Wadcutter question

rick983 · December 23, 2012, 10:11 PM

I started loading 148 gr hollow base wadcutters for my 38 special today and noticed some lead shavings when I seated the bullets flush with the mouth case. I'm flaring and chamfering the case moths and the bullets enter easily. It seems the further I seat the bullets, lead starts shaving off. Any suggestions or is this normal with wadcutters? Thanks in advance.

jepp2 · December 23, 2012, 10:29 PM

Shaving lead is typically a sign you didn't expand the case mouth enough. If your case mouth is expanded enough, it could be a sign the bullet isn't seating straight in the case. You are using the correct bullet seating plug for WC bullets, right? (i.e. not using the seating plug for RN bullets?)

rick983 · December 23, 2012, 11:06 PM

I didn't know there was a specific seating plug for wadcutters.

tkglazie · December 24, 2012, 10:36 AM

Are you seating and crimping in the same step, or separately? Sometimes if you try to seat and crimp a WC in one step you will shave the bullet.

I use the same seating plug for all .38 bullets. Loading on an LCT I seat only at station 3 (just barely removing the bellmouth) and crimp at station 4.

rick983 · December 24, 2012, 03:07 PM

I'm not crimping at all. The mild loads don't generate enough recoil to move the bullets in the case.

jepp2 · December 24, 2012, 03:56 PM

Quote:

I didn't know there was a specific seating plug for wadcutters.

Depending on the die set, I have seen up to 2 additional seating plugs for 38. One for round nose, one for semi WC, and one for WC. Some will make do with two, but only Lee have just one .

m&p45acp10+1 · December 25, 2012, 05:06 PM

When I started loading .38 special I only had some full wad cutters to start with. Some I noticed a tiny shaving about the size of a hair. They shot just the same. This was not every single one. Just a few. They shot just the same. I used up the box of them I had, and now shoot only semi wad cutters due to the fact that I cast them, and they work so well in my guns.

December 23, 2012, 10:11 PM	#1
rick983 Member Join Date: May 24, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 47	Wadcutter question I started loading 148 gr hollow base wadcutters for my 38 special today and noticed some lead shavings when I seated the bullets flush with the mouth case. I'm flaring and chamfering the case moths and the bullets enter easily. It seems the further I seat the bullets, lead starts shaving off. Any suggestions or is this normal with wadcutters? Thanks in advance.

December 25, 2012, 05:06 PM	#7
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	When I started loading .38 special I only had some full wad cutters to start with. Some I noticed a tiny shaving about the size of a hair. They shot just the same. This was not every single one. Just a few. They shot just the same. I used up the box of them I had, and now shoot only semi wad cutters due to the fact that I cast them, and they work so well in my guns. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

December 23, 2012, 10:29 PM	#2
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	Shaving lead is typically a sign you didn't expand the case mouth enough. If your case mouth is expanded enough, it could be a sign the bullet isn't seating straight in the case. You are using the correct bullet seating plug for WC bullets, right? (i.e. not using the seating plug for RN bullets?)

December 23, 2012, 11:06 PM	#3
rick983 Member Join Date: May 24, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 47	I didn't know there was a specific seating plug for wadcutters.

December 24, 2012, 10:36 AM	#4
tkglazie Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Posts: 558	Are you seating and crimping in the same step, or separately? Sometimes if you try to seat and crimp a WC in one step you will shave the bullet. I use the same seating plug for all .38 bullets. Loading on an LCT I seat only at station 3 (just barely removing the bellmouth) and crimp at station 4.

December 24, 2012, 03:07 PM	#5
rick983 Member Join Date: May 24, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 47	I'm not crimping at all. The mild loads don't generate enough recoil to move the bullets in the case.