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Wadcutters in 357 mag

6K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  Dusty406 
#1 ·
I have been shooting wadcutters in 38 special cases for years out of my 357s. Does anybody shoot wadcutters using 357 cases . Why and why not.
cleaning the cylinders would be so much easier.
 
#6 ·
I learned a long time ago that I didn’t like mixing the two cases in the same gun.
I do not load anything but .38 level loads in .38 Special, and .357 loads in .357 brass.

Because, I have .38's and .357's. I always know what I'm feeding to a revolver, and there's no hot .38's around here that were intended to be used in a .357. Not so much the cleaning part, as the safety factor.
 
#7 ·
Did the low pressure loaded WC'si n .357 case. Maybe cut the cleaning time a little bit (the barrrel/cylinder face/ cylinder throats/chambers still needed cleaning, just a little easier for the chambers. Maybe after decades of use the shorter .38 case would erode the longer chamber (not likely I'd live long enough to manage that)...after all, the wear is divided by the chambers, so only like 1/6th the erosive wear on a chamber.

Was hoping for just that little edge in accuracy by not having the bullets make the short chamber sized "jump" into the cylinder throat. Too many other variables to find anything significant.

Got a lot of .357mag. brass, then it makes sense to put some of them to this use....it just didn't improve things (accuracy or cleaning) all that much.
 
#8 ·
Maybe after decades of use the shorter .38 case would erode the longer chamber
With some time working in a busy gun shop with an indoor range, I had a lot of experience with shooters using .38's in a .357. Sometimes for years. I never saw a single chamber that was actually damaged in any way. More than a few required pulling the cylinder and soaking in something like Hoppe's, and scrubbing with a bore brush or two, several times. It was a regular event. If the user is aware of the problem, it's not a problem.
 
#9 ·
Lyman # 358432 now discontinued and the NOE recreation NOE 360-160-WC PB
Both cast a modified 160 grain wadcutter that weighs 160 grains and is excellent when loaded in 357 Magnum to mid range velocities . It's also great in the 38 Special +P loads .

Very accurate bullet , at all velocities and the wadcutter profile hits hard .
If you aren't familiar with this design ...you may want to check it out ... I've found it to be a winner .
Gary
 
#12 ·
I have a Lee Powder Disc set up for 3.2gr of Bullseye. I use it for several different calibers.
38 148gr WC and 158gr SWC
45ACP. I use the same 3.2gr Bullseye for 180,200 and 230gr lead bullets. Sounds like a light load, but it is a great shooting load(s) passed to me by a Champion Bullseye Shoot. Very Accurate in my 1911's at 25 yards. Most recommend not going below 3.7 with 45acp but 3.2 is great.
 
#13 ·
I have an Anniversary Ruger 357 bought new which I've run a ton of 38sp out of with no ill effects I can see. Don't do it much anymore since I've managed to acquire a couple of 38sp handguns. I run reduced 357Mag rounds sometimes but normally keep the 357Mag at 357 Mag saving reduced loads for the 38sp brass loaded safe to run in my SW's.

I cast several weights of WC's. All seem to work well but I usually keep the Lee 148gr as a general all around plinking and self defense for my wife's Chiefs Special she absconded with.
 
#14 ·
Wadcutters in general are a hoot. I am very fond of the .44 special wadcutter loads I use in my Model 29. (Penn Bullets). I tend to load .357 diameter exclusively in .38 cases at .38 pressure levels. They are great for small game and general plinking.
 
#15 ·
I think the preference among Bullseye competition shooters is to use .38 Spl. cases and flush-seated 148 gr. HBWC to maximize "load density" with light charges of fast-burning powder because this tends to enhance accuracy and minimize recoil generated when creating loads the velocities of which are clustered around the apparently "magical" 750 + 25 f/s velocity for such loads. The classic 2.7-2.8/BullsEye/148 gr. HBWC load or its equivalent is nearly an institution in such circles, and impugning it or claiming to improve on it is oft received by Bullseye shooters with reactions one would expect from persons witnessing the burning or treading upon of the U.S. Flag.
I do not know if a 3.0/Bullseye/148 DEWC or HBWC load in a .357 case would evoke the same response, but be prepared, nonetheless. I've never really shot enough .38 Spl. of ANY description through my .357 Mag revolvers to build up such a "ring" in the chamber, but I'm hard pressed to imagine that a bit of extra elbow grease would NOT be enough to dislodge it and send it on its way.
I have shot what would easily constitute a CASE of "Elmer Keith/Skeeter Skelton" .38 Special hand loads, using 13.5/2400/158 gr. LSWC (which were, in retrospect, QUITE soft) seated at or near 1.525" (if memory serves), and never built up a "lead ring" in my Ruger Police Service Six, nor in my S&W M28. But it has also been my practice to run 6 rounds of .38 Spl. 130 gr. FMJ through each revolver, before and after shooting cast projectiles through it, to facilitate cleaning. Even so, I've never detected this "ring" that I am often warned about. Perhaps on custom Bullseye revolvers, the chambers are cut differently?
 
#16 ·
I have a progressive reloading machine set up to do 357. Every kind of loading/bullet, light, heavy you name it goes through that thing. I don't use or have many 38 special revolvers these days and have mostly own 357s. I do load a lot of light 357 loads in 38 special power rang in 357 cases. I have experienced several 357 mags guns that performed their best with certain 38 special ammo. A N frame S & W I had shot it's best with the old 200 and 195 grain 38 special police loads. A marlin 94 Cowboy Limited really shot well with about 148 grain semi wad cutters reloaded in 38 special casings. I didn't even think the marlin would function with these things. The 38 special / 357 mag. maybe the most versatile hand gun their is. They do seem to each have their likes and dislikes for ammo. I don't see any problem in loading light 38 special loads in 357 casings. Two things though, first super light loads can get you in trouble with erratic pressure performance. Second some bullets are velocity specific. Wadcutters are normally made out of a very soft purer type lead and not suitable to the extreme velocities 357 could push them to. Some jacketed bullets are not good for real slow velocities.
 
#17 ·
I load .38 spl WC and .45 acp on a progressive machine and .357 on a single stage press. I've loaded .357 cases with 3.0 grns of Bullseye but thousands of .38 spl WC & 2.7 grns using HBWC, BBWC and cast WC. All shot exceptionally well in both .38 spl & .357 revolvers. Since I always had 1000s of the .38 brass and only 100s of the .357s I used the short cases almost exclusively. Never saw any benefit from using the longer case.
 
#18 ·
I cast a couple of coffee cans of the Lee wadcutter with a kind of mystery mix of wheel weights and some gifted lead. They turned out fairly hard at 142 gr. and are perfect for both calibers, as slow as 750 fps in 38 Spl. or 750-950 fps in .357. And it just seems to make life easier to shoot 357 brass in those handguns.
 
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