Wadcutter in a rifle

[GARD72977]

Anyone have luck getting a wadcutter to shoot in a rifle. Looking at an accurrate mold for 38-55 that's a wadcutter with a short nose that starts at the front driving band.

[pull the trigger]

I figure they shoot fine, just worse trajectory and poor feeding from a magazine compared to a spire point

[RU shooter]

Anyone have luck getting a wadcutter to shoot in a rifle. Looking at an accurrate mold for 38-55 that's a wadcutter with a short nose that starts at the front driving band.
I have tried some in my 35 Rem bolt action believe it was the 358495 mould it's the button nose WC seated to just kiss the rifling . They shot ok not great but ok with 5 grs of Bullseye they wouldn't feed at all though so gave up on the idea . I have better accuracy with nomal weight/shape bullets with a similar load so just use them to plink with

[nelsonted1]

I had my machinist nephew make me a .374 was cutter.mold.for.my 376 steyr. I haven't had great luck with it. I'll try it in my h&r 38-55 barrel next paper patching to about .378 if I can. It is straight walled flat front and back.
He didn't before I understood paper patching. Should have cut it to about 373.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

They got around 2.5" at 50 yards with 296, just shy of 1500fps in a 357 levergun. Not great, but it did surprise me a bit. Might have just been a lucky group given the poor accuracy with other powders...

[country gent]

Shiloh used to offer a 45 cal "stake buster" mould 45 cal in 45-70 and 90. I seem to remember them being a good shooter and hitting hard. I believe they would make a good round for short range and light loads as they will eat up a lot of powder space. While my 38 55 load with 360 grn bullet ( the nose is in the bore so much longer OAL) is around 47 grns of 1 1/2 f, with the same weight wad cutter and only .100 outside the case I would see the charge weight dropping to around 35 grns or less with the same compression. While the nasa bullet is seated intoo the case around 3/8"-1/2" the wadcutter would be 1"- 11/4" into the case.

[GARD72977]

I was really wanting this bullet to eat up powder space and save lead. The gun is a 1885 C. SHARPS 38-55. I'm not sure the bullet has enough nose to keep it stable to 100yds

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=38-168A-D.png

[Forrest r]

I tried wc's and hbwc's in a 308w, nothing to write home about.

[MT Gianni]

A 32 wadcutter shot from a contender 30-30 bbl with 2.5 gr of BE is a joy to shoot. I have not yet got the courage to work up to 2.6 gr. So, with that application, and 25 yard targets I would try to match wadcutter speeds with the rifle I had. If I had a 38-55 I would look more towards a round ball mold and the joy of multiple projectiles than wc's.

[pull the trigger]

I just casted up a few of the Lee 375-130 black powder boolits. They measure .376". I'll send ya some if you want to try em. And if you want to eat up powder space, put some cream or wheat or corn meal or rice chex or something on top of the powder.

[bedbugbilly]

My only experience with shooting WCs out of a rifle has been with the Lyman 369-442 - 160 grain version. I had a 357 Handi Rifle and tried it in 38 special, 357 and 360 Dan Wesson brass (the chamber was deep in the Hand and could easily use the longer 360 DW brass). They shot well for plinking out to 50 yards - never tried them any further. IIRC, I seated them out though - not flush.

[Drm50]

I’ve shot 148gr WCs from Rem141/ 35cal and didn’t do well. I shot 32 WC & HBWC from Win 53 in 32/20 and only good for short range with light charge. I can’t figure it out but WCs seem to travel accurately out of revolvers. Unless they are cranked up to a standard velocity of SWC or RN. Then they tend to tumble out under 100yds.

[trapper9260]

I shot some in my 357 Rossi and some in my 44 mag Marlin they shot ok for me , you need to feed them one at a time. That is the problem with use them in a lever .

[Cargo]

I literally started googling this last night. I have wadcutter cases and bullets in transit. I originally purchased them for my wife but started thinking about using them for small game and varmints in the 77/357.

[RoyEllis]

I was really wanting this bullet to eat up powder space and save lead. The gun is a 1885 C. SHARPS 38-55. I'm not sure the bullet has enough nose to keep it stable to 100yds

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=38-168A-D.png

I may be off base and all wet here, but that referenced mold looks very much like a Lee REAL with more driving band width added to it. With my experience with the REAL's, I'd be willing to bet it will stabilize well past that 100yd mark as I've shot them to 100 in Ruger Old Army and out to 175yds in various rifles.

[quack1]

I shot Lyman 358271 out of my 35 cal. Mod. 14 Remington with pretty good accuracy. Had to single load them, they wouldn't feed. Never tried a full wadcutter.

[Charlie Horse]

From my Rossi 357 lever gun. Had to seat them out long or they would eject instead of feed!

[gwpercle]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the 160 gr Wadcutter , Lyman # 358432 (long discontinued) or NOE's recreation of it NOE 360-160-WC - PB would be a humdinger in a 357 rifle .
There is enough of a boolit nose sticking out and the shoulder has just enough radius on it to help with feeding from magazine to chamber . I don't have photo posting skills but go to NOE's web site and look at it .
Maybe Al would make a mould for one sized for the 38-55 Boolit ...
If I only had a 38-55 rifle ... I would start a group buy !

I bought a NOE mould for the 357 Magnum and in all my revolvers it's the accuracy champ .
Still looking for a single shot 357 Mag. rifle !
Gary

[FredBuddy]

Gary:

My Henry singe shot .357 is a shooter. Was just
shooting 38 WCs this afternoon, in 38 WC brass.
However, it likes the 358429 better I think.
Maybe the WC in 357 brass might be better.

I'll have fun checking it out. The Lee 158 RN
works well too. Was thinking the RN would be
a better long range option, but I have read many
posts here that 358429 is king!

Anyhow, with a set of Skinner sights, the Henry
is a treat to shoot.

[Rookandrabbit]

Hello all very interested in your efforts. I have to ask how do you convert .38 special cases to true wadcutter cases?I was told many years ago that the inside has to be reamed to prevent damage to the rear hollow base of the bullet with it being made of softer lead but any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I live over the pond and remember the happy days when I used them in pistols and was amazed at the accuracy 148 grain HBWC in .38 and 98 grain? In .32 SWL. I am now trying to replicate the joy of perfectly round holes from my poor mans rook rifle a .357/38 New England Survivor Rifle. I like the round holes as they are easier to see with my ageing eyes.Round nose and semi wadcutter don’t seem to cut as clearly but I have had good accuracy with the round nose. Keep having fun and thanks for any advice. Long time lurker!!

[rbuck351]

I loaded some 38spl swc and used them with a chamber adapter for a 350 Rem Mag for indoor offhand rifle shooting. They worked great at 25 yds. I don't remember the load but it was probably enough unique to get a bit over 900 fps.

The idea was to get practice/trigger time with your hunting rifle shooting off hand.

[Rookandrabbit]

Just a quick update I have some Hornady 148 grain HBWC boolits and have ordered a reamer to cut a step in my cases to avoid damage to the soft base, hope it’s worth the effort, if I am going in the wrong direction advice would be appreciated. Thanks.Rookandrabbit.

[444ttd]

mmmm......i got these .431" 220 wc for my 44 mag that i used to get my shooting skills up to par. maybe i load them up with trail boss to shoot in my tc encore with 23" mgm barrel in 444.