Good friday gents. I thought I'd check in to see who's out there.

I've got a Marlin 1894 CL in 32-20 and have started to work up some loads for it. I've had some luck with jacketed hornady's, but would realy like to find a good cast load for the gun. I have a Lyman 311008 and it drops slugs out at .312 with ww. I've used these with 4.8 grains of unique. The accuracy is so-so. I'm goin' to try it again tomorrow, and will post the results.

If you guys have any favorite cast loads, particularly with slugs out of the lyman mold, I'd appreciate it. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Has anyone used IMR 4198 in the 32-20 with cast?

Thanks
Dave

4198 is just too slow...too much unburned powder, but if you've a urge to give it a try, Lyman #48 lists 10gr. as a start and 12.4gr. as a max with that #311008 (their max is set at 16,000 CUP).

Oddly, have gotten good results with a max. charge of Reloader 7...still some unburned powder, but not as much as 4198 (and I'd guess the unbruned powder grains are less abrasive to he lead bullet). Lyman lists 15.5as a max (same 16K limit).

None of the real slow powders work worth a hoot in a revolver.

Know your rifle can handle higher vel. loads, but they stop at 4.5gr. of Unique.

Use the same bullet (just older, #31108) in an old Marlin Mod. 27S pump. Older mold tosses them .001" larger in WW, but it pretty well looks the same. In this old rifle, anything past 3.8gr. of Unique thows patterns (well worn, slightly pitted barrel). Using slower powders has worked better with this old barrel than the fast ones.

Thanks for the help ribbonstone. I've used the 4198 with the hornady 100 gr XTPs and there was a fair amount of powder on the snow. I wasn't too worried about it since the load (13.8 grains as I recall) was pretty accurate.

I am looking for other powder options, and I'll continue to play around with the unique.

Thanks again.
Dave

jawi_89

In an old Marlin 1894 I shoot this load:

BTB .313"-115gFNPB/10.5g 2400/WSRP/Win Brass

Although it's not a hotrod round, it shoots in this old gun like a surgical instrument. Velocity is around 1500 fps, and seems to be right on the threshold of the high end of velocity for the plain-based bullet. If I load even half a grain more, the groups go from under an inch at 50 yards to well over four inches, so I leave well enough alone.

This load burns clean (as cleanly as any load with 2400 will), and is very consistent.

Hope this helps.

God bless,

A clean burn is always prefered...seems the action/chamber has a natural atraction for unburned grains of powder. Looking back over the data in manuals and in my notes, Marshal's recomendation of 2400 is a good one; the powder probably has the optimum burn rate for the case volume at the pressures you'd want to use.

Cases are a limitng factor in the 32-20. THey work fine and last a long time at 16-17K CUP. Some people press the little 32-20 to get near the .30Carbine in velocity...got to wonder exactly why, it's not like the 32-20 is going to ever get out of it's weight class.

Well I had a chance to shoot again today with the Lyman 311008 and 4.5gr Unique. Got a 2" group with it at 50 yards, so I'm moving in the right direction. The load clocks in the mid 1200s, so is close to factory loads--though more accurate.

I'll have to try a can of 2400 and see what happens...

Thaks for the replys

try 5.5 grains of unique wiyh a 118 gr cast bullet . works fine in my marlin

Well I had a chance to shoot again today with the Lyman 311008 and 4.5gr Unique. Got a 2" group with it at 50 yards, so I'm moving in the right direction. The load clocks in the mid 1200s, so is close to factory loads--though more accurate.

I'll have to try a can of 2400 and see what happens...

Thaks for the replys

Marshal's load is a good one. Lyman takes that bullet to 8.3gr. for about 15,000CUP (And about 1230-1240fps). Have seen listing in other manuals much higher than that but with no pressure data, so you have to be suspcious of what they consider "max".

Think you 4.5gr. of Unique load is proably fine, that speed makes for a good general use loading...if you want to try fr more vel., then try the 2400...other wise, just refine the Unique load.

I'm in the "otherwise" group...115gr. at 1200 or 115gr. at 1500, doesn't make a devil of a lot of difference as the extra velcoity doesn't take it out of it's game-class.

If you are not getting good groups with the 32/20 with your 4.5 gr of unique then change your bullet alloy to a tin/lead alloy only 1 to 30 to 1 to 20 to 1 to 16 ! Watch out for the new 2400 as i have gotten high pressures with it for the last 5 years and can't use my old data with 2400 any more ! I have used bullets from the 77gr to the 120 gr range to 100yds ! JAGG