crimsondave
New member
I really should know this, I guess, but I don't. Why are some Wadcutters loaded totally flush with the case and some stick out as far as "regular" bullets?
Another Wadcutter ?
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No wadcutters that I am aware stick out as far as regular loaded rounds, but there are some wadcutters that stick out a tiny bit. (you might be thinking of a semi-wadcutter, that does indeed stick out like a regular loaded round.)
The difference in full wadcutters that I've noticed is that hollow base wadcutters have a ... you guessed, a hollow base, and these are swaged bullets that are formed by forced. They are very accurate bullet but the process to make them is more labor intensive and the lead is quite soft.
Then there are simple cast wadcutters which can't have a hollow base because they are made by pouring molten lead in to a mold which forms them in to a solid slug.
And then there is a variation on the cast wadcutter that is a double ended (or double bevel base) wadcutter which is much like the basic cast wadcutter except that it's exactly same from one end to the other so it's orientation does not matter... making it quicker and easier for reloading, especially with progressive and automatic machines. Quicker because it doesn't matter if the bullet is right-side up or upside down.
All of them make for a pretty accurate loaded round!
The difference in full wadcutters that I've noticed is that hollow base wadcutters have a ... you guessed, a hollow base, and these are swaged bullets that are formed by forced. They are very accurate bullet but the process to make them is more labor intensive and the lead is quite soft.
Then there are simple cast wadcutters which can't have a hollow base because they are made by pouring molten lead in to a mold which forms them in to a solid slug.
And then there is a variation on the cast wadcutter that is a double ended (or double bevel base) wadcutter which is much like the basic cast wadcutter except that it's exactly same from one end to the other so it's orientation does not matter... making it quicker and easier for reloading, especially with progressive and automatic machines. Quicker because it doesn't matter if the bullet is right-side up or upside down.
All of them make for a pretty accurate loaded round!
jaguarxk120
New member
Lyman moulds 35891,358395,358495,429352, and 454309 are all wadcutters. And have a crimping grouve. It just depends on what gun you are shooting. Many auto's need the bullet seated flush with the case mouth. Revolvers don't have the feeding problems of auto's and th bullets can be seated in or ate the crimping grouve and a light crimp applied.
crimsondave
New member
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When you start going back in history with nearly defunct cartridges (.38 S&W) then the rules change a bit! 
In the case of the .38 S&W, there is likely no room for any powder charge if you tried to load a wadcutter flush in that case.
Also, if you try to load full wadcutters in to semi-auto pistols (other than the S&W model 52 which is odd in it's own right) I would think you'd have to come up with a wadcutter bullet that sticks out from the case a good bit.
In the case of the .38 S&W, there is likely no room for any powder charge if you tried to load a wadcutter flush in that case.Also, if you try to load full wadcutters in to semi-auto pistols (other than the S&W model 52 which is odd in it's own right) I would think you'd have to come up with a wadcutter bullet that sticks out from the case a good bit.
And, LBT makes "Ballistic Wadcutters" that are designed to stick-out as far as the cylinder length allows so that they can be loaded really hot for major stopping power. They are said to maintain stability to about 90 yards due to a slightly radiused leading edge, whereas regular wadcutters get unstable after a little more than 50 yards.
SL1
SL1
That's a point of interest. It depends on your barrel twist rate. The .32 Long and .38 Special have a fairly slow 18 3/4" twist. It's really too slow for the long hollow base wadcutters. A few years back a fellow wrote a magazine article about .32 Long wadcutters and tried different barrel twists to see what happened to the groups? His sandbagged groups got tighter and tighter as he increased the twist until the groups minimized with a 12" twist. My dad's GSP has the standard 18 3/4" twist and it would keyhole those rounds when it was new, but seemed to get better with age. Still marginal, obviously.
Ignoring the 20" twist on the .44 Special, I figure with the .45's having 16" twists and able to be extremely accurate, and with the .32 Long WC's proven to do best with a 12" twist, that interpolates to the .357 groove pistol barrels being given a 13.3" twist. If I don't forget the .44 Special, but instead sub it for the .45, interpolation still suggests a 15" twist for the .357 groove bullet. It would be interesting to try one with a 13" or 14" or 15" twist to see if those hollow base wadcutters might not then remain stable all the way out to their drop to earth?
Ignoring the 20" twist on the .44 Special, I figure with the .45's having 16" twists and able to be extremely accurate, and with the .32 Long WC's proven to do best with a 12" twist, that interpolates to the .357 groove pistol barrels being given a 13.3" twist. If I don't forget the .44 Special, but instead sub it for the .45, interpolation still suggests a 15" twist for the .357 groove bullet. It would be interesting to try one with a 13" or 14" or 15" twist to see if those hollow base wadcutters might not then remain stable all the way out to their drop to earth?
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crimsondave
New member
Yeah, I did an image search on google and did not read what I was looking at before I posted it. Oops!