Accurate distance for WC's?

[Trigger71]

Our club shoots un-timed steel plates at fixed distances to 50 yards.  I've been using S&B 148gr WC on the closer targets and group well out to 25 yards (6" plate).  However, at the 10" 50 yard plate, my shots are not so steller.  I've heard guys say they can group well with their hand loads, but I am still shooting factory.  I'm shooting a GP100 6" with a great trigger offhand.  The 148 WC's were falling so low that when I hold over higher, the sight base covers the target. 

I've tried some hotter 158's in semi-wad and round nose, and though the drop is not as bad, the groups are much better.  Part of this I think may be the quality of the ammo.  It seems the only real quality ammo I can find is self defense HP that are quite expensive.

 

Can I get an opinion on whether a 148 WC can be  accurate out to 50 yards?  Is there a suggestion on a factory load if so? 

 

Frustrated...

 

[Toolguy]

The wadcutters can be very accurate to 50 yards. A lot depends on the bullet velocity and twist rate of the barrel. All the factory wadcutter loads I know of are in the 700 to 800 feet per second velocity. All the factory revo barrels I know of are in the one in 16 to one in 19 twist rate. The custom PPC guns that shoot tight groups at 50 have 1 in 10 to 1 in 14 twist rate. The only way to get a factory barrel to shoot wadcutters accurately at 50 yd. is to get the FPS up over 900. Either the tighter twist or the faster FPS makes the bullet spin faster and keeps it stabilized long enough.

Edited April 30, 2019 by Toolguy

[Trigger71]

Correct, the GP100 has: 1:18.75" RH and the WC of the Fed Gold metal Match/Rem Target wc match are 690 muzzle velocity.  Sounds like I need a faster round.  That said, agin the hotter rounds I found are either cheap white box etc or 20 round defense +P.

 

Guess I was using the WC as I had been shooting a bullseye league at 50 feet and those rounds seemed to work in my GP to my ability.  If I'm now shooting steel instead of punching paper, should I move on from the WC?  Maybe a .38 +P?  I looked at moving to a .357, but again only find SD type loads. 

 

Thanks Toolguy

[Prange]

There is a sticky on www.bullseyeforum.net about .38 Wadcutters. It's in the Ammunition section.

[Toolguy]

I have a load with a Bayou Bullet 138 gr. DEWC that is very accurate out to 50 yds. It is going 920 FPS. You have to reload to get that one, though.

[radny97]

I have a load with a Bayou Bullet 138 gr. DEWC that is very accurate out to 50 yds. It is going 920 FPS. You have to reload to get that one, though.

I love that bullet. I run it too, and it’s amazingly accurate.


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[Trigger71]

hanks for the advice guys.  I did read the article on bullseye forum. Very good info there! 

 

So I see I have a 1/18.75 twist and will be looking for something other than the 680fps WC I was using for the closer distances.  

 

I have tried about 12 brands/speeds/types/price etc and narrowed out a few that shoot better.  In retrospect, for the cost I spent, nearly $280, I could have put towards a loader and begin that learning process.  Albeit the enjoyment I had shooting and testing all that ammo.   

 

I guess I was hoping for some easy advice on a factory load for 50 yards from my GP, and see it’s not so easy.   

 

[pskys2]

Toolguy makes sense I always found my 625 was more accurate at over 800 f/s regardless of bullet weight, one reason I liked 200 gr bullets, the 230's at 730 f/s kept throwing groups half again the size of the 200's.

[Jim Watson]

Back when I was shooting PPC at up to 50 yards, I had decent results with Speer HBWC and W231 powder. 

A friend has stayed with it and does even better with Zero HBWC and good old Bullseye.

 

A number of bullseye shooters have gone to 9mm and .45 JHPs at low to medium velocity,  That might work in .38 but again is a handloading proposition.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Jim Watson