New .38 SD Load

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  • VERT

    Grandmaster
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    23   0   0
    Jan 4, 2009
    9,801
    113
    Seymour
    Something to compete with the Speer Gold Dot short barrel load???? Wadcutters and my snubby are friends. I will definately try some of these if I see them on the shelf.
     
    Rating - 100%
    128   0   0
    Jan 28, 2009
    3,656
    113
    I've loaded plenty of 148gr. wadcutters upside down. Expansion is quite impressive. Loaded them with the same powder charge as right side up. Very good for short range work.
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
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    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
    25,890
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    It's not a wadcutter, although it's loaded to wadcutter depth. 130 gr HST hollowpoint.

    It'll be interesting to see penetration and expansion results. My first concern is too much expansion, not enough penetration, given how thin the walls look...but I would like to be proven wrong.
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
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    4   0   0
    Apr 21, 2010
    6,240
    149
    The Lyman HBWC mold loaded backwards can work pretty good.
    If you size the front smaller to fit down the chamber, the bullet seated out to maximize the powder space, you can get a little more FPS.

    These are from some tests I ran a few years ago.
    snubby 2.jpg
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
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    4   0   0
    Apr 21, 2010
    6,240
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    Just some thoughts; I question whether a really heavy bullet without a front end cup wouldn't be better for close range self defense.
    The cartridge really doesn't have much oomph and penetration is the first concern.
    A heavy SWC will penetrate clothing... same factors involved that made pointy heavy bullets the military choice for percussion revolvers.
    That old time .38-200 grain round nose was a slow moving penetrator that worked.
    Maybe a 200 grain wadcutter would be worth looking at? Don't know. Maybe some heavy clothing tests would be needed to figger it all out.
    I recently obtained one of the old Ideal 200 grain round nose plain base molds. Maybe I'll get a chance to test some.
     

    Disposable Heart

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 99.6%
    246   1   1
    Apr 18, 2008
    5,805
    99
    Greenfield, IN
    Speed reloads may be a chore with that profile...

    Someone had to say it.... Has anyone actually TRIED speedloading with wadcutter profile rounds? It's difficult unless you are REALLY deliberate...

    This is a step back in concept to me. Who cares about "dead air" in the case? Other manufacturers have been loading SD .38 ammo without worrying about the case capacity having open air. You can't go too high in pressure without fragging someone's Airweight lockwork, so what's the point in compressing it?

    We have enough trouble trying to get GOOD .38 snub ammo without some hang up (bullet design can't expand at the velo snubbys have, profile makes it hard to reload quickly, expensive or unobtanium during a run on ammo like the short barrel Gold Dots)...
     

    VERT

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Jan 4, 2009
    9,801
    113
    Seymour
    Someone had to say it.... Has anyone actually TRIED speedloading with wadcutter profile rounds? It's difficult unless you are REALLY deliberate...

    This is a step back in concept to me. Who cares about "dead air" in the case? Other manufacturers have been loading SD .38 ammo without worrying about the case capacity having open air. You can't go too high in pressure without fragging someone's Airweight lockwork, so what's the point in compressing it?

    We have enough trouble trying to get GOOD .38 snub ammo without some hang up (bullet design can't expand at the velo snubbys have, profile makes it hard to reload quickly, expensive or unobtanium during a run on ammo like the short barrel Gold Dots)...

    My revolver reload is in an "unspeed strip" so profile matters little to me. Doubt they would work very well in a traditional speed loader.
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
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    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
    25,890
    113
    If you're concerned with speed of reload, a snubby .38 isn't for you anyway. You aren't really playing to it's strengths regardless of bullet profile.

    What I'm *hoping* is that with a smaller amount of powder that burns cleaner there may be a noticeable difference in reduced muzzle flash. Maybe. Or it could just be marketing and cost savings. Less powder also means less recoil, but it's a tiny difference and probably nothing you'd be able to notice.
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Apr 21, 2010
    6,240
    149
    The old Speer HBWC worked well backwards.
    There was a small spherical section on the nose that could be easily trimmed off with a razor.
    There was a small shoulder on the front that just so happened to be a perfect gas check base once the spherical section was trimmed off.
    Then you could press fit a variety of objects into the hollow base followed by resizing the outside of the slug to .358.
    When spent .22 short cases were press fit into the hollow base and the outside returned to .358 diameter, then after loading the lead could be trimmed using a hand held pencil sharpener using the brass rim of the .22 short and the brass rim of the crimped .38 case as reference surfaces.
    Seated about 50% deep the end result was a truncated cone flat point. Results on impact was a matter of what was contained within the .22 case.
     

    Slow Hand

    Master
    Rating - 99.3%
    145   1   0
    Aug 27, 2008
    3,086
    149
    West Side
    My hand cast HP's and Hornady swaged SWC-HP's have performed well for me. As has the old stand by 'FBI load'. Although the SWC's are kind of a pai to reload with. Speedloader at times too.
     
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