32-20 with Tin Star?

tokguy

tokguy

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I like the bulky powder for loading Old Rifles, but no-one seems to have used Tin Star much.
I'm trying to find a load for a Marlin 27 pump in 32-20; cast bullets with GC, but Tin Star is pretty obscure stuff. No luck yet; the Vihtavuori site is no help.

Edit; I did find data using N 32 C as a search. But 3.2 grains is a rather minuscule load, even with bulky powder...sounds like a ' Cat's sneeze ' when you shoot it. A tad cold here today for Chrono'ing or punching paper, lol
 
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Well, for what it's worth 3.2 gr of Tinstar throws 'em at about 690 fps.
.314 cast with GC
Going to have to pick that up a touch. I'll throw an update up for any other Luddites using 32-20 ( got an echo back after I said that, lol...)
 
tokguy said:
Well, for what it's worth 3.2 gr of Tinstar throws 'em at about 690 fps.
.314 cast with GC
Going to have to pick that up a touch. I'll throw an update up for any other Luddites using 32-20 ( got an echo back after I said that, lol...)
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I have a friend in ON. That has a 32-20 rifle, I helped him find some ammo last year, it was a hand me down pump I believe, so info like this could help him in future, much appreciated whatever you find out!
 
I have a 32-20 Colt Police Positive that I reloaded for a bit a few years back. Tried 231, Unique and Trail Boss. Have 2 Lyman moulds- One plain base and one GC. Don't really remember what worked best. Think I still have some bullets left. Should put some together this summer. Kind of a cool little cartridge to work with.
 
bobdbldr said:
I have a friend in ON. That has a 32-20 rifle, I helped him find some ammo last year, it was a hand me down pump I believe, so info like this could help him in future, much appreciated whatever you find out!
Click to expand...

Marlin's have generous bbl dimensions; fired slugs from mine are 0.313. 0.312 will tumble from it.
And I think that is the bomb, love it. It was quite the round in it's day, kicked the stuffing out of the 38 Spl.
 
Same rifle, bullets and brass.
.314 FNGC, Starline brass, Tinstar powder and Marlin 27 ( Dark bore @ .313 )
Big jump at 3.4 gr, up to 790 fps
Smaller increases from there.
3.6 > 820 fps
3.8 > 860 fps
4.0 > 920 fps
No primer flow on any brass.
Didn't have time to see what gives the best groups, too windy today.
But hopefully someone benefits from this lil control group.
I'm thinking the 3.4 - 3.5 gr is what I'll use. Nice jump of 100 fps from the 3.2 gr load; smaller increases from there, I'm surmising that 3.4 - 3.5 is the sweet spot for this powder and rifle.
Unless you are playing Cowboy stuff, you'll like the mouse f*rt load then.
Or going deer hunting; then definitely the 4.0+ gr load...cou:
 
A buddy of mine & I have shot the 32-20 in Cowboy Levergun Silhouette match's with considerable success. He uses a home cast 115 gr (no GC) at .313 straight from the mold, I don't know what his load is but he knocks rams over no problem. I have used both the 78 gr & 96gr hard cast (both at .313 dia.) offerings from Bullet Barn. I started out with the 78 gr and a Trailboss load of 2.7 gr but I had problems with some rams standing laughing at me after a distinct "ding". I didn't have a Chrony at the time I was using these so don't have a record of fps but I did record very good accuracy ( under 1.5" at 75 yrds).

Wanting a bit more knock-down oomf I switched to 4.0 gr ofSR7625 over the 78 gr, they chrono'd at 1330 fps, accuracy was still in the 1.5" range. I ran out of the 78 gr and decided to try the 96 gr instead, hoping for a little heavier lead action on the rams. I used the same 4.0 gr load of SR7625 under the 96 gr, new chronoed velocity was at 1285 fps and still the same accuracy average. I liked the load and my records show I am on my 3rd box of 500count so far...the real downer here is that I'm almost out of 7625 and IMR discontinued it a couple yrs ago.

These are not Colt SAA loads and are meant for rifles only (mine is a second yr manuf. 92 Win). One thing I will mention... if you want to feel a definite "woomf" from a 32-20 rifle I don't think you ever will, even with the loads I am using (quite a bit hotter than the ones you list) I feel the hammer strike when fired more than any actual recoil...just not enough cartridge-bullet weight to make a heavy rifle jump.
 
Thank you very much. That has some data right there friend. I have a 2 hole wad cutter mold on it's way....86 gr. I ran 60 gr JHP personal defense bullets over 4.5 gr of Unique...gopher bombs at about 1400 fps, but that was a Husky bolt...basically a minature 1st Gen Mauser. 1871 maybe?
I'm a tad leary pushing this old pump, and my brass are getting 'well used'. I might start stepping it up as soon as I get some new brass. Rusty is the likely source I'd guess.
I think that I may have a pound of that 7625, I shall have a look.
Thanks
Tok

Edit; Wouldn't it be an awful troll if you stated that you were going WT hunting with one? Not planning on it, but I'm reminded of folks stating that they intend hunting with a 22 Hornet. About the same IMO
I'd go with 22 H is to 32-20, what 30-30 is to 38-55 as a comparison.
 
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I don't think I would be concerned about your brass, the pressures of a 60 gr bullet at 1400 fps wouldn't worry me at all. I am using the same 200 brass in rotation that I started with over 1500 rounds ago...the only ones I have lost are a few of the thin little bas##@ds that got crushed when I try to go to fast when loading, my fault totally.

I have my eye on a new .311 dia 115 gr mold that I may pick up to try in the 32-20. after they are dropped from the mold they will be powder coated up to .314, sized to .313.

While I haven't used a 32-20 on a deer I won't never say never...I have used .30 carbine on deer with perfect results within the strict parameters I use, it would have to be the same with a 32-20...a very unsuspecting-not moving animal at 75 yds or less and a bit of tracking snow if the need arose (haven't needed to use that with any .30 carb. kill).

That being said I still have a # of vintage rifles in the vault in the various .38 to .45 cal configurations that need to "earn their keep" so using the 32-20 is still a ways off...if ever.
 
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