LazerCast lead flat point round nose, 115 grain, .314", and new Srarline 32 H&R magnum brass. I have on hand Unique, Bullseye, and 2400. Need a suggested target load for a S&W 16 6" barrel, and a pair of Ruger SIngle Sixes. I have Winchester small pistol and small pistol magnum primers. Can anyone help with a starting recipe? Thanks in advance!

I would suggest that you visit the Alliant website and check for data using unique and 2400. If the 115 is not listed, use the start load for a 100 grain bullet and work carefully from there. Your bullet at 900 fps or so will be more than enough for any small game and should be good for range time as well. I use the same weight bullet, but with AA5.

A call or email to Lasercast may also give you some data for that bullet. They shipped some loading data with my 370 grain 500 Mag bullets when asked to.

Some old data from Handloader I have for the RCBS 115 grain bullet lists 7.5 to 8 grains of 2400 with an MV of 1136 to 1187 FPS from a 6.5" Ruger.

Ken Waters in his Pet Loads recommended 3.6 to 4.0 grains of Unique under a 116 grain Lyman #3118 bullet. The 4.0 grain load was listed as Max. Velocities of 862 to 962 FPS from a 6.5" Ruger.

John Taffin in a personal communication suggested 8.0 to 9.0 grains of 2400 behind the LBT 314115 GC 120 grain bullet. Velocities of 1221 to 1340 in a 4 5/8" Ruger. Definitely a warm load IMO.

In Handloader 1992 Special Edition Wayne Blackwell lists 3.5 grains of Bullseye with the RCBS 115 grain bullet for 952 FPS and refers to it as a target load. As COL listed cannot be correct at 2.118" I wonder about this one.

None of the loading books from major bullet or powder manufacturers show data for bullets as heavy as yours. Hope this data is useful to you.

Thanks Slim! Rich, beautifully done, Sir! Magnum or standard primers on the Waters load?

All of Ken Waters loads in his article were done with Federal 100 primers. Same for the no author listed 2400 loads.

The Taffin loads list the CCI 550 Primer as used.

No primer specified in the article by Blackwell using Bullseye. I would presume a standard primer.

Thank you, Rich. I also just sent forward an email to Lasercast laying out the same q's, let's see what develops. Best, NP.

Nick;

Per Hamilton Bowen my S&W 16-4 cylinder rechambering to 327 Magnum is done except for rebluing and it should ship back to me in the next few days.

Looking forward to trying it and comparing it to 32 Mag loads. I have a Ruger 6.5" single six. a Smith 631 and a Ruger 4" SP101 in 32 Mag. The conversion will be my first 327 Mag.

The 327 Jacketed 115 grain factory load is listed as 1380 FPS from a 4" vented test barrel.

RichW,

Interesting conversion. Is it going to be a 5 shot cylinder? Barrel length? Any other modifications?

I have several M16-4 and would consider one for 327 conversion. I'd be interested in hearing a range report.

Thanks

Jim;

A simple rechambering of the 16-4 original cylinder so it remains 6 shot. Per Hamilton Bowen it is plenty strong for the conversion as more metal in it than a K frame 357 Mag cylinder.

Also relatively inexpensive at about $100 + the shipping both directions.

No other changes to the gun as all that Bowen requires for the conversion is the cylinder assembly and that is all I sent.

Thanks Rich,

Most of the other conversions I've seen are on the Single Six frames and a new cylinder making it a 5 shooter. Yours is very interesting. What's the barrel length?

I forgot to ask...where are you getting 327 brass?

My 16-4 is a 4" barrel.

I have 100 rounds of the cheapest 327 Magnum ammo on order from Midway though still back ordered. Picked up one 20 round box of the 115 grain load at a local store at a ridiculously high price too.

I hope that Starline will start making 327 cases in not too long. I have let them know I am interested. I suspect the more the indicated demand, via emails and phone calls, the sooner they will do the brass.