How fast do you push your .38 Special Wadcutters?

[one-eyed fat man]

My favorite was Remington 148 grain hollow base wadcutter over 2.8 grains of Bullseye. 755 fps out of my S&W model 52-1. Seems like no one sells a good hollow base wad cutter anymore.

[Rodfac]

I load Lyman's 358091, using straight wheel weight alloy with a pinch of tin for mold fill out. My standard load in .38 Special brass with light taper crimping in the first groove, is 3.5 gr of Bullseye. This chrono's at 823 fps from my 4" M-66 Smith. I size to 0.358" BTW. Best regards, Rod

[racepres]

I load Lyman's 358091, using straight wheel weight alloy with a pinch of tin for mold fill out. My standard load in .38 Special brass with light taper crimping in the first groove, is 3.5 gr of Bullseye. This chrono's at 823 fps from my 4" M-66 Smith. I size to 0.358" BTW. Best regards, Rod

Like Most here... I have burned probably more than my share of Red Dot, and quite a bit of Bullseye, especially in 38 wadcutters!!
Recently acquired a Lee 358-148 wadcutter mold.. Button nose one. Fooled with "hotter" wadcutter loadings.. even 357 mag hot, well over 1000fps!! Not for me.. Youngest owns a stainless 3" 85 Taurus..the one with ported barrel... we found that not much gass gets out with Red Dot, at 700fps. Decided on more powder bulk, and Trail Boss is Not the answer with wadcutters..3.7 grains of Unique works about as well as anyone could expect...while delivering some bit of gass out the ports, maybe even helping control...(I doubt it)
more than a couple comparisons show a bit under 800 fps with 3.7 grains of Unique.. and some excursions pushing 830fps at 4.0 grains..
Probably going to leave it at 3.7...and just enjoy it!!
Oddly it feels the same as that guns Favorite load, the Lee 358-158 RF, over 4.2 gr of Trail Boss at 730-740 fps..
Just an aside from Bullseye and Red Dot... etc...

[Electrod47]

For my " down on my clanger range", all my single action .357's and a few double actions are 90% shot with .38's. 148 DEW's purchased in bulk from the usual suspects. Loaded with 3.5 grains RED DOT. launched from 2"-7 1/2" barrels. I get good "enough" results. That's also my carry load for the Charter Undercover .38 spl. circa 1972.

[old70]

I found a load for my 6" Model 66 today that shoots very well out to 25 yards, which is as far as my eyes work with handgun iron sights. it is 2.5gr. Competition in Winchester brass with federal match primers. I'd feel comfortable with head shots on bunnies at that range. I haven't chronoed it, but i'm sure they are moving slowly.

Old70.

[Jcm800]

I use a precision delta 148 hbwc in my Davis model 10. These groups were with 2.9 Bullseye but I get similar results with WST and Titegroup. They are around 750 fps.

[Good Cheer]

My favorite was Remington 148 grain hollow base wadcutter over 2.8 grains of Bullseye. 755 fps out of my S&W model 52-1. Seems like no one sells a good hollow base wad cutter anymore.

A tumble lube HBWC mold would seem like a natural seller.

[LabGuy]

I recon I could crono them, but they are well below max, more like starting loads.

[Charlie Horse]

I've never had any problems doing this:



In fact, results have been pretty decent, considering I hate buckhorn sights. (I've pushed them harder.)

[35 Rem]

I've not shot wadcutters much but did recently buy a Lee 148 grain TL mold. I shoot it in my Uberti Stallion in 38 Special with 5" barrel using both 3.2 and 3.6 grains Red Dot. The 3.6 gr load gives about 890 ft/sec. Oddly the lighter (3.2 grains) load started about 820 ft/sec when firing a string of shots recently with that load, and each successive shot was faster than the shot before until it got to about 900 ft/sec. The leading was horrendous. I think the velocity was due to the bore becoming more fouled with each shot and that in turn increasing pressure. The rear couple inches of the bore looked like it had molten lead washed around 360 degrees. Obviously, I must have a bad fit issue and I need to do some measurements.

[35 Rem]

I do like the idea of full power 38 Special wadcutter loads. They make sense for self defense. For any cartridge/gun combo where you don't have enough velocity to guarantee expansion, a wide meplate is the obvious way to go at least for defensive loads which will be used up close. In spite of the terrible leading, I've gotten good accuracy with the 3.6gr Red Dot load for 50 or more rounds without cleaning.

[gwpercle]

For those who like the idea of full power 38 special wadcutter loads ...
Take a look at the old Lyman 358432 - 160 grain mould (the same number also comes in a 148 gr. weight so watch for which one you get .)

This is like a cross between a SWC and WC with a solid plain base and a crimp groove below a longish WC nose ... looks like an old school WFN boolit .

Lyman has discontinued 358432 but NOE makes a reproduction , which is an improvement on the lyman design ... a little wider front driving band , it weighs 160 grains and perfect for hard hitting , full power loads .
Powder coat it and shoot in 357 Magnum .
So if you wish to experiment with full power wadcutter loads , this is the boolit to try ... I replaced my old Lyman 1-cavity with a NOE 4-cavity and it's about the only boolit I load in 38 special now days . It is very accurate in all my revolvers .
Check it out ... a very interesting boolit design !
Gary

[racepres]

For those who like the idea of full power 38 special wadcutter loads ...
Take a look at the old Lyman 358432 - 160 grain mould (the same number also comes in a 148 gr. weight so watch for which one you get .)

This is like a cross between a SWC and WC with a solid plain base and a crimp groove below a longish WC nose ... looks like an old school WFN boolit .

Lyman has discontinued 358432 but NOE makes a reproduction , which is an improvement on the lyman design ... a little wider front driving band , it weighs 160 grains and perfect for hard hitting , full power loads .
Powder coat it and shoot in 357 Magnum .
So if you wish to experiment with full power wadcutter loads , this is the boolit to try ... I replaced my old Lyman 1-cavity with a NOE 4-cavity and it's about the only boolit I load in 38 special now days . It is very accurate in all my revolvers .
Check it out ... a very interesting boolit design !
Gary

What I use in 38-44 Loads...kinda Hot !
Edit; as I had Highlighted the wrong Boolit...

[onehousecat]

Not very fast. If I want to shoot something faster I shoot a different bullet or I shoot a 357.

My thoughts exactly. I use a very sedate load with 148 HBWCs. According to the manuals it is a safe load, but a very low charge of powder.

[JSnover]

I do like the idea of full power 38 Special wadcutter loads. They make sense for self defense. For any cartridge/gun combo where you don't have enough velocity to guarantee expansion, a wide meplate is the obvious way to go at least for defensive loads which will be used up close. In spite of the terrible leading, I've gotten good accuracy with the 3.6gr Red Dot load for 50 or more rounds without cleaning.

Up here in the People's Republic of New Jersey expansion is a moot point; Thou Shalt Not use hollow points for defense (we actually are allowed to have them but only for sport/rec/competition). Not that matters with a snubby; wadcutters are as good as anything else out of that short barrel.

[Good Cheer]

May as well have a soft lead wadcutter with gas check base.

[tazman]

Up here in the People's Republic of New Jersey expansion is a moot point; Thou Shalt Not use hollow points for defense (we actually are allowed to have them but only for sport/rec/competition). Not that matters with a snubby; wadcutters are as good as anything else out of that short barrel.

Question. Do the police carry\use hollow points in New Jersey?

[Kosh75287]

If I've already mentioned this, please forgive my lapsing memory:
1.) MY experience with hollow-based wadcutters is that they deliver superb accuracy (of course) and formidable terminal performance in small game, when velocities are kept below ~800 f/s.
2.) Pushing them faster decreases accuracy and presents a true hazard of skirt (rear-most part of the bullet) separation, with lodging in the barrel. If the skirt lodges and is not detected, the subsequent shot could have catastrophic results.
3.) Solid-based (Double-ended) wadcutters can be pushed at pressures well into +P+ levels, if cast slightly harder, and will retain most of the terminal effect of the HBWC.
4.) Loads with either style of wadcutter are probably as good as one may have for the first cylinder-full of rounds. Due to their "flat-faced" profile, however, they are no joy to use for refilling a revolver cylinder, especially under time pressure. The PPC folks do not seem to struggle much, but if memory serves, the time intervals involved allow for fairly leisurely manipulations. Not so, when shooting for one's life.
SEMI-wadcutters seem to work better for some defensive shooters, though there are also those who find two sharp shoulders on one projectile doubly troublesome. The SWCs seem to shed velocities slightly less than the full wadcutters, also, which can matter at typical .38 Special velocities, if distances exceed "conversational" ranges.
A reasonably good bullet profile for the next salvo from a revolver if (God forbid) one is necessary, may be the 158 gr. RNFP, or a similar weight Wide Flat Nose. In effect, this is a truncated cone, but with a wider meplat in relation to bore diameter, than usually seen in TC bullets intended for use in auto pistols. Neither bullet profile will quite deliver the terminal effect of the "flying beer can" shaped wadcutters, but either is well ahead of a full-round nosed shape, and the "funnel shape" should make aligning case mouths with revolver chambers faster and easier during reloading.