327 federal

[megasupermagnum]

I just bought a Ruger LCR in .327 Federal magnum. I actually had 100 rounds loaded up before I even bought the gun. That's how certain I was that I wanted it. The thing shoots great, I am just wondering about some cast bullets. I ordered mold 31-120k from Accurate, but won't see it for another month. In the meantime I have been shooting 100 grain XTP's, with H110 and HS-6. What I would really like is a general Idea on where to start with Bluedot for both the XTP and 120 grain cast bullets. I see plenty of people have used it, but no numbers. H110 works, but I like alternatives. HS-6 for some reason flattens primers at 7.3 grains (max load 7.7 gr) plus some sticky extraction, but 7 grains is good. I will try longshot, but I'm not a fan of 800x. I don't like or have the other powders on the Hodgdon website. I have the lyman cast bullet manual 3rd edition, but I've seen references that 327 data with bluedot is in the 4th edition. If you guys can help me out, I'd rather not buy another manual for just this one bit of load data.

[Green Frog]

I've had good results with both Accurate Arms #& and #9 (actually I'm using a non-canister equivalent of the #9, but supposedly it's the same.) My "big bullet of choice" is that beautiful 125 grain monster from NOE that they catalog as their 314-115 FN (no GC) By the time you lose the GC groove and use my COW + tin to sweeten alloy, it comes out at a consistent 125 grains, even though it is a pretty close copy of the old Ideal 3118/311008 which really was a 115 grain mould. I dearly love what I got and would be hard pressed to give it up! :cbpour:The Federal™ "high performance" rounds are fronted by bullets well under 100 grains but they depend on bullet design for shocking power, so unless I had a real good hollow point mould in mind, I'd probably just use heavier (115-125 gr) bullets for my serious work. Of course the great advantage of the 327 chambering is that your options for what you "feed it" are nearly endless. One caveat; my two guns in 327 FM are a great big 8 Shot Ruger Blackhawk and a custom stainless K-frame S&W, no experience with the LCR, so I would suggest approaching max loads for each gun with due caution. :2gunsfiring_v1:

Regards,
Froggie

[Guesser]

I use the Ideal 311316 and cast it soft, 9-10 BHN, check it and have used A#7 & 9. I've loaded for 2 Charter Arms 327's, 3 Rugers, and a Taurus. I find that the middle range powders, A#7, HS-6; seem to spike pressure too fast. H-110 was OK for max pressures but A#9 and 2400 were the friendliest. I've never loaded anything lighter than 100 gr. and that was the Rainier plated FP. I like the cartridge and I like the guns but it is a job of work to find a sympathetic load. I've been at it since 2009 and have eliminated a lot of possibilities. Good Luck!!

[megasupermagnum]

The mold I bought is a 120 grain "Keith" style, no gas check. I was thinking of having the mold modified for hollow points, but I wonder if 120 grains and a big permanent wound channel wouldn't do every bit as well as the tiny expanding bullets normally used. I'm new to bullet casting, but I never did like hard cast bullets. Is there anything special to soft lead bullets? Just size properly and use good lube? My bore is .312" in the grooves, and my throat is just over .314". I'm guessing this mold will drop at .314"-.315", and I will size to .313". I might have Accurate #7, but I cant remember ever trying an Accurate brand powder. I would still like to try Bludot, so if anyone could give me a starting load, I would appreciate it. Either that or I would start very low, like 4 grains, and work up .5 grains at a time. I'm guessing max load would be somewhere around 8 grains.

[lolbell]

The three loads in Lymans Cast 4th for Blue Dot powder are
Lyman 313249 (85grn) start 7.0 max 8.4
Lyman 311252 (75grn) start 7.1 max 8.5
Lee 311-93-1R (93grn) start 7.1 max 8.5
all bullets were sized to .313 cases were Federal with a Federal 100 Small Pistol Primer

Sorry but no Blue Dot with anything heavier. AA#9 works very well for me in 327 for heavy loads

[Guesser]

I wasn't happy with light bullet loads in 327; even in the 2" Taurus. The 115 gr 311316 works best in all barrel lengths from 5 1/2" down to the 2" using 2400 or A#9. If I want a lighter bullet I drop down to 32 H&R Magnum.

[megasupermagnum]

Thanks for the info. I'll start at 6.5 gr Bluedot and work up for the 100 gr XTP. All I have been using so far is small rifle primers, as so many recommend for the high pressure of the 327.

[Green Frog]

The bullet I mentioned is available on sale this week @ NOE... here is the URL;
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=30_354&osCsid=9bv930e3eq1jno7clvauqg6jq1&utm_source=NOE+Customers+List&utm_campaign=7e7c8beb6a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4e9b410989-7e7c8beb6a-230012781
I can say without fear of contradiction that this is one of, if not the finest cast bullets for the 32 caliber family of pistol rounds. I wouldn't be without mine!

Froggie

[Four-Sixty]

194685

Just showing the highest bullet weight found for 327 Federal in Lyman' s 4th ed.

[Outpost75]

I've been watching .327 data as a guide for loading 7.62x25mm, as case capacities are very similar. I am loading for a TT33, Cz52 and for future use in a planned Remington 722 to be barreled in 7.62x25 for heavy bullet, subsonic, suppressed use.

[dverna]

Send Alliant an email. They have loads they do not publish. I find them very responsive. If you decide to call, ask for Ben.

[Outpost75]

Send Alliant an email. They have loads they do not publish. I find them very responsive. If you decide to call, ask for Ben.

Thx. Will do!

[rintinglen]

I am a little late to the party, but I have been shooting the .327 fairly extensively over the last 18 months and have been very pleased. In the February 2016 issue of Handloader Brian Pearce wrote a piece with about 3 pages of loads for a variety of boolits and bullets ranging from 85 grain up to 130 grains. Now I have to say that my results do not parallel his. He found good to excellent accuracy with Power Pistol, Aa 7 and Longshot, but that has not been my experience. I have found my best results with H-110/296 and AA #9.

I have a 315-100 SWC from LBT that is stunningly accurate over 11.8 grains of H-110 from my 7 1/2 inch Single 7. The 5 1/2 incher likes 12.0 grains better. I have also had very good results with the MP 314-640 100 grain HP and AA#9--12.0 grains . I currently have the two Single Sevens and an 4.2" SP101 and they have occupied much of my range time for the last three months. Something over 900 rounds of various loads. Right now I am looking for a light load that shoots well for my grand daughter to learn on.

[P Flados]

Right now I am looking for a light load that shoots well for my grand daughter to learn on.

I got my 4.2" SP 101 327 with the intent of working up a "rimfire alternative" for high volume - minimum cost per round load for standing target practice. I was hoping I could make it shoot light boolits. Turns out it was really not that hard.

I made up my own "flat side" 55 gr mold, coated with BLL and started with a light charge of Promo (Red Dot equivalent). First try did not work so good - leading problems. Given throats were as big as 0.3145", I increased the boolit to 0.315" and leading became a thing of the past.

I eventually swapped over to Titegroup (3.1 gr for around 700 fps) for smoother metering of the small charges needed.

This round is currently my best shooter out of this gun & I have gone through buckets of the stuff.

194949194960194961

[dondiego]

P Flados - Are those aftermarket grips? If so, what brand?

[P Flados]

P Flados - Are those aftermarket grips? If so, what brand?

Nope. Factory grips. Purchase was late last year.

[Outpost75]

Send Alliant an email. They have loads they do not publish. I find them very responsive. If you decide to call, ask for Ben.

In 7.62x25 nominal case full slightly compressed is 10.8 grains of Alliant #2400 with Accurate 31-087B in 7.62x25, next range trip plan to chronograph and group, stay tuned....

[trapper9260]

Thanks for the info. I'll start at 6.5 gr Bluedot and work up for the 100 gr XTP. All I have been using so far is small rifle primers, as so many recommend for the high pressure of the 327.I use small pistol primers and have no problems.

[Guesser]

I also use SP primers with very good results, that is unless they are Remington #1 1/2. Winchester & CCI are good.

[rintinglen]

I got my 4.2" SP 101 327 with the intent of working up a "rimfire alternative" for high volume - minimum cost per round load for standing target practice. I was hoping I could make it shoot light boolits. Turns out it was really not that hard.

I made up my own "flat side" 55 gr mold, coated with BLL and started with a light charge of Promo (Red Dot equivalent). First try did not work so good - leading problems. Given throats were as big as 0.3145", I increased the boolit to 0.315" and leading became a thing of the past.

I eventually swapped over to Titegroup (3.1 gr for around 700 fps) for smoother metering of the small charges needed.

This round is currently my best shooter out of this gun & I have gone through buckets of the stuff.

194949194960194961

I have a 73 grain HP mold from MP that is going to be my light boolit candidate, just haven't got around to it. Too much work and too little time. I'll have to give Tite Group a try as I have a 4 LBER that I bought when things were scarce that I need to use up.

[BAGTIC]

Would be interesting to know what barrel length for the SAECO bullet, also if vented barrel. I use it in a .32 H&R. From HTWW it weighs 104 grains and I get 1200 fps from a 6 inch H&R revolver using Blue Dot. I tumble lube, unsized, with JPW and get zero leading even after 500 rounds.

[megasupermagnum]

I fired my cast bullets today. I called Alliant, and while they didn't test cast bullets for the 327 federal, he had some info for a 115 grain cast. I worked up the load .2 grains at a time, and stopped at 7.2 grains of Bluedot with my 120 grain SWC. Cases were not sticking, but you could feel they were expanded to fit. They ejected normally from the revolver. The primer was not flattened, but I was using Federal small rifle primers, which are supposed to be pretty tough. Velocity was right at 1000 fps. For comparison, I loaded some more hornady XTP 100 gr's with 13.3 grains of H110, and according to Hodgdon, this produces 1525 fps from a 5" barrel. Though my LCR, those loads were just under 1100 fps.

[trapper9260]

I also use SP primers with very good results, that is unless they are Remington #1 1/2. Winchester & CCI are good.Those are the ones I been use for the all my. I seen no need to get SRP when I do not use them anyways.

[TCFAN]

I bought a SP101 4.2 inch in March of this year in 327 Federal. I have been trying different loads for informal target shooting and 22 LR replacement loads.One of the better grouping loads has been a Missouri Bullet 98 gr. wadcutter using Bullseye powder. I have not tried any factory or condom type bullets.The mold I am using now is the NOE 315-103 SW. It is showing pretty good results using Bullseye and Titegroup powder.
Here is a photo of a couple of targets shot at 25 yards from a rest using the Mo bullet cast 98 gr. WC. It had a Hi-Tech coating and I put some BAC in one lube groove.

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx200/TCintheOzarks/Cast%20Boolits/DSCN8808%20-%20Copy_zps1qvyny5f.jpg (http://s755.photobucket.com/user/TCintheOzarks/media/Cast%20Boolits/DSCN8808%20-%20Copy_zps1qvyny5f.jpg.html)

[P Flados]

TCFAN,

Nice groups. I am guessing 4 - 5 MOA. Looks like you have a real winner. You can not do much better than that for a target practice load.

I have only used iron sights with my SP101 and have probably not done better than 6 - 7 MOA. Since my gun is intended for offhand practice as a 22 LR alternate, I was happy enough with this level of accuracy from my "minimum cost" 55 gr pills (see # 20 below).

The gun, dies plus an order of starline brass was not the cheapest initial investment for volume shooting, but now I am set with ammo that is just super low for both cost and effort per round. I only use 3.1 grns of Titegroup (from an 8# jug) and now have ~16k S&B SP primers (recent order was $20/k). As such there is just zero reluctance to shoot what ever quantity suits me on a given trip.

[P Flados]

I have a 73 grain HP mold from MP that is going to be my light boolit candidate, just haven't got around to it. Too much work and too little time. I'll have to give Tite Group a try as I have a 4 LBER that I bought when things were scarce that I need to use up.

Trying to "use up" 4# of titegroup with a 73 gr boolit in a 327 sounds pretty ambitious to me.

Have you thought through how many rounds/week and years it will take. For light loads (say 2.8 gr) 4# will do 10k :Fire::Fire:

My suggestion is to think of it more in terms of trying to work up a loads that you can simply "shoot until further notice" without the worry of needing more powder.

[TCFAN]

P Flados
On your SP101 do you have any problem with your cylinder binding up after several hundred rounds. On mine after about 300 rounds I have to take the gun down and pull the cylinder off of the pin it spins on and give it a good cleaning as well as the hole in the center of the cylinder that the pin goes in.

[megasupermagnum]

I was not getting leading with my cast bullets, but I decided to properly measure the bore any way. Slugging with a cast bullet, I measure .3123"-.3124" in the lands. Using the same micrometer, I measure my .313" sized bullets at around .3132". I think after I shoot up this batch, I'll let my castings sit for a couple weeks and then use a .314" sizer. The throats were a little trickier to measure, but they are right around .3142"-.3145"

[Wayne Smith]

Unless you are loading pure lead you are getting some springback. Slugging should be done with pure lead, or as close to it as you can get. Especially as you are measuring to four didgets. You will notice the difference. Using your bullets to slug is to introduce error.

[P Flados]

P Flados
On your SP101 do you have any problem with your cylinder binding up after several hundred rounds. On mine after about 300 rounds I have to take the gun down and pull the cylinder off of the pin it spins on and give it a good cleaning as well as the hole in the center of the cylinder that the pin goes in.

No binding at all.

For the few weeks, I was scrubbing lead out of the bore. The solution was to "adjust" my mold and my sizer to get 0.315" boolits (0.3145" throats).

After I fixed the leading, the only "cleaning" I have done is a very rare external cleaning to get rid of powder / BLL residue. I have not figured out how to remove the cylinder.

I have taken it pretty far apart to change out the springs (Wolff kit with a trigger spring and 3 different hammer springs).

[TCFAN]

No binding at all.

For the few weeks, I was scrubbing lead out of the bore. The solution was to "adjust" my mold and my sizer to get 0.315" boolits (0.3145" throats).

After I fixed the leading, the only "cleaning" I have done is a very rare external cleaning to get rid of powder / BLL residue. I have not figured out how to remove the cylinder.

I have taken it pretty far apart to change out the springs (Wolff kit with a trigger spring and 3 different hammer springs).


Thanks for the reply.


I don't have any leading problem with my SP101 and I have shot boolits as small as .311 with out any problem. I use .314 size boolits for the best accuracy.The cylinder binding on my gun might be from the BAC lube that I have been using.The next batch of boolits that I lube and size i am going to try a different lube.

If you have changed the trigger return spring out then all you have to do with the trigger group out is open the cylinder and slide the yoke forward and the cylinder and yoke come out as one unit.Then if your cylinder is not binding up like mine is you just slide the cylinder off of the yoke. Lots of You Tube videos on the SP101.

[Guesser]

My Single 7 and both my SP-101's are used with.313 castings. I've never slugged or measured, just set up and loaded and fired; paid close attention and never found leading and accuracy was better than I usually shoot. I'm not real fond of the Single 7 due to the short cylinder and tight loading gate and stupid indexing of 7 chambers; but it is a good shooter.

[SSGOldfart]

I'm not waiting to hi-jack this thread but I've got to ask why the 327Federal what happened to the 32H&R Magnum ??? I think I read they are inter changeable is this correct.??Guess I confused myself this morning......
Easy to do some days

[Green Frog]

I'm not waiting to hi-jack this thread but I've got to ask why the 327Federal what happened to the 32H&R Magnum ??? I think I read they are inter changeable is this correct.??Guess I confused myself this morning......
Easy to do some days

NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!!!

The 32 H&R (notice I don't use the word, "magnum" as this round isn't) was designed by the old Harrington and Richardson company to be used in their relatively small, weak revolver. I don't have pressure specs here, but IIRC, the numbers for the 327 Fed Mag are at least 50% greater than those for the 32 H&R. By the time Ruger and S&W built guns for it, the H&R lower pressure became the industry standard, so factory performance was to be kind, disappointing. Reloaders got some screaming results with some enthusiastic loads they assembled, some of which (like those of the late Skeeter Skelton) probably came up close to the pressures of the 327... a situation that scared a lot of people. The relatively small performance gain and the rise of bottom feeders and plastic guns also slowed demand for the "new and improved" 32 H&R and it sort of died off except among the hard corps/ hard core of enthusiasts who were true believers. FWIW, you can load the H&R into the Fed Mag, but the reverse is not the case.

When Federal and Ruger (among others) decided to make a real 32 magnum, they had to make sure it wouldn't blow up older, weaker guns so they made it different. The case for the 327 Fed Mag is longer so the round will not chamber in guns made from the 32 H&R, so there is no danger of someone mistakenly sticking one of the hotter cartridges into the wrong guns.

If you really want to experience performance at its best from the 327 Fed Mag round, you need a Ruger Single Seven (or better yet the late, lamented 8 shot Blackhawk) or a double action built on a medium or larger frame from S&W or Ruger. I personally have had a custom stainless S&W built on a Model 66 donor and bought the big RBH. I get 357 Magnum performance with a smaller diameter bullet and less powder, or can download all the way to cat sneeze levels. I consider these two guns to be the ultimate 32 caliber revolvers; JMHO, YMMV.

Froggie

[Guesser]

In rounded up/down numbers the 32 H&R originally was loaded to approx. 21000 cup. later down graded to about the same pressures as 38+P.....19000 or so. The 327 started out loaded to 46000, that's 454 Casull country, later the 327 was down graded to 36000-40000. Depends which scale you read and how you hold your mouth.........

[P Flados]

I just looked up the SAAMI web page (ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3 – 2015). Max 327 Fed average service pressure is 45,000 psi. Average proof is 64,500 psi.

Maximum average 32 H&R service pressure is 21,000 cup.

From what I understand, actual 45,000 psig loads with some brass are considered on the edge of "too hard to eject" from some double action revolvers. As I have approached some published maximum loads, at times I have resorted to pushing brass out one at a time with a rod from my "not so smooth" chambers. Primers (Small Pistol & Small Pistol Magnum) have all looked fine even when extraction was bad.

327 Fed limits are not all that close to the top of the heap. 454 maximum average service is 65,000 psi and max average proof is an incredible 93,500 psi.

[Green Frog]

I just looked up the SAAMI web page (ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3 – 2015). Max 327 Fed average service pressure is 45,000 psi. Average proof is 64,500 psi.

Maximum average 32 H&R service pressure is 21,000 cup.

From what I understand, actual 45,000 psig loads with some brass are considered on the edge of "too hard to eject" from some double action revolvers. As I have approached some published maximum loads, at times I have resorted to pushing brass out one at a time with a rod from my "not so smooth" chambers. Primers (Small Pistol & Small Pistol Magnum) have all looked fine even when extraction was bad.

327 Fed limits are not all that close to the top of the heap. 454 maximum average service is 65,000 psi and max average proof is an incredible 93,500 psi.

What all of this does for me is that I can load some very respectable performance loads that are well under the pressure limits for the round. My "test mule" is the RBH, of course, but once I've developed a load I like, it can be carried over into the nearly-as-strong S&W K-frame.

Do I want to have a hand cannon like the 454 Casull and show off my bruises to the boys at the bar so they think I'm cool? No. What I want is a manageable gun that gives a variety of possible rounds that can perform a variety of tasks. The 327 fills my needs quite well, thank you very much. YMMV, of course.

Froggie

[P Flados]

Froggie,

I agree.

The high rating for me is mostly just a nice comfort zone thing as I work up loads.

Folks that "work up loads" for a gun that has a low rating and no extra margin are probably fooling themselves if they think they can detect "hot loads" when 20,000 psi is hot for their guns.

Before I looked up the ratings for 327 Fed, I actually thought they were a little higher. I am not sure if it was bad memory, or wishful thinking.

And as for a 454, I must admit this is high on my "next gun list". I have actually shopped around for a ~6" five shot "not huge" double action. Not because I want to regularly fire full pop loads. Most shooting would be 45 colt stuff that I would load at the "safe for any gun" level (I have a lot of 45 colt brass). Finding a box or so of 454 brass would allow me to an occasional "More Power" display if I just feel the need. I have other choices for this, but none them really fit the "protection from 4 legged critters" role. Not that I need this function, it would just be an excuse.

[megasupermagnum]

I now have about 300 rounds through the gun. It shoots nice groups, but still hits about 8" right at 25 yards. Next time I am really going to focus on my form. Looking at the gun, the sights do seem to be inline with the barrel, but for a defense gun, its not off far enough to matter. I could not find an offset front sight for sale. I did find out today that 5star has a speedloader for the LCR in .327, for $20, which I bought. Other than speed strips, I'm not aware of any other speedloader for the .327 LCR, and its so new its not even on their website. I called to order it. After about 200 SWC's the barrel did appear to start to lead up. No big deal to me, but I bought and will try a .314" sizer next to see if accuracy or leading changes. Oddly I had been shooting federal SR primers (probably 15 years old), and was having no issues with 7 grains of Bluedot with my 120 grain SWC. I ran out and the only thing I could find was SP magnum Federals, and the same 7 grains produces quite a sticky extraction, and I picked up over 50 fps! I'll be dropping down to 6.5 grains with these primers until I can get my hands on some CCI or Federal SR primers again.