.38 HBWC loaded backwards--do they stabilize?

[Beans]

I made some up back in the late 70s to hunt jackrabbits with. At 900fps, they stabilize fine, accurate to 25yds or so, devistating on vermin. I would think they would have been very shallow penetrators for a SD round.

In the mid to late 70's I loaded mine to around 825-850 FPS and shot them in a 3 inch HB model 36. No tumbling, great expanison. They were carried in the my S&W HB model 36 as a BUG for my issued model 15, for Summer carry. Winter carry my BUG was a Satin Chrome Colt Combat commander in .45 ACP

No one cared if we used handloads on duty back then.

 

[Ralph G. Briscoe]

Hornady 148 gr. HBWC,no gas check.Powder was Unique,3.5 gr.
The recovered bullet was fired at 10 yards into a 55 gal. burn barrel penetrating the near side and almost going through the far side,
some bullets breaking the metal but not exiting.A S&W Model 640
.38 Spl. 1 7/8" bbl. was the revolver used.

The Hornadys might be more stable than the Speers....don't think the hollow point i as large so more mass up front when reversed. I'm estimating your velocity would have been down around 700 fps. I get 815 with a 158 gr and 4.7 gr Unique out of a 642.

 

[Ralph G. Briscoe]

In the mid to late 70's I loaded mine to around 825-850 FPS and shot them in a 3 inch HB model 36. No tumbling, great expanison. They were carried in the my S&W HB model 36 as a BUG for my issued model 15, for Summer carry. Winter carry my BUG was a Satin Chrome Colt Combat commander in .45 ACP

No one cared if we used handloads on duty back then.

Were you using the Speer HBWC or other?

 

[Smithhound]

Back in the early '80's I tried this as well, at 25' they worked fine but I never tried them any further away as i figured they were defense loads. This is before I read and understood the legal ramifications of using non-factory loads for this.
I was carrying a 2" barrel M10-5 while poking around in the woods at my Dad's place and happened to have this load in it, I came around a clump of brush and met a skunk head on at about 15', I got off one shot (just before running) and hit him square in the brisket, that thing looked as if someone had inflated him with about 75psi of air, he just ballooned up, didn't blow up just looked like he inflated. It never moved a step, just 'poof', inflated and fell over. Other than the normal stink they carry around he didn't even spray. I thought (for about a second) of digging the bullet out but decided not to, kind of like working on a time bomb.
I've never messed with them since tho'.
RD

 

[Wrightturn]

HBWC

I used the Speer HBWC in 60`s to duplicate factory mid range match. I met a cop with A Bodyguard loaded with reverse wadcutter so I decided to try it. Not much to recommend.

Years later one of my match guns was an M27. Loaded the the HBWC in 357 brass with 3.0 gr Bullseye. The indoor range where I did most of my shooting was 20 meters and groups were under 1 inch using all 6 chambers.

Got invited to junk yard shoot and took the M27 with my light target loads. On car doors they created a small dent and fell to the ground. Shot an old Pontiac in the hood. Bullet went through the hood, fire wall, and took the lock off the glove box. The next 40 rounds failed to penetrate any sheet metal. Never did figure that out.

Earl