Wadcutter Safety - Loading the 38 Special

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
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Ian

Notorious member
Thanks, Ben, I've been looking for that chart again for years, had it stored in an old 'puter that's inop now. I get the heebeejeebees when someone says their pet load is a 148 grain wadcutter seated flush over 3.5 grains of BE. I also get nervous when someone uses a near max book charge of whatever pistol/shotgun powder in the .45 ACP with the Lee TC bullet and seats them to 1.180" OAL.....using book data for the 452374 (same weight) which indicates 1.265". I've tried to show the danger by posting Quickload predictions, but the copper crusher tests are even more dramatic.
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
I needed this! Thanx Ben! I KNOW there are HUGE diffs, but had no clue they were this big! And I have 2-3 diff WCs/molds. Have strayed away from them due to load data that is not very bullet specific. I need to post the bullets/molds I have and elicit feedback from the crowd.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
That is one type of bullet, I've never loaded in my 50 years in the hobby..............and never will. Was it ever even available in factory fodder? A 38 caliber SWC was the very first revolver bullet I ever cast. Seen no reason to change until obtaining carbines in revolver cartridges. Since then it's been all RNFP's.
 

StrawHat

Well-Known Member
Yes, factory loaded wadcutters were available from several sources. For a while I used Federal 148 WC ammunition while competing in PPC. I used factory for competition and reloads for practice until I noticed my scores were becoming the same. I tightened up my reloads and never looked back. I was using NBC, HBWC swaged bullets. They were local to me and it saved shipping. 2.8 grains of Bullseye and I seated the bullet slightly long to aid reloads. That load took me to the top of my class and then into the next class. I also used two Lee double cavity molds and cast dewc like a fiend (before the 6 cavity molds were available). They were for practice out to 25 yards.

Kevin
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
A striking comparison for sure. Something to consider anytime we load any bullet using data for a different bullet, which I am sure many of us do.
 
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fiver

Well-Known Member
too bad they ain't got a chart like that for titegroup, that powder would become a lot less popular real quick.


that bullet looks an awful lot like the 358091 I use.
I seat a drive band out, and sometimes just kiss the crimp, but usually just iron the case sides down in the taper crimp die.
 

trapper9260

Active Member
That is interesting on the pressure it jumps. I have that mold of that boolit . I normal seat it at the crimp groove ,in the pic.. it show it is seated deeper then at the crimp groove. I wonder what pressure would be when it is seated at the groove? This helps also for what it shows. Thank you
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
That chart was published in the American Rifleman some years back, when folks were claiming their revolvers were blown up with the traditional wadcutter over 2.7/BE. The testing was done by H.P. White lab. I posit that these blown revolvers started about the time progressive presses started to become all the rage.
 

John

Active Member
I love my wadcutters and wonder how some can ignore bearing surface and seating depth while exclaiming bullet weight is all. For Reference I think that chart is available in Cast Bullets by Harrison and know it is in a handloading supplement by the NRA late 50's and early 60's. Too bad so many think all knowledge is only on the net.
 

Rally

NC Minnesota
I'm loading the Saeco 052 now with 3.1 grs. BE at the first crimp groove. Works well in all my .38's