.32 SWL with 115 gr. in the 2 inch revolvers

[tacotime]

Never had much luck finding an accurate load in the 2 inch S&W Mod. 30-1 with the 115 grain Laser Cast pills.

Has anyone?

[Outpost75]

The Lasercast bullets are too small and too hard. In the S&W revolvers you want a .314" diameter bullet not harder than 12 BHN and most likely a lighter 95-105 grain bullet will shoot to the fixed sights with 2.5 grains of Bullseye or TiteGroup.

[ddixie884]

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[tejano]

Desperado Cowboy Bullets makes a 115 gr. Bullet that is not hard.

[tacotime]

The cylinder throats on this gun will accept a minus .314 pin gauge. Does this mean I need .315 boolits? (Veral Smith told me to "fill up the throats" on revolvers).

[MT Gianni]

It depends on how soft they are. If you need a pencil to push them through the throats they are fine. If they drop through go bigger.

[Outpost75]

The cylinder throats on this gun will accept a minus .314 pin gauge. Does this mean I need .315 boolits? (Veral Smith told me to "fill up the throats" on revolvers).

A .313 die will work fine if bullets come out a whisker larger than the nominal die markings. A half thousandth under is perfect.

[tacotime]

Not sure I have seen any .315 commercial boolits in any case...

[Outpost75]

Not sure I have seen any .315 commercial boolits in any case...

Accurate has numerous .32 revolver designs which could drop .315 from the mold if you specified that when ordering the mold. I use 31-105T in that application .

[tacotime]

Not doing any casting... so the largest option I see currently to buy is .314. Aside from sizing, has anyone found a good accurate mix for a 115gr?

[JoeJames]

Not doing any casting... so the largest option I see currently to buy is .314. Aside from sizing, has anyone found a good accurate mix for a 115gr?

Tried the 115-116 grain swc's in my old fixed sight S&W H.E.'s. They were not regulated for them, and due to dwell time, they shot to the top of the target at 15 yards. They were regulated for 98-100 grain bullets. And I shoot my own cast 98-100 grain in them on top of 2-2.1 grains of Bullseye; which was the factory load back then.

[tacotime]

The "mid-range" 115 loads I tried also shot high and scattered, and especially the higher loads that Larry Gibson described shot 6+ inches high at 20 yards, out of the 2 inch barrel. He was cranking up the fps in the same Model 30, and I went about half way up his table before abandoning the heavier loads. No stuck cases and primers barely affected if at all, but the POI was too high for casual varmint control.

[Outpost75]

Saeco #325 SWC weighs 98 grains and is designed for the .32 S&W Long. RCBS 32-98 SWC also excellent, as is the NOE clone. Joe James load suggestion is spot-on.

[tacotime]

Ok but we are talking 115 grainers. I guess no one so far has done well with the 115 gr except Larry Gibson (he reported numerous 2 inch groups at 50 yards, impressive).

[Outpost75]

Unless you are shooting at 100 yards where the heavier bullets will strike closer to point 9f aim I don't see why you are frustrating yourself with them. Try a higher front sight?

[MT Gianni]

Even the 115 gr bullets will exit the barrel later than 90 gr ones. The recoil while very small pushes them higher than the mid range ones. I have had decent groups with 32 H&R with the 3118 and dehorned Lee 113 fp. They do require a sight adjustment. I see no advantage of anything heavier than 98 in a 32 long. That for me is 150% of the width of a 22 and 250% of the weight of a 40 gr 22 lr. With the cartridge and my I frame revolver limitations, accuracy trumps power for me.

[Tracy]

Even the 115 gr bullets will exit the barrel later than 90 gr ones. The recoil while very small pushes them higher than the mid range ones. I have had decent groups with 32 H&R with the 3118 and dehorned Lee 113 fp. They do require a sight adjustment. I see no advantage of anything heavier than 98 in a 32 long. That for me is 150% of the width of a 22 and 250% of the weight of a 40 gr 22 lr. With the cartridge and my I frame revolver limitations, accuracy trumps power for me.

Same here. .32 S&WL ain't broke, don't need fixing.

[tacotime]

Thanks Gents but recall the task was to identify a 115 grain load that was accurate from the 2 inch guns (not a POI load, and not to fix the SWL). Gibson was indicating some very accurate loads, but with a 3 inch gun. So far I can't get that kind of accuracy. He was saying 2 inch groups, while I see 5 inches at 20 yards (and yes, I'm decent with a sixgun). Or maybe the old Flatlatch just won't like the 115.

[rintinglen]

FWIW, I have had less than stellar performance from my NOE 315-118 SWC, which was originally a ~115 grain 32 caliber copy of the 358-429. I've only tried WW231 and Bullseye in the 32 S&W Long, but none of the loads I tried would equal the groups I got with the RCBS 32-98 SWC. My gun is a 3 1/4 inch barrel version, but groups were half again as large, as well as well off POA--which may not matter to you but does to me. I have the intent of trying that bullet in 32 H&R brass for use in my Ruger's, but will wait until the primer situation improves before I start experimenting again. I have plenty of loads that work that I can use the primers in.