.32 S&W Long Wadcutter Loads for H&R 733

[DaveM]

I have an H&R Model 733 double action revolver chambered for .32 S&W Long. It was manufactured in the early 1970s. It is a solid frame, swing-out cylinder design.

I have 85 grain DEWCs from Matt's Bullets cast in what appears to be a discontinued Lee tumble lube mold.

I would like to load "full power" wadcutters. Not looking to hotrod the gun but I'm looking for something that will approximate the MV of the factory 98 grain LRN with a more effective profile. Powders I currently have in stock include Alliant Bulleseye, Unique, and Red Dot, and Hodgdon Universal and HP-38.

I am aware that wadcutters take up more space in the case and that can cause pressures to spike if seated too deeply. I am not averse to seating them long, i.e., to the same length as the factory LRN bullets.

I checked in the Lee Modern Reloading Manual 2nd Ed. and on Loaddata.com but I'm not seeing any useful data for this bullet and the powders I have on hand.

I was hoping that someone else has used this bullet and has some suggestions.

[Outpost75]

I would seat out to 1.20" OAL and load 2.0-2.2 grains of Bullseye or Red Dot, or 2.5 grains of HP38 or 3 grains of Unique.

[DaveM]

I was hoping you'd chime in. Thank you! I will give this a try.

[nhithaca]

I would agree, 3 grains of Unique. Can't really hotrod loads in this gun but this should work good for a 5 foot (belly shot) load.

[35remington]

I do not know the size of your cylinder throats or bullets, but make sure when seated long that the wadcutters chamber freely before making a large batch. If they chamber too “freely” make sure you have a decent match between cylinder throat size and bullet size.

When seated to standard wadcutter depths 2 grains Bullseye gets around 700-720 fps with a 98 grain RCBS wadcutter and Red Dot goes slightly faster. Given the 32 has surprisingly high velocity variation with more shallowly seated bullets, to my surprise anyway, there is a practical limit to seating a lightweight bullet out past a certain point.

A sort of point of diminishing returns, I would say.

[cwlongshot]

I would seat out to 1.20" OAL and load 2.0-2.2 grains of Bullseye or Red Dot, or 2.5 grains of HP38 or 3 grains of Unique.

98g RCBS and Red dot at 2.5g has been good in my guns.

CW

[DaveM]

I do not know the size of your cylinder throats or bullets, but make sure when seated long that the wadcutters chamber freely before making a large batch. If they chamber too “freely” make sure you have a decent match between cylinder throat size and bullet size.

When seated to standard wadcutter depths 2 grains Bullseye gets around 700-720 fps with a 98 grain RCBS wadcutter and Red Dot goes slightly faster. Given the 32 has surprisingly high velocity variation with more shallowly seated bullets, to my surprise anyway, there is a practical limit to seating a lightweight bullet out past a certain point.

A sort of point of diminishing returns, I would say.

Good point re seating them out and verifying they chamber. Will do.

[DaveM]

98g RCBS and Red dot at 2.5g has been good in my guns.

CW

What bullet style and cartridge OAL?

[GhostHawk]

I have a H&R 732 (blued, 2.5") had a 733 that I passed on to my shooting buddy.

I'd have to agree with outpost75.

In mine I love 2 grains of Red Dot.
Bullet wise I love the Lee .314 90 gr truncated cone. It shoots exactly where I point it both in the H&R and in my Ruger New Model Single Six in .32H&R mag.
(Have only shot .32sw longs in mine thus far)

Shoots a lot like .22lr, low recoil, low flash/muzzle blast, low muzzle flip. Goes right where I point it.

[pettypace]

Assuming you can get 750 ft/s, the graphs below show how effective that 85 grain wadcutter might be:



The 15 inches of penetration is better than many .38 Special +P JHPs and 15 grams of wound mass is about the same as 9mm FMJ or any non-expanding .38 except a wadcutter. Nothing to sneeze at.

[cwlongshot]

What bullet style and cartridge OAL?

It’s a 32 Long. It’s a RCBS 98 WC Mold. It’s a wad cutter bullet style. Seated to crimp groove as designed.

(I have done same in 32 H&R as well as 327, but the OP of this thread asked for 32 long wadcutter load information)

CW

[pettypace]

It’s a 32 Long. It’s a RCBS 98 WC Mold. It’s a wad cutter bullet style. Seated to crimp groove as designed.

That's even better...

[Larry Gibson]

I would seat out to 1.20" OAL and load 2.0-2.2 grains of Bullseye or Red Dot, or 2.5 grains of HP38 or 3 grains of Unique.

My advise also.

[JoeJames]

Interesting thread. I have for the last couple of years restricted my 32S&W Long loading to 98-100 grain swc's; other than one fling with 115 grain swc's, that I shared with Larry Gibson. But in looking around in my storage bin I came across a carton of .312" 90 grain hollow base swaged wad cutters. Originally had 500 in it, but appears to be about 300 left. Pleasant surprise finding that. So I am thinking about loading them with about 1.9 grains of Bullseye; since my pet load with the 98-100 grain swc's is 2.1 grains of bullseye. Hopefully it will be a nice accurate load in my 32's.