Hollow base

czhead · February 18, 2002, 04:49 PM

Can someone explain the pros and cons for hollow base bullets

HankL · February 18, 2002, 09:43 PM

If you are speaking of hollow base wadcutter target rounds the assumption was, and is, that the base of the bullet would upset a bit and help engage the rifleing of the bore while maintaining an up front center of mass for the stubby little round.

LONGRIFLE30 · February 20, 2002, 12:58 AM

And if you invert those bullets and make the hollow points, the killing power is damned-near double, for say, a .38 Spec.

HankL · February 20, 2002, 11:16 PM

LONGRIFLE30 , Yeah, I tried that back during my novice days.
If you want to shoot targets with a 38 spl. the 148 gr. hbwc is great, if you want to invert it and load up some rounds that is fun too but not accurate. Target bullets loaded correctly or backwards do not usually make a good defensive round.

coonan357 · February 21, 2002, 01:36 AM

nottin worse than a ticked off bad guy with a perfect hole in them !

DAVID NANCARROW · February 21, 2002, 01:47 AM

It's a pretty old concept, going back to the minie ball. Was supposed to expand and seal off the bore behind the projectile to provide velocity

MADISON · February 21, 2002, 10:02 AM

Iload the following loads:
HBWC...3.0 grains W-231
BBWC...4.0 grains W-231
If I load the HBWC with 4.0 grains, it will key-hole.

Ala Dan · February 22, 2002, 07:03 AM

I use to load Speer's 148 grain HBWC backwards in
.38 Special case's, as a defensive load. Great threat
stopper; but not very accurate over about 15 yards.
Now, I wised up; and can be found toting Federal's
.38 Special +P Hydra Shok's in my Smith & Wesson
vintage model 60.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.

Bacchus · February 22, 2002, 02:19 PM

So what are the advantages, exactly, to hollow base SWCs?

I always thought that SWC bullets were only good for paper punching.

T. O'Heir · February 22, 2002, 03:48 PM

Two different things. A wad cutter is flat across the front end. Where the pointy end usually is. They're designed to make neat round holes that make target scoring easier. They're also easier to swage as opposed to casting. Swaging is literally press forming bullets out of lead tubes. WC's are normally very soft and the hollow base will expand to fit the barrel much better than a cast bullet. Therefore providing much better accuracy.
A SWC is designed allow heavier bullets that cut nearly the same neat round hole in paper but give a bit more whump at the receiving end. In the olden days, when cops carried .38 Specials, SWC's made it more effective on evildoers than the round nose bullet that was known to bounce off car windshields. These days, the cast SWC is usually only seen on target ranges as the HP is far more effective than a SWC.

Keith J · February 22, 2002, 04:57 PM

Full wadcutters are cylindrical and to protect the fragile corners, all of the bullet is usually contained in the case. The bearing length of such a bullet shoved that far into the case is quite long and if it weren't either tapered to smaller than .3575" or made hollow based to allow for deformation, it would bulge the case.

For target work, a loose fitting bullet is patently objectionable and a tight fitting case is deemed helpful. Bulged cases are problematic especially in tight chambers HBWC's to the rescue.

These can be deep seated yet expand to fill the rifling, keeping fine accuracy. They are usually soft lead and do not withstand anything more than light loads.

HankL · February 22, 2002, 08:57 PM

Therefore, BBWC or beveled base wad cutters. You guy's really have me wanting to load up some of this stuff and take some 38s to the field!

February 18, 2002, 04:49 PM	#1
czhead Member Join Date: February 12, 2002 Location: Plano, Tx Posts: 29	Hollow base Can someone explain the pros and cons for hollow base bullets

February 18, 2002, 09:43 PM	#2
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	If you are speaking of hollow base wadcutter target rounds the assumption was, and is, that the base of the bullet would upset a bit and help engage the rifleing of the bore while maintaining an up front center of mass for the stubby little round. __________________ Check 6

February 20, 2002, 11:16 PM	#4
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	LONGRIFLE30 , Yeah, I tried that back during my novice days. If you want to shoot targets with a 38 spl. the 148 gr. hbwc is great, if you want to invert it and load up some rounds that is fun too but not accurate. Target bullets loaded correctly or backwards do not usually make a good defensive round. __________________ Check 6

February 21, 2002, 01:36 AM	#5
coonan357 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2002 Location: in a state of confusion and disbelief ! Posts: 726	nottin worse than a ticked off bad guy with a perfect hole in them ! __________________ N.R.A. Lifer and proud of it ! You can't argue with a .357 Mag. Well, you can try, but you'll end up bleeding an aweful lot. -GEORGE HILL 4-08-2002 My Coonan is Not For Sale please do not ask!

February 21, 2002, 10:02 AM	#7
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Hollow base Wad Cutters Iload the following loads: HBWC...3.0 grains W-231 BBWC...4.0 grains W-231 If I load the HBWC with 4.0 grains, it will key-hole.

February 20, 2002, 12:58 AM	#3
LONGRIFLE30 Member Join Date: February 16, 2002 Location: Wichita Falls,TX. Posts: 49	And if you invert those bullets and make the hollow points, the killing power is damned-near double, for say, a .38 Spec.

February 21, 2002, 01:47 AM	#6
DAVID NANCARROW Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2000 Location: TEXAS Posts: 1,425	It's a pretty old concept, going back to the minie ball. Was supposed to expand and seal off the bore behind the projectile to provide velocity

February 22, 2002, 07:03 AM	#8
Ala Dan Member in memoriam Join Date: August 14, 1999 Location: In The HOT, Humid, and Mu Posts: 6,117	Before I knew better- I use to load Speer's 148 grain HBWC backwards in .38 Special case's, as a defensive load. Great threat stopper; but not very accurate over about 15 yards. Now, I wised up; and can be found toting Federal's .38 Special +P Hydra Shok's in my Smith & Wesson vintage model 60. Best Wishes, Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.

February 22, 2002, 02:19 PM	#9
Bacchus Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2001 Posts: 259	So what are the advantages, exactly, to hollow base SWCs? I always thought that SWC bullets were only good for paper punching.

February 22, 2002, 03:48 PM	#10
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 3,099	WC vs SWC Two different things. A wad cutter is flat across the front end. Where the pointy end usually is. They're designed to make neat round holes that make target scoring easier. They're also easier to swage as opposed to casting. Swaging is literally press forming bullets out of lead tubes. WC's are normally very soft and the hollow base will expand to fit the barrel much better than a cast bullet. Therefore providing much better accuracy. A SWC is designed allow heavier bullets that cut nearly the same neat round hole in paper but give a bit more whump at the receiving end. In the olden days, when cops carried .38 Specials, SWC's made it more effective on evildoers than the round nose bullet that was known to bounce off car windshields. These days, the cast SWC is usually only seen on target ranges as the HP is far more effective than a SWC.

February 22, 2002, 04:57 PM	#11
Keith J Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2000 Posts: 469	Almost explained Full wadcutters are cylindrical and to protect the fragile corners, all of the bullet is usually contained in the case. The bearing length of such a bullet shoved that far into the case is quite long and if it weren't either tapered to smaller than .3575" or made hollow based to allow for deformation, it would bulge the case. For target work, a loose fitting bullet is patently objectionable and a tight fitting case is deemed helpful. Bulged cases are problematic especially in tight chambers HBWC's to the rescue. These can be deep seated yet expand to fill the rifling, keeping fine accuracy. They are usually soft lead and do not withstand anything more than light loads.

February 22, 2002, 08:57 PM	#12
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	Therefore, BBWC or beveled base wad cutters. You guy's really have me wanting to load up some of this stuff and take some 38s to the field! __________________ Check 6