If questioned about the non-regulation ammunition, they simply planned to claim the wadcutters were left in the guns accidentally, after training. Last trip to the range the 158s were feeling stout. Whats not to like about that. What got my attention was trying to find .22 Magnum ammunition. Bravo! Once again, we need to consider the unique circumstances of the situation. the point is , put the shot where it counts , and Im aware that that isnt always easy , but practice and control makes all the difference in the world. I got tired of the Kentucky windage and painted my front sight to line up with POI as 7 yards. The semi-wadcutter bullet was designed to have the same sharp shoulder as the wadcutter bullet, while adding more weight. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. jacketed hollow point. As you pointed out, good luck getting away with that today. The laboratory tests indicate that hardball should have poked through like an ice pick, but the reality on the street was quite different. All my other guns are all steel and +p rated. They speed load fine and also have a flat meplat. The FBI protocol also penalizes a bullet that penetrates too deeply. Among the rediscovered treasures were thousands of .38 Special cases and several boxes of .38 Special wadcutter target ammunition. Im humbled, and pleased youre getting so much out of our efforts. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, troubleshooting, accessories, classifieds, and more! I see semi wad cutter, flat nose, round nose, etc. The load is intended to be useful for both training and defense use. I & II; Gun Digest Big Fat Book of the .45 ACP, Gun Digest Book of the AR-15, Gun Digest Book of the AK and SKS, Gun Digest Book of the Glock and Gunsmithing: Pistols and Revolvers, among other titles. load of Bullseye, normal seating depth showed a pressure of 8,700 psi. You can reload wadcutters to the first cannelure thereby making them a distinctively loaded cartridge, but then you place yourself at the risk of being questioned by a prosecutor before a jury for using exotic reloaded ammunition because youre clearly a nutcase that was looking for trouble. Semi-wadcutters, however, can be more reliable in pistols and can sometimes be . Patrick Sweeney is the author of many of Gun Digest books' best-selling titles, including Gun Digest Book of the 1911, Vols. You do, however have a few choices to make, choices that will determine your path in life. Yeppers, wadcutters are my go-to range AND self defense ammo. You can have jacketed hollow points, all-lead or lead hollow points. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. When we looked at the most likely jacketed hollowpoint options in .38 Special and .357 Magnum, none of them fared well when we measured them against these priorities for our friend. It's always had a great reputation as a man stopper. As a result, full wadcutter bullets are almost always used in revolvers, with .38 Special being the most common caliber. These have nearly cylindrical noses, which are as long as the firearm chamber allows, and just slightly smaller than bore diameter so they will easily chamber. I can tell you this from personal experience, this round woks very well against raccoons. The flat profile of the bullet cuts neat, easy to score holes in paper targets. Do you have a source on that? A reloading example: Instead of 2.8 grains of Bullseye behind the swaged 148 wad cutter, use 3.0 grains of Bullseye behind a 158 grain cast semi-wad cutter. Poly-case ammunition and copper solids offer excellent penetration. The low velocity of these rounds significantly reduces their recoil. Semi-wadcutters are a cross between traditional lead round nose and the full wadcutter. In my 3 SP101, it is only about an inch low at about 7 yards. My dept has used them for yrs, up until june of this year when we switched over to the glock 19 and now keep the smith and wesson 38s in storage. No purchase necessary. Granted, I am familiar with and have trained with both. Whew!! Ammunition has changed very much since the 80,s and 90,s. Winchester, however, upon experimenting further during the cartridge development, modified the Sharpe bullet shape slightly, while keeping the Sharpe contour of the bullet. Reloading. I will keep on keeping on, and having fun! mould. Thats it Carl, keep pressing on! I dont know why that didnt occur to me to do that purposefully. Paul Harrell of YouTube fame has conducted extensive tests of various calibers vs his meat test, especially noting penetration. Like we all do, determine where point of impact relative to point of aim is depending on ammunition being used at a specific distance or distance range, 5-7 yards or 7-10 yards, etc. I have won matches because I shaved a few points from the wadcutters but have lost a few from the smoky haze I was trying to shoot through on an indoor range. Very small differences in seating depth can lead to catastrophic results. One aspect of a .38 Special revolver that people might have forgotten is accuracy. We've got the platform you need. Clear editor. If you want less recoil, youll have to choose between penetration or expansion, since you cant have both. The ammo issued that day was PMC 158gr +P FMJ. Im glad youre enjoying RevolverGuy so much, and think youre well-equipped with that 442, especially with your training and experience. . If you're unsure what you need, check out our guide on How to Buy Ammo and grab a box today! I do both, LRN in 230gr and LSWC in 200gr no problems, my colt gov likes the 230's and my colt commander likes the 200's very well. Medium-sized revolvers, the six-shot wheelguns and those with 3- or 4-inch barrels, are a lot easier to shoot and deliver the ballistics you want. Wadcutters can clearly cut the line of a higher scoring ring and in a sport where matches are won or lost by a single point, this matters. I think I got a good chest shot as it looked like it was exhaling after vaping, only there was no follow-up inhaling on the part of the raccoon. How about loading with wadcutters, and throwing a speed strip of the Hornady CDs in your pocket? Its much appreciated, as is your Patreon support! I think that the sharper the shoulder if the media requires cutting and tearing to get through.. the flatter nose will make more permanent cavity and penetrate more straight through to the possibly intended area. Many well respected revolver experts like Chuck Haggard and Darryl Bolke recommend using wadcutters for self-defense in small guns like J-frames and LCRs. Ill note that while the FBIs 12 minimum has become the de facto industry standard, there are still reasonable disagreements about it. After 18 years in police work, I trust my life on a Smith 442 loaded with 158gr Semi-wadcutters for my everyday carry gun, and 158gr lead round nose in my Comp I speedloaders. The longer, pointed shape of the typical hollowpoint bullet helps to guide the cartridge into the chamber, but the squared-off shape of the wadcutter is more likely to hangup on the edges of the chamber and give you fits. With the carbine I have to single-load rounds as they dont feed reliably, but with their soft recoil and extreme accuracy they are fun to shoot. Notice I said most and usually. The wide forward driving band helps keep the bullet aligned as it jumps across the cylinder gap. David, the .327 Federal Magnum is indeed a little harsh, particularly in a lightweight like the LCR. First starting out and before I knew better I always assumed the 38 had more power than the 9mm. A semiwadcutter (SWC) or flat-nose is a type of all-purpose bullet commonly used in revolvers. I just cant thank you, Justin, and Steve enough for your efforts .. seriously. A .32 H&R Magnum round would be excellent alternative, and I think a wadcutter bullet in that chambering would also be an excellent choice. Choosing .38 Special Ammo For Self-Defense, Video: The Colt Paterson Revolver And Other Early Repeaters, Choosing Handgun Ammo: The Facts That Matter Most for Self-Defense, 8 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options (2022), 10 Affordable Double-Barrel Shotgun Options (2023), Best AR-15 Options For Any Budget And Buyers Guide (2023), Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women (2023). A member of Team Taurus, Team Bushnell and Team Hoppes, Harrison used a Bushnell reflex sight to help extend her streak of consecutive Ladies titles at the match, which was recently revived by Doug Koenig. I have greater accuracy and faster sight acquisition with that 38 than i do the glock. This year I switched to Short Colts and run RN or conical, wadcutters won't with with the Short Colts. Fiochi and Federal both make them Federal only come 20 to a box, IIRC. Thanks. I also use .38 special wadcutters from Choice Ammunition, which they claim are hard cast but low velocity (experience with them tells me this is true, maybe +/- 700 fps?). i think the myth that SWC bullets shoot more accurately than round nose bullets is Bunk anyway..ive never seen an appreciable difference with them in that dept. lead round nose; 158-gr. A semiwadcutter (SWC) or flat-nose is a type of all-purpose bullet commonly used in revolvers. Then, pack the largest .38 revolver you can comfortably carry and conceal, and use the stoutest load in it that you can comfortably shoot. For years, the working load was a soft lead, cast or swaged 148-gr. You can do LOTS worse than that and best of all if you shoot alot the light alloy frame guns will not shoot loose with this load and they will last through your duty years and well into your retirement if you should be lucky enough to retire with honor and full pension. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. The better question should have been, WHO does she know? Revolver Guy Mike. The shooter admitted to being uncomfortable with the recoil, and had left the majority of the box of +Ps unfired. Handloading. Semi-Wadcutter. lead bullets also take less powder to get to a specified velocity. Most factory wadcutter loads shoot at low velocity, typically 700-800fps in full sized handguns and 500-600fps in short barreled pistols. It's typically favored in .38 snub-nose style revolvers. I can personally say that they are indeed great rounds to use despite what other experts say. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Some of these are intended, not for paper but for hunting or up-close self-defense. - Joseph Stalin and today's Democratic Party. While probably not the equivalent in terms of lethality of a 125 grain HP screaming along at 1400 fps, I find them to be shootable and accurate. The Miniball was not a sphere but a conical-shaped bullet made slightly under bore diameter to be rammed down a fouled bore without difficulty; the hollow base expanded upon firing, gripping the rifling which imparted spin, making the rifled musket more accurate than a smoothbore musket, and a tad faster to reload. Adequate effectiveness will get the job done if the shooter takes good care of business. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! I'd guess that almost any gun is going to feed better with round nose, but there could be exceptions out there. My learning and shooting philosophy is: one. 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