.32ACP Zastava Mod 70 -- What Charges for 80 grain LCRN Bear Creek Bullet?

[Liberty1776]

Bought 500 .32 caliber round nose moly-coated 80-grain boolits sized to .311 from Bear Creek Supply. https://www.bearcreeksupplybullets.com/32-acp-80gr.

Intend to load for a Yugoslavian Crevna Zastava 7.65mm Browning (.32ACP) Mod. 70, 3-1/2 inch pistol.

.32ACP, being semi-rimmed, also shoots nicely in a Ruger .32 H&R Magnum revolver.

I cannot find any .32ACP load data for an 80-grain bullet. Here is what I did find:

Searching LoadData.com, I see that the Lyman 313249 mould appears to produce both 75-grain and 91-grain. Didn't think the same mould for a tiny bullet could vary that much, but that's what they say the bullets weigh. They also list a 76 grain Oregon Trail RN bullet.

Suggested LoadData loads for .32 ACP cast bullets using powders I already own:

91 grain, 2.3 gr Win231, 821 fps (Lyman 313249, no info on sizing)
75 grain, 2.2 gr Win231, 970 fps (Lyman 313249, sized to .310)
75 grain, 2.0 gr Titegroup, 984 fps (Lyman 313249, sized to .310)

76 grain, 2.2 gr Win231, 960 fps (Oregon Train Cast RN, sized to .313)
76 grain, 2.0 gr Bullseye, 903 fps (Oregon Trail Cast RN, sized to .313)

QUESTION: which of these loads goes with an 80-grain .311 dia bullet onto .32ACP brass? Or does it really matter? They seem to be using more powder with a heavier bullet, which seems counterintuitive. (I always though with heavier bullets one uses less powder or overpressuring can result.)

Would you recommend a different load?

[Conditor22]

technically your supposed to use less powder for heavier boolits because they have more bearing surface and let the powder create more back pressure

[Outpost75]

Deep seating bullets and reducing ctg. OAL spikes pressure more than increasing bullet weight in the .32 ACP. Seating depth should not be greater than factory hardball.

Load a dummy round to the max. OAL which will fit correctly into the magazine, with a roundnosed bullet 0.975-0.980" or with a flatnosed bullet 0.955 minimum.

"Plunk test" the dummy. Will it readily chamber? If so then let the slide close fully, and does the chambered dummy round extract without resistance?

CHamber the dummy, extract and visually inspect it. Rounds must not impede full closure of slide and unfired rounds must extract without visible marking of the bullet.

IF the forepart diameter and shape preclude the above unless bullets are seated shorter than 0.955" OAL then don't use that bullet. Get a correct bullet which fits!

Only then can you select a safe load.

The loads you listed will be safe with an 80-grain bullet which meets these parameters.

[Liberty1776]

278687

278688

I tried seating out to near max COAL but the Bear Creek bullet failed the "plunk" test and did not sit naturally down into the chamber. I reseated to the molded-in crimp groove / cannelure. Weighed out exactly 2 grains of Bullseye. Crimped with a Lee Factory Crimp die.

They fed and shot in the Zastada fine. Locked the slide back after final round. They also loaded and fired nicely in a Ruger 32 H&R Magnum revolver.

Have not performed Chronograph speed tests yet, but appear to function nicely.