Making Full Wadcutter Bullets Using Gas Checks

[Andy]

This is an old idea that is not well known.

All you need is a mold that has one or more driving bands into which a gas check will fit snugly. Insert the gas check upside down into the hot mold (be careful!), and pour. This is a Mountain Molds Custom for the Swiss Vetterli that casts a 0.433" 355 gr Semi Wadcutter (SWC) bullet.

From this mold I am able to make five (5) different bullets that are (almost) Full Wadcutters (FWC). I say "almost" FWC because the gas check step that is now on top is only about 0.400", not 0.433".

Left to Right: 113 gr, 151 gr (two are stacked), 196 gr, 238 gr, 292 gr, and the 355 gr SWC bullet for which the mold was designed.

Note that all of the FWC bullets are oriented upside-down to what the mold was designed - that's the gas check step on top.

I stacked two 151 gr FWC's to show that in rifles with a long neck, you could load two back to back. I've done this with homemade 45 cal FWC's (using a different mold) in the 43 Mauser. Other candidates might be 45-70 and 444 Marlin.

 

[yomomma]

Interesting

 

[salarguy]

Just a guess but I think that 113 Gr. in 45 cal. is going to tumble a little.

 

[propliner]

That's pretty ingenious.

 

[Andy]

Just a guess but I think that 113 Gr. in 45 cal. is going to tumble a little.

Probably - it's only 0.280" in length, weighs 113 grs, and (thus) has a very poor BC. That said, only testing can tell, and if it can be started straight, it might punch nice holes at 100 yds.

 

[freire]

Never thought of that, might have to try that some time.

 

[saltednutz]

333

 

[hatman1793]

Pointless! Wad cutters do not need gas checks if they are driven fast...aka...supersonic. Supersonic wad cutters with a gas check are for what?
Wad cutters pose a velocity problem as they are not efficient at high speeds, especially in lead. Even with a superfluous gas check, one must use a total Linotype bullet...for what purpose?

 

[heliace]

Lead alloy semi wadcutter with a gas check is my favorite .357 bullet for re-loads.

 

[saskgunowner101]

Something I would never have thought to do in a million years. How practical remains to be seen (cause that would ever stop me), but I'll give it a whirl next casting session!

 

[heliace]

Much less lead fouling. A good friend showed me this technique 30 years ago.

 

[Gun5tuff]

Andy,
Hhow many of those 113 grainers fit into the neck of a 43 Mauser? What sort of pattern would you get at short distances?

 

[Andy]

Andy,
Hhow many of those 113 grainers fit into the neck of a 43 Mauser? What sort of pattern would you get at short distances?

You'd have to make these bullets from a different mold for use in the 43 Mauser (I size down 45 Cal bullets to 0.448"), as this molds drops bullets at 0.433" and the 43 Mauser requires 0.446"+.

That said, I did it about 10 years ago, and there's a narrative below:

A "Duplex" Load Guaranteed to Win Any Bullseye Match!

I scored 32 out of a possible 20 with just a two shot group! See below:

It was a "Duplex" Load, but not what you might have thought. I make up 43 Mauser to shoot in my Mauser 71/84's out of Starline 45/90. I have a pet load with 500gr bullets, and one day I got to thinking that since that long neck gripped the full length of the 500gr bullet, why would it not grip two 250gr bullets lined up end-to-end? Fact is it does as shown below. Please forgive the ugly bullets - I didn't care how they looked for this pic:

Just a bit of fun. The two bullets took very different trajectories, ending up 2-4 inches apart at 50 yds. I imagine this is explained by the upset caused as the two bullets start to separate as they leave the bore, plus the effect of the front bullet's shock-wave, "contrails", shielding effect, etc. One of the two bullets actually hit where aimed on both shots, so it appears that at least one bullet goes where aimed, and I have to think it was the front bullet.

I later did the same test with three (3) of the Wadcutters I made and with similar results:

I could only do this because of the long (0.800") neck of the 43 Mauser. You might be able to pull this off in the 45/70 and 458 Win Mag as well, but only if the rear bullet is firmly gripped, and that depends on the taper in the case. I chose a powder that had the rear bullet sitting on top of the powder column, which further prevented it from falling into the cartidge, and the same would be advised for other cartridges.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

Very cool, why didn't i think of that!? I've been wanting a wad cutter for my 500 mag, going to have to see if it will work with any of my molds.

 

[Andy]

My Hornady 500 cal gas checks are quite thick and won't work in my NOE 450-500-550-600, nor MiHec-700 molds.

This Lee mold might work: [h=1]MOLD DC C501-440-RF[/h]

So might this Lee mold, and it will make a "true" FWC, but unless it drops a bit "fat", it might be a bit too small in diameter:MOLD 500-360-M

 

[270 totheend]

This is a cool idea, just when you think you have seen it all eh! A nose pour mould in a bullet like 311403 would give you 6 possible weights from one mould. I will have to check my moulds for a Loverin design with broad driving bands.