32 win special target load

[Wilbill]

I am new to the forum not sure if I'm posting in the right place but here goes. I am trying to find out if I can use win 748 powder and 170 gr fp cast bullets that have been powder coated with no gas checks for a target shooting light load around 1600fps?

[dangitgriff]

Yes.
Please post results with pictures of your target.
R/Griff

[Conditor22]

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

lyman 50th 32 win spcl 165 grn boolit calls for 748 start 28.5 -- max 30

I'd start at 28 and work my way up.

[RU shooter]

Me thinks you would be better off with a different powder if your after that velocity range . Unique and 2400 would work along with a few others

[rintinglen]

I don't think you can get quite that low a velocity with the WW-748 without going under the optimum pressure range, but 27.5 grains should give you about 1700 fps. Assuming a 20 inch Barrel, this might work for you, but I have my doubts. I have to join the chorus recommending the use of another powder, one of the shotgun powders, unique, 2400, red dot, green dot, herco, hs-6 etc.

I have used 7.0 grains of Herco with a 321-427 a 135-ish grain round nose in a Marlin 36, and 7.5 grains of red Dot with a 170 grain FN from an old Modern Bond mold, but they both used gas checks. I wish I had hung onto all three, but they went down the road in 1999 when I took a new job that had better benefits but lower pay.

[Wilbill]

Thanks for the great info!!!!

[leadeye]

32 Special is an excellent cast caliber, Over the years I've sold my 30-30s and focused on this.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I've got a couple Marlin's in 32 Special. I've used Reloder 7, 4198, 4227, and 5744 for moderate loads (1500-1800fps) with excellent accuracy with 165 gr, Matt's 185 gr and some 200gr from Bullshop, finding .324 diameter to work best in my rifles. Many/most ball/spherical rifle powders need higher pressures to work well with light to moderate loads. I have used HP-38 and HS-7(discontinued) for light loads successfully. I am using flat-nose gas-checked lubricated bullets.

[Randy Bohannon]

10 grs. Of Unique and RCBS 170 RNFP .323” 1400 FPS in my 1956 Winchester 1894 .32 Special, bug hole groups.

[rintinglen]

Whoops! in my original post I got my wires crossed. it should have read 7.5 grains of Red Dot It's corrected now.

[prs]

My load is what Randy B. posted above, but I have yet to powder coat for the 32SPCL.

Next batch of boolits.

prs

[Old-Win]

A good topic as I just bought an 1894 Win in .32 special knowing that it had a ratty bore so I was originally going to have it rebored to 38-55. It's a pistol grip model with a 26" barrel, button mag and half octagon. The stock was toast so I have it fitted with a new stock but not finished yet. A lever gun shooting friend said I owed it to the rifle to see if it would shoot so bought the dies brass an 180 grain gas check bullets. I took 4 different loads to the range abut 2 weeks ago. I was surprised. I shot a 2 3/4" group at 100 yds using 15 gr of 4759 and another one almost as good. The next best group was with Reloader 7. I also tried 4227 and 4198. They were not as good, but I didn't try various weights and I don't know what my velocities were so those powders could do just as well. Now my only problem is finding more 4759. I plan on using this rifle in our lever gun silhouette matches out to 300 yds. So I have a few questions.
What is target accuracy?
What are bug hole groups and does the group walk as the barrel heats up?
Can they shoot reliably to 300 yds?