32 special not gas checked question

[compass will]

A couple weeks ago I loaded 50 rounds of 32 Winchester Special for tomorrows lever action match. I had been shooting some Sundog supplied boolits that were 170 grain gas checked with 21 grains of Hodgdon H4198.

I have 500 Hunter supply hard cast that are not gas checked, but I needed to resize them to .321. Now that I got the sizer, I went ahead and loaded them with the same load I had used for the gas checked boolits.

Today I double checked my books, and this load in a 30-30 shows around 1800fps.
Will this be any slower in a .32? (not much .32 data available, let alone lead boolit data)

I then checked specs on the boolet (hunters supply hard cast) which says:

"These high-quality cast bullets are composed of 6% antimony, 2% tin and 92% lead with a Brinell hardness of 15. They are rated to 1600 fps without gas checks."

Since its to late to pull the boolits and reload them for tomorrow, do you think I should just leave the 32 home tomorrow and stick with the .22 and .45?

I have a feeling if I slow them down much, I will not be able to knock the ram down at 200 meters. Maybe I should just get the RCBS 170 mold I been waiting to buy, and use the non gas checks for cast boolit matches putting holes in paper (or melt them down to make RCBS 170's with)

[beagle]

I'm gonna guess here. I've used .30/30 data for loading the .32 Special and was surprised. In most cases, velocity loss was less than 100 FPS in the .32 using data with a similar weight bullet. I don't beleive the lack of a GC will give that much loss either.

Now, I haven't used a lot of 4198/H4198 in my levers except the .30/30.

I'd say you're safe in using them on steel and I'd estimate velocity somewhere in the 1700s.

Now, again, this is a WAG based on my experiences in the .32 Special and .32-40 in levers using .30/30 data as starting loads./beagle

[runfiverun]

case size is about the same, bullet weight is about the same,so the velocity should be about the same.lee,and other data suppliers extrapolate data like this sometimes also.
jmho

[IcerUSA]

You should be good to go , only thing is if accuracy goes south you know your leaded but they should shoot OK .

Keith

[compass will]

You should be good to go , only thing is if accuracy goes south you know your leaded but they should shoot OK .

Keith

IcerUSA wins! This was my first lever gun match accept I shot just .22 once last year. With the .32, first couple shots (practice) I Missed 2 Rams (sights to high), then hit (and knocked over) 2 rams, 2 pigs, and 2 chickens and missed 2 turkey.

During 40 round match, I only got 4 out of 40! Shots all over the place! I need to run a brush down the barrel and see what come out [smilie=1: Guess it was moving a little to fast.

Think I will get the gas check mold and melt these down :mrgreen:

Anyway, in .22 I got an 18 (cheep ammo, some went bang, some just poped)
in .45 colt I got a 26 including 10 pigs!

guess I got to get better .22 ammo and work on the 32 loads. We noticed the primers backed out of the pockets on the 32, but did not look hot. Guys at the range said I need to shoot some factory load levels in the cases then just neck size them. they figured the load i was using was driving the primer back, but not enough power to have the case follow it back to reseat the primer. Make sense?

[Tiger]

There is no way with equal amounts of the same powder and bullet weight that a 30-30 will have the same velocity as the 32 Special. One reason is because the groove and bore are larger on the 32, enough so, that the volume increase of the bullet going down the bore creates much more of a volume area at a faster ratio then the 30-30. The other reason is the rifling twist on the 30-30 is much faster and the rifling grooves are much deeper then the in the 32 Special. So the 30-30 loads should and would be safe in the 32 Special. I think Beagle hit the nail on the head.

Ralf

[w30wcf]

compass will,

WAIT! Don't melt them down! I would suggest you try reducing the load to 15 grs. of 4198. That load in my .30-30 under a non gas checked bullet shoots very well.

In the slightly larger .32 W.S. bore 16 grs. would likely be ok but you could start at 15 grs. and go from there.

It should be a great loading for the chickens and pigs. For the turkeys and rams go with a gas checked bullet for more velocity.

w30wcf

[compass will]

Thanks Jack. After shooting a 45-70 all winter, I was amazed how flat the 32 shot. I think I will try your idea.

[beagle]

Before you melt them down, try some Reloader 7 in those loads. I had real good luck with it in some PB loads that I loaded for a cowboy shooter friend./beagle

[beagle]

The primer backing out is probably a case of a load not being hot enough./beagle


IcerUSA wins! This was my first lever gun match accept I shot just .22 once last year. With the .32, first couple shots (practice) I Missed 2 Rams (sights to high), then hit (and knocked over) 2 rams, 2 pigs, and 2 chickens and missed 2 turkey.

During 40 round match, I only got 4 out of 40! Shots all over the place! I need to run a brush down the barrel and see what come out [smilie=1: Guess it was moving a little to fast.

Think I will get the gas check mold and melt these down :mrgreen:

Anyway, in .22 I got an 18 (cheep ammo, some went bang, some just poped)
in .45 colt I got a 26 including 10 pigs!

guess I got to get better .22 ammo and work on the 32 loads. We noticed the primers backed out of the pockets on the 32, but did not look hot. Guys at the range said I need to shoot some factory load levels in the cases then just neck size them. they figured the load i was using was driving the primer back, but not enough power to have the case follow it back to reseat the primer. Make sense?

[compass will]

I just got done cleaning them. The 32 barrel was full of lead. It took a while, but it looks and feels much better now. Lesson learned. It was pushing the boolit to fast for no gas checks.