32 H&R mag.

[pakmc]

Is anyone loading for the 32 H&R mag.? I'm using a powder coated 115GR. SWC, with 327 mag. cases. I just switched to HS-6 powder.(I ran out of 231 and H-110) I can't find any reloading data for that weight bullet.(it shoots to same point of aim as the .327 mag. ammo does.), I'm thinking just under 5gr's of HS-6 powder. I'm shooting my loads in Two Rugers, the sp101 and the
GP 100, both with 4.2 inch barrels. I love them.(ok, I've never used HS-6 powder before now either.) only unique, red dot, 231, H-110, Acc. 5,7,9. powder is getting kinda scarse around here.

[Green Frog]

There’s been an awful lot of writing and experimenting done with the 32 H&R, and I’d be surprised if no one has tried HS-6. If nobody has written up and published their results with this powder, I would begin to wonder whether it was a poor match. I have only loaded a minimal number of rounds for the 32 H&R myself, so the foregoing is pretty much a SWAG for me.

Froggie

[P Flados]

I have 2009 Hodgdon booklet data. Loads for the closest bullet were listed as:

32 H&R 5" gun: 100 gr Speer, 5.4 HS-6, 1023 fps, 20,200 cup

327 Fed 5" gun: 100 gr Hdy, 7.7 HS-6, 1384 fps, 42,000 psi

I took a swag at using Quickload to get the same pressure with a 115 gr as the 100 gr 32 H&R load above. The results were 5.2 gr for 952 fps from a 4.2" gun.

QL says 5.5 gr of HS-6 to get a 115 gr up to 1000 fps, with pressure ~10% above 32 H&R, but well below 327 Fed.

My guess is that you could get close to 327 Fed max pressure with a 115 gr at some value possibly as low as 6.9 gr with an est 1135 fps. I fudged down 3k psi on the 327 Fed load given that QL data for pressure was a lot different than the book data even though the velocity was pretty close.

I have a 4.2" SP-101 that does not like loads any where near book max for the 327 Fed. I typically find that the gun likes max loads at about half way between 32 H&R and 327 Fed.

If you are going for full power 327s, start low and work up with care. Bullet diameter, AOL, primer, etc. can make for big differences with a 327 Fed.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I just looked it up on load data for you. For an oregon trail 115 cast bullet in 32H&R brass with hs-6, starting load is 4.9gns for 928fps. Max load is 5.5gns for 1,011fps. These are out of a 10” contender barrel.

[pakmc]

I shoot steel plates with my .327's and I use a meisters PC 115gr. bullets. and I'm very happy with the accuracy with these bullets. but i'm not looking for the max. load. I just want a good fairly mild load that will knock down the 8inch steel plates. and (yes, i'm older than dirt), and the recoil is starting to bother me. Max. loads don't do the brass any good, and i'm having to save up to buy a bag of starline brass for the .327. but thanks, all, for the info. if any are you close to the Houston area, we can go shoot these things at my range. just let me know. I also talk, rifle, pistol, shotgun, reloading, and flying.plus, just one or two other subjects.....

[MT Gianni]

I tend to use what works for me, which is an RCBS 98 swc and 4.0-4.4 gr Unique, safe in my guns only. I also like a wc and 2.0-2.5 gr Bullseye. I have experimented with the H100 loads but didn't see it for me as a small game cartridge.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I use a noe 314-119 rnfp over 4.0 gns of unique, and it is just right for me and my ruger. It may be a little much for some of the older guns.

[MT Gianni]

https://www.handloadermagazine.com/32-h-r-magnum-pet-loads
This has a good explanation of a couple of different levels.

[Crow_Eater]

For what it's worth, I loaded 5.0 gr of HS-6 in FC brass with FC100 primers under a 120 gr SWC bullet for my S&W M 16-3. I have no idea what the pressure on that load was, but it's a fair bet it exceeded factory pressures, since the Hodgdon #25 manual advised 5.0 of HS-6 under a 95 gr SWC for 19,500 CUP! This was in younger, more foolhardy days.
[Consider all appropriate disclaimers inserted, here]
The Model 16-3 was a K-frame S&W; its cylinder is bigger in diameter than contemporary Ruger SSMs. I realize that by no means indicates it can take greater, or equal, pressures. I didn't shoot much of that stuff through it, since 95-105 gr bullets at the time were easier to find.
If I were to try to come up with a similar load today, I would start very much lower and ease up to a lesser, safer, amount.

[pakmc]

I finely got to shoot 5 gr's of HS-6 in my rugers(sp101, gp100) and it seemed to be a little lighter load than my origal loading which was 4.4 gr's of 231. 4.4gr's of 231 is a fairly stout load.(and yes, I'mshooting a 115gr. PC SWC. but its getting too hot for much shooting around here by Houston Tx.

[P Flados]

FYI,

Using QL with an assumed 1.5" OAL and a 0.58" long 115 gr boolit:

5 gr HS-6 gives 831 fps with 12926 psi
4.4 of 231 gives 944 fps with 19736 psi

I do not trust the QL pressure values to be accurate, but I do trust it to be good for comparing loads. The HS-6 load is clearly a lot lower in pressure than the 231 load.

To get the same calculated velocity as the 231 load:

5.78 gr HS-6 gives 944 fps with 17244 psi

To get closer to the same calculated pressure would require increasing the HS-6 load to around:

6.17 gr HS-6 gives 999 fps with 19712 psi

So using the slower powder gives an estimated 55 fps more estimated velocity at the same calculated pressure using 40% (1.77 gr) more powder.

To me, the HS-6 really does not seem to make a lot of sense unless you want a good bit more than 1000 fps.

If you were just looking for medium power range practice loads that are close to your 231 load, you may want a faster powder instead of a slower one. For example QL says:

3.4 gr Red Dot gives 890 fps at 18983 psi
3.6 gr Red Dot gives 921 fps at 20897 psi
3.8 gr Red Dot gives 952 fps at 22889 psi
4.0 gr Red Dot gives 982 fps at 24959 psi

Although you may end up with pressures that are higher (and probably well above 32 H&R limits), all of the above are still well below 327 Fed limits. Given that Red Dot is faster burning, an increase in chamber pressure does not directly translate into more muzzle blast. The pressure at the muzzle for the 4.0 gr Red dot load is given as 5442 psi where the 4.4 gr 231 load had a muzzle pressure of 5576 psi.

FYI, I load a lot of 357 magnum loads with a Lee 120 gr ASBB HF red coated boolit and a stout charge of Promo (Red dot equivalent). They make plenty of "bang" and recoil even though they are "not full power". The paper does not seem to know the difference and they are very low cost compared to loads with the slow burning pistol powders. I only use the slow burning stuff when I want to get real "full power" loads.