low velocity wad cutters in 38 spcl

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pelo801

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if the only loads that you were comfortable with were some low velocity loads, say in the low 600 fps area, would you recommend using a wad cutter projectile? or what other bullet type would you suggest for this velocity?
 
Yes, low recoil, inherent accuracy, max meplat, and fantastic/incredible straight-line penetration. Here is article from Guns and Ammo Handgun Magazine web site dated 9-24-2010 entitled "Wicked Wadcutters"
http://www.handgunsmag.com/2010/09/24/ammunition_hg_wickedwadcutters_200901/
Here is Brassfetcher video of a Federal 148 grain wadcutter blowing through 12" of 20% ballistic gelatin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iolV5KOUtsc
That is a beautiful thing, at around 650 fps out of a 642 2" J Frame, seeing over 12 inches of penetration - right on through
 
I don't load my own, so I'm wondering if there are any store bought wad cutters out there that would penetrate lets say 14 inches in ballistic gelatin? That would go a long way for comfortable shooting and sd etc.

Frank
 
bare hands

Beats bare hands for most of us or a sharp stick.

My J-frame is the "wife gun". All 95 lbs of her with a pocket full of ammo to boot. The Chief Special is manageable for her and it's loaded with factory WC.
 
if your worried about penetration wad cutters goo deep.

theres an online gun magazine that did a snub nose revolver test with standard 148 to 158 grain ammo. standard penetration was 20-30 inches. heavier bullets went in farther.

thats the thing wtih a short barrel, you got to try to maximize on something thats reachable..
 
I played around with turning them backwards and making them a giant hallow point. They were accurate and opened up huge. Don't know what the velocity was.
 
My experience with this 30 years ago was the total opposite bad idea.
Click to expand...
Yep - I agree - but - the idea keeps coming back over and over and over again, like one of those unkillable bad guys in a slasher movie.
 
I did some experimentation recently with standard flat-ended wadcutters shot into dry catalogs (probably not realistic material, but it's all I had). The ones in front are 148 gr. .38 specials, in the back are 225 gr. .45 ACPs. Unlike some jacketed and hollowpoint bullets, none of these came apart, and some of them expanded quite nicely. The .45 at the back left is more than .75" at its widest point.

Edit - I should note that these are target-loaded wadcutters. I use either 3.0 grains of Titegroup or 2.8 gr. of Bullseye for the .38 specials. For the .45 ACP rounds I use 3.5 gr. of Bullseye.


DSC02426_zps0b208316.jpg
 
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I wonder if anyone has tested regular ole non hardened 38 wadcutters in ballestic gel using a snubby? My way of thinking is the bullet should stay in (more shock/pain) even though others think that if it goes through you have bleeding front and rear, but the bad guy can still shoot back if you didn't hit a vital. I would think penetration at 13/14 inches would be right where you would want it unless i'm missing something.

Frank
 
Yes, this is the link from above - Brass Fetcher S&W 642 J Frame 2" barrel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iolV5KOUtsc

Also, results in this article linked above using 2" Charter Arms Pink Lady snub
http://www.handgunsmag.com/2010/09/24/ammunition_hg_wickedwadcutters_200901/

You will get at least 14 inches penetration in ballistic gelatin. The Brassfetcher video show a regular Federal "soft" 148 grain wadcutter shooting right through a 12" block of 20% ballistic gelatin.

BTW - "Anza Frank" you are real close to me, "Aguanga John"
 
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Now I know why the NRA came up with the rule that similar loads have to go all the wa

way thru the B27 paper target for score.

Soft, low velocity bullets, inexpensive buy design and by practice, are all of a sudden some kind of huge street survival secret revealed....are you pulling my leg?

148 grain hollow base semi wadcutters speeding along at 700 feet per second fired from a 6 inch barrel, the kind the PPC crowd shoots hundereds of thousands per year with, is now a big self defense discovery?

Now 800 fps round nose or semi-wadcutter hardcast bullets are a different story.
 
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