Shooting bears with 32’s

[shooting on a shoestring]

Rockrat, yep 9450. I bought it from Jeff Bartlett as a surplus powder that has kernels that look very similar to 4759 and a burn rate about like 2400. It’s great stuff. I find for most straight walled magnum cartridges a case full or slightly compressed gets near max velocity and wonderful accuracy. It’s a shame it didn’t get marketed as a canister powder.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Rintinglen….Wow! Glad you got out alive. Yeah I’ve kept my eye out for white bears but haven’t seen any on my range here in Texas. They look fearsome.

Very cool 1907 Savage. Yep looks like you chose wisely. It’s not always about the big high power 32s. The 32acp can certainly hold its own when it comes to penetration and that Savage can certainly put up a volley all by itself.

[Alferd Packer]

Thank you all for the .32 hunting news.
I too still love to shoot my .32 S&W"s.
I make six and eight inch high squirrel cutouts mounted on cardboard boxes in the basement.
Ammo is primer powered glue bullets.
I also like to use primer powered wax bullets as well outside to shoot the aluminum beverage cans.
The wax blows a big hole In the cans and makes them jump quite a bit when empty.
Way better than a .22 which hardly disturbs them passing thru unless you hit a rim on a can.
Keep shooting and reporting.
I love the news.
Sorry. no pics.
I don't know how.
Adios Amigos!
Oh yes, I purchased a big box of .32 S & W brass from Starline who had them in stock.
I am set now. Just to let you all know they had some.
in stock then.

[rintinglen]

My 32-20's shall accompany on my next venture into the wild, the added power will be re-assuring should I encounter Ursus Horriblis.

[shooting on a shoestring]

How cool!
You have one for each hand!

That M&P looks good wearing a set of target stocks.
Is that a 5” barrel?

The Colt, what model is that? I’m a bit ignorant on the Colt DA’s. It seems like Colt had 3 frame sizes for 32-20?

I see your wadcutter. Not to pretty but pretty useful! The 32-20 just looks right with a round flat nose boolit.

Looks like you’ll be well armed on your waddle into the wild!

[sharps4590]

Gotta love the 32's. They're often underrated. My pick for close to 40 years has been the 32-20. I've long lusted for a nice S&W in 32 S&W long, just haven't found one at a price I'm willing to pay and, those days might be over. However, there is a gun show in town, today so....who knows, I am going armed....with cash!!!

[rintinglen]

That is an Army Special, dating from 1926, IIRC. Colt made 32-20s in the Police Positive and the larger Army Special/Official Police frames. The Colt is actually my favorite, due to the better sights. I have a Police Positive, but it is more or less a safe Queen.

[9.3X62AL]

I also have two D/A 32/20 WCF revolvers--both 5" barrels, one each Colt Army Special and S&W M&P. My go-to powder for the 32/20 revolver went out-of-print a few years a go (SR-4756), so I have adapted to using Herco in its place. SR-4756 data minus 5% in charge weight seems to be working well.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Oh oh.
Maybe I’m not a cool kid because I don’t have a 32-20 Colt.

I’ve got a 5” M&P that’s from the last year of production (1945) and it’s in great shape. But I couldn’t get any decent groups out of it until I put on a set of Pachmayr Presentation grips. Then magically the boolits all started jumping into pretty little groups.



Then not long ago this big old Blackhawk with the flower on the top strap came to live at my house. It might have been unfired. Now it’s had 200 115 gr SWC’s run through it pushed by a case full of IMR 9450. Didn’t chronograph any…..yet. But I’m thinking they’re a good ways north of 1300 fps.