.38 Spl 148 HBWC... crimp or no?

[MWAG19919]

Title says it all. I'm loading .38 Spl rounds using Hornady 148 gr HBWC bullets. There's no crimp groove, and the manual I load states a COL of 1.180", so there will be some bullet protruding from the case mouth.

Instinct tells me not to crimp, as it can swage the bullet. Also, there is no crimp groove. Just wanted to make sure

[TomMcC]

All the factory 148's I've seen were loaded flush and had a crimp. I might check a few more sources. If you press on with it extending I wouldnt crimp it without a groove. It might distort the bullet and jack up your accuracy. I'm guessing you're loading light, if so, you shouldn't have issues with bullet jump.

[Chubbs103]

I've loaded thousands of 148 HBWCs. Always flush with a light crimp. I never thought of measuring COAL. 2.7 gr of Bullseye. A lot of folks use 2.8 gr.

[T2C]

I've loaded and fired tens of thousands of 148g HBWC reloads while competing in PPC. As others have suggested, the bullet should be flush with the case mouth. I put enough roll crimp on the brass to make fast loading with speed loaders easy. If you can get your hands on a loaded factory 148g HBWC cartridge, that would be a good reference for how much crimp you want.

Minimum suggested charge weights of either Bullseye or Winchester 231 can give you good accuracy out to 50 yards when fired from a good revolver.

[Bimmer]

I'm loading 148gr DEWCs, also flush with the case mouth, also with just enough crimp to "de-bell" the case so that they chamber easily.

I use 2.0gr of TrailBoss, which shoots really soft and yields 580fps out of a 3" Ruger LCRx.

[T2C]

I'm loading 148gr DEWCs, also flush with the case mouth, also with just enough crimp to "de-bell" the case so that they chamber easily.

I use 2.0gr of TrailBoss, which shoots really soft and yields 580fps out of a 3" Ruger LCRx.

Have you compared accuracy with DEWC and HBWC bullets? Was there a noticeable difference?

[Bimmer]

Have you compared accuracy with DEWC and HBWC bullets?

Nope... Just the DEWC and some 125gr round-noses.

The DEWCs seem more accurate than the RNs, but these are just plinking/training rounds for the LCRx, which is not a target gun... On a good day I can keep all five in the A-zone of a USPSA target at 25yds.

[MWAG19919]

I ended up loading 50 rounds. Small charge of 700x with the wadcutter seated flush and a teeny tiny amount of crimp. They plopped into my cylinders just fine without crimp, but I went ahead and added some