38 Bevel Base WC Verse Hollow Base

flyguy958 · July 4, 2009, 09:53 AM

I have (100) .358" 148 grain bevel base WC I'd like to load for my 38 Special. The only information I can find on this bullet is in an older Speer manual.

Starting and max for Unique load is 4.5/5.1
Starting and max for Bullseye load is 3.9/4.5

This seems high as the staring and max loads in the same manual for the hollow base WC:
Bullseye 2.8/3.1

In the new Lee manual the max loads looks like 2.7 for Bullseye.

My questions is why so much difference in the load data for bevel base verse hollow base?

dwhite · July 4, 2009, 03:32 PM

Hollow base wad-cutters are only meant for velocities up to around 800 fps. If you push them harder the bullet will possibly separate leaving the torn off skirt in the barrel. You can picture what happens next. Mechanically the skirt is expanded from pressure and grips the barrel so tight that the heavier front of the bullet tears off the hollow base or skirt.

Bevel base wad-cutters can take more velocity as they don't have a skirt to separate. These can be driven at the same velocity as the hollow base design up to probably 1000 fps , if the lead is hard enough.

All the Best,
D. White

flyguy958 · July 6, 2009, 04:39 PM

Thanks D, makes some sense now. It just looked like a big difference in charge.

**Unclenick** · July 6, 2009, 04:50 PM

Welcome to the forum.

It is a big difference. Only the maximum should change, as you can fire BBWC's and DEWC's and Lee Tumble Lube WC's all with the same time-honored 2.7 grains of Bullseye target load as a swaged HBWC uses. But as D. White says, you can optionally run the solids faster. That goes double for a cast bullet, since it is harder than a swaged one. In .357 cases the solid cast WC's leave enough powder room to make quite an effective game stopper/defense load using that wide, blunt nose.

The Lee cast Tumble Lube design is far more accurate in my .38's than any other wadcutter I have purchased, cast, or fired. In my K-frame Smith it cuts group size in half. So if you decide to get into casting your own, that's the one I would point to. In the 6-cavity mold production is fairly fast.

July 4, 2009, 09:53 AM	#1
flyguy958 Senior Member Join Date: June 27, 2009 Location: SC Posts: 200	38 Bevel Base WC Verse Hollow Base I have (100) .358" 148 grain bevel base WC I'd like to load for my 38 Special. The only information I can find on this bullet is in an older Speer manual. Starting and max for Unique load is 4.5/5.1 Starting and max for Bullseye load is 3.9/4.5 This seems high as the staring and max loads in the same manual for the hollow base WC: Bullseye 2.8/3.1 In the new Lee manual the max loads looks like 2.7 for Bullseye. My questions is why so much difference in the load data for bevel base verse hollow base?

July 4, 2009, 03:32 PM	#2
dwhite Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2007 Location: Wake County, N. Carolina Posts: 379	Hollow base vs. Bevel base Hollow base wad-cutters are only meant for velocities up to around 800 fps. If you push them harder the bullet will possibly separate leaving the torn off skirt in the barrel. You can picture what happens next. Mechanically the skirt is expanded from pressure and grips the barrel so tight that the heavier front of the bullet tears off the hollow base or skirt. Bevel base wad-cutters can take more velocity as they don't have a skirt to separate. These can be driven at the same velocity as the hollow base design up to probably 1000 fps , if the lead is hard enough. All the Best, D. White

July 6, 2009, 04:50 PM	#4
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	Welcome to the forum. It is a big difference. Only the maximum should change, as you can fire BBWC's and DEWC's and Lee Tumble Lube WC's all with the same time-honored 2.7 grains of Bullseye target load as a swaged HBWC uses. But as D. White says, you can optionally run the solids faster. That goes double for a cast bullet, since it is harder than a swaged one. In .357 cases the solid cast WC's leave enough powder room to make quite an effective game stopper/defense load using that wide, blunt nose. The Lee cast Tumble Lube design is far more accurate in my .38's than any other wadcutter I have purchased, cast, or fired. In my K-frame Smith it cuts group size in half. So if you decide to get into casting your own, that's the one I would point to. In the 6-cavity mold production is fairly fast. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

July 6, 2009, 04:39 PM	#3
flyguy958 Senior Member Join Date: June 27, 2009 Location: SC Posts: 200	Thanks D, makes some sense now. It just looked like a big difference in charge.