On 7/12/14, 10:30 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 08:02:14 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 7/12/14, 12:42 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:44:10 -0500, Califbill
wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:12:38 -0500, H*a*r*r*o*l*d
wrote:

357 magnum and 45 are not target rounds unless your target has flesh and
blood.

===

Actually I know quite a few guys who shoot targets with 45s. The
recoil is not that bad and they do their own reloads, usually on the
soft side. Shooting a 357 magnum for fun strains my credibility a
bit however.

I used to like shooting my .357, when I still shot a lot. But rarely with a
magnum load. Light load 38's.

Same here. I was reloading 148gr wad cutters with about 2.5 gr of
Bullseye. That is a very pleasant load to shoot that provides
excellent accuracy.


I don't shoot non-jacketed bullets. Too messy. The .38 specials are
ok...I have some and shoot them, but they tend to leave a carbon residue
in the chambers near and at the front of the cylinder. That means more
time cleaning. The .38 specials feel like .22LR rounds in my
revolver...the .357 mags feel like 9 mm. Perhaps you need a heavier
revolver with a 6" barrel and full underlug. Makes a big difference.

This is a 40 oz OM match Colt, heavy enough for you?

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Colt%20OM%20Match.jpg

BTW what is the difference between a .38 and a .357 when you are
shooting subsonic loads? (like that wad cutter I was talking about)

It certainly isn't the extra .1" of case length if you are using .357
brass.

Very few .38 loads use jacketed bullets. Why pay triple for a bullet
designed to go 2x as fast with much higher pressures?
An extra couple minutes cleaning is not worth paying 20 cents a shot
or more extra.


Once again, I don't shoot wadcutters. The few times I have seem any
listed on the ammo bots, they were either reloads and more expensive
than what I shoot, or they were factory loads and far more expensive
than what I shoot now. Further, the wadcutters in .357 MAG seem shorter
than the metal jacket .357 MAG rounds. If that is the case, then they'll
leave even more residue in my cylinder chambers, and they probably won't
cycle properly in my new rifle.

The factory wadcutters in .38 special are far more expensive than the
jacketed ammo I use.

I have zero interest in reloading ammo.

So, wadcutters are messy, and they cost more than what I use

BTW, is your Colt OM a pre-war model?



--
Republicans . . . the anti-immigrant, anti-contraception, anti-student,
anti-middle class, pro-impeachment party that shut down the government
last year for no reason.

On 7/12/14, 11:52 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 11:09:06 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:



The factory wadcutters in .38 special are far more expensive than the
jacketed ammo I use.

I have zero interest in reloading ammo.

So, wadcutters are messy, and they cost more than what I use

BTW, is your Colt OM a pre-war model?




When I was shooting a lot I was reloading
(about 2-3 cents a shot at the time)
Since the bullet is most of the cost, cast bullets make a lot of sense
for sub sonic loads. I did not notice any significant extra cleaning
effort.. A quick hit with Hoppes on a brush and a swab, it was good.

Wad cutters are typically loaded flush with the case mouth so they
will be the overall length of the case. That does allow them to feed
in that special purpose S&W semi auto tho.(the number escapes me at
the moment)
I almost bought one years ago but I was not sure enough why to pay the
steep price they were going for.

My OM was made in 1951 according to Colt. I got it in the 60s and it
was not a virgin then. I think I only paid about $40 for it at Ye Olde
Hunter in 1967-8
I have put thousands of rounds through it since then.



Well, I'm sure my revolver would handle the wadcutters but they'd leave
behind a mess. But my new lever gun would not feed them. It wants "full
size" cartridges with an overall length of 40 mm, and maybe .38 special
cartridges measuring 39 mm.
--
Republicans . . . the anti-immigrant, anti-contraception, anti-student,
anti-middle class, pro-impeachment party that shut down the government
last year for no reason.

On 7/12/14, 2:28 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 12:09:51 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Well, I'm sure my revolver would handle the wadcutters but they'd leave
behind a mess. But my new lever gun would not feed them. It wants "full
size" cartridges with an overall length of 40 mm, and maybe .38 special
cartridges measuring 39 mm.
--

You could test it simply by cycling fired cases. The length is the
same.

I am still not sure of what "mess" you are talking about.

People have been shooting wad cutters out of .38s for a century. That
old OM has done a couple thousand.


Perhaps your cylinder tolerances are looser.

There's about a tenth of an inch of free bore in the .357 MAG cylinder
when you use .38 specials and more when you use wadcutters. The free
bore gets fouled with powder and residue from the rounds you fire. When
you switch to .357 MAGS, the rounds seat properly in the fouled
cylinder, but ejecting the shot rounds, the empty cases, is a pain in
the ass.

On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 15:57:38 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 15:22:33 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 7/12/14, 2:28 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 12:09:51 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Well, I'm sure my revolver would handle the wadcutters but they'd leave
behind a mess. But my new lever gun would not feed them. It wants "full
size" cartridges with an overall length of 40 mm, and maybe .38 special
cartridges measuring 39 mm.
--

You could test it simply by cycling fired cases. The length is the
same.

I am still not sure of what "mess" you are talking about.

People have been shooting wad cutters out of .38s for a century. That
old OM has done a couple thousand.


Perhaps your cylinder tolerances are looser.

There's about a tenth of an inch of free bore in the .357 MAG cylinder
when you use .38 specials and more when you use wadcutters. The free
bore gets fouled with powder and residue from the rounds you fire. When
you switch to .357 MAGS, the rounds seat properly in the fouled
cylinder, but ejecting the shot rounds, the empty cases, is a pain in
the ass.


I have never had powder fouling that did not come out with a quick
pass of a brush. You have exactly the same issue with powder fouling
forward of the case mouth if you are shooting .357 brass. The bullet
itself will not enter into it. Chambers in a revolver are usually
straight bored all the way to the end. That is a good thing for
reloaders since you do not have to size cases for length like you do
on a .45 ACP.
That is still going to be there any time you fire .38 brass in a .357
or a .22 short in a .22lr
You are the first person I have ever heard who thought it was a
burden.

I've also fired hundreds of wad cutters through my Mod 28. My brother, the cop, got them free. Gave
me a big box full. Didn't have any problem with them. Cleaning a gun is about as much fun as
shooting it anyway.

But hey, if the name of the game is to be disagreeable, then the boy has to come up with something!