.32-40 cast bullet load

[mrcvs]

It says to list favourite loads here. Still working on that one! I can tell you what did NOT work in a Winchester 1894 carbine in .32-40 -- 170 grain cast bullet, 15.0 grains H4198. ALL OVER the target (3 X 3 8 1/2 by 11 sheets of paper taped together) at 100 yards. Won't try that one again!

[Outpost75]

Your 1894 is a 16" twist and should handle the 170-grain bullet just fine, but 15 grains of 4198 is on the light side. A fairly standard charge in. 32-40 is 16 grs. of H4227 with a plainbased bullet such as #319247 cast 1:25 or 1:30 hardness. With H4198 start at 17 grains and work up for best accuracy. If your bullet has a gascheck base, similar to RCBS 32-170FN, your 94 can handle heavier loads than the old Ballards and 20 grs. of 4198 will give you 1700 fps in a 26" barrel.

[mrcvs]

I cannot quite recall where I got that load. Oddly, the .32-40 is (sadly) ignored in handloading volumes, such as the Lyman reloading manual, etc. Don't quite know why, as .38-55 is listed, and I would guess there are more .32-40's out there than .38-55's. It does not surprise me that it is on the lower end as I generally at least start loading at the lower end of a range, but generally not at the lowest end of a range. I did load some rounds using H4227, and I believe I used 16 grains of this powder. I did not get to try these out yet, however.

[Outpost75]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition, p.174.

[mrcvs]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition, p.174.

It got dropped some time since then. I have the latest (and greatest) edition, which, obviously, isn't so great!

[L Ross]

I have a 1911 mfg'd. 1894 Carbine marked 32-40 that some heathen along the way rechambered to 32 Win. Spl. My first cast bullet loads shot patterns with .321" bullets that snugged right up with .323" into a fine shooting little carbine. I usually load 14.0 gr of IMR 4227 with a 321297 and about 190 grains.

Duke

[rintinglen]

I have a 1911 mfg'd. 1894 Carbine marked 32-40 that some heathen along the way rechambered to 32 Win. Spl. My first cast bullet loads shot patterns with .321" bullets that snugged right up with .323" into a fine shooting little carbine. I usually load 14.0 gr of IMR 4227 with a 321297 and about 190 grains.

Duke

My experience precisely. A larger boolit tightened up my groups markedly from an old Marlin Takedown 93.

[mrcvs]

Western Bullet Co. has the following listed: 319162 at 170 grains and 321427 at 145 grains. The latter bullet is the appropriate diameter, but the first choice, so the site claims, is the appropriate choice for the .32-40. It also lists a 150 grain bullet, number 321150. Any experience with any of these choices and any recommendations. These are the options from this seller, and, in the past, the quality has been good.

[frnkeore]

The three best bullets for the lever action 32/40's are, 319162, 319295 and 321297. The 162 is a PB and you don't want it to hard, 20/1 will work great to 1600 fps (WW is close to the same hardness). 16.0 gr 4227 should get you somewhere around 1550/1600 fps in a 26" barrel and 14.0 gr about 1400 fps, depending on the groove size and COAL.

The bullet has to be sized to the groove and throat though. If you have a large groove, the 321232 (same approx. weight) casts about .324 and you can size to fit.

You need a proven bullet lube, such as Emmeret, SPG or any BW/Alox of 50% or more of Alox.

Load out as far as the action will allow.

The 319295 casts (175 gr) .321 in my mold and the 321297 (185 gr) is .323. These are both GC molds and if cast in Lyman #2 or at least 2% tin/WW can be taken to 2000 fps (only in strong rifles) with 27.0 - 29.0 gr of AA2520, RL15, 4895, WW748 or Varget. Here only BW/Alox, BW/lithium or other proven HV lubes can be used.

Frank

[Reverend Al]

My favorite personal pet load for .32-40 is 12 grains of 2400 under an old Rapine 165 grain plain based boolit cast hard and sized to .321 which was mostly shot in my re-barreled original Winchester High Wall or in my relined Ballard. I shot a few of those loads in my old 1905 vintage 1894 Winchester SRC too with good results. It's a light target load that is fairly slow, but shoots well in all of the above guns and is safe enough for my old Ballard. Picked up a decent Marlin 1893 in .32-40 with a good bore a few years back, but I haven't had the time to shoot it yet. I'm sure that the first loads I will fire in it when I get around to it will be my pet load listed above.
(And those have all been loaded in slightly short, re-formed .30-30 Winchester brass too ... I just seat the boolits out until they just "kiss" the rifling ...)

[old cobra]

Get a copy of Ken Waters " Pet Loads"

[mrcvs]

Get a copy of Ken Waters " Pet Loads"

Yes, I am trying to get a copy of this on ebay. Some go rather cheaply, but, as of yet, not to me!

[mrcvs]

I did end up getting Ken Waters' book, and loads just list one load, no range given. How do you work up loads just using that? Is it the high end or low end, and, even so, if the high end, where should you start? If the low end, how high should you go?

[mrcvs]

Any ideas?

[John Boy]

Oddly, the .32-40 is (sadly) ignored in handloading volumes, such as the Lyman reloading manual, etc. ... Any ideas?
* Sharpe's Book ... http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Handloading-Phil-Sharpe/dp/0935632646
* Ideal Catalog - 1949 & 1950
* ASSRA forum references ... http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1144106560

[Charley]

Have an 1893 Marlin, that sprays the "correct" .320 bullets all over. The RCBS .323 FN shoots pretty well over 12.0 of A2400.

[rking22]

If I can trust my memory, Ken Waters lists loads that worked well for hin. Reduce his load by 10% and start up treating his as a max unless you can document otherwise. Most of his loads fall within Lymans listed loads. There are also PDF files of the OLD Lyman and Ideal books that have data. I have some save I can copy for you if needed.

[lotech]

I think it's loaddata.com - Wolfe Publishing's online magazine for load data, has an update on cast .32-40 loads. I'm not a subscriber, but it was published in the last couple of years.