148 gr Wadcutter in the 357.
 

So far I have been loading Xtreme 148 gr DEWC into 357 cases by working up from 38 +P data. I've reach 4.8 gr and each subsequent increase in powder charge seem to have an improvement in accuracy. I'd like to try a little larger charge and there are no pressure signs but I've been getting bit nervous about a handgun powder in such a small space. However, I was looking through a 2004 Alliant catalog and I found the following load data for the 148 gr LWC using Bullseye powder:

148 gr LWC
5.7 gr Bullseye
Min OAL 1.33"
1,475 fps from 5.6" bbl
34,000 PSI

Obviously that is a maximum load and should be reduced by at least 10% to start. Still even a 10% reduction is 5.1 gr which larger than I have tried so far.

Has anyone here experimented with a load like the above? Is so, how well did it perform?

I gotta wonder if their LWC is the same as your DEWC? I always load DEWC's on the light side.

148 grain HBWC (HOLLOW BASED WAD CUTTERS) are loaded lighter,
or you'll risk blowing the skirt off and it remaining inside the barrel.

They are SWEDGED BULLETS made from softer alloy.

NOT A GOOD THING FOR FOLLOW UP SHOTS!

DEWC are usually a CASTING from a harder alloy and can be pushed harder.

DEWC'S look like a little SOUP CAN, (no hollow base).

Wadcutters are mostly used for target work, why push so hard?

PENN BULLETS has 38 Special DEWC rated at up 900 feet per second,
target charge of 2.7 grains of Bullseye is the STANDARD TARGET LOADING IN A 38 SPECIAL CASE.

He has Target 158 grain SEMI-WADCUTTERS rated to 950 feet per second,

The 158 grain Semi-Wadcutters in MATCH ALLOY are rated to 1600 feet per second.

X-Treme Bullets lists the 148 grain W.C. in PLATED .357 DIA. and Hard Cast .358 DIA. Variety.

I have never put a HBwc or a BBwc in a .357 case..........seemed to be a waste of good brass.
I have loaded lots of 158 lead in the mag brass and the data
for a max load of Bullseys is 7.0 grains per an old Alliant manual and they show 3.5grs of bullseye with a 146gr Lwc bullet at 830fps............

I just think the little 148gr bullet does its best in a .38 special and the 158 Lead bullets work best for standard target loads in the .357 magnum, where the bullet jump from cylinder to barrel is kept minimal,for better accuracy.

Curiosity mostly. The accuracy seems to improve as I increase the charge and I was wondering how far that will hold.

A 148 grain bevel base wadcutter has some application for self-defense applications for those who admire the blunt nose and sharp shoulder of the bullet design.

I've loaded hollow base wadcutters in the .357 Magnum to create light target loads simply because I don't make a habit of using .38 Special cases in my .357 Magnum revolvers. 3.0 grains of Bulls-Eye makes for a good accurate load with a 148 grain hollow base wadcutter.

Not to be negative, but why are you screwing around with a 2004 manual. You obviously have computer access so ----
Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide

Look at more current data. It may still be the same, but why guess.

As far as the accuracy improving as the charge increases, well that's what reloading is all about. The manuals are basic recipies. You need to see what works best in your firearms.

What are you looking for the WC's to do? Target, defense, bullseye matches.

Keep posting and reloading.

WC's should be kept in the subsonic velocity range.
they tend to tumble otherwise.
in a 38 this is nearly non issue .. in 357 it can be frustrating

The current Alliant data doesn't list the 148 gr WC for anything but standard pressure 38 spl.

do you have a chrono?
if not .. its time to think about it.
your looking for about 950 - 1000 FPS and leaving it there.
this leaves you a little room before it hits 1050 where the aerodynamics .. or rather, the lack thereof, pee in your oatmeal. WC's tend to tumble above this.

I've done the same basic thing in 44 mag with a 208G WC .. its a good bullet if you respect the speed limit, or rather if the speed limit hashes with your intended use.
in my case it was a poor bullet choice for my general needs where I favored a little extra heat.
you could hear em flutter long before the goal was met. the chrono indicated 1050 was more or less the magic number with all powders.
I suppose it wouldn't be all bad to run a few pounds through that mold again as its a fine caliber in a fine revolver, but I no longer count on it to fill its gun for all reasons and seasons role.

all of my wadcutters are loaded to bunny fart specifications.
That's all you need.
Mike

If you are going to hot rod a dewc you will need a hardness of at least 18 which you will have to cast yourself. 2400 powder in a 357 case would be a better choise. Bullseye spikes to fast and you dont wont a double charge. Also the dewc needs to be sised to .357. DEWCS are fun to cast & shoot.

Get yourself a Lyman "Pistol & Revolver Reloading Handbook". They list 357 mag loads for 358495 wadcutter loads up to about 1300 FPS.

As I said earlier, this is mostly experimentation. I am not unaware of the limitation of a flat faced cylinder moving in air. I imagine the WC would be very sensitive to the turbulence from a supersonic to subsonic transition making muzzle velocities above 1120 fps a bad idea. I don't recall nor can I find the critical mach number for a flat faced cylinder but keeping them at 1000 fps or below is probably a good way to stay out of that region. Given the low BC of the bullet, there would be a very rapid loss of velocity from a supersonic MV which would aggravate the effects of precession.

Any of the above -- alone or in combination -- could account for the tumbling venomballistics observed. Than you for that information.

Re 2400 powder: I tried a load of 11.0 gr in a 357 case under a Berry's DEWC seated to 1.36" OAL. It was a surprisingly good load in 3" and 4" revolvers. I do have a chronograph and, next time I can set it up, I think I'll check that load for velocity.

There is a bit of method to my madness here. My wife has arthritic wrist and is recoil sensitive. I am considering having her try the 38 spl Buffalo Bore wadcutters for her 686 (3" bbl). If that works for her then I'll need a practice round. Since I don't have access to Sundles's loading data, I figure a 357 case would be my best bet for a ballistically equivalent round. I chronoed the BB wadcutter at about 920 fps from my 3" 686.

I know there are better bullets for the 38/357 -- the Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P comes to mind -- but I work with what I have. I can buy another gun and different kinds of ammunition much more easily than I can replace a wife.

Besides, I am an inveterate tinkerer.

I seem to recommend this article a lot lately.

Ed Harris: Revisiting The Full Charge Wadcutter | Reloading, Ammunition, Hunting | GrantCunningham.com

I've played with them. Home cast BBWC in my case.

I figured that they had more surface area against the lands and grooves, so I worked up to the equivalent magnum load for their actual weight and cut it off somewhere in the 20% area before maximum owing to the extra bearing surface.

They worked just fine, but IIRC they got squirrelly at distance. SWC made for better long range rounds.

I also liked to load a HBWC backwards with a 38Spl +P equivalent in a 357 case. Those were singularly impressive if you 'accidentally' hit the target stand - it just wasn't there anymore.

I used 2400, H110 and W231.

These days I don't mess with WC's anymore since SWC is more suitable for me and uses almost the same amount of lead.

For some reason that baffles even me, I went on a binge a few years back and bought several different wadcutter moulds. I even have two and a four cavity 358432 160 gr Lyman moulds, I almost never shoot wadcutters, but have cast thousands of the doggone things in the last couple of months for remedial double-action work with a couple of favorite revolvers. I also have plenty of SWC moulds from 140 gr to 200 gr. Like I said... baffling.

I use Berry's most of the time now, and the use of 357 brass is a waste of brass and power. I have about 4K 38 Federal brass that I load all the time, I use HBWC and 125gr flat points from Berry's and have no problems. The use of Federal or Star-Line is the only brass I use in a hand gun.