Disappointed in my 32 mag

[Redd508]

I had a less than exciting range visit with my 32 mag. After i dialed in the sights i was still only able to keep the groups to about 5" at 25 yards. My load was a water quenched wheel weight boolit of 92 grains over 10.3 gr of Lilgun. Would a softer alloy affect accuracy? I have range lead, soww and coww to work with. Any recommendations appreciated.

[Outpost75]

What kind of gun? Have you measured the cylinder throat diameters?

Ignore barrel groove diameter, instead size bullets to same diameter as cylinder throats. Hard bullets aren't needed. Air cooled wheelweights are adequate. Try Saeco #325 of wheelweights, sized. 312-.313 with 3 grains of Bullseye, approximates factory velocity and shoots inch 5-shot groups from my 4-5/8" Ruger st 25 yards. I use Liquid Alox.

[gray wolf]

Yes, please answer the questions above. Also how many different loads did you try. Just picking one grain weight for a test is just that--A test. Sometimes the gun fails the test. I find it best to load 5 or 8 rounds each going up from the MIn. load in .3 grain increments. stopping someplace short of Max.
also how good are you with a hand gun ( NO SLAM ) just asking, and how did you shoot the rounds ?
Standing ? sitting ? sand bag ? some kind of a rest ? I find a test with one grain weight to be very UN telling.

[fcvan]

Agreed on the slightly softer, water dropping shouldn't be needed for your 32. I would try pushing one of your boolits through the chamber with a wooden dowel or a brass rod wrapped with electrical tape. If it falls through your boolit is too small. I don't shoot 32 mag, but do shoot 30 carbine in a BlackHawk. Apples and oranges, I know. The SAECO 321 is for the 32 cal but I size down for the 30.

Check to make sure your boolits aren't getting resized too small during the seat/crimp stage. If you can, measure an as cast boolit and measure a seated boolit you've pulled. Then try the 'push through the chamber' deal and see how much resistance you encounter. Good luck, I have buddies who shoot 32 mag and love it as it can be a very accurate and fun cartridge to shoot.

[trapper9260]

I shoot a 32 in differnet cart. and I do not do anymore then air cool them and I use bulleyes and I have no problem. You need to use other powders that is on the data and see what will work the best and also like is stated that you should also slug your barrel and see if you usen the right size also.

[Guesser]

My experience with L'il Gun tells me that it is very slow burning and works best in high pressure cartridges. 32 Magnum, I assume you mean 32 H&R Magnum, is not a high pressure cartridge. L'il Gun works well in 41, 44, 454, 22 Hornet. All of these develop over 35,000 PSI, the slow powders burn well at that but at the 21,000 the 32 Mag develops it don't do so purty good. I use 2400 with decent result but that's as slow as I go for 32 Magnum.

[Larry Gibson]

Guesser is correct, L'ilGun is a poor chice of powder and not burning efficiently. Have wrung out the 32 H&R in my own Ruger Single Six (original run) and Contender I suggest the old stand by of Unique for magnum level oloads. For loads of 1000 fps or less Bullseye will work best with that bullet.

Larry Gibson

[Green Frog]

Take a look at the Accurate website... I've tried Accurate #7 and #9 in my 327 Fed Mag and they have given me some pretty good results... I would try #7 first and use the medium to warmish loads. If you want mild, go with 32 S&W Long brass.

Follow the suggestions already posted about sizing to fit the throats, and don't worry about tempering... plain old COWWs with a couple of % tin added and air dropped should do fine at the speeds you will be shooting.

Good luck,
Froggie

[rintinglen]

Bullseye, ww-231, Red Dot, basically Unique and faster gave me the best results. 2400 was mediocre and LilGun is slower yet. 3.0 grains of Bullseye and a RCBS 32-98 worked very well out of my Ruger.

[Bret4207]

First thing to remember with cast is that Fit is King. The second thing to remember is that "hardness" (water quenching) is a tool, no more, no less, that you use when the need becomes apparent. I went through the water quenching stage thinking it was easy and I could use "harder" boolits. Wrong.

Start at square one, measure your chamber throats and see what they are. Use the largest boolit that will chamber easily. Use unsized boolits if that what it takes. Start in the 750-800 fps range with BE or Unique and work up from there.

[Old Dawg]

My first .32 H&R Magnum was one of the first H&R produced, not exactly the finest example of the gun makers art and the rear sight blade kept falling off. I used the SAECO 98 gr SWC mould and it cast 104 gr with wheel weights (HTWW). I did not size them but shot them 'as cast' and tumble lubed them with JPW. Loaded with Blue Dot they chronographed at exactly 1200 fps and consistently shot under 2 inches at 25 yards.

Bret4207 is right, "Use the largest boolit that will chamber easily.".

I have several .32 and it is a great cartridge for plinking, small game, etc. Anything it can not handle deserves a bigger hole in the muzzle.