Need help with 32-40 load to hunt next week.

[Beanhead]

I just got a load worked up for my old marlin 1893 in 32-40. Im loading a
RCBS 32-170gc over 17grs of IMR 4198 in 30-30 brass. The load shoots great and is as acurate as I can shoot with iron sights. I can tipically keep six shots in a 1.5” group at 50 yards.

I would like to go hunting with the round this coming week but have no ideal what the velocity is. Anyone have a guess at what this load would produce from a 26” barrel? Thanks.

[Texas by God]

This might sorta help? Only a chronograph will tell you for sure. According to the jacketed data, your load is .357 mag equal. I bet it's fun. 50 yd deer look out.

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[DonMountain]

I don't have a functional chronograph either, but last year I killed 3 deer with my John Wayne Winchester Model 94 in 32-40 shooting the RCBS 32-170 FNGC sized 0.321" in Fiocchi converted 30-30 brass over Winchester Large Rifle primers and 26.5 Grains of IMR-3031. All of the deer were within 100 yards and all three of them went down where they were standing or walking. Its my favorite thick woods round and rifle.

[DonMountain]

I don't have a functional chronograph either, but last year I killed 3 deer with my John Wayne Winchester Model 94 in 32-40 shooting the RCBS 32-170 FNGC sized 0.321" in Fiocchi converted 30-30 brass over Winchester Large Rifle primers and 26.5 Grains of IMR-3031. All of the deer were within 100 yards and all three of them went down where they were standing or walking. Its my favorite thick woods round and rifle. From the chart in the previous posting my bet is that I am getting about 1850 feet per second from this load.

[woody1]

What does your boolit weigh as loaded?

[Beanhead]

Got a 6pt yesterday with the old rifle. He walked up out of the creek bottom and was no more than 25’ away when the hammer dropped and I put one through his front shoulder. He ran about 80 yards and I watched him fall trying to climb out of the ravine. What a thrill it was to shoot a deer with a rifle that old with a load I made. And to be sitting on the ground only 25’ away when I shot him.

[Texas by God]

See? You didn't need help at all.
WAY more fun than popping one at 200 yds with a 7 mag IMO.
Well done.

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[woody1]

Now that's just cool.

[Anschutz]

My dad has his grandfather's Winchester 1894. By the SN it was made in 1895. He killed a deer around 2005 with it so it is possible that old rifle has killed a deer in 3 centuries. He was using ammo that he got from Cabela's catalogue. It was a 170gr FP if I remember right. Shot in the neck and down. Congrats on your deer with your old rifle.

[Spiffy7]

Hi,

I recently purchased a 1894 Win lever action 32-40 manufactured in 1902.

I found a set of Lee dies and had a plan starting with H-4198 and 170gr boolit

Die set is only a two die set without an expander......yup...bullet crinkled the brass when inserted.

any ideas where I can purchase an expander die or do I just need to bite the boolit and purchase a 3 die set? Anything I might be doing wrong by not successfully loading with two die set....I am all ears

P.S. This gun holds 10 rounds!

[woody1]

For now just get a pair of pointed nose pliers and stick 'em in the neck of the case and give a little shove and twist. Not too much, easy does it until you get the feel. It'll expand the mouth easily to get the boolit started. You can also use the case from something with a smaller neck, mebe like a 270 or 25 caliber something and give a little tap to expand the mouth of your case. Seems to me there's a universal expander die, prob'ly a Lee. Someone'll be on here shortly to tell you for sure. By-the-way, welcome. There's lotsa knowledge here.

Oh I see now that you joined a long time ago but this is your first post.

Here's a link to an expander discussion:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=expander

[9.3X62AL]

I had a Win 94 in 25/35 WCF that I caused a spoiled/ruined chamber using dacron filler as a load amendment. Ringed that critter right at the neck/shoulder junction. After an appropriate amount of palavering, gesticulating, cussing, and similar extraneous exercises, I elected to have Jesse Ocumpah in Oregon re-bore and re-chamber this rifle for me.

The two calibers I debated about were the 32/40 and the 38/55. Regardless of choice, neither would ever see hide nor hair of a jacketed bullet. Having a couple 30/30 WCF leverguns already on hand, it seemed repetitious to create another mid-caliber levergun with practically the same hunting potential as the existing 30-bores. I opted for the 38/55, and I like being able to send 250 grains of cast whompum at 1650-1700 FPS if the need arises. That is not to say that 170 grains at 1300 FPS will do any 2- or 4-legged recipient any good at all, but that isn't really the point. I love that 38/55 carbine--it gives much comfort when berry-picking in the mountains during summer, and local black bears know all about rifles.

[Loudenboomer]

That's just not possible! No belted magnum? Not the min. gajillion foot lbs. energy!
It sure is rewarding harvesting a deer up close with the old ones! Congratulations on a good hunt!

[Spiffy7]

Thanks Woody,
I will try to expand case mouth with a 270 case.
I joined in 2011 but never got around to casting my own boolits. I chute cast in most of my revolvers as well as .4595 in my 45/70. I have purchased from beartooth bullets with great success.....time to roll my own

So much to learn...

I always planned on starting with 357 since I have both a 686 S&W and a Rossi lever action rifle BUT

I just purchased a Kriss Vector rifle in 45 ACP which my 16 year old son REALLY likes and can burn ammo phast, plus I have a 625 revolver in 45 ACP (moon clips) so my first choice will be 45 ACP.

I have seen pictures here on cast boolits of some really purdE molds...pant...pant

I need a 6 or 8 cavity mold in a 200 gr semi wadcutter

Who makes the best molds....by best (purdy iz nice BUT) i want accurate boolits

Brad

[DonMountain]

I only use an old two-die set of Pacific dies to reload my 32-40 converted brass for an RCBS 32-170 FNGC. But I expand the case mouth using a Hornady 338 Win Mag tapered expander adjusted to reach the mouth of the 32-40 case.

[Texas by God]

A .50 BMG bullet makes a handy case neck expander as well.

[Reverend Al]

Die set is only a two die set without an expander......yup...bullet crinkled the brass when inserted. any ideas where I can purchase an expander die or do I just need to bite the boolit and purchase a 3 die set?

To load cast boolits properly you really need to invest in a neck expanding die like an RCBS or a Lyman "M" die, or alternately you could buy a Lee neck expanding die and a suitable expander plug from NOE to fit it. In the meantime just to load a bit of "shooter" ammo you could take a slightly oversized jacketed bullet (.338 for example) and gently tap it into the case mouth (point first) which will gently bell the case mouth before you try seating a boolit. Then just seat the boolit and lightly crimp with the your regular seating die slowly and gently. (Probably best to have a light crimp in a magazine fed repeater.) Easy peasy ...

[Beanhead]

Spiffy7,

I have the RCBS cowboy dies and it is a three die set. That is the easiest way to load the cast bullets but im sure you could make something else work as others have stated. If you plan to keep the rifle and load for it the expander die would save a lot of trouble and be well worth the investment. The expander dies are sold individually or you can buy the whole set.

As a note if you plan to use 30-30 brass you will likely need to grind or cut about .100” off the bottom of the crimp die because 30-30 brass will be too short to crimp with your 32-40 dies. I cut .105” off my Crimp die with a lathe.

[Beanhead]

Midway USA list individual Cowboy expander dies. The price and the wait time from being special order may convince you to buy the whole three die set though.

[TCLouis]

Lee makes an expander die that will handle most any cartridge, but there are simple solutions as those already presented that work JUST FINE.
Velocity may well be about 1100 - 1200 fps based on some crude guesstimates.

AND Most of all congratulations.