Best powder for a 32-20?

[andym79]

Hi guys I got an old 1901 Winnie 1892 a little while ago. It has been re-barrelled with an in excellent condition model 53 barrel.

I haven't got around to doing much load development at all with it. What powder have people found to work well with the Lyman 311008?

[JeffinNZ]

Green Dot works for me. 4.2gr gives me 1040fps for my suppressor. Unique will work nicely too.

[quack1]

Unique works best in my model 53 with that bullet. Alliant 2400 comes in a close second.

[Hickory]

Unique is very good.
AA-1680 is good for top velocity.
Tightgroup, and Trailboss for plinking

[catskinner]

SR 4756 if you find any.

[Litl Red 3991]

A#5 and A#7 both work good for plinking and higher velocity. They meter great in lesser amounts since they're spherical so you're less apt to get squibs with plinking loads.

I've got a couple of older refurbished 32-20s and started them out with that bullet. At lower velocities, the twist they used back in the old days was giving some oblong holes in paper. I've been using a shorter bullet recently. And redefined "plinking loads" for the rifle that kept it's original barrel. The one that ultimately got relined got a quicker twist and wasn't a problem after that.

[Litl Red 3991]

Looking back at the reloading notes reminded me of how A#5744 did in those rifles. It's a "flake" shotgun powder, but with a difference. The flakes are bent and crinkled and such. The stuff looks like it'd meter worse than flat flakes (which bridge like crazy when the powder measures are cranked almost closed for real small charges) but it's just the opposite. And best of all, the stuff gives you velocity spreads like black powder. In other words, the velocity from shot to shot shows almost no spread at all.

The stuff works excellent in pistol cases too. It was rumored to be a BP replacement back when Pyrodex was about the only one of those, but it really isn't. But it works so good in big cases it has no problems when they are big pistol cases. And of course also works great for getting BP velocities (and small spreads) in buffalo rifle cartridges. My 40-65 C.Sharps was getting just under 1400fps with black. It was simple to work out the charge to get that exactly with the 5744. And it can do what black doesn't want to, give less velocity without fillers (which seem to be in disrepute nowadays).

[Kraschenbirn]

+1 for AA5744. Haven't gotten around to setting up the chrono, but 9.4 gr. under a 311008 produces consistent sub-2" groups at 100M from my 1885 Low-Wall (Uberti).


Bill

[Cherokee]

I use AA#9 for nearly all my higher end 32-20 loads in two old Marlin 1889's (relined) and my pistols. WST, 231, or like powders are fine for plinking.

[10mmShooter]

Accurate arms #5 for my 32-20 loads

[Tar Heel]

A#5 and A#7 both work good for plinking and higher velocity. They meter great in lesser amounts since they're spherical so you're less apt to get squibs with plinking loads.


Ditto on that.

[andym79]

SR 4756 if you find any.


If only, I hear many good things about it. Here in Australia getting hold of anything buy ADI (Hodgdon) or Vihtavuori is very hard!

Has anyone used ADI AP100 as a substitute for SR4756?

[smokeywolf]

Kind of favor 2400 and Unique. Have also used 4227 with decent results.

[lotech]

You may have to experiment with bullet sizing; bores on older rifles are often on the large side. Powders mentioned are good ones, but I've always returned to Unique as best even if it doesn't flow through a measure as well as others.