38 hbwc bullets
Anyone ever load a hbwc bullet with the hollow end out? Would be bad at close range. Thanks
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They function well at close range. A one gallon milk jug full of water will usually have only one hole in it. With the better choices of factory self defense ammo around today, I use one of them for several reasons. 0 -
A million years ago, when I reloaded for my S&W 52 target gun, I always would load up a batch "backwards" for my friend's .38 colt that he plinked and carried for small game.
He loved them, soft recoil. very accurate at under 50 yards, and cheap too.0 -
Several years back there was an article in a magazine that reviewed the good and bad points of this practice. For loading, the decrease in powder density (due to the flat base facing the powder rather than the hollowed base) that caused higher pressure was offset by the flatbase being uniformly pushed out of the barrel. The hollow base is limited in the amount of acceptable pressure due to the possibility of the edge of the hollow base being broken off, leaving it in the barrel if encountering higher pressures. Seems to me the conclusion was that they were an option for having a low recoil anti-personnel cartridge, but fell short of a higher recoil JHP. 0 -
I loveed shooting the 148 HBWC loaded backwards in the 357 mag with 6.5 graines of Unique. They wrecked havoc upon oranges, milk jugs, unopend soup cans and what not. [:D] 0 -
I used to load the Hornady HBWC backwards for 9mm, .38 Spl and .357 mag. With that huge opening facing the air I got flyers on a regular basis and wouldn't use them except as a "house gun" load. In water or DuxSeal they are devastating expanders. The original HydraShok used this same load, but formed it with the post in the center to block some of the air getting in and destabilizing the bullet. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by peddler
Anyone ever load a hbwc bullet with the hollow end out? Would be bad at close range. Thanks
YEP, did it in the late '60,s.
Also have some vintage Taurus 146gr HS with a pin in the middle, like hydra-shok, to make them expand better [}:)]0 -
I believe Elmer Keith used to advocate this type of load. 0 -
Expansion, yes, but I would worry about a lack of penetration. Remember Miami. 0 -
This is rediscovered every once in a while.
Once upon a time, you might have been justified loading a HBWC backwards as a big mouth hollowpoint, but ammunition is better now.0 -
Just don't use data that assumes the case volume includes the HB. Loading backwards REALLY reduces the case volume, so pressure will shoot up very fast.
Thankfully, most guns are VERY well made.0 -
We tried it 40-some years ago, but we could never get the bullets to stay oriented. They would cut full keyholes almost right out of the muzzles. It was luck of the draw as to whether they would hit backwards, forwards, sideways, quartering, or whatever, at any given distance. Belly-gun loads at card table distances, and that's about it. 0
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