Loading full wadcutters 44mag/Spl

[TexasViking]

HBWCs like SPEERs and Hornady's that you see in their handload data are swaged and soft. When pushed too fast, leading can occur and there is the danger of blowing the center of the bullet out.
In post #13 Forrest r loaded his 220 gr. HBWC as an HP cast at 8-9 BHN which is barely harder than swaged and did not mention any leading issues.
I think your 215 gr. HBWCs cast at 11 BHN give you some flexibility depending in how you want to load them and their intended purpose.
Generally, .38 HBWCs were loaded light for Bullseye competition and as DWalt mentioned, cutting clean holes that helped with scoring targets but also for accuracy, and certainly the lower recoil is part of that with them loaded around 800 FPS or less and loaded with faster burning powder where No 2 and Titegroup would certainly work with the small charges being less sensitive to powder positioning in the case.
Loaded in reverse as a HP at around 1000 FPS would make a pretty effective defense or small game load and may be capable of slightly higher velocity. There I think you'll find the slightly slower burners a bit better, but data for AA No 5 and True Blue is difficult to find.
Earlier I mentioned using START charges for 240 gr. lead bullets because of the amount of the 215 gr. HBWC bullet that will be seated in the case. For that, SPEER has used Herco for their 240 gr. Swaged SWC in .44 Special and I would feel comfortable doing that with AA No 5 and True Blue that I'd likely use because of its pressure stability and uniformity. A chronograph will certainly help and make just a few loads, even just six to start, until you reach the targeted velocity. Don't see that going much beyond 1000 FPS, maybe 1100, but I would certainly be on the lookout for any issues of leading.

 

[BillBro]

Wow! Been entertaining family for a week. Alot of great replies. Just skimmed thru but Ill read and digest this evening. Thanks guys, all of you.

Yes folks, thanks for the thoughtful comments and suggestions.

I had my 44Spl in mind when deciding on trying these. Im really not looking to push these hard. I just remember reading in alot of older magazine articles about the wadcutters accuracy and thought, hey, why not.
Recently though you can see some boutique loaders using a HBWC in calibers like 44spl and marketing them as a defensive load/bullet. And like I said, their cast from 20:1 alloy so something like 44spl sure, or a light 44mag target load.
The only Lyman manuals are two I was able to download somewhere online, the 44th and 46th maybe? I didnt see this bullet anywhere. I did find an Accurate Powder manual from '92 that lists a 215 lead bullet ( doesnt specify which lead bullet) for the 44spl using #2 and #5 for anywhere from 715fps to 935fps. But, thinking about the amount of the internal case capacity occupied by a WC gives me pause, of course I could run them also with the hollow base in the case, which I intend to do, but also thought running them as a hollow point would/could be interesting too, and with about 950fps could make a resoectable defensive round. This all assumes either of my 44cal guns even like them. Reading the replies I see that not all do..
Ive also been able to download a bunch of older manuals from Alliant, Accurate, Hercules and a few VV from as far back as '87 including a few Cowboy load manuals or pamphlets or whatever they were but Im searching those too. So far Ive found little, mostly from Accurate and those too list #2 and #5 again.
Like some who've replied my initial thoughts went to HERCO, the powder I have the least of so if I did find a decent load using it Id be out fairly quickly because I do have an excellent load using the HERCO and those 250GR HP lead bullets I posted from Matts also. I have more power pistol. The Accurate powders and Hodgdon powders I have much more of. Alliant is non existent in my area, except from online.