.38 wadcutter load

[M29since14]

Straw Hat, that is not the article by (I think) Harris that I was referring to, but thanks for linking it. Anything by Harris was/is always worth reading. The one I referred to dealt strictly with trying to create a handload using cast wadcutters that duplicated, as nearly as possible, the accuracy of factory-loaded swaged wadcutter loads. (IIRC, he had zeroed in on Remingtons as being the best of the best, at that particular time.) I vaguely recall a picture of "machine rest" fixture that held a K38 by the barrel, grip up, that he used for evaluating the ammo in revolvers. I believe he may have also tested in a Model 52, but I could be confusing myself with the Hebard article, which I think strictly dealt with handloads for the 52. Too many years have gone by.

 

[StrawHat]

…Straw Hat, that is not the article by (I think) Harris that I was referring to, but thanks for linking it…

He wrote a couple about wadcutters. The linked one was how to duplicate the powerful wadcutters load of the earlier era.

Try this one

Q- I am setting up to cast bullets for my Colt Officers Model Special

Kevin

 

[10mm Shooter]

I have shot several thousand rounds using a 148gr wadcutter from a Lee 90312 Mold and 3.2gr Win 231. It is very pleasant to shoot with very little recoil and it is more accurate than I am. I have just recently started powdercoating them which makes it better for me...

 

[M29since14]

Kevin, not that one either. I imagine the article by Harris that I am referring to was published in AR quite some time before 2014 - possibly in the 60s or 70s. As Rockquarry says, back when AR actually had a "technical staff".

 

[4barrel]

Guessing from your target notes that you have a Royce Weddle PPC revolver, awesome. Have you got a thread on it or anywhere you have pictures and discussion on it?

Purchased it from a guy that had it built and never used it about 30 years ago. This is what it looks like today. It target shoots one hole at 25 yards. I have put maybe 100 rounds through it. This is so nice I have other target guns to shoot. It has an adjustment behind the trigger for fine tune. It has killer sights. I don't remember shooting it since the target dates. After I shot 5 holes I didn't have the nerve to shoot 5 more. It's a 4 screw model 15.

 

[Dave Haynes]

With the fast burning powders, it isn't what, it's how much. In rifles powder is important and how much is very important.

 

[Moo Moo]

I usually load 2.8gr of Bullseye with a 115gn Semi-wadcutter for my .38 Model 14-6. This is for the Australian "Service Match" which is similar to PPC and WA1500. Stages are shot out to 50 yards and then 25, 10, and 7 yards.

 

[38SPL HV]

…great thread you all! My first reloads nearly 50 yrs ago used 2.7 grs behind Speer or Remington 148 gr HBWC. Later I used 3.5 grs Bullesye behind generic cast 148 gr DEWC for an all round load - I heard it referred to as a "Full Wadcutter."

I need to replicate the Full Wadcutter using W231…Bullseye is nearly impossible to find nowadays (Guess Alliant puts its commercial customers first…I guess it's right business practice and best return for their investors but heck, can't they trickle out some classic powders to us old reloaders?)

 

[rockquarry]

…great thread you all! My first reloads nearly 50 yrs ago used 2.7 grs behind Speer or Remington 148 gr HBWC. Later I used 3.5 grs Bullesye behind generic cast 148 gr DEWC for an all round load - I heard it referred to as a "Full Wadcutter."

I need to replicate the Full Wadcutter using W231…Bullseye is nearly impossible to find nowadays (Guess Alliant puts its commercial customers first…I guess it's right business practice and best return for their investors but heck, can't they trickle out some classic powders to us old reloaders?)

If you need Bullseye, check the Powder Valley website regularly. I bought an 8 lb. keg from them several months ago. Alliant Powders may be the hardest to find, but PV has one or more occasionally.

 

[Green Frog]

When I was shooting in a casual PPC league with a Fred Schmidt short cylinder gun, I shot HBWC almost exclusively, but got about equal results from standard target loads of Bullseye, HP38, and 700X.

When I started to load target loads for 32 S&W L I used Bullseye, but most of the time now HP38/W231 gets the nod. In truth though, I don't shoot well enough to distinguish between them in 32 or 38 wadcutter loads.

Froggie

 

[Forrest r]

Still have a Schmidt custom, fantastic revolver.

Burned most of the common powders with 38spl/wc loads. Anything from aa#2 to reddot, 452ww/trap100 always seemed to outperform everything else.

Cast a lot of different wc's along with swaging my own hbwc's. These are the last wc's I cast before selling the wc molds and keeping the hbwc mold.

h&g 110gr/148gr/Mihec148gr hbwc/lyman 148gr hbwc . I kept the Mihec mold because it not only casts a 148gr hbwc, it casts a 170gr wc. I pair that 170gr wc with 3.0gr of bullseye.

 

[M29since14]

452AA was impossible to beat. I used it with Federal 100 primers. I don't think I ever fired five rounds over my chronograph that had over 10 FPS extreme spread. Usually 5-7 FPS. WST never did as well.

 

[Forrest r]

452AA was impossible to beat. I used it with Federal 100 primers. I don't think I ever fired five rounds over my chronograph that had over 10 FPS extreme spread. Usually 5-7 FPS. WST never did as well.

Found the same thing. WST takes higher pressure & 100%/compressed loads to really shine. WST is my go-to powder in the 9mm

 

[rockquarry]

452AA was impossible to beat. I used it with Federal 100 primers. I don't think I ever fired five rounds over my chronograph that had over 10 FPS extreme spread. Usually 5-7 FPS. WST never did as well.

That was the best .45 ACP powder I ever found for cast bullets. Then it was discontinued. I never tried it in .38 Special but should have.

 

[M29since14]

I used it in both.38 and .45 target loads. A sad day when it was no longer offered. I still have seven of the empty cardboard kegs I use to hold empty brass - marked $37.50 for 10 pounds.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

…great thread you all! My first reloads nearly 50 yrs ago used 2.7 grs behind Speer or Remington 148 gr HBWC. Later I used 3.5 grs Bullesye behind generic cast 148 gr DEWC for an all round load - I heard it referred to as a "Full Wadcutter."

I need to replicate the Full Wadcutter using W231…Bullseye is nearly impossible to find nowadays (Guess Alliant puts its commercial customers first…I guess it's right business practice and best return for their investors but heck, can't they trickle out some classic powders to us old reloaders?)

One of my favorite loads is a 148gr DEWC over 3.4gr W231. I think that might be close to the Bullseye load you asked about. (I use 3.2gr under a HBWC)

 

[MDF4]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but can someone educate me on why use a hollow base vs DEWC, BNWC etc? I've loaded many WC but never the HBWC.

 

[StrawHat]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but can someone educate me on why use a hollow base vs DEWC, BNWC etc? I've loaded many WC but never the HBWC.

At first, I loaded the hbwc because I thought it more uniform (factory swaged) than what I could cast. I was a PPC competitor and used factory bullets to eliminate one variable from the mix.

I also had three, 2 cavity molds that threw 150 grain dewc bullets. I would cast 40-50 pounds of them and use them in practice.

My practice scores were about the same as my competition scores. I still used the NBC bullet (hbwc) for convenience and time savings.

As for the various shapes of wadcutter, Himmelwight, button nose, flat, etc., I believe Glen Fryxel did a series of tests on them. I will see if I can find my notes on his results.

Kevin

 

[Forrest r]

At first, I loaded the hbwc because I thought it more uniform (factory swaged) than what I could cast. I was a PPC competitor and used factory bullets to eliminate one variable from the mix.

I also had three, 2 cavity molds that threw 150 grain dewc bullets. I would cast 40-50 pounds of them and use them in practice.

My practice scores were about the same as my competition scores. I still used the NBC bullet (hbwc) for convenience and time savings.

As for the various shapes of wadcutter, Himmelwight, button nose, flat, etc., I believe Glen Fryxel did a series of tests on them. I will see if I can find my notes on his results.

Kevin

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=a5ac...Qm9va19DaGFwdGVyXzExX1dhZGN1dHRlci5odG0&ntb=1

 

[StrawHat]

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=a5ac...Qm9va19DaGFwdGVyXzExX1dhZGN1dHRlci5odG0&ntb=1

Bingo!! That is the one.

For anyone wanting the rest of the story,

From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide For Handgunners, Table of Contents - Fryxell/Applegate

Kevin