? about small game hunting with SAA's

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cshold
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? about small game hunting with SAA's

Post by cshold »

Question about small game hunting with SAA's in 38 spl.

What have you found to be the best factory load?

I am thinking the 148 gr. wadcutter for small game.

Would this be right or is there something else that works better?

:)
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J Miller
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Post by J Miller »

casastahle,

I've never hunted with a 38 Spcl, but were I to do so, I'd choose a 158gr SWC at the least. Or preferably the old FBI 158gr SWC-HP +P load. Unless you are hunting bunnies up real close I think the wad cutters are gonna leave you a bit short.

JMHO

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Hobie
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Post by Hobie »

Wadcutters work.
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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JimT
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Post by JimT »

As a kid I killed lots of rabbits, cats, dogs, squirrels and so with 38 Special wadcutter handloads. They worked just fine.
cshold
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Post by cshold »

Yes bunnies and possibly tree rats that are not to far away.

I was thinking the +P's with semi-wadcutters would be the choice
for turkey, but could be wrong there.

open to sugestions for sure. :D
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Hobie
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Post by Hobie »

Yep, I'd want more than target wadcutters for turkey and fox and such but mostly due to the trajectory. Wadcutters work great on squirrels and rabbits or bigger game in traps...
Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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Paul
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Post by Paul »

casastahle wrote:Yes bunnies and possibly tree rats that are not to far away.

I was thinking the +P's with semi-wadcutters would be the choice
for turkey, but could be wrong there.

open to sugestions for sure. :D

I had a Lyman double cavity WC mold years ago. Have NO idea how many of those I ran down the barrel of my Rossi. With some stingless bee wax lube I invented and Especial de Caça powder it was one accurate bullet. It worked great on partridge and even put down an egg sucking bitch from the next farm over one time. That was NOT a clean kill, ended up putting three more into her after the first one hit her at the base of the skull - right where I'd aimed - and put her down, but not out. That first one would have killed her I'm sure - if I'd hot rodded it a bit instead of using a powder puff load. The WC will hit with plenty of authority if you run them on the hot end of the loading scale. They should be good for anything up to the size of a large coon or even coyote if you place them right. Would I use them for turkey? I don't know. I'd have to run some shooting tests with them first. A lot of it will have to do with whether you can place your bullets well. If you can, they'll do the job admirably. That flat face has an AWFUL wallop to it and should do good duty for you.

Paul - in Pereira
cshold
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Post by cshold »

Yes I do think for turkey I would step it up a notch to the 357.
That's what I think is nice with the versitility of the 38/357.
:)
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JimT
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Post by JimT »

The wadcutter run hot will ruin a lot of meat. I can attest to it from personal experience.
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