38 wc

[WALLNUTT]

Is there a consensus on the best 38/357 cast wadcutter mould?

[Outpost75]

Saeco #348 double-end, bevel-based.

171505171508

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/38wadcutterQA.htm

[Petrol & Powder]

I don't know if there will ever be a consensus of anything on this forum ;-) but there are some strongly held opinions !!

In my quest for a decent 38 wadcutter I went through a few and decided the RCBS 148WC would work for me. It looks a lot like the old H&G #50 that has a loyal following.

That double ended WC that Outpost listed has the advantage of easy loading because you don't have to worry about which end goes up and it clearly is capable of fine accuracy.

[Char-Gar]

I doubt if there is such as things as "best" wadcutter. There are many good designs out there and nobody has tested them all in the wide variety of 38 Specials revolvers out there to come to a definitive conclusion.

The Saeco so beloved by Outpost75 is as good as any and probably better than some. I prefer the old Hensley and Gibbs 244 because it has a dead flat nose. If I want to shoot a flat nose bullets, I want dead flat. Will it shoot better than any others, probably not, but it shoots plenty good for me.

[Obmi]

I have used Lee Bullet Mold 358-138-WC. makes nice clean holes in paper.
Amazon has it for about 20 bucks.

http://amzn.to/29mWgp6

[earplug]

I have had issues with modern brass not being thin enough full seat a WC and easily chamber. I like a bullet that has a crimp grove that allows seating the bullet outside the case.

[TCFAN]

I have wad cutter molds from Lee --the TLWC--From Lyman the 358432 160 gr.,358495,358395 HBWC,358063,358091.I also have the NOE 360 HBWC mold. All of these molds with the exception of the 358432 are 10 ring accurate at 50 yards from my 686 S&W from a rest with a 4 power scope.Target is the 50 yard slow fire pistol target shooting 10 shots.
The 358432 is the only WC mold that will not shoot worth a hoot for me in any of my revolvers and my Marlin 94C.
If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Lyman 358495. Not because it is more accurate, I just like the looks of the boolit.....................Terry

[Maven]

Outpost 75, Are those Saeco #348's tumble lubed and loaded as cast, i.e., unsized?

[Char-Gar]

I have had issues with modern brass not being thin enough full seat a WC and easily chamber. I like a bullet that has a crimp grove that allows seating the bullet outside the case.

There is a difference between standard 38 Special brass and Wadcutter brass. Both are modern brass.

[tazman]

I think I may have tried every wadcutter out there in my search for the most accurate wadcutter. They all shoot excellent in my revolvers. I have settled on 2 different versions for differing reasons.
I use the Lyman 358091 for most target use. Because of the beveled base, it is a bit easier to load into my brass. It has the same accuracy as all the rest.
The second one is the Lyman 358432. I use this one because it has a crimp groove that leaves a lot of the boolit outside the case, allowing a full power load that matches the velocities of the SWC style boolits. This one I use for social purposes. I have a mold from NOE that produces a hollow point in this one. It also loads easily into brass that doesn't have the proper dimesions for deep seating full wadcutters.
The other wadcutters don't shoot any worse for me than these do but they don't shoot any better either.

[dubber123]

Short of trying a bunch to see if your particular gun has a favorite, I can tell you in my testing, there really isn't much difference if everything is equal, meaning all designs cast of an adequate diameter and round. A few years back, I did a bunch of 50 yard testing with an accurate S&W mod 14. I have a lot of wadcutter molds from H&G, Lyman, Ideal, RCBS, and LEE, possibly a few others. The LEE standard lube groove version I have shoots every bit as good as any of the others.

That said, by the time you get to 50 yards, it's not hard to beat a wadcutter for accuracy.

[Mk42gunner]

I remember reading either an article on LASC or castpic's site, or it might have been a thread on here where several people used various .38 WC molds in different guns. I can't find it now, but from what I remember there is a very good chance of just about any WC shooting well from most .38 Special guns.

The only gun that I can think of that requires a specific type of wadcutter is the Model 52 S&W, and that only because it requires a flush seated round to work though the magazine.

My take on it is to try what you have first, you just may be satisfied without a lot of searching and trying.

Robert

[WALLNUTT]

Although the consensus is there is no consensus it appears that the most mentioned are the multi groove similar to Lyman 091&495. Since they and their other manufacturers clones are popular I think I will try one of these first and go from there.Thank You and Health&Happiness to all.

[rwadley]

I remember reading either an article on LASC or castpic's site, or it might have been a thread on here where several people used various .38 WC molds in different guns. I can't find it now, but from what I remember there is a very good chance of just about any WC shooting well from most .38 Special guns.

The only gun that I can think of that requires a specific type of wadcutter is the Model 52 S&W, and that only because it requires a flush seated round to work though the magazine.

My take on it is to try what you have first, you just may be satisfied without a lot of searching and trying.

Robert

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/casting/38wadcuttertests.htm

[zubrato]

H&G #50 for me, pure lead with 1-2% tin, one lube groove seated flush with 3.1gr tg

[WRideout]

I think I may have tried every wadcutter out there in my search for the most accurate wadcutter. They all shoot excellent in my revolvers. I have settled on 2 different versions for differing reasons.
I use the Lyman 358091 for most target use. Because of the beveled base, it is a bit easier to load into my brass. It has the same accuracy as all the rest.
The second one is the Lyman 358432. I use this one because it has a crimp groove that leaves a lot of the boolit outside the case, allowing a full power load that matches the velocities of the SWC style boolits. This one I use for social purposes. I have a mold from NOE that produces a hollow point in this one. It also loads easily into brass that doesn't have the proper dimesions for deep seating full wadcutters.
The other wadcutters don't shoot any worse for me than these do but they don't shoot any better either.

I acquired a Lyman 35891 from a member here, and it is the only WC mold I have. It shoots very well from my Mod 19 Smith, with boolits of rather soft alloy, as cast. I seat them flush over 3.2 gr Red Dot.

Wayne

[Petrol & Powder]

rwadley - Thanks for that link. Useful info.

[Mk42gunner]

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/casting/38wadcuttertests.htm
That is the article I remember, but obviously I did not recall where I read it.

Thanks for posting it.

Robert

[rintinglen]

I have several molds for Wadcutter 38's. My most used was a 3 cavity 16H, IIRC it is a Cramer. I bought it and a 358-432 2 cavity together at a yard sale for something less than 20 bucks back in 1975. For many years, those were my only molds and between them they cast up a heaping 33 gallon trash can full of wheel weights between 76 and 1981. Sized in an old Lyman 45 sizer, the 16H would shoot into 2 inches at 50 yards from my old PPC Heavy Barrel M-15. I sent my Colt python into the shop three times for timing issues with those boolits before I bought the Smith.
These days a 4 cavity H&G 50 or a 4 Cavity NOE HB design get most of my business. (The Cramer and H&G are so similar as to be twin sons of different mothers.)

[gwpercle]

My favorite is the Lyman 358432 in 160 grain weight, this one is discontinued . The NOE 360-160-WC is available and looks just like it to me. After finding a old used 1 cavity Lyman and having excellent results with it , I got a 3 cavity NOE to speed up production, single cavities are slow . In all of my 38's it seems to be the accuracy champ.
Gary

[DerekP Houston]

H&G #50 for me, pure lead with 1-2% tin, one lube groove seated flush with 3.1gr tg

I use the #50 as well, mine is the bevel base design that makes it easier for me to seat on the progressive press. I use 1% added tin approx as well, and hitek coat these rounds.

[WALLNUTT]

The NOE 432 clone and 20% off is killing me. One cavs are slow, that's why I was thinking NOE.

[dubber123]

The NOE 432 clone and 20% off is killing me. One cavs are slow, that's why I was thinking NOE.

If you get a good one like I did, the LEE WC in a 6 cavity is hard to beat for production. I lucked into one that makes 6 almost perfectly round, (within .0005")wadcutters with each pour, and for me they shoot every bit as good as any of my others, about 3" or slightly less at 50 yards.

I have several other designs that better this performance, but I still shoot a fair amount of the LEE WC's for general plinking or paper punching.

[lightload]

How accurately do the LEE TL tumble lube WC bullet shoot?

[tazman]

How accurately do the LEE TL tumble lube WC bullet shoot?

Very well in my guns. I let the 6 cavity mold I used get away from me some time ago and have considered getting another one. The Lyman 358091 shoots just as well for me though and production rates are close.

[DerekP Houston]

6 cavity regular lee wad cutter shoots almost as well for me, I just have to bell the case mouth a touch more to ease in seating.