Waddcutters for SD?

[rufus]

I've been carrying my S&W Airweight J-frame loaded up with waddcutters. Besides being more controllable due to reduced recoil, I've read that waddcutter ammo makes a nasty wound and is a fine SD round.

Am I being foolish?

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[themanwiththeAR]

Rufus, I don't think that loading your firearm with ammunition you like is being foolish. But if your having a second thought on what you do load for SD shop around and find something that isn't as intense in the wounding department. Don't kill them just wound them in the right stop with something with a little less impact.

 

[toolfan]

I've been carrying my S&W Airweight J-frame loaded up with waddcutters. Besides being more controllable due to reduced recoil, I've read that waddcutter ammo makes a nasty wound and is a fine SD round.

Am I being foolish?

Should be fine, so long as you don't plan to quickly reload.

 

[rufus]

My thoughts are more about improved shot placement AND ugly wounds. Common sense says use +p JHPs for maximum effect. The problem is controlling +p in the airweight is a handful, pardon the pun. I know it's all about practice. I practice a lot and know I can shoot wadcutters much better in this particular weapon. One well placed "target round" trumps 5 misplaced +p hollow points. At least that is what I'm telling myself.

 

[rufus]

Should be fine, so long as you don't plan to quickly reload.

Reloads are +p JHPs via speedstrip.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Are you using full or semi wadcutters? The semi was known as the "FBI load" for a long time and does well.
For full wadcutters these look pretty nasty Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy .38 Special Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

 

[hermannr]

Full hard cast wadcutters do make for a very nasty wound, and yes, they will stop a bad guy intent on doing you harm. You are correct in wanting to carry what you can shoot best. It is much better to shoot what you can control than the lastest in high performance HP's.. BTW: Buffalo Bore's offerings are great. (I have a 6" Colt officers model revolver I carry with BB ammo)

For just that reason I only carry full size steel handguns, openly...they are just more comfortable/controllable for me.

 

[rufus]

Full, and those would be the ones.

 

[mjbskwim]

I remember a guy saying he would turn the wadcutter around for a self defense load.
Crater of a hollow point.

Placement is always the first thing to worry about.

 

[OFADAN]

Oh boy I'm having flashbacks to the 1970s! Wad cutters and reverse wad cutters were the only reliable defensive rounds for the stubby in those days until Super Vel came onto the scene. It is really amazing how things recycle.

 

[rufus]

I was finally able to dig up what I had read about this topic: BUG's: .380 ACP vs. .38 Sp

It says that standard 148gr wadcutters are a good choice for .38 snub revolvers for a number of reasons: low recoil, impressive cutting action caused by the flat front and sharp edges, and very good penetration in soft tissue. Most .38 hollowpoints will not reliably expand out of the short 2" barrel. Especially when you factor in heavy clothing. The 158gr LSWCHP is very prone to clogging after passing through heavy clothing, resulting in no expansion. So you're better off going with the mild shooting, full wadcutter that has better wounding potential. It all makes sense.

I've been screwing around with 148gr wadcutters and they really do make big holes in things. Shot at a 55 gallon drum and instead of nice round holes like on paper, it tore a gash the size of my thumb. Makes you think.

 

[Cougfan2]

Oh boy I'm having flashbacks to the 1970s! Wad cutters and reverse wad cutters were the only reliable defensive rounds for the stubby in those days until Super Vel came onto the scene. It is really amazing how things recycle.

Hehe! Old fart chiming in here. That is exactly what I used to keep my revolver loaded with. .38 spl. w/148 gr HBWC reversed and 3.2 grains of Hodgdon Trap 100 (same thing as Win. 452AA). Not much for accuracy past 20 yards, but for reasonable defense distances they would make a really nasty wound. Dug some out of a dirt backstop once and they looked just like a flattened out .50 cal+ mushroom.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Oh boy I'm having flashbacks to the 1970s! Wad cutters and reverse wad cutters were the only reliable defensive rounds for the stubby in those days until Super Vel came onto the scene. It is really amazing how things recycle.

This!

Several retired cops/detectives I know still use SWC's, as do I.