Thread: Lead heads

Originally Posted by outback

Wadcutters with gas checks may have helped. If they were mag or +p

Typo on the model now corrected, sorry. S&W Model 52 38 special target semi auto. I think +p loads behind a full wadcutter would have damaged the pistol. Mag would only accept full wadcutter loads.

Bob

You can still put gas checks on target loads. Helps sometimes. It did for my father and I when we were loading 158 gr. 357 mag. Keeps from shoving the bullet out the barrel before the rifleing took hold. What a pain cleaning the lead fouling. Now its my brother and I and its all FMJHP for the hand guns and ballistic tip for rifles ( varmints) coyotes. Ground hogs

Originally Posted by outback

You can still put gas checks on target loads. Helps sometimes. It did for my father and I when we were loading 158 gr. 357 mag. Keeps from shoving the bullet out the barrel before the rifleing took hold. What a pain cleaning the lead fouling. Now its my brother and I and its all FMJHP for the hand guns and ballistic tip for rifles ( varmints) coyotes. Ground hogs

There really is no problem in not using gas checks on the blunt nosed 148 gr. wadcutters in a national match pistol with target loads. You can't use 158gr wadcutters in that gun, they won't fit in the mag. They are not high velocity rounds and the lead skirt seals the base well enough to clover leaf or better the rounds.

It was finicky loading because you are basically trying to get the equivalent of an empty 38 special case to feed and chamber from the mag. Then you need just enough power, about 2.7/2.9 grains of Bullseye powder, to work the action with a heavy BoMar rib sight added so if you even broke your wrist slightly during firing you would get a stove pipe jam on ejection. That jam could cost you a match in timed or rapid fire events. Totally a different beast than using full house loads in a defense gun or varmint rifles.

Bob

I'd really like to see those type of matches done with full loads. But its fun to watch you guys in rapid fire matches. Its a trip

Originally Posted by outback

I'd really like to see those type of matches done with full loads. But its fun to watch you guys in rapid fire matches. Its a trip

If you want to shoot full loads IPSC shooting is what you are after. Two very different types of shooting with different priorities. At least that was the case case 30 years ago when I was shooting match pistols. Both are enjoyable depending what you want to do.

Bob

Got enough hobbies. That one is definitely expensive. I'll stick with watching ground hogs disintegrate at 250 yrds. We call it dressed, quartered and cooked😏