What are your favorite .32-20 Loads?

[S&W HE]

I've been loading 4.0 to 4.4 grains of Unique behind a 117 grain hard cast lead bullet with a light to medium crimp. I'm looking for other loads that may be more accurate for use in a 1919 manufactured K-frame HE Model of 1905 .32-20 Target.

I also plan to start loading for a 1917 manufactured I-Frame HE Model of 1903 in .32 S&W Long.

I don't think either gun has a heat treated cylinder. Hopefully I'm wrong.

All information and recommendations are appreciated.

 

[Frank46]

Well if you cast your own bullets there are two that I can suggest. Lyman's 311008 and the next is probably the best of them all Lyman's 311316 w/gas check. For anything under 1000fps use the 311008 anything over that then use the 311316
Frank

 

[S&W HE]

Well if you cast your own bullets there are two that I can suggest. Lyman's 311008 and the next is probably the best of them all Lyman's 311316 w/gas check. For anything under 1000fps use the 311008 anything over that then use the 311316
Frank

Thanks for the information Frank.

Since I've yet to get into casting my own, do you have a suggestion for pre-cast .32 bullets. Also, what are weights for Lyman bullets you recommend above?

 

[BruceHMX]

Check out proofmark bullets.

Proofmark Bullets of Virginia Home Page

I shoot their 100gr cowboy and it is very accurate, clean to work with.

 

[guesser]

I load for and shoot 4 Colts in 32-20. The New Army won't handle the same loads that the 3 newer ones will. For my lite load I use a cast 3118 over 2.4 gr. of Trail Boss, it is accurate and fun. For the Army Specials I use 4.5 gr. of Unique with the 3118 bullet. I size my bullets .313 and they are cast soft, 8 BHN+/-. They work well. I can hot rod my late date Bisley with 5.5 gr. of Unique, but I don't do that very often.
For 32 Long I cast 313249 soft and load 2.5 gr. of Bullseye for use in my old Colts and S&W.
When I said "newer" in referring to the Colts, the newest is 1922.

 

[S&W HE]

Anyone else loading 32-20?

I'm going to try 100 Grain copper plated Flat Point bullets.

What kind of crimp are you using? I'm considering a medium to heavy crimp.

 

[lbaize3]

I reload 32-20

My wife shoots 32-20 Colt 1873 clones and a Marlin rifle in Cowboy action. I have two 32-20 rifles and a Ruger Buckeye pistol. The most accurate load I have found with the 115 to 118 grain lead bullets is 3.9 grains of Red Dot. Somewhere in the 950 fps area out of the pistols and strikes like the hammer of Thor out of a rifle. I do hotrod some 32-20 cartridges for my Ruger pistol and my rifles... using Paco Kelly's suggested level two loads of 2015 and 1680 powder and lead 115 grain bullets.

The Red Dot loads are very clean burning. Brass looks almost new coming out of the gun.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I use a lot of the 4.5 grain Unique loading in my Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector .32-20. It works with both the 100 grain and 115 grain lead bullets. I've gone higher and obtained meaningful performance improvements but there's no need for it for most field load applications.

I also shoot the same loads in a Winchester Model '92 carbine.

I have hot rodded the .32-20 with Remington 100 grain jacketed bullets and H 110 for a load that mimics .30 Carbine performance in the 92. Don't keep those on hand though as I don't want them to get in the revolver.

 

[S&W HE]

How about Red Dot loads for the 32-20 Hand Ejector?

I've found one - 3.5 grains of Red Dot under a 100 grain LRN bullet - in Ken Water's Pet Loads.

That's it so far.

How about you?

 

[PattonTime]

32/20 Loads

I shoot 32/20 a fair amount and have two types of loads.
For pistol that is.
I have older Smiths that i shoot with 100-115 Missouri cast bullets and #5
Accurate powder and then I have my Custom Model 15 with a 16-4 barrel and a 32/20 cylinder by Bowen and my Ruger Buckeye.
Those I have shot quite a bit with the Rainer 100 grain flat point , which may be the bullet you are speaking of.
When shooting in the modern guns one can go a bit hotter, more like 32 H&R magnum -327 magnum levels as 32/20 case is bigger in capacity then both the above. I hesitate to quote loads that are above book though.
that needs to be worked up to slowly if at all!!!
Chris

 

[DWalt]

For what it's worth, In my Colt OP .32-20, my best performing load is 3.5 grains of Bullseye under a 100 grain .313 dia. lead bullet (Missouri Bullet Co., highly recommended). That is a very mild load, with MV about 900 ft/sec. My OP will withstand far stouter loads than that, but I just don't load them.

 

[brick]

I don't have any problems with 3.2 grains of W231 behind 100 grain lead SWC.

 

[S&W HE]

Thanks for the additional input on your 32-20 loads.

Is anyone loading Red Dot in the 32-20 Hand Ejectors?

 

[bgrafsr]

I load 5.0 grains or 5.5 grains of Bullseye for my Model 16-4 with a Hamilton Bowen cylinder in .32-20 WCF, and also in either my Winchester 1892 or Marlin 1894.

 

[DWalt]

I'll revive this thread as I took my Colt OP (6") in .32-20 to the range today along with my chronograph. For a long time, I have loaded .32-20 for this revolver with 3.5 grains of Bullseye and a 100 grain .313 bullet from Missouri Bullets. However, I have never chronographed that load. I also loaded a few rounds upping the powder charge to 4.0 grains of Bullseye. Here are my test results:

3.5 grains Bullseye, 100 grain lead: MV= 944.2 ft/sec (avg); SD= 40.1 ft/sec

4.0 grains Bullseye, same bullet: MV= 1087.2 ft/sec; SD= 36 ft/sec

No high pressure signs with either load (case sticking, primer flattening)