Black Hills .38 Special 148gr HBWC Ballistics
Brass Case • HBWC • MPN: D38N3
Black Hills .38 Special 148gr HBWC Ballistics
Brass Case • HBWC • MPN: D38N3
Solved from this product's advertised 700 fps, 148gr bullet and G1 BC 0.059, with the sight 0.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .38 Special.
How to read it: filled circles are the near and far zero, where the bullet's path crosses the line of sight;the triangle is the peak (max ordinate). The shaded band is the 4" vital zone, ±2" either side of the line of sight. The dashed line marks the edge of the hold-dead-on window. The chart is zoomed to where the zero matters; the tables below run to 100 yards.
.38 Special 148gr with a 10-yard zero
Zeroed at 10 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 10 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -5.8" at 50 and -33.1" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 700 | 161 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -2.83 | -0.82 | 692 | 158 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.02 | -0.01 | 685 | 154 | 0.2 |
| 15 | 0.0" | -0.22 | -0.07 | 678 | 151 | 0.3 |
| 20 | -0.3" | -1.22 | -0.36 | 671 | 148 | 0.5 |
| 25 | -0.7" | -2.56 | -0.74 | 664 | 145 | 0.6 |
| 30 | -1.3" | -4.08 | -1.19 | 657 | 142 | 0.9 |
| 35 | -2.1" | -5.71 | -1.66 | 650 | 139 | 1.1 |
| 40 | -3.1" | -7.42 | -2.16 | 643 | 136 | 1.5 |
| 45 | -4.4" | -9.20 | -2.68 | 636 | 133 | 1.8 |
| 50 | -5.8" | -11.03 | -3.21 | 630 | 130 | 2.2 |
| 55 | -7.5" | -12.91 | -3.76 | 623 | 128 | 2.7 |
| 60 | -9.4" | -14.84 | -4.32 | 617 | 125 | 3.2 |
| 65 | -11.5" | -16.80 | -4.89 | 610 | 122 | 3.7 |
| 70 | -13.8" | -18.80 | -5.47 | 604 | 120 | 4.3 |
| 75 | -16.4" | -20.84 | -6.06 | 597 | 117 | 4.9 |
| 80 | -19.2" | -22.91 | -6.66 | 591 | 115 | 5.6 |
| 85 | -22.3" | -25.02 | -7.28 | 585 | 112 | 6.3 |
| 90 | -25.6" | -27.16 | -7.90 | 579 | 110 | 7.1 |
| 95 | -29.2" | -29.34 | -8.53 | 573 | 108 | 7.9 |
| 100 | -33.1" | -31.55 | -9.18 | 567 | 106 | 8.7 |
148gr G1 .059 at 700 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.38 Special 148gr with a 15-yard zero
Zeroed at 15 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 15 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -5.7" at 50 and -32.8" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 700 | 161 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.1" | -2.58 | -0.75 | 692 | 158 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | +0.24 | +0.07 | 685 | 154 | 0.2 |
| 15 | 0.0" | +0.03 | +0.01 | 678 | 151 | 0.3 |
| 20 | -0.2" | -0.97 | -0.28 | 671 | 148 | 0.5 |
| 25 | -0.6" | -2.30 | -0.67 | 664 | 145 | 0.6 |
| 30 | -1.2" | -3.82 | -1.11 | 657 | 142 | 0.9 |
| 35 | -2.0" | -5.45 | -1.59 | 650 | 139 | 1.1 |
| 40 | -3.0" | -7.17 | -2.08 | 643 | 136 | 1.5 |
| 45 | -4.2" | -8.95 | -2.60 | 636 | 133 | 1.8 |
| 50 | -5.7" | -10.78 | -3.14 | 630 | 130 | 2.2 |
| 55 | -7.3" | -12.66 | -3.68 | 623 | 128 | 2.7 |
| 60 | -9.2" | -14.58 | -4.24 | 617 | 125 | 3.2 |
| 65 | -11.3" | -16.54 | -4.81 | 610 | 122 | 3.7 |
| 70 | -13.6" | -18.54 | -5.39 | 604 | 120 | 4.3 |
| 75 | -16.2" | -20.58 | -5.99 | 597 | 117 | 4.9 |
| 80 | -19.0" | -22.65 | -6.59 | 591 | 115 | 5.6 |
| 85 | -22.1" | -24.76 | -7.20 | 585 | 112 | 6.3 |
| 90 | -25.4" | -26.90 | -7.83 | 579 | 110 | 7.1 |
| 95 | -29.0" | -29.08 | -8.46 | 573 | 108 | 7.9 |
| 100 | -32.8" | -31.29 | -9.10 | 567 | 106 | 8.7 |
148gr G1 .059 at 700 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.38 Special 148gr with a 25-yard zero
Zeroed at 25 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load first crosses the line of sight at 6 yards, peaks +0.4" at 15 yards, returns to zero at 25, and is -4.4" at 50 and -30.4" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 700 | 161 | 0.1 |
| 5 | 0.0" | -0.23 | -0.07 | 692 | 158 | 0.1 |
| 10 | +0.3" | +2.58 | +0.75 | 685 | 154 | 0.2 |
| 15 | +0.4" | +2.38 | +0.69 | 678 | 151 | 0.3 |
| 20 | +0.3" | +1.38 | +0.40 | 671 | 148 | 0.5 |
| 25 | 0.0" | +0.04 | +0.01 | 664 | 145 | 0.6 |
| 30 | -0.5" | -1.47 | -0.43 | 657 | 142 | 0.9 |
| 35 | -1.1" | -3.11 | -0.90 | 650 | 139 | 1.1 |
| 40 | -2.0" | -4.82 | -1.40 | 643 | 136 | 1.5 |
| 45 | -3.1" | -6.60 | -1.92 | 636 | 133 | 1.8 |
| 50 | -4.4" | -8.43 | -2.45 | 630 | 130 | 2.2 |
| 55 | -6.0" | -10.31 | -3.00 | 623 | 128 | 2.7 |
| 60 | -7.7" | -12.23 | -3.56 | 617 | 125 | 3.2 |
| 65 | -9.7" | -14.20 | -4.13 | 610 | 122 | 3.7 |
| 70 | -11.9" | -16.20 | -4.71 | 604 | 120 | 4.3 |
| 75 | -14.4" | -18.23 | -5.30 | 597 | 117 | 4.9 |
| 80 | -17.0" | -20.31 | -5.91 | 591 | 115 | 5.6 |
| 85 | -20.0" | -22.41 | -6.52 | 585 | 112 | 6.3 |
| 90 | -23.2" | -24.56 | -7.14 | 579 | 110 | 7.1 |
| 95 | -26.6" | -26.74 | -7.78 | 573 | 108 | 7.9 |
| 100 | -30.4" | -28.95 | -8.42 | 567 | 106 | 8.7 |
148gr G1 .059 at 700 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
Product Overview
Black Hills 148-grain HBWC is a hollow-base wadcutter .38 Special load, and Black Hills calls it a Match HBWC. The bullet is a flat-faced lead cylinder with a hollowed base, seated flush in the case. At 700 fps it makes 161 ft-lbs.
Zeroed at 25 yards, it is 4.4 inches low at 50, the most drop in the caliber, and by then it is down to 630 fps. A wadcutter is a 25-yard bullet, and the figures beyond that are of no use to it.
If you're cross-shopping, Winchester's Super-X 148-grain WC is the full wadcutter at the same weight, 10 fps faster with 5 ft-lbs more. Remington's UMC 158-grain LRN is the next step up at 755 fps and 200 ft-lbs.
- The least estimated recoil of any .38 Special lead load
- Black Hills calls it a Match HBWC, and it is the only hollow-base wadcutter in the caliber
- Standard pressure, so any sound .38 Special revolver can shoot it
- 161 ft-lbs is the lowest muzzle energy in .38 Special, and only 130 is left at 50 yards
- An unjacketed lead bullet, which some indoor ranges restrict. Hornady's 158-grain XTP is the jacketed bullet in the caliber
- Remington's UMC 158-grain LRN produces about 28 percent more estimated recoil, so this is no stand-in for a full-weight load
Similar Products Compared
| PRODUCT | WEIGHT | TYPE | VELOCITY | ENERGY | BC | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 148 gr | HBWC | 700 fps | 161 ft-lbs | 0.059 |
$1.33
50 Rounds
|
|
| 148 gr | WC | 710 fps | 166 ft-lbs | 0.056 | N/A | |
| 158 gr | LRN | 755 fps | 200 ft-lbs | 0.149 |
$0.44
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | LRN | 997 fps | 349 ft-lbs | 0.17 |
$0.91
50 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | LRN | 755 fps | 200 ft-lbs | 0.165 |
$0.57
1000 Rounds
|
|
| 158 gr | RNFP | 840 fps | 248 ft-lbs | 0.159 |
$0.59
1000 Rounds
|
All Black Hills .38 Special 148gr HBWC Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucky Gunner | 50 | $48.00 | $18.43 | $66.43 | $1.33 |
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