Any 32-40 reloaders here??

bertn

bertn

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My friend has a Winchester model 1894 in 32-40 and I want to help him being able to shoot it at the range, he is not planning to hunt with it.

I found a set of dies, and have some Hornady #3210 170gr bullets for it and Lyman mould 321297 (gas checked bullets).
Another friend has cast a bunch of bullets with this mould and they dropped at 189 grains before gas check and lube he said.

I have a decent collection of reloading manuals but unfortunately none of them have load date for the 32-40 in them unfortunately.

The powders I have on hand in I guess the appropriate burn rate window are:
SR-4759
H335
IMR 4895
IMR 4064
Varget

found a scan online of the Ken Waters Pet loads for this caliber that has a 1590fps load with 4064 for the jacketed bullet and a 1450fps load with 4895 for the cast bullet so I have something to work with but I am wondering if some of you have other successful target loads available for one of my two bullets and my current powder options?

Thanks in advance,

Bert
 
oldstarfire said:
You need to get a Lyman reloading manual. I feel SR-4759 is the elixer of God for 32-40.
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Thanks!

I already looked in my Lyman 47th handbook and nothing in there but after digging up more books there is indeed a page in my Lyman Cast Bullet handbook on the 32-40 Winchester.
It has the cast data for my mould so that is good and it has one load listed with powder that I have lots of: 700x 4.8-7.3 gr for 790-1190 fps.

No recipe with SR-4759 though.
 
I shoot 13.5 grains of 4227 with 180 grain cast bullets in my 8.15X46r Shuestzen rifle which is danged near the same as the 32/40 only I load a tad lighter than the 32/40 because of the open breach style of the rifle.
If you start there you will be happy I'm sure.
Cat
 

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Of those I'd use 4759. I shoot a lot of 32-40 in schuetzen rifles with breech seated bullets. Typically about 200 gr and with around 14gr of imr-4227. I have had good results with plainbase 170gr cast bullets and charges of 13.5 imr-4227.
 
gunlaker said:
Of those I'd use 4759. I shoot a lot of 32-40 in schuetzen rifles with breech seated bullets. Typically about 200 gr and with around 14gr of imr-4227. I have had good results with plainbase 170gr cast bullets and charges of 13.5 imr-4227.
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4759 has been discontinued for a while
 
I guess my lyman 47th book is just a few editions to new : )

Found this online, from the 45th edition.
Has IMR 4895 data for the 170gr jacketed and I'll probably stay on the lower to mid end of the range.

I don't think my friend is looking for match accuracy, he just want's to be able to shoot the rifle again.

I looked online and there is pretty much no ammo in this caliber for sale. Only thing I could find was Rustywood (with cast bullet) rounds for the astronomical price of $149 plus hst per 20 rounds !!! That's $8.40 per round after taxes, wow..


LYMAN 45th-32-40.jpg
 
Your stash of 4759 will work well. I used up a bunch of it in a Ron Smith barreled Ruger #1 benchrest rifle I used to have. I don't remember the charge weights but it wasn't that different than the weights for 4227. It shot nearly as well as 4227, certainly capable of sub moa at 200m with cast bullets. That powder won't give you a lot of velocity if that's what your looking for. It'd likely be in the 1300-1450 fps range. But it will work well.
 
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