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Old March 6, 2009, 01:50 AM   #1
Prince55
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.38 / .357 Bullet Design ---

What would be the best lead bullet to use for self defense and
hunting in .38 / .357 cal ---a Semi wadcutter design or the RF
Round Flat Nose design , both in 158 gr. weight ?

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Old March 6, 2009, 10:06 AM   #2
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If you are trying for maximum power, the WFN design does leave a little more space for the powder and allow for a little more velocity at the same max pressure. Some guns shot them great, while others shoot the SWC shape better. Also, LBT's "ballistic wadcutter" is even better than the WFN design with respect to leaving more space for the powder. It is essentially a wadcutter that has a very slight rounding to the nose edge and crimps as far out of the case as you can fit in your cylinder. Its only problem is that it will start to tumble after about 90 yards, so it is not a long range round. But, it has the widest nose (meplat) of any bullet shape.

If you are not worried about max velocity, then just pick a bullet shape with the widest flat area at the nose. (Flat area around the shoulder of the bullet, like the ring that cuts paper on the semiwadcutter shape, doesn't add anything to the wounding capability in flesh.) Again, plain wadcutters (NOT hollow-based) can be loaded hot if they are hard-cast lead, and they have a tremendous wounding effect. But, they are not long-range bullets. They lose velocity rapidly and also become unstable at a little more than 50 yards.

If you want to spend more on bullets, Speer now makes Gold Dot bullets that are designed to expand at all sorts of velocities, inlcuding expanding bullets for short-barrelled .38 snubbies.

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Old March 6, 2009, 12:22 PM   #3
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My vote goes to the SWC.

In my 20 years in LE in Anchorage, I had to put down 8 moose after a Moose/Car incounter.

My Service revoler was the Smith Model 28 357, I found the SWC best as I never had to shoot one twice.

I also carry SWCs in my 642 pocket pistol. Its my SD load but I do a lot of camping, horseback riding etc. and like to supplement my dinner with camp meat, I.E. cotton tails. I found the SWC works pretty good there too.
I use the 150 grn (lvman 358477) cast bullet.

The reason being, fixed sight revolvers are sighted in by design for a certain bullet. Most for the 158 grn. Using lighter bullets will cause them to shoot low. The recoil caused by the bullet weight is used to sight in a fixed sight pistol. The 158 grn is the norm, but not allways the case. My 642's sight works with the 150s. The WCs I cast for practice also throw (with my lead mixture 150s grns. There fore the point of aim is the same as my carry bullet.

I've tried differant HP bullets, they dont always expand in my short barreled 642. My SWC bullets dont always expand either. I'm of the opinion that a SWC that dosnt expand is better then a HP that dosn't expand.

JMHO
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Old March 6, 2009, 04:54 PM   #4
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I shoot 158gr. SWC in my 638 snubby for the same reason as kraigwy with regard to fixed sighting. IMO, 158gr. cast SWC is the mainstay of 38/357 caliber and the standard by which other bullets should be judged. They're not the best at everything, but do a lot of things really well; the most versatile.
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Old March 6, 2009, 07:56 PM   #5
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Buy an older Lyman 357446 single cavity mould and have it hollowpointed. Load it over 5.0 of Unique in the 38, and 13.5 of 2400 in the 357. CB.
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Old March 6, 2009, 11:59 PM   #6
Prince55
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Thanks to everybody-You guys Always come through with All the Right
Answers.
One more question---
Would a lead casting mixture of
2% Tin
6% Antimony
92% Lead
Make for a good mix for a .357 Magnum in the 1250-1350 fps range
using Lee Alox for lube and hopefully little or no leading ?


Thanks Again
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Old March 7, 2009, 12:12 AM   #7
Unclenick
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Elmer Keith developed the .44 magnum using 20:1 lead tin. Your alloy is harder than that, so yes, it will be fine.


SL1,

What weight and length is the ballistic wadcutter? It would have to be pretty long to start tumbling, I should think? I presume it is slowing into transonic velocities at 50 yards.
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Old March 7, 2009, 09:30 AM   #8
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Unclenick,

You asked:

Quote:
What weight and length is the ballistic wadcutter? It would have to be pretty long to start tumbling, I should think? I presume it is slowing into transonic velocities at 50 yards.
I'm really only repeating what Veral Smith wrote in one of his pamphlets about the "ballistic wadcutter." He designed the bullet for higher power than a target round, and found that putting a little round on the leading edge allowed for stability improvement from about 50 yards to about 90 yards.

Since he makes the molds, he will give ou whatever weight you want, within reason.

So, your speculation about trans-sonic speed causing the instability is reasonable. Most wadcutters are launched at subsonic speed for target loads. I have never shot my normal target wadcutters at 100 yards to see what happens beyond 50 yards, where mine seem very accurate. If the subsonic wadcutters also tumble beyond 50 yards, then it is a shape thing. If they don't then I suspect that Smith's addition of a round edge on the nose only increased the BC so that they got farther out before going trans-sonic.

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