Larry,
Thanks for your meticulous testing and willingness to share the results.
I am eagerly following this thread.
Robert
Larry,
Thanks for your meticulous testing and willingness to share the results.
I am eagerly following this thread.
Robert
Good report as usual............
My favorite load is a 115 grain boolit over 4.0 grains of Unique in a Ruger SP-101. My brother's wife and younger grandkids will shoot this load all day.2) NOE 314-119 RNFP over 4.0 grains of unique. This is also a very accurate load with a little more zip.
Based on my experience with a .32 S&W Long "Bunny Gun", if your loads exceed H&R Magnum factory levels, the soft and thin primer cups of pistol primers will flow into the firing pin channel around the larger shotgun firing pin, causing hard opening. If the firing pin is bushed, it eliminates that problem, but I wouldn't exceed about 25,000 psi in a soft iron shotgun receiver. I have found that .38 Special +P, .45 ACP, .44-40 and .45 Colt work fine, but not full-charge .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum or .30-30, if you want the gun to stay tight.
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
My favorite boolit in this cartridge is the RCBS 32-98 SWC. It shoots well with just about any fast to medium burning rate powder. My favorites are 3.7 grains of WW-231 or 3.2 grains of either Bullseye or Red Dot. 7.5 grains of 2400 is also quite accurate. I had a 5 1/2" Ruger SSM, which I regrettably let go of, and now use the 32 H&R in my 327's.
Last edited by rintinglen; 04-08-2021 at 10:37 AM.
_________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.
Mr. Gibson, Thanks for the report and all you ongoing efforts. Love all one info on the 32s, all of them!
“You don’t practice until you get it right. You practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Jason Elam, All-Pro kicker, Denver Broncos
I've had good success with Unique, despite its miserable measuring characteristics through my Dillon & Uniflow measures. In my Birdshead 4.5" & 5.5" Single-Sixes as well as my 4" S&W M-16, 4.0 gr of Unique does very well. Groups run 2" or less at 25 yds from rest with any of the following bullets: Hornady's 85 gr XTP (which does even better with 4.5 gr), RCBS' 98 gr PBSWC, Accurate Mold's 31-100R, & Bull-X' 98 gr BB LSWC. The same load does not do well with Hornady's Swaged 90 gr LSWC (~3-4" @ 25 yds).
I will add that I size all of my .32 H&R bullets (ACWW+1% Tin) to 0.312"...works in the Rugers as well as the Smith M-16. And I've found that minimal crimp is necessary with these bullets due to the low recoil of the loads/guns.
Win 231 is good as well when using a half grain less with each of these bullets.
In the 5.5" Single-Six, chrono data with 4.0 of Unique for the RCBS 98 and Accurate 31-100R is virtually identical at 1157 fps with an extreme spread of ~24 fps. For the 85 gr. Hornady again with 4.0 gr of Unique it's 1147 fps and ext. spd. of 56.
These are my loads, in my guns, work up if interested and note Larry Gibson's pressure testing results.
Regards, Rod
Last edited by Rodfac; 04-04-2021 at 05:53 PM.
Rod
My current find is the 98 gr. rcbs SWC over 3.5 grains of Promo or Red Dot. Average of 1107 fps with 16 fps SD. CCI 500 primer with either FC or S/L cases. Very safe, but still effective load. Works well in 4" SP101, 6 1/2" SSM, and 6 1/2" Bisely. I will be trying it in a couple of my sevens next week. pics to follow
Mr. Gibson, I would be interested in your data for the 311316 and the 313361. I'm shooting a Ruger Single Six and using Starline .32 H&R cases.
From six years ago.
Just a quick report. I have a 6" Ruger Single Six and a 2" S&W in .32 H&R Mag. The factory loads offer an 85 gr. Jacketed H.P. or a 90 gr. lead solid. I found I could get 115 gr. lead flat point .32-20 bullets from Oregon Bullet Company (Laser Cast) and they had a loading book too. Most of the commercial loading books give data for the 85 or 90 gr. bullets only. I loaded up these 115 gr. bullets with 4.3 gr. Unique and used some very old Remington 1 & 1/2 Primers and Federal brass. Chronographed the 6" at an average of 1,117 fps and the 2" at an average of 953 fps. This was set up about 18 feet from the muzzle and it was 24º f out. Went to the indoor range with the Ruger and got some very tight groups. FYI, the book gave the maximum load at 4.5 gr. Unique. The bullet looks like it has very good sectional density and I am as happy as can be with this load.
Thanks for the info David. Unique is one powder that I am out of, Ha! I'll be on the lookout for some though. Do you think your load will be fine with Starline brass?
I found an old Lyman manual with load data for the .32 long using the Lyman 3118 which is a 115 gr. boolit. It was published long before the .32 H&R mag came out.
Glad we found this site.Thanks to you all for sharing your info.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |