H4895 load for Cast in .32 Special?

[FromTheWoods]

I've looked, but I can't find a Cast Bullet load for my old '94 .32 W.S., 26" barrel. I prefer to use H4895 and 170 grain bullets.

Do you folks have a good H4895 load for the .32 Special?

I have Laser-Cast, Meister, and Beartooth bullets on hand.
The Laser-Cast have a bevel base.
Meister=flat base.
Beartooth=gas-check.

The Laser-Cast and the Meister have performed well out of my .32-40 with similar/same powder amounts.

Do gas-checked bullets need their own set of reloading data? Different from the regular cast?

[405]

I've shot quite a bit of 4895 thru a 32 WS under Jbullets. Have not used 4895 for cast in the 32 WS though. I have not found a great deal of difference between plain based bullets and gas checked bullets as far as pressure goes... other things being equal.

The cast bullets I've shot out of the 32 WS in a Mod 94 Win have been in the 170-180 grain range. Early on I slugged the bore in my old 94 and was surprised by the .321" groove diameter. Like you I had been shooting a couple of 32-40s that had .322 and .323 groove diameters.

The cast loads I've shot thru the .321" 32WS groove bore have been gas checked and sized to .322" They have shot extremely well and are fairly hard with a BHN of about 20. No gross leading build up just the usual light lead smear from shooting over-size. The two powders that seem to do well have been 4227 and Unique.

Just guessing on a couple of things.... you may want to slug your bore to see what the true groove diameter is then try either a bullet at groove diameter or .001" over. I imagine the bullets you have are sized either .322 or .323?
I also will guess that the gas checked bullet will shoot better over the 4895 than the others especially as you increase the load. No hard "must dos" just some ideas.

[ACK450]

Congratulations on a good gun there. I love the 32 Spcl with cast bullets and do use H-4895.
I use the RCBS 32-170-FNGC, WW alloy, and it shoots great in my old Win. M-94 with 28 gr. of that powder. I like the Rem. # 9 1/2 std. lg. rifle primer in that load.

I would try it with all the bullets you have to see which one your gun likes the best.
Around 33 gr. of H-4895 is usually considered max with the 170 gr. jacket bullets from Speer and Hornady, but with cast I would start at about 26 grains if your rifle is in good condition and slowly work up.

Good luck and have fun.

ACK

[FromTheWoods]

Thank you for the help.

Yes, the bullets are .322 and .323.

I'll start with the recommended 26 grains. Surely will be a pleasure to have a cast combination for this rifle!