.32 S&W, S&W Long, H&R Mag, and .327 Fed Mag Cast Bullets for Self Defense

[LouisianaMan]

     I'm looking for some loads to use in an S&W 30-1 (2" bbl, .32 S&W long) and Ruger SP101 (3 1/8" bbl, .327 Mag). I have Win 231, Unique, and VV-310 powders; 90g Hornady LSWC and 115g Hunter's Supply FP bullets; and .32 S&W Long brass.
     If you can give me max loads, I can do some adjusting downward for wife/daughters' shooting comfort for initial practice, if needed.
     I welcome suggestions for max loads in .32 Mag brass, which I can get my hands on. My wife can handle something in that range; possibly my daughters can, too.
     I haven't shelled out yet for .327 Mag ammo to try; think I'll stick to .32 Mag at the most, as the pistol will be a second gun/car gun (legal in LA)/wife & daughter gun.
     Finally, I have a very nice S&W New Departure (SN# 158xxx) and would like an appropriate load for the Hornady 90g LSWC. I have no illusions about the gun or load, but it fits in the category of (a) fun, and (b) if it remains as reliable and accurate as it has with 100+ rounds of factory loads, it may wind up occasionally going along where no other gun would. . . .
     Thanks in advance.

[LouisianaMan]

Well, I wound up trying some loads posted by Ed Harris. Am getting 770 fps with 115g LFP in Starline .32 SWL from my S&W 30-1; 980 fps with same bullet in Starline .32 HRM in my Ruger. Have bought a Lee mold for 90g SWC and will cook up some of those soon. I like the relatively heavy-for-caliber 115g bullets, but will be interested to see where 90g bullets print. At close ranges, the loads listed above print somewhat high, but are certainly serviceable.
BTW, I have tried the Speer 115g GDHP and Federal 100g SP in .327, and will soon test-fire the Federal 85g JHP. Accuracy is acceptable for SD/HD, as is recoil. Ditto for flash, blast/report, although they're certainly noticeable. Chrono indicates advertised velocities are about right--these bullets move out!

[Larry Gibson]

In .32 S&WL; in my M30 with 3" barrel i use 2.1 gr Bullseye under either Hornady 90 gr or Speer 98 gr HBWCs for 722 fps.  I mostly shoot 3 gr of Bullseye under the Lee TL314-90-90-SWC or it's commercila counterpart, the Hornady 90 gr swaged SWC.  Velocity is 900 fps.

In my Ruger Single SIX (original run) I use 3.2 gr Bullseye under the Lee 90 gr SWC for 1015 fps and excellent accuracy This is my most shot load.  I also use the Lyman 313631 105 gr GC'd SWC designed for the 32 H&R.  I load it over 6 gr of Unique for 1350 fps out of the 6 1/2" barrel.  Cast soft and HP'd with a Forster HPing tool that is my "carry load" with the Ruger.  The federal 85 gr JHPs run 1040 fps and the Federal LSWC runs 1025 fps.

I've not used the .327 and see no need to.  If I want more power than the .32 H&R I'll use a .357 with real magnum loads.  Not disparaging the .327 but having a couple .357s I will just use those.

Larry Gibson

[LouisianaMan]

Larry,
     Thanks for your input & suggestions. I will load up some Lee 90g bullets at the velocities you suggest in my .327, using .32 HRM brass.
     I wasn't particularly interested in the .327, but wanted a couple of guns for my daughters to shoot .32 SWL with. The gun shop had a nice S&W .32 and the Ruger .327, so I got both. They fit everybody's hands in my family, plus the lighter loads aren't tough for the youngsters--I had almost ruined shooting for them with S&W Scandium .38s--great pistols, but too tough on my girls! 115-grain bullets in the .32 SWL make it a better solution than factory .32s, while remaining "shootable" for the girls. The .327 can go to far greater power levels, of course.
     See the penetration testing I did today with the .32 and also with a .38 (200g bullet) at http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,175269.msg1098830479.html#msg1098830479

LouisianaMan