A friend is ordering a load of cast bullets, and asked if I wanted in. While looking at the list, they had the usual 158 gr offerings, but they didn't have the 148 gr DEWCs that I was looking to try. They do have a listing for 125 gr hollow based wadcutters. None of my books have any data on them, and even searching the net shows little results.
Has anybody used them?
The price is very good, so I may just give them a go, no matter.

The only ones I have used are 148 gr. Never saw a 125 gr. but there are a lot of things I haven't seen. Good luck if you try them.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

It was the first I've ever seen of them. Any idea for loading? The hot deal for 148 gr seems to be 2.7 of Bullseye, so I'll start there unless anybody says that's a bad idea.

The 148gr HBWC is not a cast bullet it swaged from lead wire usually not stock by cast bullet shops

The 125 grain WC sees more use in Europe I think, than it does here. I am sure I recall seeing references to this bullet in very old information about the 38 Special, casting and loading, by this I mean what shooters were shooting 100 years ago. I know there was also once a 110 grain WC in use. As I recall both are intended only for light target loads.
I can't recall offhand what I saw it in, not much help I guess, but for modern loads the European's would be where to look for current load data. Someone like Swissman might be able to dig some information up for you.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Put some powder under it and lite it, it's just a chunk of lead. I'd check the diameter first though.

You'll figure something out for it, I'm sure.

Update: the bullets seem to be vaporware, he called and asked me to pick something else.

Lots of small shops have a whole page of bullets listed simply because they have the mold. Usually acquired in a mixed lot of casting equipment they bought for next to nothing. But they probably never poured lead in the mold, or if they did, they discovered a problem.

Bummer, I would have liked to see your report on these.

A hbwc bullet can be cast. I have 2 different molds for casting hbwc bullets.

148g 358hbwc for 38/357's
220g 432hbwc for 44spl/44mag

I remember seeing some for sale @ rim rock bullets...

I have shot some 125gr lead FN in my snub nose looking for a light target load.
3.5grs of Bullseye,RedDot and GreenDot will give fair groups.
4.0grs of w231, 3.7grs of TrailBoss and 4.5grs of Universal will give you a little more velosity but still a nice light load,recoil wise.
The cowboy design will also work with these loads.......
Recoil in the M49 was 1.98 ft/lbs vs 5.55ft/lbs for the FBI load.
Good shooting.

Shoot over to CastBoolits.com - you'll find some load recomendations there. A 125 gr. flat-round-nose bullet is very popular over there.

With <3 grains of Bullseye it's a great beer can load.
Cherokee Slim

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NRA,SASS,BOLD#808,Semper Fi

Can you say which outfit is advertising, if not selling, 125 gr HBWCs?

it was Bear Creek Supply. Apparently, he has a ton of molds, but only casts a run of the oddball stuff now and then.
I did get 2,000 of the 158gr SWCs. I really like them. They are moly coated, which seem to smoke a lot less than my other lead bullets.

Used to get them from Germany. Brand was (spelling.) Staedtler and Handemann. 125 HBWC. I developed a BE load for them, but went back to 148 Delta Precision

Traditional Wad Cutters in .38 Spl have always been 148 grains. I have not seen lighter ones but it is possible of course. The 148's will shoot more POA=POI than the lighter ones will. Why mess with what works?

Have shot Bear Creek 148 grain wadcutters both bevel base and hollow base, 2.8-2.9 grains of bullseye. both seemed to shoot well. I think the Bear Creek bullets are a decent product.

We used to cast a .38 caliber 115 grain bevel base wadcutter. We called it the flying tuna can.
The .44 caliber 148 grain BBWC we called the flying Necco wafer.

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and what his trumpet saith

Even if this thread is a few years old,here is my 2 cents!
I swage my own HBWC and load the 125gr with .2gr more of any quick burner(Bullseye,700X,Red Dot,Promo,231/HP38,etc)than the 148gr.
Since I sight my 148gr at 6 o'clock,I've found that the 125gr will print dead center with a center hold.
The bonus with the 125gr is that it will recoil less than the heavier bullet and at 25yds is as accurate.But at 50yds,stick with the 148gr.
Qc

The Lyman book has a lot of cast data and I know they have data for a 125 grain cast RN. I don't think that the powder charge would be a lot different.

Also, if you look at the data for swaged WC bullets, they are generally low power to keep from leading the barrel. A hard cast or even coated bullet can be pushed a lot faster. The Lyman book has jacketed and cast data.

PS Penn sells 100 gr. DEWCs, mainly for low recoil 'acclimatizing' to shooting.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"