Wad-cutters.....

[Dargo72 0]

Should I buy wad-cutters for my GP 100?

 

I ask because it is less expensive and I'm trying to go to the range a lot to get the practice.  I am going through a fair amount of ammo, and obviously, it's not cheap.

 

Are the firing and recoil dynamics the same/similar?

 

Is there a reason NOT to use wad-cutters at the range?

 

Any other things I didn't think of.......

 

Thank you,

[Tack Tickle 0]

Wad-cutters are fine. They were developed to make a perfect hole in the paper... There is no reason to not use them!!!

 

If the weight of the projectile is the same and propellant, you will have the same recoil.

[checko 180]

They are THE range ammo.

[10X 3,301]

Should I buy wad-cutters for my GP 100?

 

I ask because it is less expensive and I'm trying to go to the range a lot to get the practice.  I am going through a fair amount of ammo, and obviously, it's not cheap.

 

Are the firing and recoil dynamics the same/similar?

 

Is there a reason NOT to use wad-cutters at the range?

 

Any other things I didn't think of.......

 

Thank you,

They're a fine choice for getting in practice.   It's a target bullet--they're very accurate, at least to 50 yards or so, despite the weird appearance.   You wouldn't typically load them to particularly high velocities (especially hollow-based wadcutters), so you wouldn't experience magnum recoil...but that's a good thing while you gain proficiency.  They also suck if you're trying to load them with speed loaders, but it doesn't sound like that matters right now.

 

Buy a lot, and shoot 'em up!

[Dargo72 0]

Thank you.... and boy that was fast! 

[lunker 274]

The only reason to consider other bullets is if you intend that gun to be for home defense. Wad cutters are target loads, and have very different recoil characteristics than self defense loads. Practice with what you will use in "real life".

[M4BGRINGO 139]

To me wadcutters feel like a really hot .22lr out of our 686's, very little recoil. I have thousands of them. Easy to go through 500 in a single night, so don't bring too many! Stink to load with any type of speedloaders though. Makes a perfect round hole in paper, really whacky!

[Sludog 0]

All of my local shops never have wad cutter ammo in stock at least in .38 special. Anyone see it in shops in the south and central jersey area? What is the difference in price anyway? 

[Dargo72 0]

Thanks.... and here is a quick, slightly OT, question......  I purchased one of those "self-healing" ground target balls.  I have not used it yet, but would wad-cutters be more "gentle" on it?

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Thanks.... and here is a quick, slightly OT, question......  I purchased one of those "self-healing" ground target balls.  I have not used it yet, but would wad-cutters be more "gentle" on it?

 

Just theorizing, but I think they would be harder on a self healing target. Wadcutters are made to do just that - cut. A conventional round nose jacket bullet tends to "push" the target material aside as it goes through and really takes very little material with it. A wadcuttwe, OTOH, will cut nice clean holes by taking a round piece of target with it.

 

@lunker - There would be a third category of ammo (beside wadcutters and SD), that would be for competition where you have to make a certain power factor and speedloaders or moonclips would be used. Nothing like good old roundnose lead or FMJ for that.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Tack Tickle 0]

Thanks.... and here is a quick, slightly OT, question......  I purchased one of those "self-healing" ground target balls.  I have not used it yet, but would wad-cutters be more "gentle" on it?

 

Like Pizza Bob said, don't do it!!! You'll cut a wad right outta it, haha...

[GRIZ 3,369]

I agree and disagree with some of what's already been said.

 

Wadcutters are an excellent bullet to use for most applications. They cut a clean hole in targets but will probably chop up your self healing target. Don't use a hollowbase wad if you want high velocities. You can blow out the hollow base and leave a ring of lead in the forcing cone or barrel. If you want to jack up velocities use a plain base or double ended wadcutter. Some designs allow you to crimp the bullet for a longer OAL which will give you more room for powder. +P or even magnum velocities can be achieved this way. You most likely will see very little if any gain in accuracy between a plain or hollowbase bullet.

 

Jim Cirillo did a lot of searching for the perfect SD bullet and most of his designs wound up as a wadcutter with a cup point. He was known to use a full wadcutter in the tube followed by concentional hollowpoints in a 1911 while on the stakeout squad. The problem with a wadcutter as a SD bullet has never been one of shape but velocity. However a target velocity wadcutter will give 14"+ penetration in ballistic gel which is considered adequate for SD use. The penetration is due to the fact that a wadcutter's weight is either forward (with a hollowbase) or evenly distributed (with a plain base) so it doesn't tend to turn around like most bullets. The bullet is already in an efficient shape, a shape that a hollowpoint needs to start expanding to get to. A target wadcutter gives soft recoil, an efficient shape, and lower recoil which is why I carry it as a SD bullet in a. J frame size revolver. These virtues outweigh the 75-100 fps I'd get from a +P bullet in a 2" barrel.

 

The only real downsides to a wadcutter are a low ballistic coefficient and its harder to reload. The BC is not an issue up to 50 yds although you will start to see target loaded wadcutters keyholing at that range from a 2". Reloading fast can be an issue but PPC shooters have been doing it for years.

[Dargo72 0]

Thank you for all the replies.... So I will use the wad-cutters for basic target practice, but not shoot the self-healing ground target with them......