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View Poll Results: How fast do you push your .38 Special Wadcutters?

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  • 799 and Below

    228 47.90%
  • 800-875

    179 37.61%
  • 876-950

    54 11.34%
  • 951 and Up

    26 5.46%
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Thread: How fast do you push your .38 Special Wadcutters?

  1. #81
    Boolit Master
    marlin39a's Avatar
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    My favorite wadcutter is a Lyman, 112 gr. I load it low and slow. Like shooting a 22.

  2. #82
    Boolit Mold
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    The fastest I have loaded? 148 gr WC, WW, water quenched and tumbled with Alox.
    IMR 4227, 15.0C gr., magnum primers, IMR shows 1,185 fps.
    Unique, 6.0 gr., Lee shows 5.8 gr. (1,344 fps) to 6.4 gr. (1,465 fps)

    I have also loaded them slow, but what's the challenge in that?

  3. #83
    Boolit Buddy
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    I chose every speed. Different cartridges different applications.
    Cast is an adjective, a noun and a verb. Cast works as both imperative and past tense without any additional letters or helping verbs.

  4. #84
    Boolit Bub
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    My Every-Day-Carry CCW is a very lightweight S&W 442 snub-nose .38 Special. I load my practice ammo way down to 700-750 f.p.s. because the regular loads hurt my hand. Gun is almost too light weight to be a .38. I do carry factory HP's for self defense.

  5. #85
    Boolit Buddy catboat's Avatar
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    Don’t have a chrono-so no idea about MV for any load.

    I have two S&W K38 revolvers ( one a full lug, the other with standard barrel).

    I have tested Hbwc 148 grainers from. 2.25, 2.5, 2.75 grains at 50 ft and 25 yards. Both pistols shot best with 2.5 grains of Bullseye.

    For various solid base 148 ish home cast WC , Bullseye loading in 3.25 to 3.5 grains were most accurate. This include H&G mold, and Lee tumble lube ( a very accurate bulletin in my two K38 revolvers ).

    My S&W model 49 2” bbl Bodyguard shoots well with solid base 148grain flat base WC over 3.5 grains Bullseye.

    Velocities? Who knows.

  6. #86
    Boolit Grand Master
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    In a 1 7/8” Smith barrel 3.5 Bullseye will obtain 780 fps with a 148 solid base wadcutter. 3.1 grains will obtain 705-710 fps.

  7. #87
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use a bunch of different powders, Like to keep it in the 800-900 range, nice for teaching newbies easy on the hands and shoot very good out of my 686

  8. #88
    Boolit Master


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    I grew up shooting the H&G #50 over 2.7grs of BULLSEYE. Cast from 3 differant 10cav molds. I inherited 1 of them about 35yrs ago & used it until arthritis caught up with me. Then I sold it (WITH HANDLES) and switched to a LYMAN #358495. I couldn't tell the difference between the 2 bullets. Maybe when my stock of OLD wadcutter brass wears out I will. I also load that same #358495 in worn old .357MAG brass using 3.5grs of BULLSEYE until the primers fall out or the case mouth cracks.
    But I have never loaded WC's for a defensive load. Just plain paper punching or Jackrabbit tumbling when I was a kid. These days my hands aren't good enough to cast perfect bullets or hold well enough for small groups. Sometimes I'll buy some HORNADY swaged WC's and try for that small group with, 3.0grs BULLSEYE.
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  9. #89
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
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    I'm a slow and easy guy

    no need to have the bullet get to the target in record time
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  10. #90
    Boolit Master
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    I'm shooting a Cam-Pro brand 148 grain fully copper plated HBWC (looks identical to Berry's brand bullet).
    Berry's says to launch their bullet with at least 800 fps. When I started loading the Cam-Pro HBWC with 3.1 grains of Hodgdon's Titegroup powder, my first effort didn't include enough powder to make the recommended 800 fps, my load averaged 723.5 fps.
    The extreme spread was a disappointment at 113.6 fps the standard deviation was 29.6 fps.
    I did not make a effort to ensure the powder charge was back at the primer during the chrono testing.
    I didn't want to drive the HBWC too fast in case the hollow base flared like a badminton shuttle cock and loose all accuracy.
    This load shot better than I can hold it so I will continue to experiment with this load combination.
    For my next reloading attempt I think I'll increase the powder quantity a little closer to the max charge weight.

  11. #91
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I try for at least 800 fps. My revolvers seem to be more accurate at that speed. Below 800fps, I get more flyers and the groups aren't as tight. Going faster than 800fps doesn't improve the groups.
    There again, I don't shoot beyond 25 yards. It might make a difference at the longer ranges.

  12. #92
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you want a defense /pest load with rapid expansion load 3gr of Unique with a 148gr HBWC upside down.These expand to .70-.75" Skeeter Skeleton used to use these in a 2" snubby hideout gun while on Border Patrol.Makes gophers six feet long and able to fly.I used these in a S+W model 10 /4"

  13. #93
    Boolit Mold
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    I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but it sure seems like a good place to get the info or answer that I need. I just acquired some reloaded 38 Special wad cutters from a sale of a gentleman who was known to be a very meticulous re-loader in our area. These are 148 gr hollow base (double ended hollow), loaded with 3 of Bullseye. Could anyone here tell me the approximate pressure and velocity these would generate? I know it would vary somewhat depending on what they are being fired in. I purchased them with the understanding that these would be lower power and pressure loads. I have an S&W Air Crewman and a Colt Cobra which were both designed for lower power loads due to their aluminium allow cylinders. Also own a 1864 Remington Navy that was converted to shoot 38 Long Colt. I'm hoping this ammo would be safe to fire in any of these. I've fired many rounds of standard 38 special through the Cobra, so I'm not really worried about it, but certainly don't want to risk damaging myself or either of the other revolvers if these loads would be to strong for them. So I guess the question actually could be if this load would be about equivalent to a standard 38 Long Colt load, since I know they would be safe in either gun. Thanks in advance for any help or info anyone can provide.

  14. #94
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Those loads would be in the standard pressure range. Actually below it by a fair amount. Velocity from a snubby should be around 700 fps.

    Be sure you know the loading info is correct. I would check rather than take it on faith.

  15. #95
    Boolit Master
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    From my 4" Smiths - Model 67, and Model 15, 3.1 grains of Bullseye - 148 grain wad cutter = @ 800 fps

  16. #96
    Boolit Grand Master

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    2.8 grains of Bullseye and an H&G 50 was good enough for Daddy and it’s good enough for me.
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  17. #97
    Boolit Master
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    I usually make .38 Spl. in two forms, either 3.6-4.0/Red Dot/158 gr. RNFP, at 800 + 50 f/s for inanimate or harmless targets, or _._/Unique, BE-86 or Herco/158 gr. RNFP, for 1050 + 50 f/s, for animate and potentially troublesome targets. ALL of my loads are launched from a Ruger Police Service Six in .357 or a S&W M28, so I'm not straining any poor .38 special revolvers.
    Were I to shoot the excellent 148 gr. HBWCs with any regularity, I'd likely drop the load to 3.0 + 0.2 gr./Red Dot/148 gr. HBWC with the idea to get an honest 750 - 800 f/s from a 4" barrel. No need for nor gain in pushing this fine old projectile any faster.
    For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Ecclesiastes 1:18
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  18. #98
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Per Lyman's 3rd edition Cast Bullet Handbook, a 358-63, a double-end, 148 grn., WC bullet would generate 8,400 CUP when loaded with 2.4 grains Bullseye, and 16,100 CUP at a max load of 3.8. OAL was listed as 1.152" but these are not hollow based.
    Assuming you have a similar bullet, it would be likely that your pressures would be slightly higher, due to differences in case capacity occasioned by the greater length resulting from the hollow cavities, but they would still be quite low. At a WAG, something in the 11,000-13,000 CUP range.

    However, I would not shoot an Aluminum Cylinder Aircrewman save in the gravest extreme. They only made 600 or so, most were destroyed by the govt back in the 50's and are worth the price of a decent used car. The reason the Air Force got rid of them was they were deemed dangerous to shoot. If they were breaking with the 130 grain 16,000 psi military, I would be very hesitant about turning a 3,000-5,000 dollar collector's item into a hundred bucks worth of parts using any handload I did not personally craft. And I don't think I would fire more than a handful even then.
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  19. #99
    Boolit Bub
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    Another reloading question...I have a bunch of .38spl dewc loaded with 2.8gr. bullseye(148gr. bullet) for my smith 52. I was shooting them in my model 60 and was hitting about 8" low at 7yds. I switched to 158lswc with 4.5 Unique and was dead on. As I have an endless supply of wadcutters to reload, any suggestions for raising the point of impact? By the way the light wc loads are a lot snappier than the 158lswc loads, not that the wc loads are like .357mag.

  20. #100
    Boolit Buddy anothernewb's Avatar
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    mine go out the barrel at whatever 2.8 BE or 2.4 TrailBoss push them. basically just enough to punch the paper.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check