multi projectile loads.
127641127642

[taco650]

Is there a explanation out there for why there is a raised platform of sorts atop most of ideal/lyman wad cutter designs?


+1, inquiring minds want to know.

[wonderwolf]

I made it out to the range yesterday and tested a cylinder full of these 358101 in a brand spanking new GP100 5" I've been waiting for 3 years to get. My load was 3gr of bullseye and shot at 7 yards loaded in a .38 spl case, I tested about 8 or 9 different loads yesterday, shot loads, 148gr WC, 158gr LEE RF and the 173gr keith style were all tested. loving the versatility out of this caliber/ gun.

The group circled is the 75gr wadcutters in question, I didn't think the group from my .38+P loads would overlap that group but they did so there are one or two shots that were added to that group that don't belong there. The shots with slashes through them were +p 158gr lee RF bullets I have really taken a liking to. They shoot very well and make nice holes(although the load I tested yesterday with I was not impressed with). Have not had a chance to try them on any game but I have a feeling they would make a excellent field load. These were different from my staple load, 4.2gr of red dot and were actually 3.8gr of bullseye. All those tiny holes is from one shot at about 12 feet with 70gr of #12 shot backed by 5.5gr of unique.

127859

[35remington]

Two reasons advanced for the nose on the wadcutter:

Aerodynamics. The nose directs the "bow wave" away from the full diameter shoulder and gives it longer stable flight.

Feeding. Some claim the raised nose interacts better with the feed ramps of autoloading pistols designed for wadcutters. The trouble with this idea is that some autoloaders won't tolerate any length above flush with the case mouth.

The first reason is the most commonly stated.

And in all fairness....a good group with a wadcutter at only seven yards would comprise a single enlarged hole, shooting skill notwithstanding. Groups significantly wider than that as pictured above mean either the load or the shooter needs a lot of work.

[wonderwolf]

Two reasons advanced for the nose on the wadcutter:

Aerodynamics. The nose directs the "bow wave" away from the full diameter shoulder and gives it longer stable flight.

Feeding. Some claim the raised nose interacts better with the feed ramps of autoloading pistols designed for wadcutters. The trouble with this idea is that some autoloaders won't tolerate any length above flush with the case mouth.

The first reason is the most commonly stated.

And in all fairness....a good group with a wadcutter at only seven yards would comprise a single enlarged hole, shooting skill notwithstanding. Groups significantly wider than that as pictured above mean either the load or the shooter needs a lot of work.

Thanks for the technical info 35Remington! on the load vs shooter comment, send me a ransom rest with a GP100 insert and we'll find out which it is :)

[BAGTIC]

My experience with similar bullets in a 6 inch 357 revolver produces about 800 fps. What I like about them is how relatively quiet they are. They are easily effective on small game well past 50 yards if you can hit them.

[wonderwolf]

My very good friend who also happens to be our clubs pistol directly and myself got out to the range on a "warm" day it was just above freezing with rain starting to come down to test his newly built plate rack for the upcoming Jr .22 steel challenge league season he coaches. Anyways I had these light 74gr bullets and we wanted to test the plates (they were AR series) on something a little heavier so out came the GP100 and we did some informal testing. These were the 3gr of bullseye loads, not sure why the first shot was a miss, it sounded REALLY light but I heard the thump when it hit dirt so I just kept going.

image goes to video

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/wonderwolf223/th_FILE0028.mp4 (http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/wonderwolf223/FILE0028.mp4)

I plan on trying some other light loads this spring/summer one of them being a 375 round ball pushed through a lee .358 sizer and alox'ed...I'm mostly curious to see how these will be with dead soft lead and shot through my carbine. The .38/357 has never really been on my radar, now I'm discovering it like I've never seen a girl before....

[Bazoo]

38/357 caliber in a rifle pistol combo is to me, ideal.

Thanks everyone for sharing. I loaded some 358429s myself over the last couple days. I used a lee dipper to give 4.6 of unique. Just plinking stuff out of the wifes 686.

[vmathias]

Nice job!

[Swede44mag]

Nice job on the rabbit.

I once had a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 10inch barrel (should have kept it) shot at a sitting rabbit two cylinders and missed.
I have taken many with a S&W mod 17 22cal sitting & running fun to shoot. Traded it off (should have kept it) for a Ruger semi auto 22 couldn't hit good with.
Traded for a 10 shot S&W 8 3/8 in SS 22 it would group about 18" at 25 yards traded it off.
Bought a DW 10" SS 22lr it has a ram on the barrel it is my go to rabbit pistol sorry to say I haven't been rabbit hunting in over 10 years.

[Geezer in NH]

I hunted Snow shoe hares with a Sheridan 5mm pellet gun total success. I grew older and in my own apt. was able to have a dog my beagle turned me to a 410 shotgun. Had faster action but brought home no more do to laws.

Now I use the pellet gun again as my girl has been waiting for me for many years across the bridge. Every now and then we visit in my sleep and it is the best sleep I get in months. It takes nothing from my current little girl at the time as all will join me I hope.