Ed Harris--Revisiting the Full Charge Wadcutter

[Duelist]

IIRC, Chris Baker was getting 659 FPS out of a 2” barrel for GMM in his testing. This is a screen grab from that:

Attachment 70922

I mean, I get it isn’t ‘full load’, but it’s not like I can meander over to sg ammo and peruse their huge assortment of in-stock WC selections these days, unfortunately.

Yeah, that’s where smashing bullets into cases yourself simplifies things when it comes to getting the loads you want for what you want to do, or for the performance you need.

[olstyn]

IIRC, Chris Baker was getting 659 FPS out of a 2” barrel for GMM in his testing. This is a screen grab from that:

Those loads all seem pretty anemic to me, but I admit that I do not load .38, and in terms of defensive use loads, my "comfort zone" has always been more like 135 grain 9mm Critical Duty, which clocks in at just over 1000 FPS from a 3.5 inch barrel. Given .38's substantially lower SAAMI spec max pressure, and adding in losses from the cylinder gap, I imagine it's difficult or impossible to get that kind of performance out of .38, especially in a 2" barrel J frame or the equivalent.

[Half Moon]

Those loads all seem pretty anemic to me, but I admit that I do not load .38, and in terms of defensive use loads, my "comfort zone" has always been more like 135 grain 9mm Critical Duty, which clocks in at just over 1000 FPS from a 3.5 inch barrel. Given .38's substantially lower SAAMI spec max pressure, and adding in losses from the cylinder gap, I imagine it's difficult or impossible to get that kind of performance out of .38, especially in a 2" barrel J frame or the equivalent.

They ARE anemic numbers even by .38 snub standards. Target wadcutters are designed as low recoil, light loads for a day of target shooting. Self defense wise though the low velocity is offset by the bullet shape lending itself to deep penetration even at those low velocities. So long as barrier penetration isn't a concern they are a good choice for snub usage. Presumably a full power load would do even moreso but then you lose the advantage of low recoil and probably no better barrier performance.

[okie john]

I am a reloader, and I'm not 100% on what they mean by "full charge" either. Looking at the bullet weights and velocities quoted in the article, they're only slightly above "minor" power factor as defined by USPSA and IDPA, so I'm not sure it has any particularly special meaning. Do you know what velocity your ammo makes when fired from the revolver you're shooting it in? That would be the only truly meaningful way to compare.

It's an older term.

CE "Ed" Harris has been around forever. He was one of the better writers on the Technical Staff of the NRA in the pre-Harlon Carter years, when the NRA was still mostly focused on expanding and sharing technical knowledge. I remember seeing his articles when I was a kid in the late 60s, long before modern frames of reference like IPSC, USPSA, IDPA, major/minor, and +P came along. In those days, "full charge" meant "not a light target load." It never meant "hotter than SAAMI standard."

Also, with any wadcutter, you have to remember that your maximum effective range is about 65 yards. After that, they tumble.


Okie John

[358156hp]

Here's Eds web page: https://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharri...creekdiary.htm

[03RN]

Those loads all seem pretty anemic to me, but I admit that I do not load .38, and in terms of defensive use loads, my "comfort zone" has always been more like 135 grain 9mm Critical Duty, which clocks in at just over 1000 FPS from a 3.5 inch barrel. Given .38's substantially lower SAAMI spec max pressure, and adding in losses from the cylinder gap, I imagine it's difficult or impossible to get that kind of performance out of .38, especially in a 2" barrel J frame or the equivalent.

158gr bullets at 1000fps are pretty normal +p ammo. 950fps from a 3" barrel

[RevolverRob]

IIRC, Chris Baker was getting 659 FPS out of a 2” barrel for GMM in his testing. This is a screen grab from that:

Attachment 70922

I mean, I get it isn’t ‘full load’, but it’s not like I can meander over to sg ammo and peruse their huge assortment of in-stock WC selections these days, unfortunately.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=111

850 fps from a 2" gun is a "full charge" wadcutter.

[willie]

To me full charge wadcutter was 3.5 grains of Bullseye and a 148 bullet.

[Inspector71]

Many, many years ago, when I was living in the land of tall fir trees and white bunnies, I recall perusing a local hunting newspaper to pass some time. There was an article in there about two locals who exclusively hunted snowshoe hares with six inch K-38 revolvers and mid-range wadcutter ammo. They appeared to have great success. Myself, always used my trusty 20 gauge shotgun to hunt the wily white hares.

[jandbj]

I’ve enjoyed many of Ed’s articles through the years. The collection at Hensley & Gibbs has some of the best.