Reloading the 32 H&R Mag

[chucky52]

I overcrimped, I undercrimped, I have three bullets, two powders, multiples ad nauseum. I can group at 50 Yards, at 100 I'm all over. Am I hot, not hot. It would seem easier to take a load from a manual, a powder manufacturer, etc, copy, adjust and after a few tries you are in business.

I wonder how I got buy so long sighting in a factory load, adjust to zero and go?

[Lloyd Smale]

most factory jacket bullet arent that great at long range. Try a good cast swc or lfn and see if that helps. Another trick to longer ranges and one it looks like youve allready tried is to put a little velocity behind a bullet. Once a bullet slows to the point it begins to become unstable accuracy goes to pot. Try differnt weight bullets too. The twist rate in your gun mays stabilize on better then the other. Bottom line is most bullets should fly to at least a 100 yards though.

[stimpylu32]

chucky52

What gun are you using and how long is the barrel ? and as Lioyd Smale said try some cast bullets , they may do wonders in this little round . what powders & bullets combos have you tried so far ?

More info may help solve the problems .

stimpy

[chucky52]

I tried Meister 94 gr. Hornady 85 & 100 gr bullets with HS-6 and Titegroup. I hear that WSF is highly thought of and may try it. My main interest is a Marlin 1894 for silhouettes; but, also have a TC set up for 32 mag.

I hear that Marlin is bad about overboring. The Meisters are .312 and the TC is throated for .312 with a .308 bore. Same results on both guns. I'm told that a .313 or .314 cast bullet may cure the lead bullet overbored barrel problem. So many variables, so little time.

[Graybeard]

Years ago when I shot the .32 Mag in NRA Hunter Pistol matches I cast bullets in a Lyman mound, I think the number was perhaps 311318 or real close to that. It dropped SWC bullets of about 110 grains as I recall. I loaded them over a mild charge of W231 powder. I think it was about 4.5 grains but that's from a VERY OLD memory so don't use it without checking the books to be sure. That sucker shot MOA to 2 MOA from my 10" barrel to 100 yards with no problems. Was way more accurate for me than the factory stuff.

[Lloyd Smale]

two things ive noticed in the 32 mag is that if you want high velocity loads use slow powders. Some good ones are aa9 lilgun and h4227 another thing ive noticed and have no explanation for it is that ive allways got better accuracy from the 32 mag even with powders as fast as hs6 and 2400 is that mag primers have allways done better for me.

[Lone Star]

Given the non-linear accuracy the OP describes, it probably has more to do with bullets than with the load.  A decade of IHMSA silhouette shooting demonstrated clearly  to me that some bullets traveled fairly straight to a certain yardage, then started going goofy.  When spotting for other shooters you could usually see the bullets headed downrange, and it was amusing to watch bullets head straight for the targets out to 100 meters, then they would start to corkscrew and miss the 150 and 200 meter targets. 

This was usually with revolvers and had to do with the alignment of the cylinder and barrel, or with oversozed throats and tipped bullets, but I also saw it with Contenders - usually with cast bullets.  A base defect or internal void wouldn't seem to effect short range accuracy, but long range grouping sucked.  If you can get someone to spot for you with a spotting scope focused about 2/3rds to the target - particularly if the sun is behind you - they may cast light on the cause of the problem.


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[Lloyd Smale]

Lone star has a good point. But ill put it a little differently. Weve tested alot of differnt bullets. Kieths lfns wfns swcs full wadcutters, just about every design. It will amaze you that some of the bullets you think should shoot at long distance DONT. Ive seen even swcs and lfns that take a dive out past 200 yards. But for the most part they still stay stable out to a hundred yards. Even full wadcutters if shot fast enough will stay stable at 100 yards. IVe watched films of bullets in flight that lost stablity out at long range almost making 9o degree turns!!! Problem is that nobody yet has figured out what the exact cause of it is and you can load two differnt bullets that have very little differnces in design and one will shoot like a rifle out there and the other will pattern like an open choked shotgun!!

[chucky52]

from the replies, seems there is no simple answer. I'm taking a break till summer and will reapproach. If I don't see progress, there's gonna be a TC barrel for sale. My next recipe will be .314 bullets with WSF.