38 special wadcutter loads

Some have stated that the "best" load for the snub is the lightly loaded target 148-grain wadcutter since the others don't work when fired through denim and the wadcutter has light recoil. I recommend plain lead bullets. Found inside – Page 28I ever , be compared with the .45 Colt know the regular .38 Special Smith or the .455 Colt as both of these and Wesson has a poor reputation , cartridges have considerably heavier 400 PAGE as far as killing power is concerned bullets ... .38 Special 148 grain Hi-Tek Coated Wadcutter- Target shooters, here is a great round for you! Found inside – Page 125By this time I no longer monkeyed with the light .38 Special wadcutter loads . I kept on hand only the .38 Special full charge police loads ; also the high - speed 1100 f.p.s. loads for my heavier .38 / 44 S & W guns . 2.7-2.9g of Bullseye. It is a +P rated at 1,069fps(7.7"bbl) and 18,700 CUP. over 13.5 grains of #2400 — namely the Colt Single Action and New Service. JHP, 158 gr. This load, taken from the Speer Reloading Manual Number 13, uses Speer cases and CCI 500 primers. Found inside... with .38 Special, .38 Special Super Police and .38 Long Colt factory loads; also with hand loads including four ... The hand loads included the 154 grain Bond wad cutter, the 163 grain round point, the 177 grain flat point, ... . LSWC over a standard primer in good .38 Spec. It shoots amazing in my SP101. ), so it may be a while until I shoot these. (WC= WadCutter, SWC= Semi-WadCutter, HP= Hollow Point, RN= Round Nose), (JHP= Jacketed Hollow Point and if GC indicated, means Gas Check at bottom of lead bullet) Loads for .38 special: (Note: These are near maximum loads (in some cases ARE MAXIMUM), you should use 10%. Load it using wadcutter specs, and seat the bullet flush, like a wadcutter. I'd really like to see some ammo manufacturer make 160 grain hard cast "self defense wadcutter loads" in 38 Special (~800 FPS), 38 Special +P (~950 FPS) and 357 Magnum (~1,100 FPS). The law here is if you carry a revolver for armed security work it must be a .38 special or a .357 using .38 special ammunition. Bullseye 3.5 grains 905 fps 17,000 psi. Found inside – Page 26This is a light target load for Never use a dipper for heavy rifle or revolver loadings . responsibility . What's right for my gun may it's P the .38 special . Weigh the charges individually . Cartridge cases may stretch beyond be wrong ... Putting some .38 Special target wadcutters to the test against modern .38 Special+P JHP's. I perform my classic "water jug and wood test" to see how they per. Trying to push them too fast can tear the skirt off the bullet, leaving them in the . Bullseye, Unique and 2400 are products of Alliant (formerly Hercules) Powders. No gimmickry. I'll take a stab at answering my own question re the loading manuals' seating depth recommendations. Posted: 1/29/2017 9:39:40 PM EST [#1] HBWCs are usually very accurate. It's also good to keep in mind that over the last 110+ years, the .38 Special in the wadcutter and plain semi wadcutter configurations have more than likely planted more bad guys in the M.E.'s office than all the boutique loads that have come out in the last 40 years. Unique Tek sells em for 15 bucks. Yep these are ones to pay attention to when loading. The quality of these bullets is exceptional and they will not break the bank! When using a 158 gr. (Note: These are near maximum loads (in some cases ARE MAXIMUM), you should use 10%. The following data some from p. 255 of that volume and should give you exactly what you need. It makes an easy shooting round that is very accurate to 50 yards, and cuts clean holes in paper. 9 and others like 2400 that are generally used for magnums). Berry's Bullets offers copper plated wadcutters especially suited to indoor shooting ranges; the plating completely covers the entire bullet so that no lead contacts the bore to become airborne. I think you will find since the .38 special is headspaced on the rim your case length is very important to achieve your best accuracy. If you have a lightweight .38 or older gun, you may want to start with 10% less than max amounts listed above, and work up to the full loads. Re: 38 Special Loads. by rich.tullo 3/28/2016, 10:23 pm. bruce. Found inside – Page 88The Plinking Handgun (Continued from page 87) YOUR $12.85 SAVING BUYS YOU 3 EXTRA BOXES OF AMMO. ... wadcutter loads in .38 Special, takes it out of the plinking class into the hunting, formal target, or defense categories. HTH. The Winchester version of this load was the type most commonly . Discussion: Bullseye is a faster burning powder and some people feel better suited for the .38 special. Saeco #052, 148-grain, #2 alloy, OAL 1.265", showing only the max. Designed to provide match-grade accuracy and . ~ handloadingnotebook. I use Bullseye powder but it's about the same burn rate. Leo said: Depending on the mold pattern, some are crimped in a groove that leaves about 1/16th inch sticking out of the case. You will be, essentially, making 38 Short Colt. Just depends on what kinds of loads you plan to shoot. My current revolver is a Taurus 627 4" bbl .357 mag chambering. It is a +P rated at 1,069fps (7.7"bbl) and 18,700 CUP. Target pistol bullet. Colt already had two revolvers capable of handling Elmer Keith's heavy .38 Special load — his #358429 Keith bullet of around 170 grs. Reactions: wagonman, rebs and Kracken McGraw. But I am loading for recreational target-shooting out of a large 10″ single-shot T/C Contender pistol. There is such a variety of pistols in public use that we will not determine what guns are compatible with which loads. Clays, Universal, HP38, HS6 and H4895 are products of Hodgdon Powders. A database of .38 Special handloads. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Click Image to Zoom. Although the 45 is actually almost perfect. It is always higher when powder is next to primer. The bullet protrudes from the case .18". 2021. Found insideThe typical and perhaps original load was the ubiquitous 158grain, soft lead, either round nose or flat wadcutter bullet. Today, .38 Special ammo comes in dozens of bullet weights and designs from 95 grains up to 200 grains. If there is only ONE load, it is MAX. Probably a nasty wound channel too. long-nosed semi-wadcutter. *WAP is not best choice for .38 special, too slow and inconsistent. Since there is so much bearing surface in a wadcutter and the loads use a very fast burning powder, there is plenty of friction and very . Min Charge Max Charge Optimal Charge Bullet Make Bullet Type This Premium Gold Medal ammo is reloadable for those high volume shooters who love to reload their 38 Special ammo. It would seem that commercially loaded .357 ammunition has been defanged a bit, and .38 spl and so on. Minimal taper-crimp, case-mouth was expanded but case was not sized from factory. Factory New 38 Special 148gr Hollow Base Wadcutter Match Pistol Ammunition. Found inside – Page 43go signed to handle it , scores of the average shooter seem to be much better than .38 scores and compare quite ... bullet and in Wadcutter style , the .38 Special Highway Patrol metal penetrating load , the .45 automatic Police Match ... Here's a 158gr hard cast lead .38 spl +P round advertising 1250 fps from a revolver. Hey guys, let's hear some chatter about the classic swaged lead hollow base wadcutter load for Bullseye competition. No magic loads. Posts: 11,570. Most factory wadcutter loads shoot at low velocity, typically 700-800fps in . You really have to be careful and follow a procedure with Bullseye or any of those type powders or you might be making a bomb. Found inside – Page 83The best small - game load for the .357 Magnum revolver continues to be a .38 Special 148 - grain wadcutter round . It is popular with the 110 - grain bullet for personal protection or police work . The muzzle blast and recoil are ... Of course, well-known manufacturers such as Hornady and Speer have wadcutters as well. The bullet hardness is 18. If they are seated out further, the pressure goes down. Newhall Shooting - A Tactical Analysis is the definitive story of the most deadly law enforcement shooting of the modern era. 38 Cal 148 gr WC Hard Cast Bullets for Reloading. Found insidePyrodex P 902 129 Velocities, bullet weight and energy with the top 80gr. ball loads are virtually identical to those ... lb. of energy, making it roughly equivalent in energy to a .38 Special Target Wadcutter load or the old standard ... Full metal jacket or lead round nose rounds are very popular for range training. Some guys are shooting 125 gr. No gimmickry. When it comes to writing weapons, most authors shoot from the hip--and miss. The Writer's Guide to Weapons will help you hit your target every time. Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not get near the FPS charted. Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); some folks even use them for self defense, 357 Magnum Loads for 1873 Winchester Lever Action. Note: More and more test are conducted with all rounds fired with powder UP against the primer for each shot, or DOWN on the bullet for each shot, then gently bring to horizontal to shoot. Jacketed bullets create a bit more wear on the rifling, but it’s better than trying to wire brush out a bunch of lead build up. Accurate’s No. I remember this thread, nice. On the other hand, IMR Red and Winchester 572 gave rather wide spreads with both bullets. I still think highly of the LCR but would shoot only 148 grain wadcutters in .38 Special or .32 H&R Magnums in the .327 Magnum model. Accurate for me out of Ruger LCR and Taurus 85 out to 30 yards.More accurate than . Found inside – Page 86Other new Remington centerfire loads are the .308 165-grain PSP, .44 S&W Special 200-grain semi-wadcutter, and the .38 Special ( + P) 158-grain semi- wadcutter that was previously available only to law enforcement agencies. CCI/Blazer aluminum case loads w/ 158gr. Casting hollow base wadcutters takes a little learning and I'm not sure it's worth the effort. They show a slight roll crimp, but I found a slight taper crimp works just fine. SWC, 160 gr. Out of stock View Details » View Details ». In factory ammo, target wadcutters cost at least 2X what 158 gr. Out of stock. used for bullseye shooting. Out of my 6" K38 Masterpiece they are very accurate with low recoil and muzzle flash, a 148 grain soft flat lead projectile going 750 fps is still big medicine. Note the dark band of lube on the 3 lead bullets. Only if you see more than one load, is it less than maximum. The thought of a powder puff wadcutter load having enough recoil to cause the bullet to seat deeper is IMHO much more theory than reality, especially given the long bearing length of a wadcutter bullet. .38 Special, HBWC: full wadcutter Bullseye loads. Normal, mild .38 loads work fine with lead bullets. A 148 grain flush-seated hollow base wadcutter bullet and 2.7 grains of Bullseye is the classic target load for the . Wadcutter Powder Funnels. In part 2 see the chronograph results and accuracy test. Found inside – Page 170With the Sharpshooter , use 18 grains in the -38-55 and 1572 to 16 grains in the .32-40 . ... it would be interesting to know the results of wounds made by the .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Special cartridge , with its 157 grain bullet . Jacketed hollow points, I was wanting to shoot hollow base wadcutters, mainly for the reduced recoil. Found inside – Page 130MV, 940 fps; ME, 245 ftlbs. Speer's Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr JHP #23921 is a 38 Special +P load with 860 fps MV and 222 ft-lbs ME. The Buffalo Bore 158gr Lead SWHPGC #20A has a Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point Gas Check bullet loaded ... With all of those choices, it may be difficult to believe that a bullet as simple as the lead wadcutter may be the most effective round under . Just like with the 9mm Luger and .45 ACP cartridges, there are a bunch of .38 Special ammo choices out there that are marketed as self-defense loads. Westfield. is to seat the bullet even with the case mouth, then finish with a slight crimp. (WC= WadCutter, SWC= Semi-WadCutter, FP=Flat Point, HP= Hollow Point, RN= Round Nose), SP=Soft Point, (JHP= Jacketed Hollow Point and if GC indicated, means Gas Check at bottom of lead bullet) Loads for .44 Special: (Note: These are near maximum loads, you should use 10% less to start.) Like 1 . Load with 38 S&W data. For true .38 special revolvers, using a full wadcutter .358" diameter bullet with 2.8 to 3.0 grains of Bullseye or Tite Group powder is a very light and accurate target load in most revolvers. Fun experiment to see if you can replicate Federal Micro HST 38 Special +P with a Berry's Hollow Base Wadcutter loaded backwards. I like the venerable FBI load in my .38 city gun. wadcutters I've used regularly is the Speer hollow base. I've worked up a 38 special load that consists of a Berry's 148 grain double-ended plated wadcutter loaded with 3.3 grains of Titegroup @ an OAL of 1.30". (Note H110 & W296 are the same as of 2008 as is HP-38 & W231), (IMR 4227 is same as H-4227 if made in Australia), * Blackhorn 209 is a black powder substitute with smokeless like qualities. The only thing that has ever concerned me at all is the small charges of fast burning powders that most of us use with these. Load it using wadcutter specs, and seat the bullet flush, like a wadcutter. Found inside – Page 438Improved and More Suitable Cartridges: The development of the sharp shoulder and wad cutter type of bullet. ... the Peters Cartridge Company, who were the first to produce .38 Special cartridges, having the so-called wad cutter bullets. What kind are you loading? Bullets cast by your own hand are even cheaper. For best accuracy in slow fire shooting, you may want to raise gun before every shot. Calipers say the bullet is 0.3585″ in diameter, 0.633″ long, has a light waxy “dusting”. I don't know why they are loaded longer, but I suspect the load data takes the extra space from the long loading into consideration. I am looking for feedback on your semi-wadcutter 357 magnum loads. lead RN ammo costs - a waste of good $$, IMO. Trying out some .38 Special loads using different seating depths to see how it effects the uniformity of the load. Found inside – Page 11First , the abso- " target - type " ammunition to that of tion was significantly more difficult lute number of failures does not lend " full - service " loads for purposes of than the .38 Special wadcutter , which itself to a ... Bullseye or Titegroup cover 90% or more of my .38 Special loadings. Found inside – Page 172I don't recommend it , but it shows what a cool and careful shot can do with a 38 Special at sensible ranges — and using a potent load . I suspect that most 357 Magnum owners put a lot of 38 loads through their handguns . The bullet is comparatively soft with a Brinell hardness number (BHN) of just over 10, which allows it to expand reliably at .38 Special velocities. References: Accurate Arms Co. 1996 Reloading booklet – – Alliant Powder Co. Reloaders’ Guide (1995) – – Hodgdon’s Basic Reloaders Manual (1996) – – Speer Reloading Manual, #12 – – Winchester Reloading Components Manual, 14th edition – – Lyman Piston & Revolver Reloading Handbook, 2nd edition. Sadly the 15th edition of the manual has no data for this combination. I use a 550b with dillon 38/357 dies and I use a bullet seating stem for wadcutter/semi wadcutter. To determine whether or not they are +P or +P+ rated, Call you manufacturer or gunsmith. This is a totally new project to me and I am READY to jump in. COL and hollow base or not matter, if HIGHER pressure loads are wanted! It seems to burn completely in the .38 and is not as critical as the faster powders like Bullseye. Change ). Are currently manufactured wad cutter loads using the same type of case. Found inside – Page 86The potential of addedvelocity ammunition with lighter bullets as giving greater stopping power without excess penetration to ... using .38 Special wadcutter loads only , firing seldom if at all with any form of full power round . A Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum was used to shoot .357 Magnum and .38 Special loads . Lately I've been trying to perfect my 9mm loads and 45 Colt loads. Just wanted to share my favorite .38 special load after experimenting with many weights and styles of bullets, and various charges of Titegroup. The hollow base wad cutters are seated to the case mouth to feed in the S & W autoloading 38s (model 52?) Found inside – Page 7The new Chiefs Special load achieves performance possible only with a lead bullet but without the problems of lead because it uses the 125 - grain S & W semi - wadcutter hollow point bullet . Stricter provisions apply to the use of ... You are most likely correct on the manuals reason and the lower crimp. The load you use will be up to your gun. Mar 7, 2012. 148-grain HBWC bullet. Even better, is get some 38 S&W brass. There are dozens of modern .38 special and .357 magnum self-defense loads available that have been specifically designed with the snub nose revolver in mind. Found inside – Page 86The potential of addedvelocity ammunition with lighter bullets as giving greater stopping power without excess penetration to ... using .38 Special wadcutter loads only, firing seldom if at all with any form of full power round. Found inside – Page 99Beyond 25 yards , the trajectory of wadcutter . Factory 32 Magnum loads feature the 38 Special is not as flat as I like . When the 32 S & W Long is hand- either a 95 - grain flat - nosed lead While handloaded wadcutters pass loaded to ... About / Support; Disclaimer; Contact; Log in / Sign up.38 Special - Manufacturer Loading Data. 594/600 at the real distances of 24 rnds at 50 . That is enough to load an additional 83 cartridges if you're using 3.0 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup with a 150-grain lead wadcutter. The few non-hollow base ones I've used were with the longer length you are describing. I guess Speer is serious about discontinuing this bullet, which is a shame. 38 Special , and has proven itself over many decades of use. Quality, easy to use .38 Special Plated Wadcutters: September 29, 2017: . I have used the hollow based wadcutters backwards and they make a super hollow point. Found inside – Page 44Revolver cartridges: a. 32 S & W Long, Wadcutter (WC), b. 38 Special LRN, c. 44 Rem. Mag. SJHP. L.R. and 22 Winchester Magnum (see Fig. 2-17 d). The last of these delivers almost as much energy as a 9 mm Luger bullet. . ( Log Out /  Found inside – Page 86Other new Remington centerfire loads are the .308 165-grain PSP, .44 S&W Special 200-grain semi-wadcutter, and the .38 Special ( + P) 158-grain semi- wadcutter that was previously available only to law enforcement agencies. H&G #50 .38 S&W Special. You could easily double charge a case. (See note on Powders below or read all about various Powders.). SWC+GC, I am looking for factory .38+P+ loads, but with a bullet weight of 125 gr. Most of them are very small powder charges too. Here is a good source to check load data: MagTech 38B Sport Shooting 38 Special 148 GR Lead Wadcutter - 50rd Box. IIRC, I used 4.5 gr of Bullseye under a 125 gr lead bullet for a light plinker, and 5.6 gr of Bullseye under a 148 gr wadcutter (~815 fps, 4" bbl, probably around 750 fps out of a snub). divingin. Black Hills focus is on handcrafting ammunition for serious folks who demand it works every time without fail. With my two new .357s, I wasn't too interested in target shooting, however, I did load thousands of rounds of .38 Specials using Elmer Keith's recipe — 13.5 grains of #2400 under his 168-gr. 4624 4628 4648 Propellant Case Primer Weight (grains) Muzzle Velocity (feet/sec) Weight (grains) IMR SR 4756 Speer CCI 500 5.0 844 5.6 Alliant Power Pistol Speer CCI 500 4.8 856 5.4 Found inside – Page 175Many .38 Special loads use the same powders, in similar charge weights, but because the case is so much larger, ... It was to accommodate these high-pressure, 65 A wadcutter is a special-purpose flat-fronted bullet specially designed ... Carry the HST in the gun and a speed strip/speed loader of Golden Saber, Gold Dot or your favorite traditional profile .38 Special load. I load alot of 148 HBWC's for my .38 Special rounds, never shot them in .357 Magnum. Accuracy was very good from a Ruger LCR. Winchester’s 231 or WSL are also good powders for the .38 special. Yet the loading manuals typically show the bullet seated with a bit of the bullet exposed, maybe .10" or so. Even light .38 Special loads, including target wadcutters, are painful. Small charge, light crimp. 158 gr. 38 Special Ammo Types We carry a full line of 38 special with more than a dozen different bullet types. 38 Special Wadcutter Brass. The only time I use a roll crimp is when loading full magnum loads with jacketed bullets using slower powders. WC over 2.7 grains of Bullseye. I plan to shoot these in a Ruger GP100 and I wondered if anyone has experience in loading 38 special wadcutters for pistols using a powder like Autocomp. Bob Fleming Posts: 46 Join date: 2012-04-19 Location: Texas, Hunt county. Also internet references 2009, Copyright. I always went the other way using target wadcutters for a defense load in 38 Special - 148 grain hollow base wadcutters, but loaded BACKWARDS. No. Speer 14, says in a S&W Model 14 with a 6″ barrel, their 148 grain LHBWC seated flush in a Speer case, with a CCI 500 primer, gives 690fps with 2.7 grains of Accurate #2 (improved) and with a maximum velocity of 789fps using 2.9 grains. I have loaded wadcutters for plinking , Double end 148 grain,, mixed brass over 2.7 gn WST or Bullseye. This S&W Model 638 is shown with handloaded hard cast SWC ammo. Location (City) Las Vegas. Factory New 38 Special 148gr Hollow Base Wadcutter Match Pistol Ammunition. It's thinner in the bullet seating area than "service" brass is. 2, No. Found inside – Page 21The Magnum load is never to be used in a .38 Special , the resulting pressures being beyond the safety range of the ... The two most popular weight bullets in the .38 caliber class are the 148 grain wadcutter midrange target load and ... Below, are three loaded rounds. * All PLUS P loads for guns designed for it (20,000 PSI), (Cowboy loads – shot in 7 1/2″ bbl.revolver – no need to reduce), ALL THESE LOADS ARE PLUS P, SPECIAL HOT – 21,000 PSI. IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company. It has two-thirds the recoil of a .38 Special wadcutter, but is still painful . Found inside – Page 247This .38 special , hollow base wadcutter target bullet again represents recent use of the Fort Craig area ( Berger ... .40 - Caliber Round Ball Berger ( 1994 ) describes this load as a .397 - inch diameter , dead soft lead round ball . These bullets along with their hollow based cousin make a great bullseye bullets for guys/gals wanting to make light target loads and cut nice holes in paper. Does anyone load for and shoot a Smith & Wesson Model 52 .38 Special Target Auto? You will be, essentially, making 38 Short Colt. The Remington load has always been my carry load, it chronographs at about 800 fps from my s&w 638 airweight. I tested a couple of home cast bullets over . Dec 8, 2020 #20 HBWC are, as K22 said, meant for target loads. It'll look funky, but it will shoot. Wadcutter Loads For S&W Model 52. So far I have not found a powder measure that will reliably drop a 2.7g charge so the old fashion slow way, hand measure each load..