Which wadcutter is supreme?

[Glock17JHP]

A 200 grain LRN .38 Special bullet that tumbles will not give consistent performance as will a 148 grain HBWC .38 Special. Penetration will be inconsistent, specifically. The yaw (not yawl) will likely have a very negative effect of the desired straight path of the bullet through tissue, too. Water jugs give good measurements (after calculating the difference between water and tissue/gelatin) of expected penetration depth. Expansion may be off a bit, however as relates to tissue/gelatin.

[DocGKR]

It is a slow LRN handgun bullet--it goes in nose forward, yaws 180 degrees after a few inches of penetration and continues on base forward before exiting. The bullet is too slow to develop a significant temporary cavity during the yaw cycle and too short to gain a substantial increase in the permanent crush cavity while it is yawing.

[Wayne Dobbs]

Which is a very articulate way of saying it sucked...

[DocGKR]

Yup...

[RyanB]

I watched some old timers talk about how much that round sucked on another forum. Ray Atkinson was one of them.

[PA PATRIOT]

My department issued the 200gr LRN .38spl for some years back in the 50's until the mid 70's from what I have been told. Almost any old timer back in my early days with the PPD would tell of these bullets having little effect after dumping a entire cylinder into a toad and that some bounce off of the skull or failed to penetrate heavy leather coats of the time. The department switched to range loaded full wad cutters for a while and then moved onto the lead 158gr semi wad wad cutter. After that jacketed 158gr H/P's then 125gr +P H/P loads which is the current issue.

[SGT D USMC]

DocKGR, I must be confused, You said that the 38/200 tumbles 180 degres after just a few inches. of penertration then travels heel first. Also you mentioned that the bullet is going too slow to cause a significent tempory cavity and too short to cause a large permenent crush cavity. I agree and remember I am not a fan of the 38/200 and I have only stated that I think that it should be considered compared to the 148 fwc.

My confusion is that the tumbling 180 degrees with in inches of peneration would provide more permament crush cavity than the wc and the wc at 700fps would also not provide a significent tempory cavity . however once the 38/200 is traveling heal first it would cause as much permenet crush as the wc and being heavyer than the wc should penatrate deeper. So why is the 148 wc better?

I would perfer that comments Be limited to comparing the 38/200 to the 148 wc rather than mearly saying that the 38/200 sucks, which I agree with


He went into younder village and never returned.

[tpd223]

I'm not Doc, but...

One real issue is getting the 200gr .38 even in to the bad guy. I've heard of cases where this round skid off, our would just plain bounce off, of bones such as sternums.

The wadcutter will be more likely to get inside, and cuts a full caliber hole from contact onwards.

Read some of Jim Cirillo's stuff as to why you want a sharp front edge on a handgun bullet.

I'm not sure how reliably the 200gr .38 special yaws, although I know the 200gr .380/200 British round tended to do so.