Newtire
07-25-2010, 07:44 PM
I have become quite a fan of the .32-20 here lately! I picked up a Marlin 1889 and a Winchester 92 and a pair of modern Marlin '94s, plus I just sent off my Colt lightning for a reline. That's it! No more! I guess I just went crazy but I don't regret it.
I must say that the older rifles with their big heavy barrels seem a little less finicky with changing loads causing great point of aim changes than the thin little modern barrelled Marlins are for one thing.
I finally found a load that stood out head and shoulders and always came back to same point of aim with hot or cold barrel in the new Marlin I tried it out in. This was 11.5 grains of Win 296 and the 311316 gc just barely touching in a .313" sizer. I am going to try it in a couple of weeks at 100yds. and check the speed.
There were a few other loads that put the boolits inside minute of beer can but points of impact were all over the place.
The '92 Winchester and '89 Marlin would be higher or lower but no horizontal stringing.
A good load in the Winchester turned out to be 5.0gr. Unique and the same 311316.
Another one was 9.5 gr. 5744 and the RCBS 32-98 with a bit of tissue under it so it wouldn't sink into the case cause I had to crimp over the top band.
The '89 Marlin liked 4.0gr. Unique and the 90 grain plain base RCBS cowboy boolit.
The Marlin has a case of the Marlin Jam that I'm going to try and correct and that will make a good rifle for light loads being's as how the steel is old. I don't plan on hot rodding the Winchester for that matter.
So there ya go. I also had a good run with some RX-7 but it was one of those loads that hit way low.
So that's all that's fit to print today.
I must say that the older rifles with their big heavy barrels seem a little less finicky with changing loads causing great point of aim changes than the thin little modern barrelled Marlins are for one thing.
I finally found a load that stood out head and shoulders and always came back to same point of aim with hot or cold barrel in the new Marlin I tried it out in. This was 11.5 grains of Win 296 and the 311316 gc just barely touching in a .313" sizer. I am going to try it in a couple of weeks at 100yds. and check the speed.
There were a few other loads that put the boolits inside minute of beer can but points of impact were all over the place.
The '92 Winchester and '89 Marlin would be higher or lower but no horizontal stringing.
A good load in the Winchester turned out to be 5.0gr. Unique and the same 311316.
Another one was 9.5 gr. 5744 and the RCBS 32-98 with a bit of tissue under it so it wouldn't sink into the case cause I had to crimp over the top band.
The '89 Marlin liked 4.0gr. Unique and the 90 grain plain base RCBS cowboy boolit.
The Marlin has a case of the Marlin Jam that I'm going to try and correct and that will make a good rifle for light loads being's as how the steel is old. I don't plan on hot rodding the Winchester for that matter.
So there ya go. I also had a good run with some RX-7 but it was one of those loads that hit way low.
So that's all that's fit to print today.