Tried a 38 special 148 gr DEWC load

revolvers_good · September 2, 2013, 06:16 PM

Picked up some West Coast Bullet (plated) 148 grain DEWC.

Loaded some 3.5 gr W231, OAL 1.235, CCI primers.

Don't have a chronograph, really nice low recoil out of Taurus 669 (6 inch barrel).

Anyone have any other recommendations for plated DEWCs?

Nick_C_S · September 3, 2013, 09:11 PM

I wish I could find some plated DEWC's.

My lead DEWC's with 4.2g W231 yield 963 FPS; so if I were forced to guess, I'd say yours were probably cruising along at about 900 FPS.

(After 4", barrel length matters little with this load because 231 is pretty fast stuff. The 963 reading was with a 4" barrel; I got 956 with an 8 3/8" barrel.)

Paul B. · September 4, 2013, 04:14 PM

I load the Lyman #358495 wadcutter in .38 Spl. over either 3.1 gr. of Bullseye or 3.1 gr. of W231. Don't much care about the velocity to be honest but they sure are accurate. I cast them myself. FWIW, I got a smokin' deal on a case of Winchester .38 Spl. target ammo, the pricey stuff cheap. I tested it in three different revolvers and my hand load outshot them all. I'm plinking it off for practice and to get the brass. As soon as the weather cools down some I'll start casting bullets again.
A neat bullet in the .38 Spl. is the Lyman #358156 gas check ullet over 5.0 gr. of Unique. Another is Lyman #358430 over 3.5 gr. of Uniqque. That's a 200 gr. plain base round nose bullet. It's surpisingly accurate even from a snub nose revolver. At one time Remington and Winchester sold that type loading and called it the "Police Load." Many years ago when I was loading ammo commercially, I made up a couple of boxes of that load for an old time deputy sheriff. he was glad to get them as the load had beed discontinued for years. He was just lucky I had the proper mold. I'm thinking of running some through a .357 Mag. Could be one heck of a thumper.
Paul B.

Mike / Tx · September 4, 2013, 07:06 PM

I picked up this old Hensley # 50 358146 to pour up some for both the wife to run through her GP100 and me to play with my pop's old 38 Army Special.

I have a good mess poured up but haven't loaded any just yet. I'm hoping they shoot as good as some of the Zero's I had years ago did.

zxcvbob · September 4, 2013, 07:11 PM

That's a .357, right? Not exactly low recoil but low for a magnum: 4.5 grains of Red Dot, 148 grain DEWC, and lightly roll crimp in the top crimp groove. OAL should be about 1.35" or so. Shoots like a laser beam.

Nick_C_S · September 4, 2013, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Don't much care about the velocity to be honest. . .

I don't care about velocity either, except I need them to make the IDPA power floor.

Hammerhead · September 7, 2013, 01:56 AM

Rainier DEWCs came back recently at Midway and lasted a few days before going out of stock. Maybe they'll be back again soon.
I use them in my magnum revolvers and like them quite a bit. I load them long, leaving quite a bit of the bullet outside the case, and bumping up the powder charge to compensate for the longer OAL.

I stuck a plated DEWC in the bore of one of my revolvers using too light of a charge, so don't try to make plated wadcutters into powder puff loads.

Saint Dennis · September 7, 2013, 09:25 AM

Why plated? Lead shoots well and is easy on the gun. I load Penn DBBWC over trailboss in .357 brass for the wife's M27. Accurate, mild and never had a leading issue.

Nick_C_S · September 7, 2013, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Hammerhead stated: I stuck a plated DEWC in the bore of one of my revolvers using too light of a charge, so don't try to make plated wadcutters into powder puff loads.

Hammerhead: Were you going to tell us specifically what recipe you used to stick the DEWC in your bore? I'd kinda like to not duplicate that load

Hammerhead · September 8, 2013, 07:45 PM

I used starting lead data for a cast 148 DEWC and substituted a plated 148 DEWC and used a slightly longer OAL. The bullet stopped right in the middle of the barrel. It was a lot easier to drive out than I thought it would be, but I don't care to do that again.

Nick_C_S · September 9, 2013, 12:30 AM

Good to know. That's one way to slug your bore

Yeah, if I ever get ahold of any (and I want to, seriously bad), I'm going to use at least 4.4g AA2. In lead, they chrono at 935 FPS (4" bbl). That should be enough to push it out the other side.

September 2, 2013, 06:16 PM	#1
revolvers_good Member Join Date: May 11, 2013 Posts: 27	Tried a 38 special 148 gr DEWC load Picked up some West Coast Bullet (plated) 148 grain DEWC. Loaded some 3.5 gr W231, OAL 1.235, CCI primers. Don't have a chronograph, really nice low recoil out of Taurus 669 (6 inch barrel). Anyone have any other recommendations for plated DEWCs? Last edited by revolvers_good; September 2, 2013 at 06:27 PM.

September 3, 2013, 09:11 PM	#2
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,523	I wish I could find some plated DEWC's. My lead DEWC's with 4.2g W231 yield 963 FPS; so if I were forced to guess, I'd say yours were probably cruising along at about 900 FPS. (After 4", barrel length matters little with this load because 231 is pretty fast stuff. The 963 reading was with a 4" barrel; I got 956 with an 8 3/8" barrel.) __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

September 4, 2013, 07:06 PM	#4
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	I picked up this old Hensley # 50 358146 to pour up some for both the wife to run through her GP100 and me to play with my pop's old 38 Army Special. I have a good mess poured up but haven't loaded any just yet. I'm hoping they shoot as good as some of the Zero's I had years ago did. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

September 4, 2013, 07:11 PM	#5
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	That's a .357, right? Not exactly low recoil but low for a magnum: 4.5 grains of Red Dot, 148 grain DEWC, and lightly roll crimp in the top crimp groove. OAL should be about 1.35" or so. Shoots like a laser beam. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

September 9, 2013, 12:30 AM	#11
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,523	Good to know. That's one way to slug your bore Yeah, if I ever get ahold of any (and I want to, seriously bad), I'm going to use at least 4.4g AA2. In lead, they chrono at 935 FPS (4" bbl). That should be enough to push it out the other side. __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

September 4, 2013, 04:14 PM	#3
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	I load the Lyman #358495 wadcutter in .38 Spl. over either 3.1 gr. of Bullseye or 3.1 gr. of W231. Don't much care about the velocity to be honest but they sure are accurate. I cast them myself. FWIW, I got a smokin' deal on a case of Winchester .38 Spl. target ammo, the pricey stuff cheap. I tested it in three different revolvers and my hand load outshot them all. I'm plinking it off for practice and to get the brass. As soon as the weather cools down some I'll start casting bullets again. A neat bullet in the .38 Spl. is the Lyman #358156 gas check ullet over 5.0 gr. of Unique. Another is Lyman #358430 over 3.5 gr. of Uniqque. That's a 200 gr. plain base round nose bullet. It's surpisingly accurate even from a snub nose revolver. At one time Remington and Winchester sold that type loading and called it the "Police Load." Many years ago when I was loading ammo commercially, I made up a couple of boxes of that load for an old time deputy sheriff. he was glad to get them as the load had beed discontinued for years. He was just lucky I had the proper mold. I'm thinking of running some through a .357 Mag. Could be one heck of a thumper. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

September 7, 2013, 01:56 AM	#7
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Rainier DEWCs came back recently at Midway and lasted a few days before going out of stock. Maybe they'll be back again soon. I use them in my magnum revolvers and like them quite a bit. I load them long, leaving quite a bit of the bullet outside the case, and bumping up the powder charge to compensate for the longer OAL. I stuck a plated DEWC in the bore of one of my revolvers using too light of a charge, so don't try to make plated wadcutters into powder puff loads.

September 7, 2013, 09:25 AM	#8
Saint Dennis Member Join Date: March 31, 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 97	Why plated? Lead shoots well and is easy on the gun. I load Penn DBBWC over trailboss in .357 brass for the wife's M27. Accurate, mild and never had a leading issue.

September 8, 2013, 07:45 PM	#10
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	I used starting lead data for a cast 148 DEWC and substituted a plated 148 DEWC and used a slightly longer OAL. The bullet stopped right in the middle of the barrel. It was a lot easier to drive out than I thought it would be, but I don't care to do that again.