.32 Caliber Wadcutters

[Matt]

I would like to know from the users of TargetTalk which style and weight of .32 caliber cast bullet you use for competition. Please be as specific as possible to help me help you.

http://www.magmaengineering.com/bulletm ... p?bm=32CAL

I may purchase a mould set if there is enough interest. Other .32 caliber mould sets will follow in the future.

Matt
www.dardascastbullets.webs.com

[IPshooter]

Matt,

It would be good to be able to buy a USA-made bullet that will work in my Pardini. None of the current USA bullets work worth a darn.

Here's a different link: http://www.ehkco.com/magma/bulletmolds. ... r=32%20CAL

There are several variables you need to consider, if you're going to cast and offer these bullets. Clearly things like alloy and lube should be considered, but my experience has been that the most critical issue is the sized diameter. You would have to offer, probably, .312, .313 and .314.

HTH, and good luck!

Stan

[Matt]

Hi Stan,

Can you expand on what you said by 'none of the current USA bullets work worth a darn'? Are you referring to the soft swaged?

Have you tried the 98 grain or 100 grain wadcutter styles moulded from Magma moulds? If not, which style would you prefer and what sized diameter do you prefer?

Your feedback will be greatly appreciated!

Matt

[Alex L]

Matt.

Over the last 40 years I have been making my own projectiles.
I wonder if you realize just how much effort is involved with producing a good quality target bullet.

I have a brass 3 hole mould, made by a friend, and I use lead from on the range, and collect it up and reuse it. It is a very tedious job and takes a lot of time, especially sizing them all.

Also to be considered is breathing in the lead while working.
I have been tested a few times for my lead levels, and I am OK, - but only because I wear a good mask, and have adequate ventilation.

In one hour I can make about 200 - 300 bullets, depending on the speed with which I can get the lead to the required temperature. My small lead pot is electric, and only takes about 2kg of lead at a time. The temperature is very critical.

I also have a single sizer/lubricator, which has to fill up the cavities of the gascheck. Some other shooters have tried to heat up the lubricant with their wife's hair dryer! It is too much bother.

Over the last couple of years I have bought commercially swaged bullets. However, if you have plenty of time and all the materials are cheaply available to you, and you are looking for a good 25m precision result - have a go. I don't like a cast iron, or aluminium mould, but that is a personal preference. They are made commercially.

If you are going to shoot 2 or 3 matches a week in training - think very carefully if it is worthwhile to spend the money on the equipment.
Most of the bullets made in USA are good enough to hold the X ring. and then you could put more effort and time into your training.

Good luck. Quality is mor important than quantity!
Alex L.

[tcl]

Have you tried the 98 grain or 100 grain wadcutter styles moulded from Magma moulds?
Matt

Matt, why limit your production to 98 or 100 gns wadcutters?
Bullets, and commercial match ammo, for the .32 S&WL is/was offered in a variety af bullets weights: 76, 83, 84, 92, 93, 98, 100, 102, 103 gns. And even the very heavy 108 gns (old GECO ammo).

The 83/84 grainers are popular for rapid-fire. 93 and 98 for slow fire.

Why are you not considering the lighter slugs too, Matt?

[Matt]

Hi Alex,

We cast bullets commercially for the retail and wholesale markets in Michigan. I personally have 35 years experience in casting and we have been incorporated for 16 years.

We produce only accurate cast bullets - this is a reflection of how much effort we invest to provide the very best in quality (bar none!).

We may be interested in producing the .32 caliber wadcutter if there is enough interest. Our website will answer all of your questions. The price for the .32 wadcutters will be the same as the 9mm 124 gr.

Matt
www.dardascastbullets.webs.com

[Matt]

Why are you not considering the lighter slugs too, Matt?[/quote]

Hi tcl,

One mould set costs nearly $700.00. To buy all the styles you mentioned would be an investment of $7000.00 - this I cannot do. So we are asking the users of TargetTalk what they would prefer/use in the .32 caliber family for their competition needs. Purchasing the sizing dies is no problem as the investment is small compared to the moulds. We will build up the mould family as resources permit.

I trust that this answers your question.

Matt

[David M]

Matt, the most accurate cast .32 I have ever used is a 84g button nose wad cutter with a crimp groove, a single lube groove and a bevel base.
However it was loaded in a Manurhin revolver (sized .311) with 1.8gn of 231, and crimped into the crimp groove with a roll crimp.
This will not feed, nor fit most auto's.
I have tried many cast .32 in the auto's, the best being a double ended 98g wad cutter, but bestter still a swagged 98g hollow base wad cutter, sized to .001-.002" over barrel dia., seated with .005-.008" of lead exposed (for the pardini - flush), loaded with 1.3-1.4g of N310.

[K5Tangos]

Matt,

Not to be insulting, but trying to gauge interest in an untested product is akin to buying the proverbial pig in a poke.

I'm certain with your experience the attention to manufacturing detail will be fine, but my particular Pardini is finicky without much regard to the price of the projectile. (For all the other Pardini owners, I know, that statement was from the department of redundancy department.)

While there are several of the usual suspect loads that are adequate, it has taken about 2 years and 50 various combinations to find a bullet size and load "sweet spot". I currently shoot about 5,000 H&N bullets a year. If you can make a projectile that shoots better than those, or just as well at a lower cost, then I'm in for about 5k a year.

Thanks,
Keith

[Matt]

While there are several of the usual suspect loads that are adequate, it has taken about 2 years and 50 various combinations to find a bullet size and load "sweet spot". I currently shoot about 5,000 H&N bullets a year. If you can make a projectile that shoots better than those, or just as well at a lower cost, then I'm in for about 5k a year.

Thanks,
Keith

Hi Keith,

Can you be more specific as to the style and weight and hardness of the H&N bullet you are referring to?

Matt

[JamesH]

From personal preference I would pick the bevel base type, 32-98 WC BB.
They are less prone to damage and easier to load than the flat base type.
Looking at the pics I think Hardy et Fils used to use that mould and it worked fine for me - in a S+W M16 revolver.
Not that I'm in the US or likely to buy any :)

[chukeeee]

Matt, I also would be interested in the 32-98 WC BB. It looks like the bullets that I am buying from Magnus Bullets. It is the only bullet I have tried that doesn't have two or three out of every ten tip at 50 yards. I think they fly better because of the small dome on the forward end. I buy a couple thousand per year. Keep me posted. Thanks, chukeeee

[Matt]

Chukeeee & James,

Thank you very much for your input! I will indeed keep you posted!

Matt

[Laserdot]

I would be willing to give them a try and if they work well I would expect to be buying 5000 to 10,000 a year.

[Matt]

I would be willing to give them a try and if they work well I would expect to be buying 5000 to 10,000 a year.

Hi Laserdot,

I assume that you are referring to the 98 grain wadcutters?

Thank you for replying.

Matt

[IPshooter]

Hi Stan,

Can you expand on what you said by 'none of the current USA bullets work worth a darn'? Are you referring to the soft swaged?

Have you tried the 98 grain or 100 grain wadcutter styles moulded from Magma moulds? If not, which style would you prefer and what sized diameter do you prefer?

Your feedback will be greatly appreciated!

Matt

Matt,

Sorry to take so long to respond. Been busy.

I've had both a Pardini HP and a HPE. Both of them had .312 bores. And, I tried Hornady and Speer swaged (both .314) and a cast bullet (in .313?), but I can't recall who made it. Magnus?

To make a very long story short, both of the swaged bullets leaded up so badly they started tumbling after a few shots. The cast bullet didn't do much better.

With the HPE, I'm now working with the Lapua 98 gr bullet in .313. I still have some minor tweaking to do, but it looks like this one will work well for me.

If you're casting for Euro .32s, you might want to talk with Larry. He's got tons of experience with hard cast bullets, and if I recall what he said correctly, a hard cast bullet should be .005" over bore size. Or maybe he said .0005" over. Like I said, you should talk with him.

Good luck!

Stan

[JamesH]

If anything it would be + 0.0005 = 0.3145

[IPshooter]

If anything it would be + 0.0005 = 0.3145

James,

You're probably right. It's been a while since I talked with Larry about this.

BTW, for those who need to determine their bore size, *do not* use a hard cast bullet to get this measurement. It will give you a bore size that is larger than the true bore size. Use a soft lead slug or soft swaged bullet. An alternative method, suggested by the Pardini factory, is to simply take a measurement at the muzzle with your calipers.

One final thought. In my comparisons of USA-made and Euro-made swaged bullets, the alloy used in the Euro swaged bullets is definitely harder than the alloy used in USA swaged bullets. I can't say, for certain, if that's why the Euro bullets shoot better. But, if a relatively hard swaged bullet (sized properly for the bore) shoots well, it would seem reasonable that a hard cast bullet (sized similarly) would shoot well, too.

I hope I get a chance to prove/disprove that theory.

Stan

[JamesH]

'simply take a measurement at the muzzle with your calipers.'

Nope, you'll scratch your barrel - As I once did.

[David Levene]

If anything it would be + 0.0005 = 0.3145

Half a thou? Are you sure about that James?

Over the years I have seen many "top class" .32 barrels with 2-3 thou eccentricity. Would you work from the larger or smaller dimension.

Both of my FAS 603s had the normal .308 diameter. Mine were both actually selected barrels so were pretty concentric. They were both fed handloads with Lapua or Geco HBWC bullets in the .311-.313 range.