S&W Model 52 Bullet Tipping

My Model 52 reloads seem to be tipping, if that's the correct term, even at 50 ft.

Reloads are Star 148g HBWC, 2.7g WST, Fiocchi primers, cases with same headstamp, on a Dillon RL550C.

Last 50 ft NMC showed one round tipped on each target.  See the lower round on the target in the picture. Outdoors I would get perhaps three per target at 50 yds.

The other characteristic is that the rounds that show tipping are all at the outer edges of the group; none of the more centered rounds do.

Is this a gun problem as the 52s with their slow twist rate are susceptible to tipping (If that were the case then should not all the rounds tip?); is it a reload problem; or am I doing something with my grip as the shot is released such as flinging the shot?

I have been contemplating upgrading with a Clark barrel, but I also wonder if I'm making too much of this or can correct it with a more steadfast grip?

I appreciate your responses.

Steve

Barrel muzzle damage, or leading can cause that.

I have shot a lot of factory match 148 gr. LHBWC ammo out of S&W revolvers and a S&W model 52-1 over the years. Tipping happens. I don't think that it is the fault of the gun. I always found that with the 52-1, if I didn't follow through adequately on a shot that the result of the shot was always farther away than, if I had been shooting a .45 ACP accurized 1911. I am long retired from competition, so this is an old pair of targets from a decent timed fire match that I shot in competition with factory match ammo.

Yes, I see this all the time, and even at 25 yards, but it doesn't bother me since my shots are on call and I get a good accuracy. So let them wobble as much as they want to, as long as they hit the mark

One of the situations with 52s is the twist is too slow as is the load velocity. The bullet length is long. Others mention follow through, if not done right, the gun rolls up and produces a kick to the heel of the slug and introduces yaw. A solution is faster twist barrels, faster loads ( not easy in a 52 due to unsupported chambers) or perhaps a lighter bullet. Many have tried..

Sorry to miss an exact response to the OP, but how is a "tipped" bullet scored? If the "tail" of a tipped bullet hits a score line, does that count as a hit, or does the circular hole have to touch a scoring ring? 
 If the former, tipping may be good! 

Seeing this with factory ammo at 50’ as well as reloads.
Still calling shots with consistency. The misses are all mine

Hiya, 

I’ve owned five 52’s since ‘85, still have two of them and use them for CF matches every month so I’ve racked up a lot of experience getting them to behave well.

First, your 2.7 of WST HBWC is likely traveling a little slow for the twist. Secondly, the bullet type that I’ve found to have the least amount of skidding across the course, from 50’ to 50 yards is a flat base, button nose 5 lube groove 140g from a no-name 4 cavity mold I picked up in the 80’s. I’ve tried every commercial HBWC brand, even the highly desired 1980’s Remington bulk pack and Zero’s. Using this flat base I find 2.8 WST for 50’ and 25 yards is the sweet spot and for 50 yards I bump to 3.0g with a good taper crimp on all loads.(less clicks of elevation as 2.8 does have an arc to the flight out to 50 yards)  The 52 needs crimped loads to build pressure to burn clean and feed correctly. On average. These combos I find have maybe 1 or 2 skids per 50 yards slow fires at a 900 and none/1 for the 60 rounds at 25.

As was pointed out, leading and crown damage are common causes of skidding, I have found the 52 builds up carbon mainly on one side of the chamber, causing the long case to tend to be misaligned in the chamber and thus the throat which causes more leading in the throat. (Test this yourself, brush your chamber only every 10 rounds, don’t touch the throat or rifling and watch how much less leading there is in the throat after 90 rounds) But the biggest change was when I went with square flat base bullets so that when it cleared the muzzle there was no area that cleared the rifling before the rest of the base. My theory with the bevel base and HBWC is because of radius of the crown and bevel base are not always aligned the same way per shot, same for the expanding skirt, it may not expand perfectly concentric to the bore, it adds inconsistency from shot to shot, that shows up as skids on the paper.

Hope it helps,
Tom