Hornady 90 gr SWC's in the .32's

[Dale53]

Some time ago, I bought a LOT of Hornady 90 SWC's (swaged) for the .32's (nearly 4000 of them) at a VERY good price. I had been shooting the GB 100 gr Keith's in my various .32's ahead of 2.8 grs of Win 231 in .32 S&W Long cases. So, like a dummie, I loaded up several hundred of the Hornady's with the same charge and took off for the range. The results were simply wild shooting...

Has anyone here had good results (interested in match accuracy at 25 and fifty yards) with these bullets? I will try reducing the charge and also reducing the crimp until it just straightens the case in an effort to deliver an undistorted bullet to the barrel.

If there are any further suggestions with these particular bullets I am open for suggestion.

I have shot several thousand of Hornady HBWC's with excellent results. I used to get them drop shipped at distributor prices so it didn't seem particularly productive to cast for this cartridge. Of course, if I can't get good results with the SWC's then it is back to casting for them. I don't at all mind casting the Keith bullet but the price was SO inviting for the Hornady bullets...

Dale53

[Bret4207]

Dale, I've shot a lot of those Hornadys in everything from 32 S+W to 308 Win. I've never pushed them over 1200 fps or so, in fact most were probably under 1100. I also never got what I would consider "match" accuracy, and after seeing some of your targets I don't think many of my loads would meet your criteria! I have had some loads in the 32 Long that were very, very good using SR7625- 10 shots into one big hole under and inch at 50 yards, but that was a 32 Long rifle.

My impression is that they're very soft, very uniform and well balanced. They do well as plinkers in .308 cal bores if not pushed hard.

If they don't work out, I can always use another thou or so....

[Dale53]

Bret;
Thanks for the quick response. My standard is not all that critical - I just want under an inch at 25 yards. I just may be trying to drive them too hard and I may have crimped them too much.

We'll see what the new loads will do. I'll keep you posted...

Dale53

[StarMetal]

Bret;
Thanks for the quick response. My standard is not all that critical - I just want under an inch at 25 yards. I just may be trying to drive them too hard and I may have crimped them too much.

We'll see what the new loads will do. I'll keep you posted...

Dale53

That's funny Dale, under an inch at 25 yards. Most handguns and shooters simply can't do that. That's my criteria to, by the way.

That 30 (32 also) TC bullet of mine that I cut a mould for, which I use in my 30 Luger and 7.62x25 Tokarev, and on occasions my 30 Carbine...is presently being drawn up by 45 2.1 and we (45 2.1, BaBore, and myself) may try to run it for a group buy. It's around a 100 grains. It's met your under one inch criteria out of more then one of my 30 Lugers.

I had though about trying those swaged 32's you are talking about, but hearing this I probably won't now.

Joe

[Larry Gibson]

I shoot them regularly from a 3" M30 S&W .32L and a 6" Ruger SS .32 H&R. I load them over Bullseye, 2.8 gr in the .32L and 3 gr in the H&R. Velocity runs 872 and 1000 fps. Not sure about "match" accuracy but the Ruger will put 2 cylinders in 1.5" pretty regularly at 25 yards. and the M30 hits beer cans all day long at that range. I use the same loads with Lee's TL314-90-SWC with the same results.

Larry Gibson

Oops, just missed the 1" criteria. Maybe a few years back I could do it with the Ruger but my eyes have gone to far south to do that well with iron sights. However, in my 10" TC Contender with a 6X scope 1" at 50 yards is occasionally achieved but mostly sub 2" 10 shot groups. I do drop back to 2.7 gr of Bullseye though for the TC .32 H&R which then runs at 1000 fps also.

Larry Gibson

[Dale53]

It may just be that I need to take special precautions using soft swaged bullets with my cast bullet techniques.

I will check my expander (works fine with the soft swaged HBWC's and my cast bullets but may not with the SWC's), reduce crimping, and make sure that I don't try to drive them too fast.

We'll see...

Dale53

[afrance]

Dale,

I am just finishing a box of these for my 32 Longs and I also fought accuracy issues which I attributed to the leading I was getting. I coated some in Lee Alox and got tolerable results for plinking.

BTW, all of my manuals put 2.8 grains of Win 231 as over max (by .1 - .4 grains depending on source) in the 32 Long and with the 90 SWC being as soft as it is, you might get a little better results closer to a starting charge.

Alan

[StarMetal]

Dale, do check your expander. Have you by any chance miked those swaged bullets? I'd slow them down some. I remember a time when I was shooting some of Hornady's swaged 158 gr SWC's. I was shooting them out of my Model 14 S&W 38 Special. I loaded them both slow and up to pushing some pretty hard. I never had a problem with those.

Joe

[Larry Gibson]

Dale, Joe is correct...do check that expander. The .32 Hornadys are pretty soft and it is easy the swage them down with the case. I also use a minimal taper crimp as there's not enough recoil to worry about bullet jump. Most all of the Hornady's I've gotten are .314. I have sized them down to .311 for use in several .30 cal rifles with no problems.

Larry Gibson

[NoDakJak]

I have never had much luck with that boolit but my testing has been limited to a couple hundred rounds. If I remember correctly my best loads were fired in a Charter Arms with a two in barrel. Definetly odd but true. The main thing that I remember is that it used AA2.
That revolver is long gone ut your query has stirred my interest and I think that I will test a few hundred more. Neil

[brian]

Dale,
try 2.0 gr. of bullseye.
Brian.

[Dale53]

I'll publish the results of my changes in this thread.

Thanks to all.

Dale53

[FergusonTO35]

Ok, I'm ressurecting this thread because I'm planning to load up some Hornady 90 grain SWC's in my own .32 Auto. I made some cartridges without powder last night and found they feed perfectly when seated to .960, the same as my other loads. I wonder what would be the best powder to use with this boolit? I'm thinking Unique because my experience has been that heavier boolits in most cartridges prefer slower powders. I'm thinking 2.0-2.5 grains would be a safe range. I also have in stock Accurate # and #5, Hodgdon Titegroup, 4227, and 110. Bullseye, Herco, Green Dot, Red Dot and Accurate #7 are all readily available here. Any suggestions out there?

[tomf52]

Been using 2.0 Bullseye for a lond time. Very accurate.