So what is your favorite brand of HBWC's? Does anyone here cast there own?

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The last cases of HBWC's I bought were Speer and Hornady. I think this was during the second Bush Administration and I bought a bunch of them. That was a long time ago. The last box of 1k is starting to get light. The Speer bullets were satisfactory but it looks like they are no longer made. Shopping around, prices range from about 20¢/ea (before shipping!) to 9.5¢/ea (with free shipping!).

The ones that catch my eye are made by Berry's, Precision Delta, and Zero. Berry's is the most expensive but it's possible I could get them at dealer wholesale.

What is your favorite 38cal HBWC and what does it cost per 1k, including shipping?

I have also been thinking about getting into casting. I am wondering if maybe HBWC is a more challenging bullet to cast. I see only a few molds for this style and they tend to be more expensive than other WC molds.
 
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I use Bear Creek Moly-Coated. I like them a lot and they work extremely well, but some don't like the moly-coating, claim that you can never remove it from your barrel. I have never tried as I have used these bullets for about ten years without issue. There are no lube grooves on these bullets and they look a little odd with just a straight side. Zero smoke due to zero lube!
Magnus also makes decent lead bullets without the moly-coating.
mike
 
Hornady. They absolutely most accurate that I have ever used. I have used them in a K-38 and model 52 to hunt squirrels, head shots only. 2.7 grains of 700-X and they were more accurate then I could hold the pistol. In a Ransom, they were one hole wonders.

Seated backwards with the same charge the soft bullets opened up to 60 caliber. Excellent, controllable round for snubby revolvers. Just about as good a performing bullet as original Hydra-shok 148 grain with the center post.

Regards, Rick Gibbs
 
Rick,
I’ve heard good and bad about reverse seated HBWCs… some of the old time lawman/gun writers spoke highly of them while others railed against them strongly. What kind of change in accuracy from “normal” loading do you experience, and over what kind of distance do you expect the accuracy to hold up?
To those who spoke of casting their own, I got a nice 3 cavity brass mould with Cramer type captive base plugs for my K32. It came from either MP or NOE and was under $150, IIRC. I have yet to cast with it as my 32 revolver loadings have gone off in different directions.
Froggie
 
Rick,
I’ve heard good and bad about reverse seated HBWCs… some of the old time lawman/gun writers spoke highly of them while others railed against them strongly. What kind of change in accuracy from “normal” loading do you experience, and over what kind of distance do you expect the accuracy to hold up?
To those who spoke of casting their own, I got a nice 3 cavity brass mould with Cramer type captive base plugs for my K32. It came from either MP or NOE and was under $150, IIRC. I have yet to cast with it as my 32 revolver loadings have gone off in different directions.
Froggie

I have an old reloading book that advocated putting a gas check on the nose of a reversed HBWC. This would keep a heavy charge of powder from blowing a hole in the body of the boolit and leaving the walls of the projectile in the gun. I've never tried it.
 

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HBWC…Remington is the classic. Good luck finding any. Speer and Hornady…Speer hasn’t been found in quite awhile. Hornady maybe available, check Natchez or Midsouth.
I am thinking Speer and Remington no longer produce these. Hornandy still does and I have shot a lot of those. Looks like Precision and Zero are quite a bit cheaper.
I use Bear Creek Moly-Coated.
I will look in to those. Man I remember when everyone was obsessed with Moly and then everyone hated it. Reminds me that I have a spray can on a shelf that I used once 20 years ago.
Precision Delta 148 gr. HBWC. Currently out of stock, but if you can ever get your hands on them, I recommend you try them.
Reloading Bullets | Reloading Supplies | Precision Delta
They also list a "Match Lube" version. In stock, free shipping, 9.4¢/ea. I am going to pick up 1k of these and see how they shoot.
 
Have you ever tried casting the hollow base? Or do you find the DEWC's do everything you need?

No, I have never tried casting HBWC's. Yes, the DEWC's do everything I need. But I don't shoot Match, for score. Another thing about the DEWC's is you can drive them faster without the danger of leaving a boolit skirt in the barrel or chamber.

Here's an example of my kind of shootin':
That's from my Rossi 357 Lever action, with the WC's seating long so that they will feed through the action.
 

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Last time I ordered Speer 148 HB, they were $42 for 500 and my go to bullet.

I am in your boat also, after ten years of not ordering any.

Good luck finding any HBwc 148's.......... BBwc are all that I can find right now.
 
Last time I ordered Speer 148 HB, they were $42 for 500 and my go to bullet.

I am in your boat also, after ten years of not ordering any.

Good luck finding any HBwc 148's.......... BBwc are all that I can find right now.

I've never loaded HBWC. I've used the H&G #50 WC flat base design for many years, usually in revolvers, but also in one Model 52. Does the HB shoot that much more accurately than a FB wadcutter?
 
Rick,
I’ve heard good and bad about reverse seated HBWCs… some of the old time lawman/gun writers spoke highly of them while others railed against them strongly. What kind of change in accuracy from “normal” loading do you experience, and over what kind of distance do you expect the accuracy to hold up?
To those who spoke of casting their own, I got a nice 3 cavity brass mould with Cramer type captive base plugs for my K32. It came from either MP or NOE and was under $150, IIRC. I have yet to cast with it as my 32 revolver loadings have gone off in different directions.
Froggie
As I recall from that long ago we only shot them back to 15 yards. Also, that you could cover the group on a silhouette target with your palm. They were mostly loaded in snubbies such as a 642, bobbed hammer 60 for pocket carry.

For a recoiled sensitive person they are ideal. Again, as I recall if you pushed them faster then a mid-range target load the accuracy diminished the faster they went. That whole ballistics and physics thing.

We never found a need to puta gas check on the base of the bullets as we never had them blown thru from the bottom.

Again, just massive expansion with moderate recoil!

Regards, Rick Gibbs
 
Hornady are expensive . Precision Delta you never know what you're getting until you open every box & mic . Still have some undersize ones . Zero's run .357 which will work in a 52 , Colt & if your cylinder throats aren't too large . IIRC the Magnus swaged bullets are the Zeros rebranded . Both owners are pals & shoot Bullseye at the same Alabama range . Rather or not Remington will start releasing these again or if they stay unavailable like the Winchester ones . The last case of Rems I got were different as they had changed lube to Floodwax instead of Japan wax / graphite & size was .358 instead of .360 , also skirt was thinner . Aint shot 'em yet so can't say more .
FWIW yes I've casted HBWC's , with the LY 358495 IIRC . Like HP's keep the pins hot .
Plenty of good plain flat base proven designs . Molds are cheaper too .
 
I had a HB mold with an internal pin. I had great results casting with dental lead. About a decade ago I realized I could no longer shoot well enough that HB wadcutters made any difference. At age 68 I no longer even worry about how soft they may be as ww seems to group well enough for me.

I no longer shoot competitively.
 
I have an old reloading book that advocated putting a gas check on the nose of a reversed HBWC. This would keep a heavy charge of powder from blowing a hole in the body of the boolit and leaving the walls of the projectile in the gun. I've never tried it.

I am getting good at it. 3.2 American Select will separate but 3.2 of Bullseye doesn't. I had a decent group going with a different powder but shooting high and the last shot went right. That sliver of lead laying on the target was stuck in the target. The base is stuck in the brass. I have about 2000 rounds of 3D hbwc's left. I bought 800 last year from a person that didn't like them.
 

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