Need Wadcutter Advise

[BigRix]

I'm about to start loading my H&G #50 wadcutters and have a few questions. I plan to load these in .38 special and .357 Magnum.



They are casting at .360-.361 and 143-144 grains. Cast from air cooled wheel weights.

I have a Lyman 450 and a .358 sizing die.

If I use the 450 to size them do I have to do something special to only lube the bottom lube groove? If I only go deep enough to lube that groove does the entire bullet get sized down or is the top of the bullet still in the tapered part of the die?

My other thought was to size them in the 450 dry and them tumble lube them. I have also read that some tumble lube them and load as cast.

Final question is about load data. I find plenty for .38 Special but the only wadcutter load I have for .357 is in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, Third Edition. It's for mold #358495 141 gr wadcutter, would anyone have a problem using the starting loads for this bullet even though mine weigh 3-4 grains more? Anyone have pet loads for this bullet they would be willing to share?

The .38's will be shot in my two Official Police revolvers and the .357's will be shot in my S&W 65-5 and Python, if that makes any difference. I have not slugged any of these guns.

[Ben]

BigRix

You can try 1 lube ring only and then take you mike and measure ALL the bands to see what dia. they are after pushing the bullet into the sizer die for the 1 lube ring fill.

If you don't have a consistent dia. of 358 " on all of the drive bands, you will need to wipe a thin film of grease on the bullets and size the entire bullet in the die with no pressure on the lube ratchet. I would not attempt to size the bullets dry with no lube at all. That thin film of grease on about every 3rd bullet should keep the die from any lead build up. Of course, no harm will occur if you put a thin film of grease on EACH bullet that you are sizing .

After you are satisfied that the entire bullet length is .358" ( on the nose and base of the bullet ) , you'll then run them a 2nd time ( this time with pressure on the lube ) through the lube/sizer and fill 1 ring with lube.

In the 357 Mag. case, try 3.0 - 3.2 B'eye with your wad cutters.

You might also find success with the bullets all sized to .358" and then tumble them with Lee Liquid Alox.

As a side note......I'll often times run 360" dia cast pistol bullets through a .358" Lee Sizer die in volume on a standard C Press. Then, if I'm only needing 1 lube ring filled, I'll go over to my Lyman 45 and set the depth to allow only the bottom lube ring to be filled.

[BigRix]

After you are satisfied that the entire bullet length is .358" ( on the nose and base of the bullet ) , you'll then run them a 2nd time through the lube/sizer and lube only 1 ring.

I knew I was over thinking things, as always. Never thought about running them through twice.

[Russ in WY]

Why not more then one grove , I have always filled all but the crimp grove , then no worries about the sizing .. just My 2¢.. Russ.

[Ben]

There have been many test done in the past on multi-lube ring w/c's in 38/357 that seem to indicate that accuracy often deteriorates when more than the bottom single lube ring is filled with lube.

Your pistol may shoot fine with all rings filled, many do not ? ?

I once owned an 8 3/8 " S & W , Model 14, 38 Special. That particular pistol DID NOT like more than 1 lube ring filled on a 148 gr. W/C. The more lube , the poorer the accuracy with that pistol.

[runfiverun]

i have the lyman version of that boolit and have lubed both rings and just the bottom and just the top ring to see what will happen.
you might try lubing them nose down to size the whole thing and get just the one ring.
or even plug the extra holes in your die with some shot.
i sized exactly two boolits with a lyman and promptly bought a star, so just throwing that out there.
i have also heard of making a through sizer from a push pull sizer.

[noylj]

The ONLY wadcutters that are accurate in my M52 are 0.360-0.3605".
What is diameter for your cylinder's throats and size bullets to that size.
You should normally, for a revolver, have about 0.2" or so of exposed bullet in the cylinder's throat.

[63 Shiloh]

There have been many test done in the past on multi-lube ring w/c's in 38/357 that seem to indicate that accuracy often deteriorates when more than the bottom single lube ring is filled with lube.

Your pistol may shoot fine with all rings filled, many do not ? ?

I once owned an 8 3/8 " S & W , Model 14, 38 Special. That particular pistol DID NOT like more than 1 lube ring filled on a 148 gr. W/C. The more lube , the poorer the accuracy with that pistol.

I found out about the one ring lube with wadcutters on this site.

I started to only lube one groove with White Label BAC and CR.

Made a very noticeable difference to my accuracy.

I am shooting a Smith 686 with 140gn WC Boolits sized to .358", one groove lubed with CR over 2.8gn of WST. This is a very accurate load in the .38 Special case with a Federal SP primer.

Mike

[TCFAN]

I shoot a lot of different weight wadcutters in a Smith 14-6. All are loaded over 3.4 grs. of Bullseye. I lube the bottom groove only in a .360 Lyman 450 and then size in a Lee .359 size die in the small Lee C-press.

About the same as Ben except I lube first where he lubes last.....Terry

[Wally]

Lee's 148 WC-TL is a wonderful bullet if you like a WC...you tumble lube and then size...shoots as accurately as any "regular" cast WC.... I have even used with a GC at higher velocities in the .357 Mag..works beautifully.

[twidget]

I use the RCBS 148 gr. WC which is similar to the one you are using. I use a Lyman 450 and run the boolit in far enough to lube the bottom ring, and I don't worry about the nose of the boolit that doesn't go all the way into the die. There doesn't seem to be a big difference in accuracy, the gun stays cleaner, and there is no leading (and the lube goes farther, too).