Wadcutters

[358156 hp]

When I got my first 358432 I went looking for loading data for it. There wasn't much out there for it, and I ended up going back through the original Lyman & Ideal Handbooks to find it. It is/was an extraordinarily long-lived design, I believe it first appeared in manuals in the early 1930s and ran up though the late 1970s. When I finally found what I was looking for I was back in the 1950s. The only mention for data was a note to use std 160 grain bullet data. I stopped there, that was good enough for me. I had found my bowling pin bullet for 38/357, and have never been without at least one copy of it since.

 

[L Ross]

454309 Ideal.

 

[trapper9260]

I use wadcutters in my 38/357mag, 32cal and 44 mag /spl. I use Lyman , RCBS and Noe. For the 32cals I use for light loads in my 30cal rifles. Beside use them in my 327 mag and the the other lower 32 cals that I use in the 327 .

 

[Charles Graff]

For Anti-Pendejo use, there seems to be little gained by going much above 750 fps for a WC bullets as that velocity will give through and through penetration on most pendejos. Still, I juice mine up another hundred or so fps, just for good measure. I do shoot full wadcutters out of my 357 Mags at about 1,000 to 1,250 fps. (depending on barrel length etc) The benefit is, the extra velocity holds up accuracy at 50 yards and beyond. With a 150 grain solid base WC, I use either 5/Bullseye, 10/2400 or 7.5/AA5. All of these loads feel the same in recoil, muzzle rise and hit the same point of impact. I really don't have a preference.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I haven’t used my 38/357 wad cutter molds in twenty years.. Cut my casting teeth in casting them and believe it or not I still have boxes my pop and I cast in about 1974!

But I picked up a 32 98g WC for the 32 Long and I’m LOVIN THAT!!! Testing #2, Red dot, Green dot 231 and Bullseye. ALL shoot just fine. My ol 38 load was. Ullseye. Probably use that or Red dot.

CW

 

[S Mac]

Tell me @Charles Graff , when you load 357 wadcutters, how deep do you seat, upper groove?

 

[Cherokee]

358495 & 358477 were my first two molds. Gradually migrated to mainly the 358477 for many years.

 

[fiver]

first mold I learned to cast with was a 38 wadcutter in about 72 or 73.
probably 7-8 years old, I still have a couple of those bullets sealed up in a glass baby food jar.

I use the 148gr. 358091 seated to the top groove with 6grs of bulls-eye and a magnum primer.

 

[Rally]

Lamar,
I’m guessing that 6 gr load is in the.357, not the .38 Spl?

 

[fiver]

most definitely.
I don't think I'd want to put it in a 38 case, even in a 357 revolver.
should have been more clear on the detail... thanks

 

[Rally]

Yea I'm thinking 5.2 is listed as +P+ in a nickel case.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

In terms of the bullet it produces, the RCBS 38-148-WC is my favorite but it is crippled by the same affliction that affects all RCBS molds - A 2 cavity limit.

If I could find a 4 cavity, plain base, H&G #50 - in good condition for the right price; I would buy it.

Other options for me would include: A custom mold that duplicates the H&G #50, A SAECO 348 mold (DEWC) and have the bevel base removed from the sprue end of the mold (the BB is a PITA IMO), or acquiring a Star lubersizer and using an un-modified SAECO 348 WC.

In the end , I don't shoot that many wadcutters, so I may do nothing.

 

[Charles Graff]

Tell me @Charles Graff , when you load 357 wadcutters, how deep do you seat, upper groove?

Just like I would seat them in a 38 Special case, which means it depends on the wadcutter. If it has a crimp groove I use that. If there is no crimp groove, I crimp in the top lube groove.

 

[S Mac]

Thanks, that is as I do, haven't tried the flush seating.

 

[CZ93X62]

The only wadcutters that I have flush-seated were--

1) the swaged hollow-based 32 and 38 Speer, Hornady, and Remington bullets and

2) the #313492 that I use in the 7.62 x 38R/1895 Nagant revolver rounds I load.

The Nagant revolver is "unique" in many respects. The Fiocchi and Tula factory loads feature a very exaggerated and unique crimping regimen meant to work with the gas-seal capability of the cylinder mouth/barrel root interface. Loading the cartridges is pretty straight-forward up to the point of bullet seating; I have used both the #313492 and the Lee 100 grain grain RN, seating both with their noses seated even with the case mouth edge. The cartridges are then given a "profile crimp" about .100" deep with a 32 S&W Long sizing die (minus decapping stem), taking advantage of the rebated button nose of #313492 or the ogive curve of the RN Lee.

Case sizing? 30 Carbine steel die. Case mouth expanding and bullet seating are accomplished with 32/20 WCF dies adjusted "high". Crimp is set with high-mounted 32 S&W Long as above. This regimen works with both Starline brass and with the Boxer-primed Fiocchi brass. The Tula brass is Berdan-primed, which is one too many aberrations for my own weird-stuff-o-meter. It was probably corrosive, too--make that TWO weirdnesses too many.

 

[Charles Graff]

Thanks, that is as I do, haven't tried the flush seating.

Flush seating of "button nose" wadcutters are for use in autoloading pistols. Factory "Match" ammo is seated flush for use in all handguns. Flush seating offers no advantage for ammo used in revolvers.

 

[Hawk]

I load the 358091 with three grains of green dot, crimped in the top groove.
A lite recoiling load that is extremely accurate.

 

[Ian]

Flush-seating also requires a powder charge reduction.

 

[S Mac]

That's why I was asking, what I would expect.

 

[S Mac]

Another question for you @Charles Graff , what is your alloy of preference for the 10 grn. 2400 load? I loaded a few and shot pretty well, they were some a friend had cast, not sure of his alloy, probably ww's. The ones I have cast on hand are 50/50. May be a bit soft for a heavier load.