KirkD
07-11-2014, 08:28 PM
I am finally beginning to get some time to do some shooting. Last winter, I asked Tom at Accurate Moulds to modify one of his 32-20 existing designs. The result was #31-112M http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-112M-D.png , a 115 grain plain base bullet.
The rifle I used today was an original Winchester Model 53 made in 1929, chambered in 32 W.C.F. (32-20). When chambering a round, the front driving band around the bullet made contact with the rifling just before the lever was fully closed, resulting in a snug fit and a bit more resistance during the final few degrees of closing the lever. The bullets were what I call 'soft cast', pure clip on wheel weights, air cooled. Here is a photo of the rifle ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/Full-Rifle-B_zpsafbccb62.jpg
The Accurate PB 115 grain bullet sat on top of 9.5 grains of 5744, and averaged 1,239 fps with an E.S. of 17 fps. At 100 yards, the four-shot group with the Accurate mould #31-112M was 1 & 7/8". To compare, I fired a four shot group with the venerable Lyman 3110048 bullet and got a 4 & 1/2" group at 100 yards. Since I use the 32-20 for mostly Woodchucks down in the bean field, and most of my shots are offhand at 50 yards, I was mainly interested in how it would do at 50 yards. I only had five rounds left. The white bullseye was 2" in diameter and way too big for 50 yards. Although I could line the sights up perfectly in windage with the centre of the bullseye, the vertical was a lot harder trying to cut through the centre of the bullseye with the top of the front sight; I was never exactly sure whether I was cutting through the exact centre. The result was a slightly vertically elongated five-shot group at 50 yards of 1 & 3/16" vertical x 5/8" horizontal. I think the 5/8" is more indicative of the group size if I were to use a finer bullseye (or cut through the exact bottom of the bullseye instead of cutting through the centre of the bullseye). Anyway, here is a photo of the target ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Range%20Results/32-20-target_zps2bfe4dcb.jpg
My 32-20 is a 50 yards hunting rifle and I am very pleased with this bullet for that purpose. I have tried a lot of bullets but this is the best I've found so far. I also tried a 3-shot group at 50 yards with a 100 grain Remington JSP bullet and got a group of 1 & 1/8" spread horizontally. Not sure what is going on there; I would have expected better than that.
The rifle I used today was an original Winchester Model 53 made in 1929, chambered in 32 W.C.F. (32-20). When chambering a round, the front driving band around the bullet made contact with the rifling just before the lever was fully closed, resulting in a snug fit and a bit more resistance during the final few degrees of closing the lever. The bullets were what I call 'soft cast', pure clip on wheel weights, air cooled. Here is a photo of the rifle ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Desktop%20Photos/Full-Rifle-B_zpsafbccb62.jpg
The Accurate PB 115 grain bullet sat on top of 9.5 grains of 5744, and averaged 1,239 fps with an E.S. of 17 fps. At 100 yards, the four-shot group with the Accurate mould #31-112M was 1 & 7/8". To compare, I fired a four shot group with the venerable Lyman 3110048 bullet and got a 4 & 1/2" group at 100 yards. Since I use the 32-20 for mostly Woodchucks down in the bean field, and most of my shots are offhand at 50 yards, I was mainly interested in how it would do at 50 yards. I only had five rounds left. The white bullseye was 2" in diameter and way too big for 50 yards. Although I could line the sights up perfectly in windage with the centre of the bullseye, the vertical was a lot harder trying to cut through the centre of the bullseye with the top of the front sight; I was never exactly sure whether I was cutting through the exact centre. The result was a slightly vertically elongated five-shot group at 50 yards of 1 & 3/16" vertical x 5/8" horizontal. I think the 5/8" is more indicative of the group size if I were to use a finer bullseye (or cut through the exact bottom of the bullseye instead of cutting through the centre of the bullseye). Anyway, here is a photo of the target ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Range%20Results/32-20-target_zps2bfe4dcb.jpg
My 32-20 is a 50 yards hunting rifle and I am very pleased with this bullet for that purpose. I have tried a lot of bullets but this is the best I've found so far. I also tried a 3-shot group at 50 yards with a 100 grain Remington JSP bullet and got a group of 1 & 1/8" spread horizontally. Not sure what is going on there; I would have expected better than that.