Testing 148 Grain Hollow-Based Wadcutters Loaded Backwards

As I mentioned in a previous article (1) where I tested Buffalo Bore full wadcutter loads, learned gun pundits such as Jeff Cooper and Jack P. Lewis recommended loading wadcutter bullets for self-defense during the 1970s and 1980s. In Lewis’s Law Enforcement Handgun Digest, he discusses loading the Speer 148 grain .38 target hollow-base wadcutter backwards in the case.(2)

To see how these loads would perform in modern ballistics gelatin, I purchased some Speer 148 grain hollow-based wadcutters and some Berry’s plated 148 grain hollow-based wadcutters and loaded .38 Special rounds with the hollow base facing forward. The average velocity of these loads fired from a two-inch barrel was 845 feet per second.

How did the bullets perform? Very inconsistently. Out of ten rounds fired (five with each brand), only four remained within a 16-inch gelatin block. The other six zipped on through and continued down range (I only had one 16-inch block available). The Buffalo Bore .38 Special wadcutters I tested had an average penetration of twenty-inches so I am not surprised.

The two Speer 148s I recovered came to rest at 12.5-inches (green arrow) and expanded to 0.450 and 0.470 inches respectively and did not reverse. The two Berry’s 148s I recovered came to rest at 13 and 14 inches (red arrows) and did not expand; however, the Berry’s reversed as they passed through the gelatin block and this caused a larger permanent cavity in the gelatin (shown by the red bracket).

So, was the learned gun pundit’s recommendation correct for their day and time? Probably. They did not have access to modern ballistic gelatin so they could only base their observation on what was available. Do I recommend loading these bullets for everyday carry? No, I do not recommend using reloads for self-defense carry. If you want to use full wadcutter bullets for everyday carry, the Buffalo Bore or similar loads are a good choice. If you want expansion, there are numerous hollow-point self defense loads on the market.

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(1) Testing Buffalo Bore Full Wadcutter Self-Defense Loads;

https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog.com/2025/11/testing-buffalo-bore-full-wadcutter.html 

(2) Law Enforcement Handgun Digest; Lewis, Jack, 1924-2009; published 1980