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June 19, 2019
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I have been reloading for 32 20 for a year or 2 now and couldn’t get my regular polymer coated cast projectiles. There is a locally based commercial projectile caster but 32 20 wasn’t on his product list, I called him and he said he could do them. He asked me to measure my current ones = 314 thou. I have the new batch, polymer coated but the coating looks thinner than the original ones and measure 315 thou. They loaded in to the cases OK over 4 grains of AP70N (= Universal or Unique).
The specifications talk about projectiles between 212 and 214 thou. It is in a model 53 lever gun from 1925. They feed through the action fine.
What do you all think? Should I load em up & pull the trigger?
Orthoshep said
What do you all think? Should I load em up & pull the trigger?
Absolutely, & I’ll be surprised if you don’t get better accuracy than with the smaller bullets.
June 19, 2019
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Great, thanks. I just hesitated as it was new territory for me.
.315 will be no problem but, on another topic, do I have your Model 53 in the Model 53 survey? At this point, I have 933 surviving Model 53’s in the survey. I would love to add your rifle to the survey (need serial number, frame type (takedown or solid), and any other special features). You can reach me at [email protected]
June 19, 2019
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Hi Kirk, I expect you do. Serial 3741, you commented on it when I posted photos of it a year ago.
Yes, it is in the survey. Thank you again! Let us know how accurate those bullets are when you get a chance to try them out.
June 19, 2019
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Here it is. 1 & 1/4″ group at 25 metres. If I practiced, I might be able to do a bit better. Only 7 rounds with the new bullets, just test loads really, but they are going well enough.
Orthoshep said
Here it is. 1 & 1/4″ group at 25 metres. If I practiced, I might be able to do a bit better. Only 7 rounds with the new bullets, just test loads really, but they are going well enough.
Keep working at it–3 shots really doesn’t make much of a “group,” statistically speaking. Until the ’50s or thereabouts the standard was 10 shots, but that somehow shrank to 5 shots in most current testing. (Think NRA tests may still use the 10 shot standard.) 1-1/4″ is about what you should expect at 50 yds, & that would only be so-so, nothing to rave about. My .32-20 HW will shoot about 2 MOA, & that’s nothing to brag about either.
Were you shooting from some sort of rest? It doesn’t have to be fancy–I use my shooting bag. As Clarence mentioned, it is hard to tell from just three shots. I like a minimum of 5 shots, done a few times and then I can stack the targets, hold them up to the light, and get an idea of how 10 or 15 shot groups look. For most of my leverguns, I do my testing at 100 yards, but for the 32-20, I’m more interested in 50 yard groups. If you could get your 50 yard groups down to under 2″ (five shot groups) then you’d have something usable for small game hunting. A five-shot, 1-inch group at 50 yards would be something to aim for.
June 19, 2019
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I have access to an indoor range which is 25 metres and only 6 blocks from where I work. To shoot out doors is a 45 minute drive. I had loaded 7 rounds with the new bullets, then ran out of empty cases. The first 3 were to convince myself that I wasn’t going to blow anything up (on the target but not in the image posted), then the 3 you see here, then the last one, well, because I could. All the shooting was off a bench rest but the bench is very uncomfortable and the light was poor. The range is set up as a pistol range and I usually use it to practice offhand. A lot of the spread is due to operator error. It is also shooting a bit to the right. I had considered adjusting the sights but haven’t actually done it. The sights have signs of significant previous adjustment, I suspect due to a barrel bulge I had fixed before I shot it the first time, and my fixing of the barrel bulge has altered the point of impact.Considered fitting a tang sight too.
As I shoot off my rounds loaded with the old bullets, they will be reloaded with the new ones. The rifle is mostly used for a Gallery Rifle comp but with Covid and being dropped off their email list I haven’t shot it for a few months.
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