75 gr wad cutter in 38 spl - can anyone share experience?

[bedbugbilly]

I have a 7 1/2" Ubeerti 1851 Richards and Mason conversion (.357 bore) that loves the 148 gr. wadcutter for general plinking and can killing. I'm only half tempted, but would like to hear from someone with experience with a 75 grain WC in their 38 spl as far as how they shoot.

Lyman/Ideal has the 358-101 - which seem to be kind hard to locate, but NOE has the 360-73-WC which is a clone of the 358-101

Normally I use either Bulls Eye or Red Dot - around 2.8 gr with the 148

Is the 75 grain WC worth playing with and using for shower range "can killing", etc.? What's the average maximum range you can throw them to accurately hie a soda can or a small gong? And . . . while it may sound silly . . . looking at the length in comparison to the diameter - do they fly straight or do they end up tumbling . . . in which case, a .358 round ball load might do just as well.

Not a case of wanting to "save lead" . . . more of a case of liking to try different boolits. If it's worth playing with, I would probably go with a 4 or 5 hole NOE to speed up casting and would imagine it wouldn't take long to have a coffee can full.

Thanks for any input.

[gwpercle]

Testing 38 wadcutter ammo for NRA Bullseye Match shooting has always indicated 140 to 148 gr. wadcutters preformed best especially when the range was 50 yards .
But if we are talking plinking , tin cans and targets at 25-50 feet ... they are short , but just long enough to get stabilized for under 25 yards ... don't push them too fast .
Most times I see them loaded two boolits in one case for a multi-boolit load ... two 73 grain WC's = 146 gr. total ... so use 148 gr. WC loading data for the two-ball load ... fun to play with .
The short 73 - 75 gr. WC's are fun to play with but are not long-rang accuracy champs ... for that you need a heavier , longer boolit ... I like the 160 gr. Lyman 358432 (NOE 360-160-WC PB 360432)
now there is a accuracy champ !
Gary

[bedbugbilly]

Thanks Gary - That's the info I was seeking. Much appreciated.

Jim

[gwpercle]

Thanks Gary - That's the info I was seeking. Much appreciated.

Jim

The two boolit load is a lot of fun to plink with and if cast, not too hard , and pushed to standard 38 special pressure / velocities ... might have some merit in a home self defense situation where you don't want too much penetration through too many walls ... the two 73-75 gr. boolits may be just the ticket !
Gary

[Mk42gunner]

I've got an old Lee one holer that drops one somewhere around 80 grains. I finally figured out how to get decent results with it by using a ladle last winter.

Unfortunately, I haven't managed to load and shoot any of them, the Lee six cavity 148WC mold is so much easier to use.

One of these years I may get around to it.

Robert

[derek45]

try some....

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=231&zenid=6sh9tharear2j33glq1ph261d5

https://www.mattsbullets.com/images/Img_7301.jpg

[dverna]

Even when I shot CAS, I stayed with 125-130 gr bullets when many moved to 105’s. The 125-130’s gave good accuracy and light recoil. I see no reason for the 75 gr bullets unless loading two stacked.

If, as stated, saving lead is not the objective, why have a poor performer?

[yeahbub]

Maybe 3 in a .357 case. IIRC, there was one that's just a disk and has no lube groove. In which case a coat of LLA or BLL will probably get the job done. I had read an article in some gun rag years ago with the author putting several in a .357 case and their use as a defense measure.

[Kosh75287]

The Lyman #358101 75 - 77gr. wadcutters were once referred to as "flying tuna cans", and used for indoor (garage/) target practice. In the late 70s - early 80s, there was a .357 Magnum cartridge that was loaded with 4 of these and marketed as "Quadcutters". I think G&A did a write-up about them, after which they quickly faded.
Loading data, from an old Lyman manual consists of the following:
2.0/Bullseye/75 gr., 607 f/s. 3.0/Bullseye/75 gr., 788 f/s.
3.0/Unique/75 gr., 577 f/s. 5.0/Unique/75 gr., 842 f/s.
The book says these were shot from a 6" S&W M14, so one can be reasonably sure they'll exit shorter barrels.
As to how far they'll shoot accurately, all ammo/firearm combinations are different, but I'D be surprised at reasonable accuracy much beyond 50 feet.

[Four-Sixty]

I have the 2 cavity NOE mold at 73 grains. It is the only aluminum mold I had to use half a dozen times to get my first good casts. The NOE design is fine, but has lots of crisp edges. I suspect anything beyond two cavities could be frustrating to use.

I've only shot it at about 15-20 feet in a snubby. Accuracy was great! Bullets did not tumble at that range. Recoil is almost non existent. It is like shooting a cap gun. I think of it as a bullet to introduce new shooters.

My load is using 2.2 grains of Titegroup.

[Electrod47]

I get these from Matt's Bullets and stack 2 with 3.2 grains of Red Dot. They don'r separate til past 25 ft. per my observations.

[725]

I've got this mold and have shot them in .38's & .357's. Two stack is good in either but a 3 stack in the .357 crowds the thickening case wall of the .357 case. Didn't like that. One or two at a time and they are a hoot. Nice to teach with, as well.

[Thin Man]

I have a Lyman mold 358101 in the 4X style, bought it around 49 years ago. This is the heaviest 4X mold I own - same size blocks as other 4X pistol molds but very little steel removed to make the cavities. The blocks take a very long time to warm up to casting temp but then it is all fun. The boolits are super short and handling them around a sizer means that at some time you will probably pinch or crush one of your fingers handling them. Tweezers or a hemostat can be used to protect fingers, but I'm used to casting .225 and .251 boolits and the words "Take Care" apply here. I would load 2 of these in a .38 Spl. case and make "snake eyes" on paper just to confuse the on-lookers. I used to tease them with "that boolit runs out so fast it must have broken in half..." Your group size and point of impact will be regulated by the powder selection and weight under the boolit, also barrel length. The Lyman manual #45 states their accuracy load is 2.0 Bullseye. Start there then follow with other powder charges to compare results. Lots of fun can be had with these boolits.

[Earl54]

The Lyman #358101 75 - 77gr. wadcutters were once referred to as "flying tuna cans", and used for indoor (garage/) target practice. In the late 70s - early 80s, there was a .357 Magnum cartridge that was loaded with 4 of these and marketed as "Quadcutters". I think G&A did a write-up about them, after which they quickly faded.
Loading data, from an old Lyman manual consists of the following:
2.0/Bullseye/75 gr., 607 f/s. 3.0/Bullseye/75 gr., 788 f/s.
3.0/Unique/75 gr., 577 f/s. 5.0/Unique/75 gr., 842 f/s.
The book says these were shot from a 6" S&W M14, so one can be reasonably sure they'll exit shorter barrels.
As to how far they'll shoot accurately, all ammo/firearm combinations are different, but I'D be surprised at reasonable accuracy much beyond 50 feet.

Some place I have that Quadcutter article. Was a 357 with a bored through cylinder. Used a cylinder length case(cut down 357 maximum case) with 4 75 grain wadcutters, supposed to be for self defence. Velocity was to limited to work,not enough powder room for a slow powder to keep pressure down for a safe 300 grain bullet weight.

[Texas by God]

I remember that article, Earl. I want to say that Wiley Clapp was involved. They used .357 Maximum brass in a Colt Lawman .357 bored straight.
"357 Quadrimaximum".....4 "tuna can" wadcutters stacked.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[wonderwolf]

From a practical standpoint of putting game on the table or repelling boarders in either rifle or revolver the~75gr wadcutter mold would struggle to make my top 20 molds I would choose to apply for the purpose. In fact in tests with just one projectile mind you nothing under 110gr performed well from either bolt action or revolver 357/38 for me.

The lee 105gr traffic cone ,the lyman 75gr wadcutter and another lyman 95gr rn did pretty poor on paper at what I would consider reasonable small game distance. Ymmv however, I'm just homegamer

[mvozz]

I read about this little wadcutter in "From Ingot to Target" and just had to have one. I got the NOE 3 cavity brass mould and have to say that they are a blast. I went out to test them in my Ruger Blackhawk and my buddy showed up to shoot his Marlin 357 carbine. My shots were pretty good out to 25 yards but his were minute of popcan at 25 yards very consistently. He asked me for a few hundred rounds but with the primer, powder situation I had to turn him down. Bottom line is that this boolit is just plain fun to play with if you are looking for cheap fun under 25 yards!