Standard 38 spc lead wadcutter load

Caution !! Sarcasm at play:

Since the 148 grain wadcutters seemed to be the cheapest bullet in the world the only logical answer is it must be loaded with Bullseye, the cheapest hand gun powder in the world. Probably something like 3 grains of Bullseye. Slightly more if you really wanted a carboned up and dirty gun.

(I know this because I trained with wad cutters for years to stay current at my job)

kwg

2.8 g of Bullseye with the bullet seated almost flush with the case mouth.

gunlaw said:

2.8 g of Bullseye with the bullet seated almost flush with the case mouth.

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Yup and a slight roll crimp to remove the bell from the case mouth.

I shot PPC for almost 20 years. Long enough to have a couple of 5 gallon pails of spent primers. My load then and now would be 2.7 grains of Bullseye under a 148 DEWC. Other shooters would use 2.8. Either could be considered the standard load.
Kevin

I've been reloading Missouri double end WC (Hi-Tek coating) over 3.1g of Tight Group. Seated to the near flush crimp groove, I am getting 803 fps from my 627 pro. They have been superbly accurate and fun to shoot.

Make sure you’re talking soft lead HBWC. there are multiple types.

Chronographed speeds of 148 gr WC factory loads through a S&W 4" Model 67.

Federal 698 fps.

Remington 728 fps.

Winchester 736 fps.

Walkalong said:

WST or AA #2 would serve you well too. Hard to load an inaccurate 148 gr HBWC.

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This has been my experience as well. The beauty of the .38 wadcutter and the .38 Special in general is that it's quite forgiving of a number of listed powders, most of them in fact that I've tried work reasonably well.

When I was a child, one of the things I did was cruise the small gun shops. Everybody it seems had a dream of owning their own small gun shop. Truth was, it was a tough business. One of the first things they'd do is try to stock kegs of shotgun powder for skeet shooters, which they were unable to sell. I was able to buy things like fifteen-pound kegs of Red Dot for three dollars a pound. At three grains a load that meant 35,000 charges. Throw in pick up brass from the local state police range, wheel weights from local garages, a couple of molds, and primers at less than a penny apiece, and I could keep my old Colt Single Action warm.

I wonder what children do today?

1KPerDay said:

Make sure you’re talking soft lead HBWC. there are multiple types.

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Yeah...I'm not. I'm loading double end WCs, not hollow base.

2.7 gr Bullseye powder with a 148 gr HBWC with W_W SP primers. Bullet seated flush with case mouth with a slight crimp. Bullseye target load for my S&W 52 Master.

Don't trust the i'net, what's good for one may be dangerous from another; get a loading manual. Sounds like you are a newbie to reloading.

Get at least 1 (Lyman) was my first. Bullet and powder mfgrs have electronic manuals on their sites.

Back in the late 70's I was the kid at the gun club. There was a group of older men that sort of took me under their wing and let me shoot with them. The most fun part of shooting with them was loading wadcutters. We could get all the military .38 brass we wanted for free and wheel weights were free for the asking. We would sit around a gas cooker with a huge cast iron pot full of lead and cast bullets four hours. Everybody had a set of molds, some 2 cavity and one guy had a 6 cavity. We could cast for hours. Drinking beer and telling stories the whole time. Then we would get back together to size and load. Nobody had any sort of progressive press. All Single stage. But with 5 or 6 guys each doing a part, we loaded thousands. When we decided we had enough for a while, we divided them up and everybody had bullets for a while. Same old standard loading 2.7-2.8 gr of Bullseye depending on whose powder measure yours came from. Cheap and accurate. It got to where our biggest expense was beer! I would like to have a penny for every wadcutter that's ever been loaded over a small dose of Bullseye.

Another nod to 2.7 Bullseye with a 147 HBWC. I really like the Hornady dry lubed version. Back when I was serious about gun games I bought them 5000 at a time.

1KPerDay said:

Make sure you’re talking soft lead HBWC. there are multiple types.

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Nope, they are a Lyman pb 358495 cast in range scrap. 7 to 8 BHN.
I cast them for him, so I'm pretty sure those are the ones he is talking about.

I load dewc over 3.0 of bullseye. I load it to the last groove leaving a bit exposed. I load coated and lead the same.

I’ve never bought bullseye. I load AA#2 for 38. HP-38/W231 is good too.

shooters world / lovex brand is a good AA#2 replacement.

Whether it’s a plated 148 gr HBWC or a lead 148 gr DEWC, it’s always 2.8 gr of Bullseye loaded with the bullet roll-crimped with just a tad protruding outside the case.

Like most of the others I’ve loaded a few of them over the years...


Stay safe.

We loaded hundreds of thousands of Zero hbwc, 148 grains, and 2.7 grains of Bullseye on our Star progressive back when we were loading commercial.

Based on discussions with a ten times PPC Champ, his standard load was 2.7 grains Bullseye with a 148 LWC. He claimed, in a K frame revolver, I think it was a Shilen barrel, with 600,000 rounds through the tube, that he still got two inch groups at 50 yards. That is darn impressive.

Depending on your lot of Bullseye, you may have to adjust it up a grain, lot to lot variation is real.

4" S&W M10-5


148 LWC 2.7grs Bullseye W/W cases WSP
19-Apr-09 T ≈ 60-65 ° F


Ave Vel = 696.2
Std Dev = 12.04
ES = 48
High = 721.3
Low = 673.3
N = 32

v accurate, about 2" low, no leading, mild recoil



4" M66-2



148gr LBBWC 2.7 grs Bullseye CCI 500 primers
17-Oct-93 T = 65-70°F

Ave Vel =704fps
Std Dev =18
ES =57
High =742
Low =685
N =6





Colt Police Positive Special 4" Barrel mfgr 1930

Zero 148gr LWC Factory
4 Sept 2005 T = 72 °F

Ave Vel = 810
Std Dev = 72
ES = 213
High = 943
Low = 730
N = 6



Colt Python Stainless Steel, 6" Barrel


148 gr LBBWC 2.7 grs Bullseye 38 SPL cases CCI500
24 Sept 1999 T = 78 ° F

Ave Vel =710
Std Dev =18
ES =72.02
High =746.1
Low =674
N =32

shot fine at 25 yards, no leading, light recoil





Colt Cobra 2" barrel

148 gr LWC 2.7 grs Bullseye thrown, Fed 100 primers mixed cases
30-Jan-05 T = 42 °F

Average 606
SD 18.19
ES 56.64
High = 633.1
Low = 576.5

32 recorded shots


Accurate shoots 6" high and a little left


S&W M638-3 Airweight Bodyguard

148 LWC Valiant 2.7 grs Bullseye thrown Mixed Brass WSP
18-Mar-07 T = 52 °F

Ave Vel = 611.6
Std Dev = 22.04
ES = 75.92
High = 648.1
Low = 572.2
N = 25

little high

I load 3.5 grains of Bullseye under my cast 158 grain SWC's. hdbiker

Agree with the standard bullseye load for lead dewc. I also load 2.2 grains of trail boss for a hbwc, and 4 grains of hp38 for the Berry's played dewc. The last one is pretty zippy, but very accurate.