100 gr HBWC for 38 Spl - load info?

[Hamster]

Please let me know if you have any experience loading 100 gr HBWC bullets for a 38 Spl revolver. This new product just showed up at my local gun store, made by Campro, in Quebec. Swaged lead bullets, copper plated. Can't find load data anywhere. I'm curious to try them out in my S&W K38. My usual load is 148 gr Hornady lead HBWC over 2.8 gr Bullseye, working well. For shooting ISSF Centre Fire (there's no NRA Bullseye here).

[Rover]

Since you're not loading "hot", any 100 grain bullet starting load data you can find will work. Only accuracy will matter. You might also want to try magnum primers for a hotter (cleaner) burn.

[rmca]

Lighter bullets need more powder to achieve the same velocities.
Speer 14th edition has a couple of 11ogr bullets (UCHP and GDHP SB) for .38 Special using Bullseye starting at 4.2 at 891fps to 4.6 at 990fps.
I would start here, and work up if needed.

Hope this helps

[william]

Sorry, but this is looking like a shiny new object. You say 148gr HBWC give good results, and everything that can be known about loading it is there for simply looking it up. What's the point? Aren't there better ways to spend your time than reinventing the wheel?

[Rover]

C'mon, man! Two-thirds of the posts here would disappear without that attitude.

[David M]

100g wadcutters are deep seated in .38 special cases about 5mm below the case top,
and loaded with 2.0g of your favorivte powder. (up to max 3.5g)
2.0g Bullseye gives you about 500fps and are fun out to 50 yds.
Shoots like a .22.
For Revolver only.

[6string]

I just looked at the CAMPRO website.
There's a couple anomalies with their bullets in regard to conventional thinking about wadcutters.
First, the copper plating... Is this really necessary? It's rather thick on these bullets. So, whatever "advantages" this may offer, it is very much offset by the increased risk of getting a "squib" stuck in your barrel from a light load.
Second, they only offer .357" diameter. Depending on your cylinder throats and bore diameter(s), best accuracy might be achieved with anything from .356" - .360".

At one time, Lyman offered a bewildering range of 38 wadcutter molds. Seemingly, any reasonable idea for a mold design was tested on the market. When there were more clubs, most of which had a Bullseye league, a lot of matches were shot using the various "gallery" or USRA courses of fire. Typically, lightweight (below 148 gr) were loaded with sub-2.7 gr charges of Bullseye or DuPont Pistol no. 5 using a conventionally seated wadcutter. In the early 20th century, these light wadcutters would be loaded with King's semi-smokeless, or even black powder, with the bullet seated below the casemouth (sometimes with a wad) just touching the powder charge. Surprisingly good scores can be shot this way.

You might ask CAMPRO about load data.

[Hamster]

I e mailed CAMPRO and received a sheet listing, for Bullseye, a range of 3.3 to 3.7 grains. No velocity number. That's higher than the range for 148 gr HBWC, but I see from a few other sources that (as others have pointed out) the recommended loads for lighter bullets are often higher. I can't say I really understand why a lighter bullet requires more powder but evidently it's so.

[David M]

A lighter bullet accelerates faster in the barrel giving more barrel volume for the powder burn rate, hence lower peak pressures.
More powder is needed to maintain the pressure.

[JimPGov]

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THE 100GR HBWC. THEY USED TO BE SOLD BY A COMPANY NAMED 3-D BULLETS (OR AMMO). THEY WERE NOT GOOD PAST 15YDS . THESE WERE TESTED IN MANY PPC REVOLVERS. 148GR HBWC FROM A PPC REVOLVER WILL GROUP ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKLE AT 25 YDS. THE 100GR WOULD NOT HOLD X-RING AT 25YDS. A B-27 TARGET X-RING IS 2" WIDE BY 3" TALL. CHASING YOUR TAIL I'M AFRAID. JP

[william]

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THE 100GR HBWC. THEY USED TO BE SOLD BY A COMPANY NAMED 3-D BULLETS (OR AMMO). THEY WERE NOT GOOD PAST 15YDS . THESE WERE TESTED IN MANY PPC REVOLVERS. 148GR HBWC FROM A PPC REVOLVER WILL GROUP ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKLE AT 25 YDS. THE 100GR WOULD NOT HOLD X-RING AT 25YDS. A B-27 TARGET X-RING IS 2" WIDE BY 3" TALL. CHASING YOUR TAIL I'M AFRAID. JP

Even all-caps won't stop some people from chasing their own tails. On the plus side, they are very good for business.

[Hamster]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think I'll avoid this product. I will however try Cam Pro's 148 gr HBWC projectiles, plated, and quite a bit cheaper than the lead Hornady product I have been using. Not that I've noticed any leading from those.

[william]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think I'll avoid this product. I will however try Cam Pro's 148 gr HBWC projectiles, plated, and quite a bit cheaper than the lead Hornady product I have been using. Not that I've noticed any leading from those.

Oh, yeah, copper covered wadcutters MUST be the answer. Remind me - what was the question?

[Hamster]

In my mind, the question was whether I should try these for practice, since they are way cheaper than the Hornady lead bullets I've been reloading, which aren't easy to find where I live. There's very little interest in accurate pistol shooting around here.