who sells an accurate, well made lead .38/.357 wadcutter bullet?

These are intended for mild loads in a 3" Model 60. Could be a 148gr plain base, or hollow base design. Needs to not be undersized, and appropriate hardness for velocities not exceeding 850 fps.

I know Hornady, Speer, and Remington all sell such critters, but they are often out of stock at the usual sources. Anyone have other suggestions?

Laser-Cast makes a solid 148gr WC that I've shot extensively in my 38's and 357's. It isn't as purely accurate as a hollow based wadcutter, but I've been able to drive them faster without the leading that comes with increasing velocity with dry-lubed hollow based WC's like the Hornady and Remington.

Good bullets, from a great company.

Berry's makes a plated 148 gr DEWC that my 357 loves.

Dan

I've had good luck with Remington's bulk HBWC in my Model 52 S&W, as well as with Hornaday's. No leading if the velocity is kept down. Wife's model 60 3" likes them as well.

Interesting coincidence. I bought a girlfriend one of the original 3" Model 60's with the underlug in .38 Special. She felt the recoil with standard .38 loads was too snappy so she kept it loaded with Winchester factory .38 target wadcutters. Figured it was better to cut a clean hole center mass with a wadcutter than miss with something more powerful.

To the question, all I've ever used was the Speer swaged lead HBWC and they worked great in all of my .38's, I bought them by the 500 pack. I'd guess most anybody's HBWC would work well due to the design as long as they weren't "hard cast" which totally defeats the point of the hollow base. If you use a plain base or solid WC then you run into potential issues with proper fit since only the softest lead would obdurate well at the velocities you intend.

I know a sheriff's deputy down in NC that had wadcutters in his M14 one night when he needed it real bad. Three WCs to the heart dropped the miscreant.

It wouldn't have been MY choice, but they were certainly better than, say, GI .38 Ball ammo, which bounce off possum skulls.

I cast & load my own... easiest round in the handgunning world to make. And 148 gr wadcutters are damn good anti-personnel rounds, for your first cylinder. Which is what I carry in my 38 snubs.

They don't load worth a poop in a speedloader of any design. Stick with JHP's for your reloads.

I don't cast my own but I do use a speer HBWC loaded as warm as I dare (given the design) as my carry rounds.
I never bothered to chronograph one but they are going fast enough to hurt.

http://www.missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=155

Didn't see anything that said they were or were not in stock, but the price seems right.

Are you all using Bullseye, if so how much with the 148's. Hasbeen

2.8 to 3.0 grains of Bullseye is the classic target load dating back to before WWII, but I don't know how much a HBWC would actually take. Due to the design you really don't want to try to push them too fast.

I use TiteGroup and magnum cases with Berrys or Rainier plated DEWCs in the wife's model 60. Doc is right about using JHPs in the speedloader.

great info, thanks, guys.

The revo in question:



FWIW it will be a lightweight knock around the deer lease type gun for me. Probably snake shot in the first chamber & wadcutters in the rest. Good tip on the speedloaders, though, I would not have thought of that issue. I have Titegroup on hand and will use it.

At Manyletters' gathering I loaned it to a friend who was teaching a new lady shooter, and she took right to it with mild loads. So much so I was offered a trade on it, which I had to decline. 3" M60's work well, with mild loads.

NICE revolver!

I use Penn's
https://www.pennbullets.com/38/CAS-38.html
Bob has always been a great guy to deal with.

This one will probably get a few wadcutter loads, too.



Although it certainly can take some stout magnum loads, it's in honored semi-retirement. Dad used it ~40 years ago, to sober up three drunks who thought they were tough guys.

The 5" pre-27 N frame, from the early 50's, will get the magnum loads.

I've shot a few different wad cutters , most accurate I've found for me was Speer HBWC

It's been alot of years since I packed a K-38 with wadcutter ammo. It always impressed me as being a really great small game load that was also very pleasant to shoot and extremely accurate.
My old K-38 would put all six Western Match into 3/4's of an inch, outside spread, at 25 yds. Ridiculously accurate. I'll never forget chopping down a Bluejay at 60 yds. once. Took a sitting position with my back against an old apple tree, put the jay in the center of the front sight, he was only half it's width, and down he went. Hit right in the center of the chest. Not much left of him.
On cottontails or tree squirrels, they went right down without riuning any meat. Perfect.
I'd hate to get into an argument with a bear with that load and they would glance of any hard surface, but fun and very effective they were. E

well, I luckily found a box of 500 Speer HBWC's, so I think I am set for a while. But some of the other brands mentioned may be worth a look, too


interesting video:

I shoot a lot of wadcutters, but only factory.
Bob

Bonus Bullets, Missouri Bullets, Dardas Cast bullets(Dardas runs a little hard)

Zero bullets

http://www.rozedist.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RZD&Category_Code=ZSB-38S

Dardas bullets

http://www.dardascastbullets.com/mm...Store_Code=dardas&Category_Code=38WC

For kicking around ranch and woods roaming type stuff I really like a SWC for my M36. It is more accurate as the range stretches and still hits critters pretty hard. The little J frames can be surprisingly accurate over longish distances, and I find it really hard to pass a shot at a coyote even out at 75 to 100 yards. I use Lyman 358156 or 358421 over a snort of 700X and can make a coffee can dance out around the 100yd mark.
As a side note I once shot a big spruce chicken 4 times with WW midrange wadcutters out of a 4-5/8" blackhawk, drew feathers every shot but couldn't knock him off that limb. Likely not square hits but a comical sight nonetheless!

Never tried Dardas' wadcutters, but being that he's here in Michigan and his products are widely available on the shelf here, I've sent a lot of his stuff downrange. I agree that they seem a touch harder than necessary for most hand gunning, but I've not noticed any leading issues with them.

2.3 grains of Clays is perfect for paper targets, small game hunting, and is very easy to shoot in J Frame BUGs.