32 Win SPL: Me 'ead hurts

[pcmacd]

Trying to figure the offerings from Accurate Molds:


https://www.accuratemolds.com/catalog.php?page=5#catalog-anchor



I want a gas checked bullet, flat nosed for a 1942 mfg' Winchester 1894.

I guess around 165 grains would be good - the Hornady 32005 FTX shoots like a house afire in this rifle.

Thoughts? I just can't wrap my head about the choices as there are so freaking many?

I am looking for recommendations.

The 32-165P looks good as it has lots of lube grooves:

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=32-165P

Except that it is NOT GAS CHECKED?

My head really hurts here.

Perhaps this one?

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=32-165F

I desire GENEROUS LUBE GROOVES?

HELP! HELP! HELP!!

tanks

mac

[charlie b]

And if you want more choices go to the Lyman or RCBS catalogs, NOE web site, etc. :)

Yes, choosing a mold can be difficult. When I was considering casting I started here.
https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product-category/rifle/?filter_caliber=32-special

They use commercially available molds. The good part is that way you can try before you buy a mold kind of thing. Not cheap but the bullets are excellent quality.

[35 Rem]

I am seriously considering buying the 32-170A from Accurate for my model 94AE in 32 Special. It is basically the RCBS 32-170-FN with a larger diameter meplate. I have the RCBS mold and it works well in my rifle. Accuracy is good and I killed 3 deer with it this year but I think the Accurate design would kill faster because of the meplate. Besides this design even says it is designed specifically for the 32 Special in the notes.

I have what is basically the same bullet in 35 caliber from Accurate(36-200A) that I shoot in my 35 Remington and I can't imagine a better hunting bullet.

[Bigslug]

It takes a little math. When struggling with such questions, I consider the following:

What is the length between the start of your cartridge's neck and the max COAL? That's your max bullet length with the gas check added.

What is the length of the cartridge's neck? You want all your lube grooves to live inside that.

A pound cast of your chamber will tell you how far forward the full diameter shank of your bullet can go before you have chambering problems.

You probably want to leave yourself maybe 1/10" to 1/8" of room to play with for seating depth experiments, so basically, if seated all the way out to max COAL, you'd be close to or slightly into the lands, your forward-most lube groove would be just behind the case mouth, and your gas check would be that 1/10" to 1/8" ahead of the back of the neck.

Use of a crimp groove will of course, umm. . . put a crimp in that ability to scoot the bullet fore and aft as much in the case, so either more care in measuring for the design or more slop to deliberately avoid too-tight chambering becomes the concern.

The 32-170A and 32-180A claim to be designed for your round, and both look to be of the type that use the gas check to form the back end of an additional lube groove. If you're not crimping, that crimp groove can hold more lube. Run my "process" on both of those and see where you end up.

[Larry Gibson]

I am seriously considering buying the 32-170A from Accurate for my model 94AE in 32 Special. It is basically the RCBS 32-170-FN with a larger diameter meplate. I have the RCBS mold and it works well in my rifle. Accuracy is good and I killed 3 deer with it this year but I think the Accurate design would kill faster because of the meplate. Besides this design even says it is designed specifically for the 32 Special in the notes.

I have what is basically the same bullet in 35 caliber from Accurate(36-200A) that I shoot in my 35 Remington and I can't imagine a better hunting bullet.

Don't over think it, that's already been done for you which is why the Accurate 32-170A or the RCBS 32-170-FN are the perfect choices for the 32 Winchester SPL.

[pcmacd]

Don't over think it, that's already been done for you which is why the Accurate 32-170A or the RCBS 32-170-FN are the perfect choices for the 32 Winchester SPL.

Seems like good advice. I'll be ordering the 32-170A as soon as I can do a chamber cast.

thank you

[pworley1]

You have made a good choice.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have used 200 grain cast (large flat nose) in the 32 Special at 200 yards with excellent accuracy. The 170-180 grain bullets with a big flat nose do work well too. I have 3 Marlin's in 32 Special, 2 336SC 24" and a 336C 20", all shoot most any cast bullet accurately. I size .323, .32 Special may be the best cast boolit caliber around for general fun and hunting critters, a little light for elk but does work.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

When ordering from Accurate, you can get most any bullet made, start with something you like and add or subtract what you want, gas checks, lube grooves, bullet size when cast out of a particular alloy, all can be selected. The 32 Special, with it 1-16 twist shoots most reasonable (200 grains and under) bullets very accurately. I have not tried heavier, YET.

[pcmacd]

I have used 200 grain cast (large flat nose) in the 32 Special at 200 yards with excellent accuracy. The 170-180 grain bullets with a big flat nose do work well too. I have 3 Marlin's in 32 Special, 2 336SC 24" and a 336C 20", all shoot most any cast bullet accurately. I size .323, .32 Special may be the best cast boolit caliber around for general fun and hunting critters, a little light for elk but does work.

Whoa! I've a LEE C329-205-1R model 90775 mold that I bought for my rolling block 8mm, 8x58RD. I drops at @205 grains with check installed - I've been sizing it to 0.325" for the rolling block. I have NEVER tried this bullet in the 16" twist 32 spl 1894 because a bullet that heavy is "not spoda work" with that twist.

I've sized it to 0.325" easily, I'm sure it will go down to 0.324 or 0.323 with no issues.

Perhaps I should try this one on before spending on an Accurate mold?

Tanks for the heads up.

[Larry Gibson]

That C329-205-1R bullet will be too long to stabilize in the 16" twist of your rifle. The two afore mentioned 170 gr bullets are perfect for you 32 SPL.

[pcmacd]

I have used 200 grain cast (large flat nose) in the 32 Special at 200 yards with excellent accuracy. The 170-180 grain bullets with a big flat nose do work well too. I have 3 Marlin's in 32 Special, 2 336SC 24" and a 336C 20", all shoot most any cast bullet accurately. I size .323, .32 Special may be the best cast boolit caliber around for general fun and hunting critters, a little light for elk but does work.

How LONG is that bullet?

My LEE C329-205-1R model 90775 are about 1.080" or less.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have NEI 200 grain .323 bullets at .995", LBT 200 grain .323 bulets at 1.00", both purchased from Bullshop Bullets, I also use 185 grain .323 Flatnose at .915" bullets from Matt's Bullets. I have a 4-16 Simmons on a Marlin 336 24" barrel with standard rifling (Ballard?) not Microgroove that usually stays under 1.5 MOA at 200 yards with any of those bullets using 5744 or 4198. The 32 Special is simply a 32-40 that was 'improved' by the factory. If you research the 32-40, you will find that 200 grain bullets were commonly used by the target shooters in the 1890's-1910's. the 1-16 twist was and still is used in people using the 32-40 for targets WITH 200 grain bullets. There are several formulas for calculating barrel twist rate but most are approximations. The Lee 329-205-1R looks to be too fat for the .320-.321 bores of the 32 Special. I have a 'Midsouth Special Order' mold - 8mm Karabiner 215 grain, but I have not given it a try yet. In the 32 Special, the 200 grain flatnose is probably the best combination of accuracy/energy/velocity/penetration for hunting, making the 32 Special much like the 35 Remington and better than the 30-30. I've shot some of the .321 Hornady 165 gummy tips, the trajectory is little different than the .321 Speer 170 grains, the BC of the two are very close. The Hornady .321 170 flat point has lower BC. I have filed a flat nose on the 200 grain Speer 8mm and they did shoot OK but I did not try them on game. I would give that 329-205 a try if you can get it sized down far enough without deforming it though the round point might be a slight concern in a tube feed. It may or may not be too long, only shooting will tell.

[TD1886]

If the OP has a Marlin chambered in 32 Special I would agree with the choice, but if it's a Winchester I have found that the RCBS 170 grain mold to be undersized. If you're lucky enough to find one that casts large enough for the Winchester fatter groove diameter than the Marlin you're lucky and it's a good bullet.

[farmbif]

the mold designs for 32 win spl was figured out long, long ago. the rcbs 32-170 is the only mold needed for the 32 win. with the marlin you definitely want to be loading bullets that are .323. so if the rcbs mold doesn't drop big enough a noe or accurate clone might be in order. which in my opinion is one of the perfect calibers and guns for cast bullet shooting just like the 35 rem. you may find a cast bullet out of wheel weights with a good lube and gas check its very likely you can shoot this just as fast and accurate as any bullets you can get in a box of 20 from the store.

[35 Rem]

If the OP has a Marlin chambered in 32 Special I would agree with the choice, but if it's a Winchester I have found that the RCBS 170 grain mold to be undersized. If you're lucky enough to find one that casts large enough for the Winchester fatter groove diameter than the Marlin you're lucky and it's a good bullet.

Since you mention this, my RCBS 32-170-FN does produce bullets that are .324+ or thereabouts. I actually bought the mold hoping for using it in a 8x57. I had read that some of them produce oversize bullets while others were more typically undersized like so many mass produced molds. I got lucky. Haven't had much luck in the 8x57 but it works great in my Model 94AE Winchester from the limited run of 32 Specials built in 2018.

I bought my mold within the last couple of years so maybe they are all turning out oversize now.

[TD1886]

Since you mention this, my RCBS 32-170-FN does produce bullets that are .324+ or thereabouts. I actually bought the mold hoping for using it in a 8x57. I had read that some of them produce oversize bullets while others were more typically undersized like so many mass produced molds. I got lucky. Haven't had much luck in the 8x57 but it works great in my Model 94AE Winchester from the limited run of 32 Specials built in 2018.

I bought my mold within the last couple of years so maybe they are all turning out oversize now.

That's good to know and I'm glad you were fortunate enough to get one. It's been a good few years back the new one I purchased was lucky to get .319 bullets.

[Eddie Southgate]

Buy one of the old Winchester molds off of ebay. I have several other molds for .32 WS and the Winchester bullet shoots a good as any of the others I have tried.

[pcmacd]

That's good to know and I'm glad you were fortunate enough to get one. It's been a good few years back the new one I purchased was lucky to get .319 bullets.

RCBS stands behind their products. Their support is outstanding.

You have to call - I don't know why they publish a support email as they neber answer it.

You send it in, they'll send you a proper or possibly oversized unit.

I promise.

[TD1886]

RCBS stands behind their products. Their support is outstanding.

You have to call - I don't know why they publish a support email as they neber answer it.

You send it in, they'll send you a proper or possibly oversized unit.

I promise.

That's good to know, thanks