148 grain HBWC

[Pigirondan]

Purchased a few Hornady HBWC and have a couple of questions.

1. Seat them flush or seat them the same depth I use for hard cast DEWC?

2. Have both Bullseye and Unique powders, my thought is to just use Bullseye 2.7 grains at a time. Any problem with that?

 

[GBertolet]

The HBWC is usually seated flush with the case mouth. 2.7 - 2.8gr of Bullseye is a good proven starter load.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Seated flush for the M52 auto but can be further out in the revolver loads if it helps accuracy or you are loading maximum charges to 850fps for this style bullet. Some have loaded faster than this foe SD but it is a "Specialty Load" you need knowledge about before you load it.

It has a great design that will let you seat it at any depth and crimps come out perfect since there is no set place for the crimp to be located.

Good shooting and hope you post a picture of a winning load,for us to enjoy.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

The HBWC is usually seated flush with the case mouth. 2.7 - 2.8gr of Bullseye is a good proven starter load.

I've loaded many Hornady HBWC like that using BE. It was the most accurate reload I'd ever shot. I switched to W231 because the BE was not as clean and 231 is harder to double charge.

 

[Cherokee Slim]

The HBWC is usually seated flush with the case mouth. 2.7 - 2.8gr of Bullseye is a good proven starter load.

I agree with seating it flush. When we had to qualify to meet a deadline and the State couldn't come up with the reloads we usually used, I would load 2.5gr of Bullseye, same as the 125 grain bullet in another thread. It was accurate and low power enough that you could shoot 100 rounds to qualify and not go home with a full power load sore hand at the end of the day.

Cherokee Slim

 

[djw]

That 2.7 gr. of Bullseye was listed as a "match load" for years in manuals. I am talking about 1960 in my own personal experience.

 

[gwpercle]

If you are loading these for a revolver you might want to try seating the bullets out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, the idea being to help line the bullet up in the cylinder, so it gets a straight start. Now this seems logical but a lot of ideas work against logic. Anyhow it wouldn't hurt to try and just might improve accuracy in your gun.
I reload cast wadcutters and find crimping them in the first groove gives better accuracy than flush in my model 66-3 revolver. Haven't been able to find the HBWC at local gun shop but when I do I'm going to experiment with them.
Gary

 

[Nevada Ed]

One thing that puzzeled me with this HB target bullet at low to moderate velositys was that I tried flush to extended out 1/4" and It did not matter in my two 6" revolvers.........

However I did learn that either a light crimp or a heavy crimp did give me good groups with Bullseye and RedDot powders but a in the middle medium crimp which I though would be just right, shot lousy groups !!

My snub nose liked 2.7grs of Bulleye with an OAL of 1.16.

So I ended up loading a "Factory Dup" load with a light crimp and called it a day.

"Next load"............

 

[ArchAngelCD]

One thing that puzzeled me with this HB target bullet at low to moderate velositys was that I tried flush to extended out 1/4" and It did not matter in my two 6" revolvers.

I tested WC loads flush and slightly above the case mouth and went further with crimping both and not crimping both. All 4 shot to the same POI and all 4 were equal in accuracy. HBWC get a light charge, are seated flush without a crimp and Cast DEWC bullets get a slightly heavier charge and a crimp in the crimp groove.

 

[Hank783]

I have been loading 2.7 grains of bullseye since 1965 and still find it the best load for any style 148 grain wadcutter. Its unfortunately the dirtest powder I use but I still keep going back to it.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Here is a "Finals test" that I shot with three loads of 148gr HBwc bullets just two months ago with the same OAL and a light crimp and cci500 primers.
The first load is a Factory Remington 148 HBwc, the nect two are light reloads............all out of my M49 snub nose at ten feet.

 

[forestswin]

flier

Nevada - what's with that flier on the BE 2.7 load?
damn those groups looks nice - did I ever say I like pictures!!

I'll have to try them with my model 10

 

[oberon]

I seat 'em flush, with a light crimp.
There was some interest in seating those backward and usin' 'em as a hollwpoint. More like a cup point. Never did it myself.
Dean Grennell had it in one of his Handgun Digests back in the '70s.

 

[Nevada Ed]

My snub gets higher velositys with Reddot than bullseye and I am going to see where 3.3grs of Red @ 775 fps hits on a target. It has 197 ft/lbs of energy and if it is halfway close, I will try the bullet backwards and see if it will come any where near POA.
This load is 135 fps faster than the Factory Reminton 148 out of my snub nose and already at 3.99 ft/lbs of recoil and ahead of the winchester 110gr Silvertip in the energy department and at its limit for the 38 Spl, any more and you will be getting into the +p zone.