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Offline Old Griz

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LWC Question
« on: December 19, 2010, 01:00:31 PM »
The .38 148-gr. LWC and great on small game. How would they be for a self/home defense load? Range is gonna be pretty close. Can't get any more meplat. Cuts a nice hole. What do you think?

Gun is a Model 10 4" non+P.
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Offline Bigeasy

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2010, 01:32:48 PM »
They work well on small game like rabbit and tree rats, but I would not trust the penetration for self defense.  Once I shot a buck with a rifle.  When I got to him, he was down, but still alive.  I decided to shoot him in the base of the skull with the waddcutter load you are talking about.  It went in, maybe half an inch.  Then he really started kicking..  When I later skinned him, I was able to pull the bullet out of the bone with a pair of pliers.  Stick to full power hard cast semi-waddcutter hollow points (the old FBI load),  or light weight hollow points at plus P velocities to get the most stopping power out of the 38spl.
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Offline SwampThing762

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2010, 06:11:24 PM »
I will cast my vote for hardcast flat nose bullets with 90% meplat.  I have gotten them to penetrate through wet newspaper over 22 inches with my 44 Mag HandiRifle (never did penetration tests with Ruger SB revolver, but I would expect similar results).

ST762
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Offline southernutah

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2010, 08:26:14 PM »
I have a video where the vic accidentaly shot himself with a 38 wad cutter,didn't move just died.  My not be the recomended but seemed to work. I think a lot of the stats on knock down  are hype.
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Offline Mikey

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2010, 01:00:58 AM »
Old Griz:  the 38 lwc is a excellent self defense round/bullet.  If you use either the flat base 141 gn slug or the hollow base 148 gn slug and load them yourself you can load them right up to better than 1200'/sec from a 6" M10 (old Lyman loading).  When I was in South America and assigned to escort duty, because we could not get 357 magnum ammo we just loaded our own hollow based wc slugs, backwards, at over 1200'/sec.  In one situation in Bogata we found them to be very effective.  I would have no problem using them for self defense again.

And, of course, as the Europeans believe - you would have to be a complete fool to step in front of a 38 spl target round, but there are a lot of fools in the world.......
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Offline Kmrere42

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2010, 04:47:48 PM »
Uhh,


Before this goes any farther,  Hollow base wad cutters should never be driven over book loads in the 750 - 850 fps range. 

The skirts will separate and stay in the bore causing an obstruction when firing the next round.  (Ka-boom)


Even when reversed they will lead badly and are a real pain to speed load,  stick with bulk JHP's




Paul
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Offline Glock Doctor

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2011, 03:22:37 AM »
That'll work.  If I couldn't get 158 grain LSWCHP loads, (FBI) I'd use them. 
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Offline Mohawk

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2011, 06:11:01 PM »
Work fine.
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2011, 12:45:31 AM »
agreed but i would stay away from the ones that are swadged or cast from pure lead and load them to at least 800 fps. Bottom line though is that even the pure or swadged ones would probably work.
Quote from: Mohawk on January 04, 2011, 06:11:01 PM
Work fine.
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Offline StrawHat

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2011, 01:28:50 AM »
When I carried the 35 bore, my load of choice was a hard cast 148 wadcutter bullet loaded to 900 fps.  It did a great job on targets, raccoons, and other vermin.  Penetration needs to be seen to be believed. 

I remember a thread where a Coroner provided information on the terminal ballistics of the wadcutter versus other shapes.  He indicated he preferred them.

I have also tried soft wadcutters but they are not in the same league.  The reversed HBWC was also tried but for what I wanted, the expansion was too much and penetration was lacking.
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Offline Dale53

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2011, 09:04:48 PM »
I regularly use a dbl ended w/c in my .38 Specials and .357 magnums. The solid wadcutters can be loaded full tilt with out issues. The HBWC will, as has been stated above separate and leave the skirt in the barrel if driven too fast (I have been present over a period of time when this happened on three occasions). Two barrels were ruined and I managed to stop the third shooter before he fired the next shot when I noticed part of the bullet base extending out of the muzzle.

The full house wadcutter gives you about all you can get in the .38 Special. It was recommended by that great old shooter Ed McGivern (it used to be available as a factory load "back in the day") as well as the New York Stakeout Squad. The New York Stakeout Squad run by Jim Cirillo were issued these loads.

Dale53
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Offline Mikey

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Re: LWC Question
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2011, 12:33:33 AM »
Didn't someone post recently, within the past year, a link or pictures of some 200 gn hardcast wadcutters along with some 250(?) gn swc slugs made by a custom bullet maker?  I recall seeing the picture or going to the link and saying to myself - ouch dude, that would hurt.......
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