With all of the modern jacketed hollow point loads available for self-defense, it's easy to overlook the venerable lead wadcutter bullet. But in some cases, it may be the best load available for your concealed carry revolver.
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Prior to the unfortunate boating mishap on Colorado's Horsetooth Reservoir, my Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special was always loaded with wadcutters. Still is, in 90' of water.
ReplyDeleteI use the Remington Wadcutter load in my small, steel framed revolver and it is a joy to shoot and recoil is very manageable and shot placement is almost perfect.
ReplyDeleteThere is always the chance a hollow point may fail to expand. In such a case, it might perform about like a wadcutter.
ReplyDeleteAnd if the HP does expand, it may not achieve adequate penetration.
(See Paul Harrel for more on this subject.)
I used to cast my own .38 hollow base wadcutters. I handloaded them backwards for home defense loads.
ReplyDeleteMy brother uses the same load. He has been quite happy with it.
DeleteSemi jacketed flat nosed rounds are a decent round also....
ReplyDeleteBack in the 70s and 80s, I carried .38 +P semi wadcutter hollow points with a deep “X” cut thru the depth of the cone. We called them urban renewal specials. I can testify that they transferred all the foot poundage in the first 6” and stopped things in their tracks
ReplyDeleteBack in the 70s and 80s, I carried .38 +P semi wadcutter hollow points with a deep “X” cut thru the depth of the cone. We called them urban renewal specials. I can testify that they transferred all the foot poundage in the first 6” and stopped things in their tracks
ReplyDeleteBack in the 70s and 80s, I carried .38 +P semi wadcutter hollow points with a deep “X” cut thru the depth of the cone. We called them urban renewal specials. I can testify that they transferred all the foot poundage in the first 6” and stopped things in their tracks
ReplyDeleteDid everybody know that, back in the 70's and 80's, Anonymous carried .38 +P semi-wadcutter hollow points?
ReplyDeleteLOL!
Why no, I didn't know that, back in the 70's and 80's, Anonymous carried .38 +P semi-wadcutter hollow points! But I do now.
DeleteYeah, I think I read that somewhere. LOL
DeleteNo mercy.
DeleteNo mercy.
No mercy.
My homebrew cast 160ish grain SWC will expand more than the 158gr Hydrashok in my 357. My guess is that they are about 12 to 14 on the Brinell scale as they are air cooled and I use the same lead for my 54 Hawken. In the 54 they do deform when loading and are perfect for Black Powder shooting. My 3 place mold is supposed to be a 157 gr SWC but I have a 1.5gr spread that averages at 159.7gr.
ReplyDeleteCarried full charge(850ish fps) full wadcutters in my smith airweight for 25 years, they do the job.A few years back killed a deer at about 15 feet,3 hits to the chest broadside.
ReplyDeleteWadcutters are a very good round to carry in a 2-3" barrel revolver. Most JHP's or even LWCHP's, even those designed for short barrel guns, usually don't expand from those short barrels, and the sharp edges on the wadcutters provide good cutting action as they plow through tissue. Buffalo Bore makes some hard cast wadcutters that give really good penetration from short barrel guns without having to go to +P loadings, and even target wadcutters from companies like Federal and Winchester work pretty well.
ReplyDelete