Wadcutters vs everything else

[Wayne Dobbs]

How did the recoil compare to Federal Premium 148?

A little more, but it's not a problem from what I noticed.

[Paul Blackburn]

A little more, but it's not a problem from what I noticed.

I figured it would be.

The GA Ammo lists the muzzle velocity at 750 out of a 1 7/8 barrel vs 690 with the Federal GM.

The extra oomp should make it a good choice for self defense ammo.

[Navin Johnson]

A little more, but it's not a problem from what I noticed.

Glad someone is making a WC with a J frame in mind.

Is the projectile harder than the Federal load? One of the problems with standard WC’s is rounding especially as velocity increases. So harder alloy would increase cutting.

Why the velocity chosen? As it seems at 750 fps it’s getting to the recoil level that would negate a WC’s biggest advantage or reason to use over a GD 135+p as an example.

Thanks

[Wayne Dobbs]

Glad someone is making a WC with a J frame in mind.

Is the projectile harder than the Federal load? One of the problems with standard WC’s is rounding especially as velocity increases. So harder alloy would increase cutting.

Why the velocity chosen? As it seems at 750 fps it’s getting to the recoil level that would negate a WC’s biggest advantage or reason to use over a GD 135+p as an example.

Thanks

I don't know that the alloy is harder than GMM, but the nose design is better, leading to some flare/expansion that is very symmetrical in the testing, both in bare gel and 4LD. The actual expanded diameter in bare gel was 0.43 and in 4LD was .385 with average penetrations of 15" in a very straight path. Recoil isn't difficult to handle from the new load and is distinctly less than 135 +P GDHP, which I have shot a few hundred rounds of through several S&W J-frames. I believe this performance envelope provides a well-balanced snub load that achieves dependable penetration, controllability, standard pressure and some nice expansion in one package. It's most important to remember that ammo is likely less than 10% of the success formula in street shootings, so we are very prone to, at least subconsciously, thinking our ammo choices ensure success. They don't. But I think this one, or other well-chosen and tested loads will take care of the ammo box to be checked for .38 Special snub defensive use.

[revchuck38]

You guys. Sheesh! I finally score some GMM and now this comes out.

[JCN]

So this load was introduced at the Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Roundup at Gunsite this past weekend and it looks like it will be what we hoped for. The load uses the Zero 148 HBWC bullet, loaded to 750 from a 1 7/8" J-frame barrel in Starline brass. The Zero bullet has a semi-cup nosed design with a center button. We found the velocity numbers to be right on and noted that it penetrated to about 15" in clear gel and it expanded to about .40 caliber in bare gel. 4LD penetration was about the same with little to no expansion.

Thanks for developing this load for us snub lovers!

Can you clarify that the “bare gel” was organic and the clear gel was the synthetic?

Seems to me a very fine use for the synthetic gel.

@03RN
@the Schwartz

[Wayne Dobbs]

Thanks for developing this load for us snub lovers!

Can you clarify that the “bare gel” was organic and the clear gel was the synthetic?

Seems to me a very fine use for the synthetic gel.

@03RN
@the Schwartz

All testing was done with synthetic gel.

[GAP]

I personally like the 130gr ranger +p which shoot noticeably softer than the 135gr +p gold dot. I’m not sure how that is the case since the ballistics on paper are very close... I enjoy shooting the GMM, which are obviously softer but I feel better having a bonded bullet.

[WDR]

I personally like the 130gr ranger +p which shoot noticeably softer than the 135gr +p gold dot. I’m not sure how that is the case since the ballistics on paper are very close... I enjoy shooting the GMM, which are obviously softer but I feel better having a bonded bullet.

I've noticed the same thing. Gold Dot seems a lot more harsh. Probably something to do with powder burn rate. I doubt 5 grains of bullet matters much.

[revchuck38]

I personally like the 130gr ranger +p which shoot noticeably softer than the 135gr +p gold dot. I’m not sure how that is the case since the ballistics on paper are very close... I enjoy shooting the GMM, which are obviously softer but I feel better having a bonded bullet.

Paper ballistics are...notional. Even with the same ammo, velocities will vary from lot to lot.

FWIW, I carry the same Ranger ammo in my 642 and my Detective Special because it shoots to POA. My M49 gets GMM for the same reason.