The BlackHills 148gr. HBWC .38spcl are my preferred snubbie load.
My shot to shot splits are easily half what I'm able to get with +P loads and the wadcutters shoot to the fixed sights.
On the 110gr. DPX all copper loads, they keyhole out of many snubbies (including my 360) so try before you buy them in any quantity.
"For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
-- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --
That was my experience back in the overseas days. Lots of ball ammo, lots of "inadequate" calibers, yet very few complaints about them not working. Maybe it was that the options were limited, maybe the expectations were different, but I just didn't run across too many problems in actual use. Sure, the occasional anomaly as you call it did pop up, but they wer anomalies instead of common outcomes.from LSP972:
And if you go back- way back- in U.S. LE history, you won't find hardly any complaints about the ball/RNL ammunition they used back then.
Last edited by David Armstrong; 11-29-2014 at 02:59 PM.
"PLAN FOR YOUR TRAINING TO BE A REFLECTION OF REAL LIFE INSTEAD OF HOPING THAT REAL LIFE WILL BE A REFLECTION OF YOUR TRAINING!"
Looks like it's time to relegate my supply of 135gr SBGDs to continued range work and to my (hopefully) soon-to-be purchased 3" M60 or SP101. I've unloded them from my M642 and reloaded with S&B 148gr WCs (the only WCs I have at the moment).
In shopping around for WCs that meet Doctor Roberts' brand recommendations, I find my LGS are completely out, and on-line retailers are not much better off. I do not know which on-line retailer has the better reputation, so this is what I found based on the few I have heard of...
Midway has Winchester 148gr WCs in stock @ $34 per box. The Remington ($27 per box) and Federal ($30 per box) are all back ordered.
Natchez also has the Winchester in stock @ $37 per box. The Federal ($36 per box) is back ordered.
Ammunition To Go only has Federal 158gr SWCs in stock, but the price is significantly lower than any of the WCs - $20 per box of 50.
Cheaper Than Dirt has the Winchester, Federal and Remington available, but their prices very depending on which warehouse is selected. Not sure what that means, but it seems a little fishy. Their WCs are, however, significantly cheaper than anywhere else.
Any recomendations on a favored supply house? Is there another source I haven't considered?
Is the Federal 158gr SWC at $20 a viable option, at least until a supply of WCs becomes available?
Should I replace my S&B with the Winchester, or just wait for the Federal or Remington (both less expensive than Winchester) to become available? Price is an issue, as I will ultimately be buying around 1000 rounds, probably more, for range work, snubby classes, training new shooters, and keeping in reserve.
Last edited by Moonshot; 11-30-2014 at 12:46 PM.
We are talking about FULL 148 gr target wadcutters, NOT semi-wadcutter. Low recoil, good penetration with the 148 gr full wadcutters--Black Hills, Federal, Remington, Winchester all make acceptable loads.
Likewise there is nothing wrong with using the 135 gr Gold Dot's, 130 gr Winchester bonded, or the Hornady 110 gr Critical Defense either--I have no issues relying on those and have seen them work well in OIS incidents.
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
Thanks Doctor Roberts. I realize the SBGDs are an acceptable round. They may even be a superior round if everything works as planned. I have noticed, however, that my shot-to-shot times increase, and my accuracy decreases with this load, especially if I am shooting with my non-dominant hand only.
One of the primary purposes I carry my 642 as a BUG is to be given to my wife in an emergency (who has a permit but doesn't really like to carry) or to my daughters (who are trained with the 642 but can not yet carry). They are all much more accurate and comfortable with WCs than with SBGDs, CD or DPX.
The SWC mentioned was merely an ecconomic option, a short-term solution while waiting for a supply of WCs to become available. If it's not a good idea than so be it.
Winchester, Remington, Black Hills or Federal WCs - I understand it doesn't really matter. I was looking at cost vs current availability, as well as which supply house has the better reputation.
Looks like I'll just pick up a couple of boxes of Winchester to tide me over until I can pick up some of the other brands to test and see which one I, and my gun, prefer.
I typically have 148 gr full wadcutters in my J-frame with JHP/PT loads for reloads, as wadcutters are not noted for quick reloading into cylinders...
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
I did some dicking about with this a while ago, getting ready for a BUG match. I could get my reloads with full wadcutters down to about a quarter second off my reloads with Critical Defense. The big delay is that I had to take an extra pause to make sure everything was lined up just so with the cylinders before pushing it in (hur hur). I was using a J-frame Jetloader and a 640 Pro Series. Still can't reload a snubgun as fast as I can get a full size wheelgun back up and running.Originally Posted by DocGKR
Don't over-think this. I believe we have pretty well established that, given the limitations in regards to practical accuracy/bullet performance from your basic snubby .38 revolver, it really doesn't matter that much WHAT you load yours with. I also believe you're on the right track- use what your wife and girls can shoot better. That 135gr +P Gold Dot is a handful in a lightweight snubby; the standard pressure RNL/SWC/WC offerings are definitely easier to handle/control.
And that is what I mean by practical accuracy... not what the gun is capable of, but what it is capable of in a given pair of hands.
.
http://ammoseek.com/ammo/38-special/-handgun-148grains-
Not my first choice, but if 158gr LSWCs shot to my sights, and I had a supply of a quality brand of that ammo, I'd carry it in my BUG without losing any sleep about it.
I posted this a couple of months ago:
Today I used a recent manufactured S&W 442 no lock with the biggest Pachmayer grips I could find.
Fed Gold Match 148 wadcutters: 640, 640, 637, 641, 639. Pretty consistent.
Gold Dot +P 135 gr GDHP: 752, 803, 830, 824, 827.
Win +P 158 LSWCHP: 761, 724, 752, 765, 724.
S&B 148 lead wadcutter: 513, 542, 493, 517, 527.
Notice that the velocity from the S&B wad cutters was very low in my sample.
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