Contender carbine in .32 H&R Mag

I have a Contender carbine I really like, with several barrels already. As you would expect, there is always one more barrel I want. In this case, I'm still looking for the ideal small game rifle, i.e., cast bullet of about 100 grains or less, velocity around 1000 fps and able to keep shots within 1/2 inch at 50 yards (from the bench with a proper scope).

I tried to achieve this objective with the .256 Winchester, but it seems that .25 caliber is a bit too small for casting very accurate bullets. The .32 H&R seems like a better round for this purpose, but what combination of bullets and twist rate would be ideal? Any suggestions would be appreciated. thx - CW

There is a new extended version of the 32 mag already on the market. There are many boolits available in 30 caliber. Have the barrel made to 308 specs with 14 twist so you can have plenty of spin when shooting 120 grain wadcutters below the speed of sound. The Lee 113 is the version in mind here. This boolit shoots very well at 100 yards, 2100-2400 muzzle. With the proper gun and shooting system this boolit can do a half inch at 100. ... felix

Actually I've given some thought to this very concept. For the .32 H&R Magnum I would opt for a .312 barrel (20-21") with a 16" twist. I would use the Lee TL314-90-SWC or Hornady swaged lead 90 gr SWCs over 3 gr of Bullseye. Should run right at 1000 fps out of the carbine barrel. I've a 10" Contender barrel in .32 H&R and a 6 1/2" Ruger SS (original run) and that is the load I use in them with outstanding results. I also use two GC'd bullets for the magnum type loads. Either of those would be superb in the carbine and would come close to .30 carbine performance.

Larry Gibson

Thanks, Felix. That's good info. With this new cartridge, we now have several .32 or .30 caliber small rimmed cases to choose from: the original .32 S&W short and long, the .32 H&R Mag and now this new .32 super mag.

If the latter is ideal for short cast .308 bullets at 2100 plus fps, which case would have the ideal capacity for the same bullet at just below the speed of sound, say about 1050 fps. What do you estimate would be the right powders for that combo? Also, does one need a special sizer die to get sufficient neck tension with the smaller .308 bullet? - CW

I have a 7mm TCU barrel that is very accurate with boolits. I would consider trading it for something in a smaller cal from 22 to 25 cal.
BIC/BS

On a lot of the so-called .32 caliber rounds out there, most die-makers now include an extra button in their die set, so you have a choice of loading with .308 or .312 bullets. If you have RCBS dies for your .32 H&R, you can get the .308 Button from RCBS, probably free.

Larry: Have you considered an appropriate Bullseye load in a carbine barrel chambered for the smaller .32 S&W Long? 3 grains leaves a lot of air inside the H&R mag case. thx - CW

Contender uses 10 inch twist in all their .30 and .32 barrels, and a .308 bore. I suppose you might get a choice of twist and diameter from a custom barrel maker. Buying a .32 H&R from Contender and then have someone ream it out to .327 might give you a better cast bullet capability.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chasw

Larry: Have you considered an appropriate Bullseye load in a carbine barrel chambered for the smaller .32 S&W Long? 3 grains leaves a lot of air inside the H&R mag case. thx - CW

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Yes, but it is a trade off if one wants the case capacity with slower powders for higher velocity loads. My computations show that with BlueDot under a 105 gr GC'd cast bullet around 1700-1800 fps is feasable with a 20" barrel. That would be a very nice varmint load. Also I've chronographed both cases with the same load out of the 10" Contender barrel and not much difference shows between them. Of course shooting the .32 S&WL in the H&R chamber may have negated it's advantage with the smaller case. However the same load in each case shows no difference in ES or SD when fired in the .32 S&W vs the H&R Ruger.

Larry Gibson

14 twist barrels for the Contender should be no trouble to find. 30Herret used them, and I shot many rounds of 311291 at 180 grains with no problems at a hunnert. ... felix

MGM custom makes barrels in all lengths, twists, profiles, etc. The right way to do it, maybe, is a 20" stainless barrel (exact length should be calculated from the expansion ratio), tapered to .675", .308 groove diameter, 1 in 14 twist, chambered for .32 S&W Long with a throat to match the intended type bullet. Something with a flat nose would be best for small game like jackrabbits, porcupines and squirrels. For example, a 90 grain SWC bullet driven by small charges of fast shotgun powders and match primers to about 1050 fps. How does that sound? - CW

chasw,

What's wrong with using the barrel you already have? It will achieve the performance criteria you have stated you want. You should be able to get exellent results with Lyman 311008 or 311316. Just seat the boolit out far as you can. Unique, 2400 & Blue Dot will do what you want.

Jon

Jon: I currently have 3 barrels for my Contender - .256 Win Mag, Bullberry 22" tapered stainless; 7-30 Waters, TC Custom Shop 24" tapered stainless and a standard factory .410 shotgun 24" bull stainless. The .256 Win was supposed to be my small game rifle, but it has a 1in10 twist which shoots jacketed bullets like a dream but does not do well with any cast bullet I've tried yet. My cheapo .22 rimfires (with match ammo) do much better than the best cast bullet load in the .256 Win barrel.

So, I'm thinking of something more carefully designed, as described above. Based on the advice provided so far, it sounds like the smaller .32 S&W Long case would be more appropriate size-wise for my purpose. Paired up either with .312" cast pistol bullets in the 100 gr range, or similar .30 caliber number at 1050 fps, the remaining questions are - what are the optimum twist rates in each caliber. MGM apparently can accomodate almost any twist rate in either bore. At almost $500 a pop for such a custom barrel, you want to be as careful about design as possible. Thx - CW

chasw,

Sorry, I thought you already had the 32 H&R barrel, the 32-20, would also be a good choice.

Jon

Myself, unless I were going to eat that porcupine or jackrabbit, I wouldn't care if it got a little bit more dead (messed up). I can't even start to see where less is more in this scenario. My vote is for the .327. You can easily load the cast to any velocity you want, with probable good accuracy, and still use 45,000 psi. jacketed loads for whatever if there's a need. This may just be the best all around survival cartridge out there. Though the .30 carbine, and 32-20 may be just as good. In a revolter though, you need a rim.

A dream of mine is to have a Contender Carbine someday with a buncha barrels. As for the 32 S+W Long/Mag/327 I have several 32 rifles of the "Boys Rifle" variety. Using a .312 boolit at around 1200 fps I find I have no problem getting clean kills on game up to Porky size out to 50 yards. Upping things into the 32-20 range I can extend that to near 100 yards with a scoped rifle and velocities in the 1750-2000 fps range. This is with FP boolits. A SP HP design might add some yardage to that.

My 2 cents worth on the subject. If I were to desire a .32 Contender carbine barrel I would get a blank with the proper bore diameter and the twist I desire, probably a Green Mountain barrel, and send it to OTT to have made into a T/C barrel. It would not be cheap but it would be exactly what I ordered and be as accurate as it can possibly be. I like the H&R version of the .32 over the .32-20 mostly because of the straight wall cases and carbide dies being so handy. The .327 brass is less available for now and shooting the shorter .32 brass just makes for more free bore. That can't do much for accuracy.

Are not the 32 straight wall cases the same chamber wise? If so, the barrel could be made to shoot the short cases today, and when more is needed, no problem. Just extend the chambering to the longest case desired. I would still do the 308 groove, with boolit sizing dies commensurate with the brass thickness. 14 twist for wadcutter preference, 16 otherwise. Go even slower if 1100 fps is guaranteed at a hunnert, the maximum "target" range for such a "beast". ... felix

Don't forget, there are/were many BR guns with 14 twist in 308 groove. Seems to me you can find a take-off barrel with little cost, and that would be most excellent because the barrel would have already been smoothed out properly for boolits. A week's worth of phone calls to the BR gun manufacturers should give you a feel for what is out there gathering dust. The present craze is using around 18 twisters with around 125 grainers on the BR circuit. ... felix

To trim some off of the cost of an accurate single shot rifle in such a caliber one only needs a handi rifle, with a shotgun (probly 12 gauge) barrel that fits it. If the barrel breech closes tightly (no gap) and the length to the locking lug surface isn't excessively long, then the locking lug surface can be filed and stoned until it locks up correctly, now it fits your reciever. Next you saw it off somewhat in front of the front of the frame and put it in a lathe and make a straight bore through it, then thread it. Then you take one of those barrels in 1 in 14 twist that Felix mentioned, and cut it off at the neck/shoulder junction or wherever forward of there you want, turn the outside of the barrel down to the major diameter of the thread you made in the "reciever" (12 ga. barrel stub) and thread it. Next, screw it into the reciever. Note: If you can't find a shotgun barrel with the correct length from the swivel pin rearward (has a gap at the breech face, doesn't close tight), you can cure this at this point by extending the barrel out of the rear of the reciever the necessary amount. Probly won't even be noticeable.

With a straight cartridges like these 32s you could even chamber it with a chucking reamer, though you'd still need a throating reamer, and should most likely get one with a neck extending section integral to do the whole chamber. I think this would be correctly called a .327 Magnum chamber reamer (sorry for the side excursion). So chamber it, cut a slot for your extractor and install the extractor. Extractors can be purchased for Handi Rifles for the calibers that H&R makes Handi rifles in directly from H&R 1871. Drill and tap for H&R's scope base and go to town.

I have a OTT step 32 mag barrel with .312 bore. Its a great barrel but not near as many molds available in the .312 as the .308 to do what I want which is target shoot.