for IDPA..haven't tested them yet. Sure u can carry a slightly smaller gun but is that worth the trade off when they either dont penetrate deep enough or move fast enough for reliable expansion? Just to add to the chorus of praise, excellent article, Mike! This bullet is shaped similarly to a round nose flat point and has a hollow nose that is usually covered with a thin layer of lead . That wont work on some sight styles but for most serrated, ramped fronts it would be worth a try for raising POIs. nuff said. David, the .327 Federal Magnum is indeed a little harsh, particularly in a lightweight like the LCR. Furthermore, the .38 Special, 148 grain wadcutter frequently shoots to point of aim on fixed sight guns, which eliminates the need for manual corrections by the shooter, and enhances the likelihood of precision under stress. Full Metal Jacket. Although I can shoot Speers 135 gr Short barrel loads in .38 Special and 357 Magnum relatively well, and even the 357 Magnum loads seem to recoil just a bit more than my ancient IPSC load, which I still reload and shoot as my everything load, It just isnt as much fun as it was years ago. Consider the case of a budding RevolverGuy who contacted me recently, seeking a recommendation for a defensive load. Typically the velocity in 6 revolver barrels, or in the 5 barrel of the much-admired S&W 52 semi-auto pistol, was around 750800 fps. Not do much of a comment but more a question. The other distinguishing characteristics of a "Keith-style" SWC are a double radius ogive, beveled crimp groove, three equal width driving bands, wide square bottomed grease groove, and a plain base with sharp corners. Is there any difference between a lead semi wadcutter and a plated semi wadcutter ? No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. A while back I got asked by a local gun shop guy why I carried wadcutters. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. It sounds like were on the same page. - Joseph Stalin and today's Democratic Party. My 640 is a .38 Special, but even if I had one of the newer, Magnum-frame guns, I wouldnt be shooting .357s in it. Matts Bullets in Arkansas is an excellent resource for cast lead wadcutters, with a variety of types available at reasonable cost in quantities as low as 100. 950-1050fps, depending on barrel length. They struggle to reach a depth of 10 inches in bare gelatin, particularly if any bullet expansion occurs, because they lack the energy to overcome the drag created by the expanding projectile. Its not all great with wadcutters, because in one area they dont shine at all: reloading. Thetypical, low power, soft lead, target load does around 600-700 fps out of a snubby revolver, and penetrates around 16 inches in bare, calibrated gelatin. When a hollow-point hunting bullet strikes a soft target, the pressure created in the pit forces the material (usually lead) around the inside edge to expand outwards, increasing the axial diameter of the projectile as it passes through.This process is commonly referred to as mushrooming, because the resulting shape, a widened, rounded nose on top of a cylindrical base, typically resembles a . These are 110-grain bullets and they do not get to 1,000 fps out of a 2-inch barrel. His reply to I.A.D. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. Contest open to U.S. residents only. A semi-wadcutter bullet was also the basis for the famous FBI load a 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter bullet, that deleted the flat nose in favor of a hollow point. I could almost hear the sigh of relief through the wires when I told our friend that it wasnt necessary to carry Magnum ammo in a Magnum revolver, and that I wouldnt do it myself in the Ruger LCR. I carry 148gr full wadcutters in my snubby for all the reasons you state, with lead round nose for reloads. Some wadcutters have a flat base, but bullets with a hollow base are probably more common. A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. A very well written & researched article. Lets spotlight a few wadcutter designs. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Generally around 125 to 130 grains, they are compromise loads. SWC. I'd always heard that round nose were less accurate. Mike, My LCR is the .357 magnum version and I recently downgraded my carry load to Underwoods 158gr +P LSWC rounds as UWs 125 gr +P JHP were just too much for me. 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. They are not the same thing, although they are related. Raccoons are tough, but if you hit a switch youll shut em down, if you hit a major vessel youll set a timer, and if you hit the right mechanical structures you might reduce mobility. Not long after the earth cooled, and my backup/off duty gun was a M36 Chief Special (that I still have), the department issued .357 Magnums, which did absolutely no good in Roscoe in the early 1970s. Contest void where prohibited by law. Carry what you want, but be dam good with all of them. Friend Mas Ayoob points to such notables as Duncan MacPherson, Dr. Gary Roberts, and Chuck Haggard as examples. Even after I became able to fire more powerful and much louder ammo, I never chose to use the most powerful stuff available for the job. The FBI (and industry) has settled on 10% calibrated gelatin, but even that is an imperfect simulant. Both? Upload or insert images from URL. 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. They are not the same thing, although they are related. Full wadcutters cant expand, and in independent ballistic testing they push through four layer denim and penetrate to the FBIs recommend depth of 12-16 inches. I now have a M637 Airweight. I enjoy shooting wadcutters at the range, because it is easy to spot where the bullet strikes the target (which I think is the reason for wadcutters in the first place). Sign up here to find out first about new shooting tips and articles, Federal Gold Medal Match 148 grain full wadcutters, Revolver Calibers Rundown on Wheelgun Rounds, Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special +P 110gr FTX Review. 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. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. If questioned about the non-regulation ammunition, they simply planned to claim the wadcutters were left in the guns accidentally, after training. But, if you want the benefits of extra pressure you need extra barrel length. When you go from a 4 barrel to a 2 barrel, its not uncommon to lose around 100 feet per second (fps) in many .38 Special loads. $71.46 brownells.com. Load your guns cylinder with wadcutters for carry, but choose a load with a more friendly ogive for your speedloader or ammunition strip. For defence purposes, it's a different story. What does SHE know? Ill note that while the FBIs 12 minimum has become the de facto industry standard, there are still reasonable disagreements about it. Return To Table Of Contents. Notice I said most and usually. One solution was the beveled-base wadcutter (BBWC). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. In lightweight bullets, you have high speed and normal. The laboratory tests indicate that hardball should have poked through like an ice pick, but the reality on the street was quite different. ammo. The better question should have been, WHO does she know? Revolver Guy Mike. A semiwadcutter (SWC) or flat-nose is a type of all-purpose bullet commonly used in revolvers. Back before expanding hollowpoints were the norm for defensive handgun ammo, the bullets with wide, flat noses had the best reputations for hitting the hardest and delivering the most shock. [6][4], From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners Chapter 12: The Keith Semiwadcutter (SWC), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Semiwadcutter&oldid=1104926170, This page was last edited on 17 August 2022, at 15:39. Hatman, thank you very much for the kind words. The first time I loaded some 130gr round nose FMJ I got, by far, the best accuracy I'd ever seen out of my gunso much for round nose not shooting well. In my location, this is important to me. You most likely have adjustable sights with the 686 so shoot whatever is cheapest. In my 3 SP101, it is only about an inch low at about 7 yards. .38 Spl Semi wadcutter or also known as Keith bullet. A hyper-accurate load with vicious recoil that is too stout to manage will not allow the required practical accuracy that we need; 3. However, I use the Buffalo Bore 150 grain hard cast wadcutter rather than the 148 grain target loads. 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. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. Its wonderful to hear from you. We carry 38 Special with wadcutter, semi-wadcutter, round nose, and FMJ bullets for punching holes through paper. Poly-case ammunition and copper solids offer excellent penetration. The story of a long-barrel .357 Mag. But for Every Day Carry it would be bulky. I found a bit of info about pressure vs. seating depth especially useful. Everything Ive said here about .38 Special applies equally to the .32 H&R Magnum. Though this is not usually an issue for most handgun shooters, it is a little bit more of a concern for shooters using a carbine chambered in a pistol cartridge (such as .357 or .44 Magnum). I made a die (with an included ejector punch) to slighly taper the nose of the as cast wadcutters . Thanks for a great article Mike! OK, it seems as if the SWC shooters like the holes. Seriously? That distance is roughly equal to the unobstructed, farthest distance between two points within my home which is about 22 feet. The wadcutter cant achieve what they do, with its solid construction and low velocity. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM DIY 2022, P.O. Not only that, but his open carry sword got used to separate his head from his body. Whats not to like? semi-wadcutter vs. round flat. In fact, veteran police gunfighter Jim Cirillo incorporated this feature into a bullet of his own design, after seeing how the square corner could grab hold and allow the bullet to do some work. Not all SWC are created equal. Formal bullseye target shooting with revolvers appears to have begun soon after the end of the American Civil War, coincident with the advent and improvement of self-contained metallic cartridges. Now Im asking, why didnt I think of that?!. I am not your lawyer. A bullet that looks like an overpenetrator in gelatin might turn out to be just fine in the real world, where it has to defeat a non-homogenous, clothed target. I like to load the Matts Bullets 157gr LWC. Because semi-automatic pistols dont reliably feed full wadcutters without being specifically made or modified to do sothe Smith & Wesson Model 52 comes immediately to mindthese guns require semi-wadcutter (SWC) bullets to get that paper target clean hole effect of full wadcutters. Winchester, however, upon experimenting further during the cartridge development, modified the Sharpe bullet shape slightly, while keeping the Sharpe contour of the bullet. Granted, I am familiar with and have trained with both. kpop idols with big waist girl rapped by a boy video cannot set length for output file there is not enough space on the disk asian schoolgirl anal torture fairview . The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Full wadcutters are so-named to differentiate them from semi-wadcutters; the abbreviation, WC is generally understood to identify the full wadcutter. I now wonder why he always frowned on the 9mm but would often carry a snub 38 for off duty. Then, pack the largest .38 revolver you can comfortably carry and conceal, and use the stoutest load in it that you can comfortably shoot. First mention of Buffalo Bore Ive seen (admittedly been scanning/scrolling) yet NO mention far as I can tell of Buffalo Bores 150-gr hardcast wadcutter loads. Revolvers can be amazingly accurate, and a quality DA revolver delivers all of that. Id forgotten that Jim had written about thatI need to revisit his book! The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. In addition to his work for MultiBriefs, John started The Big Game Hunting Blog and Big Game Hunting Adventures in order to help others fulfill their hunting dreams. The cone shaped semi-wadcutter has a flat tip, and then a very sharp shoulder. Revolvers. A plated semi wadcutter is simply a lead bullet washed in copper as opposed to having a thick copper jacket. If you shoot indoors, stay away from lead, you'll gag at the line and so will the SO's. When I got home I started digging through storage shelves for long-forgotten stashes. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. Im glad youre enjoying RevolverGuy so much, and think youre well-equipped with that 442, especially with your training and experience. Heres hoping it doesnt get too much worse. The load is intended to be useful for both training and defense use. I chose to go with the Hornady load largely because I wanted the easier reloading and didnt want to juggle two different loads. I think that speaks to your point of shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. Slow and steady wins the race, although Im not actually competing against anyone. This may look like legal advice. Swc and clays hard to beat. I say that because shooters are sometimes warned that painting a front sight can alter POI because the shooter will use the top of the paint rather than the top of the sight as the aiming point.

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