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Thread: Boolits for the .32 Ideal cartridge? Help!

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Montana boondocks
    Posts
    22

    Boolits for the .32 Ideal cartridge? Help!

    After being a member here since 2014, I thought it was time to contribute as well as solicit help. I've had this cute little Low Wall in 32 Ideal for more than a year now and am still struggling to make its pristine bore send bullets through paper in small groups. When I bought the rifle, it came with quite a few loaded rounds and a variety of brass cases, all headstamped 32 Ideal. The Peters cases required a unique shell holder that I obtained from CH4D (#3). WRAC brass used Lee #19. I pulled the bullets from several loaded rounds, obviously very old. The cases were filled with compressed black power (now gray) and a bullet with dried lube that miked .318" and weighed 153 grs. I did some reading and most suggestions were for boolits sized at least .321". Using my gorgeous new Arsenal 3-cavity mould for my .32-40 I cast a batch of 160 gr. .322" boolits and assumed I would be squeezing out some tiny 100 yd. groups. To shorten the story, I've tried many smokeless loads, boolits lubed with SPG, and various primers. I've seated boolits at various points. I've been shooting cast boolits for 40 years and have a fair idea of how to tailor good loads in 20+ calibers. But for now, I'm stuck. I'm buying cast commercial boolits and trying them too. The 32 Ideal is playing with me. I'm happy when I get a 2+ inch 100 yd. group on the same day my 1875 Sharps .32-40 is getting 1" with the same boolits. The LowWall has great sights, perfect bore, excellent trigger but still denies me the precision I'm after. Oh well, a new shooting season in Montana is just getting underway. Any thoughts or suggestions from the Cast Boolit gang would be most appreciated!


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  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Northern Kentucky
    Posts
    639
    I see where you miked some pulled boolits (.316), and heeded suggestions to use .322 boolits, but did you slug your barrel to actually determine the size you need. Your barrel may be of a larger groove diameter than .322.
    God Bless, Whisler

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    UPSTATE new york
    Posts
    1,739
    As whisler says above. I would check the crown is detail. Next I would weigh the cases or try loading 1 repeatedly. Are you getting concentric seating? Maybe try breach seating a few followed by the same case reloaded.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Butler, MO
    Posts
    9,053
    Any idea as to the velocity you are getting from your smokeless loads? Did you try any of the BP loads?

    Good Luck,

    Robert

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check