A
wadcutter is a special-purpose
bulletA bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by its impact or penetration...
specially designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under 800 ft/s (244 m/s). They are often used in
handgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand, with the other hand optionally supporting the shooting hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from their larger counterparts: long guns such as rifles and shotguns , mounted weapons such...
and airgun competitions. A wadcutter has a flat or nearly flat front that cuts a very clean hole through the paper target, making it easier to score and ideally reducing errors in scoring the target to the favor of the shooter.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Wadcutter' Start a new discussion about 'Wadcutter' Answer questions from other users |
A
wadcutter is a special-purpose
bulletA bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by its impact or penetration...
specially designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under 800 ft/s (244 m/s). They are often used in
handgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand, with the other hand optionally supporting the shooting hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from their larger counterparts: long guns such as rifles and shotguns , mounted weapons such...
and airgun competitions. A wadcutter has a flat or nearly flat front that cuts a very clean hole through the paper target, making it easier to score and ideally reducing errors in scoring the target to the favor of the shooter. Because the flat nosed bullet is not well suited for feeding out of a magazine, wadcutters are normally used only in
revolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. As the user cocks the hammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name...
s or in specially-designed
semi-automatic pistolA semi-automatic pistol is a type of handgun that can be fired in semi-automatic mode, firing one cartridge for each pull of the trigger. This type of firearm uses a single chamber and a single barrel, which remain in a fixed linear orientation relative to each other while being fired and reloaded...
s.
Wadcutters are typically made from lead; as such, deposition of lead into the rifling grooves of barrels, and into the forcing cones of revolvers, limits the maximum usable velocity of wadcutters to less than about 900 ft/s; as a few shots fired at higher velocities may cause severe leading of the rifling and of the forcing cone, introducing a potentially dangerous condition from overpressure if FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) bullets are subsequently fired without first removing the lead buildup. Either a mechanical lead removing tool (i.e., a Lewis Lead Remover or a generic equivalent) and/or chemical removal techniques may be used to remove the lead build-up from shooting wadcutters at too high a velocity.
Wadcutters can be loaded flush with the brass case, such as seen in the accompanying picture, or they may also be set to extend out of the brass case, depending on what provides the most accuracy, the desired powder capacity of the case, or other desired criteria. Both varieties of wadcutters (flush, or extending out of the case) are commercially available. Although primarily intended for target practice, wadcutters are also sometimes used for close-in self-defense and hunting, because their sharp edges and close-range accuracy are claimed to increase lethality. (See Keith bullet for more on these wadcutter and
semiwadcutterA semiwadcutter or SWC is a type of all purpose bullet commonly used in revolvers. The SWC combines features of the wadcutter target bullet and traditional round nosed revolver bullets, and is used in both revolver and pistol cartridges for hunting, target shooting, and plinking.The basic SWC...
applications involving self-defense and hunting applications.)
Target airguns used for 10 metre air rifle and 10 metre air pistol competitions generally shoot wadcutter
pelletsAn air gun pellet is, for the most part, a non-spherical projectile designed to be fired from an air gun. But this is not always the case.Pellets differ from bullets used in firearms because of the pressures encountered; firearms operate at pressures of thousands of atmospheres, while airguns...
at velocities around 175 m/s (574 ft/s). The use of wadcutter match diabolo pellets is nearly universal in airgun target shooting where often paper targets are used.