Wad Cutters for 357 mag

[fast*eddie]

I have a box ( almost 500 ) of Hornaday 38 cal 148 grain WB WC bullets . They are probably at least 20 years old and have been just sitting in a cabinet . I was considering using them for reloads to just target shoot . Do I need to lube these as they are solid lead and I have read where they would lead up a barrel if not done correctly ?

Are these okay to load for a 357 revolver ? Do I need to do anything special ? From anything I could find by GOOGLing , the wad cutter is pressed in flush with the case .

[JustaShooter]

If they are like the Hornady lead semi-wad cutters I have, they are already lubed - it is kind of a whitish powdery lube.

When you say WB WC, did you mean HB WC (Hollow Base Wad Cutter)?

Hornady's 7th edition reloading manual does not list any loads for that bullet in .357 magnum, just in .38 special.  However, Hodgdon has several loads listed for .357 magnum for a Hornady 148gr HB WC in their online reloading guide at http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

Personally, I'd probably load them up in .38 special cases for some plinking / target shooting in your .357, but there is no reason you couldn't load them in .357 magnum cases.  Just make sure you are using the right load data as the pressures will be different because of the different case volume.

And as you said, they are loaded flush with the case mouth, otherwise nothing special just follow safe loading practices as always (start low, work up, never exceed max published loads, etc.).

[fast*eddie]

They are HB WC --- here are some pics ( I hope )

[Larry L]

Yep, they are lubed. I used to shoot a lot of these 20 years ago. In 38 Special brass, 3.5grs Unique would just about stack the bullets at 25yds from bags in every 357 or 38 I tried them in. I also had a load using 231 but I can't find it. If you keep velocity close to 900'ps, you can't go wrong with them. I will warn you though, they are nasty on the hands to load them. The lube will coat the fingers and turn them black. I used just a light crimp over the top of the bullet. Recoil in any service size pistol is extremely mild and makes for a fun shoot.

[cwlongshot]

Personally I would not use these in mag cases... IF I was forced to, I would be VERY careful with loads as the large skirt can become disconnected and lodge in the barrel. Frankly these bullets where NOT designed for speed. They where designed for lo pressure target and cutting clean holes that are easilly scored. The design of all the bullet in the case was to REDUCE capacity so light loads could be safely used. Loading them in a magnum case is counter productive and as mentioned dangerous if your not careful...

There are different wad cutter bullets designs, a double ended wad cutter is a better choice for faster loads and magnum cases.

CW

[LaOtto222]

I bought 38 Special cases to specifically shoot the Hornady 148 grain HBWC's. I use 3.0 grains of Bullseye (Hornady Max load). They are accurate and low noise. As warned, you can use them in 357 cases, but you have to be careful not to load them too heavy = it is not easy to find loading data for them. I load my bullets with about 1/8" sticking out of the case and do not crimp. There is not enough recoil to move bullets in the case. When loading, I start the bullets with my thumb and push them in 1/4 - 1/3 of their length in full length sized cases, keeping them as straight as possible and then finish them up with a bullet seater die.

Good Luck and Good Shooting

[cudatruck]

Load em backwards and go shoot some pumpkins!

[sr sawyer]

Use .38 Special load data and keep velocity under 800 fps.  They will function fine out of the .357 brass but would do better in .38 Special brass.
 
Ken
 
Sending you a PM

[fast*eddie]

Ken -- replied to your PM .......... Ed

[45-70.gov]

Load em backwards and go shoot some pumpkins!

they will turn  inside out on a gallon of water
out of a carbine..........but start to tumble  if the distance was much over 50 ft

[OldSchoolRanger]

In answer to your questions:
They are 148gr HB-WC's. 
There is no need to lube them, as they are already lubed.
Use 3 grains of Win 231, loaded in a 38 Spec. case will get you about 700 FPS, a really accurate low recoiling load.  I use to use this load when I was shooting PPC competition.
You should adjust the dies so that the heads are flush with the case mouth.  I suggest that you use a gentle roll crimp.

I agree with the other posters, use 38 Spec. cases, they shoot just as well out of a .357Mag revolver.

[fast*eddie]

Thanks for the input . I did a trade for most of the Wad Cutters that I had .