Accurate load for Campro 148 gr. plated HBWC

P

pacobillie

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 99.3%
144   1   0
Location
Quebec
I know that there have been threads on this before, but after reviewing them, there does not seem to be a consensus or definitive answer.

I want to shoot 148 grains plated hollow base wadcutters, out of a .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver. I am looking for suggested accurate loads.

These are plated bullets made by CamPro, but Berry makes a very similar bullet.

Both Campro and Berry recommend driving the bullet between 800 and 1250 fps. This means that lead bullet load data, which typically covers HBWC bullets at between 700 and 800 fps, will not be adequate.

Does anyone have a load that they would recommend? I would prefer to use .38 special cases, but I can also use use .357 Magnum cases.

My goal is maximum accuracy.
 
3.1gr of titegroup is wicked accurate in my sp101. It gets about 830fps in the 4.2" barrel with swaged 148gr Hornady lhbwc. You could jack it up by .1 or .2 if you wanted insurance. That's roll crimped over the bullet by the way.
 
the classic is 2.8gr +/- .2 gr of bullseye for a 148gr HBWC, it's the only load i use for those bullets.
 
With the Campro 148 HBWC I use 3.2 bullseye and I seat the bullets to 1.4" in .357 cases. This load runs about 850fps from a 4.2" 686 and is ridiculously accurate. There is no requirement to seat these bullets flush. In fact you may see big accuracy gains by seating them out a bit.



For ####s and giggles I have even seated them backwards. They fly straight out to 25m. I haven't tried them any farther.
 
B said:
With the Campro 148 HBWC I use 3.2 bullseye and I seat the bullets to 1.4" in .357 cases. This load runs about 850fps from a 4.2" 686 and is ridiculously accurate. There is no requirement to seat these bullets flush. In fact you may see big accuracy gains by seating them out a bit.



For ####s and giggles I have even seated them backwards. They fly straight out to 25m. I haven't tried them any farther.
Click to expand...

Interesting! Do you crimp?
 
The classic wadcutters loads are seated flush and roll crimped over the bullet. These are remarkably efficient and accurate. They allow light powder charges with reliable ignition. They will however be subject to rapid pressure increases if recommended charges are exceeded.
If your gun is a .357 I wouldn't worry about the pressures too much, accuracy will suffer I'd you go too high and the hollow base can actually separate at extreme pressures.
If you bump the recommended flush HBWC loads up slightly then you should be fine.
 
diananike said:
The classic wadcutters loads are seated flush and roll crimped over the bullet. These are remarkably efficient and accurate. They allow light powder charges with reliable ignition. They will however be subject to rapid pressure increases if recommended charges are exceeded.
If your gun is a .357 I wouldn't worry about the pressures too much, accuracy will suffer I'd you go too high and the hollow base can actually separate at extreme pressures.
If you bump the recommended flush HBWC loads up slightly then you should be fine.
Click to expand...

I know that you are correct insofar as lead bullets are concerned. The issue is that these plated bullets (CamPro)do not behave like cast lead bullets do. What B. is suggesting would probably not work with cast lead bullets, but I do have a hunch, based upon prior experience, that he is correct. When I first bought these bullets, I did indeed seat the first batch with the bullets protruding from the case about 1/8 of an inch, and they actually grouped better than flush bullets.
 
I'm interested to hear this as I'm thinking of ordering some of these plated wadcutters as well.
As long as they won't jump a light roll crimp that holds the bullet and doesn't break the plating then we can seat them out farther.
When I get some I'll test traditional flush fit, and seated out with light roll crimp. I'd bump up my load a bit too when seating farther out.
 
I like the 3.2 grains of Bullseye load. It could work.....
The market is a wonderful thing. Bullet manufacturers are no exception to making what the public want. Hence, plated FWC's.
In order to make these plated FWC's work you must drive them faster, so, more powder is required. More velocity using these plated bullets means more recoil vs standard lead FWC's. Accuracy might be the same but....
Here's another perspective: plated FWC's probably cost the same as plated 158grain SWC's. Standard S&W, Ruger revolver barrel twist rates of 1" in 16" makes SWC's a better bet.
 
hatman1793 said:
I like the 3.2 grains of Bullseye load. It could work.....
The market is a wonderful thing. Bullet manufacturers are no exception to making what the public want. Hence, plated FWC's.
In order to make these plated FWC's work you must drive them faster, so, more powder is required. More velocity using these plated bullets means more recoil vs standard lead FWC's. Accuracy might be the same but....
Here's another perspective: plated FWC's probably cost the same as plated 158grain SWC's. Standard S&W, Ruger revolver barrel twist rates of 1" in 16" makes SWC's a better bet.
Click to expand...

I am shooting indoors and I have severe asthma, which is why I try to stay away from pure lead bullets. Hence, the plated HBWC bullets. If there was no issue from a health standpoint, I would certainly use the regular lead HBWC. However, those lead bullets produce too much smoke and fine particles for my lungs' liking.
 
Last edited:
I seat the bullets out about 1/8 inch, very little crimp, in a .38 special case.
I prefer their 158 grain semi wadcutter for most of my loads, though. More versatile, and still punch nice round holes in paper.
 
I bought a box of these CamPro FCP HBWC a few weeks ago and noticed that they had no specs for reloading on their site so I sent them an Email for the info. For some stupid reason I deleted that reply so I just had to copy what I had printed.



23764020e6b5889a43611ce0b6bfdeca0bef6ca0.jpg


237640197a84f4091e879e717e14a5afd976895e.jpg


237640187b09cbd9731afd60dc9421aa3ea83990.jpg


23764017c912a5e135b4080585acc137e1f91c45.jpg
 
I've been working up some loads for a a Model 64 and have been trying various loads of Clays lately. Here are my results with Speers lead HBWC and Berrys and Campro plated HBWC. The plated bullets definitely take a bigger charge to get up to the speed of of the leaded bullets.

HBWC Testing 20170314.JPG

Now I just have to work on getting more consistent powder throws on my Dillon 550b :)

Forgot to add, one of the fella's I've been shooting PPC with has tested Speers, Berry's and Campro HBWC with a Ransom Rest at 50m and his best results were very tight groups with Campro. The Speers and Berry's did not group well for him at all, but I don't know what loads of Bullseye he tried.
 

Attachments

  • HBWC Testing 20170314.JPG
    HBWC Testing 20170314.JPG
    17.8 KB · Views: 93
Bertallen said:
I bought a box of these CamPro FCP HBWC a few weeks ago and noticed that they had no specs for reloading on their site so I sent them an Email for the info. For some stupid reason I deleted that reply so I just had to copy what I had printed.



In essence, thicker case walls mean less space for powder and thus higher pressure and resulting additional velocity. Not exactly mind boggling! What it does not say is whether this results in better accuracy.

Thus far, all of my loads have used CFE pistol powder. That is a medium slow pistol powder, comparable to HS-6. With flush seated bullets, 4.3 grains (+P load) shot better than 3.9 grains (Max. .38 Sp. non +P load).

With bullets seated at about 1.4 COAL, in .357 cases, 4.5 grains shot better than all loads that I have tried thus far in .38 Sp. cases.

Next time, I will compare the latter (.357 Mag case/ 1.4" COAL) with the identical load, in .38 Sp. cases seated flush.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom