The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Southla1 · June 19, 2001, 02:22 PM

I was gonna stay out of this one but.....

. I use several different loads with 148 wadcutters and bullseye in .38 spl cases. Those that I use in my .357 I load 2.7 Bullseye with a small pistol regular primer. I seat the bullets if they are the lyman wadcutters that I cast in the crimping groove which leaves about 1/10 of an inch out of the case along with the little tit on the end of the wadcutter itself. Even in a 38 case in the 357 chamber and a 4 inch barrel these are EXTREMLY accurate (all in the X ring of a 25 yard standard pistol target IF I do my part.
If I am using that same cast wadcutter in my S&W Mod 52 I "up" the load to 3 grains (it helps the auto function) and reverse the wadcutter in the case and seat it flush.
If the Gods of E-bay are nice to me and I can get either Speer or Hornady 148 grain HBWC's at a good price I load these flush with the case mouth and with the same charges, as above 2.7 for the revolver and 3.0 for the 52.
Strangely enough there is not a lot of difference in velocity with the same loads in the different guns. About 650-700 for the 2.7 grains and 700 to 750 for the 3 grain load. I guess I could load em all the same but I kind of like the light light load for snake hunting from my boat in the spring.

June 19, 2001, 02:22 PM	#19
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	I was gonna stay out of this one but...... I use several different loads with 148 wadcutters and bullseye in .38 spl cases. Those that I use in my .357 I load 2.7 Bullseye with a small pistol regular primer. I seat the bullets if they are the lyman wadcutters that I cast in the crimping groove which leaves about 1/10 of an inch out of the case along with the little tit on the end of the wadcutter itself. Even in a 38 case in the 357 chamber and a 4 inch barrel these are EXTREMLY accurate (all in the X ring of a 25 yard standard pistol target IF I do my part. If I am using that same cast wadcutter in my S&W Mod 52 I "up" the load to 3 grains (it helps the auto function) and reverse the wadcutter in the case and seat it flush. If the Gods of E-bay are nice to me and I can get either Speer or Hornady 148 grain HBWC's at a good price I load these flush with the case mouth and with the same charges, as above 2.7 for the revolver and 3.0 for the 52. Strangely enough there is not a lot of difference in velocity with the same loads in the different guns. About 650-700 for the 2.7 grains and 700 to 750 for the 3 grain load. I guess I could load em all the same but I kind of like the light light load for snake hunting from my boat in the spring.