Moderate .32 loads & smallgame(?)

Ed, Freedom Arms is selling primed Federal brass. Don't know how they got a bulk quantity but they have it. I assume it is because Freedom is working on their proprietary 22-327 intended for their new single shot pistol.

For most of our small game hunting no need for more than the 32 H&R Magnum and as you said, for small game the 32 S&W Long has great utility.

When I was a kid in the 1960's the old small game hunters got me interested in the 32 Long Rimfire - 82-grain bullet at 945 fps from a rifle. The 32 Long Rimfire was highly thought of by subsistence hunters in the 1920's and ‘30's Southwest.

The 1930's and ‘40's American Rifleman magazine has many short articles, letters and comments on the 25-20's, .32 Rimfires, supplemental chambers and reduced loads for larger cartridges.

When I look at new product introductions and tests today, I am confused. Dazzling pictures and no substance, gadgets and gimmicks which distract from the use of the product. I have compared product introductions from the past with those of today. The introduction of the 270 Winchester cartridge, the Winchester Model 71, the introduction of the Model 70 etc. While these articles by Al Barr and others did not involve many pictures - all black and white - every paragraph did have useful information and accurate

Reporting of results. There were no three shot groups in a pre-WWII firearm road test.

My wife and I feel the same about our 3” M31 S&W. This is a wonderful little revolver which fits the coat or blue jeans pocket perfectly - when I was a kid I wore overalls all the time (Blue Suit) but today it is just the Carhart overalls on cold days.

I hope to oneday try the LBT Ogival wadcutter in the 32's. I wish Veral would do two cavities - 1 with the plain base and a 2^nd with a gas check shank.

We have two 32-20's - a Savage M-23 and a Marlin 1894CL. I do not find the 32-20 to be as useful and simple to load for as the 32 S&W Long or 32 H&R Magnum. It is not difficult to load the 32-20 but it is easier to load accurate ammunition for the 32 S&W Long.

Along these lines I have found traditional bullets driven at low velocities to be better killers on small game, provide better accuracy and longer point blank range than round balls. Short, round nose bullets driven at low velocity are easier to load and will remain inside small critters such as rabbits and skunks - just as the round ball.

One of my boyhood hero's, General Vernon E. Megee, wrote of his use of the .25 Stevens rimfire in South America, the 32 Long Colt in Central America and the 32 S&W Long in Central Texas. Megee liked the round ball in the 32-20, 32 S&W Long and in the 30-30. I don't know which of his articles had the most influence on me but the picture of him shooting his Ruger No. 1 - 32 S&W Long rifle in the April 1971 issue of Shooting Times rates high in my memory.Megee had Ruger barrel a Ruger No. 1 with a 22” .308” barrel using a 222 extractor, he dubbed this outfit his “Deluxe Squirrel Rifle.” Megee knew the 1-10” twist was too fast so he used the Speer half jacket 100-grain plinker bullets.

I agree the 32-20 loaded with cast bullets and Unique is a good small game load the 32 S&W Long loaded with lead bullets and Bullseye may well give smaller groups with less noise. The 32-20 loaded with Bullseye has never given me quite a se good results as with the smaller case.

J.R. Mattern wrote of good results with 50-grain round balls in the 32-20 loaded ahead of 4.0 grains of Bulk Shotgun powder. These loads delivering approximately 600 fps. Mattern wrote he used a lubricated wad under the round balls.

I appreciate quiet in a small game rifle and our 24” 32 H&R Magnum TC barrel allows us to shoot the occasional shot without ear protection and no ringing ears.

I too have a fondness for the 22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum. Elmer Keith wrote of the introduction of the 22 WRM in 1959 by recounting his experiences with the 22 WRF on small game. I bought one of “Elmer's Little Cuties” a 3 ½” S&W Model 51. I have a fondness for .22WMR and the Model 51 but the Model 631 4” in 32 H&R Magnum is a more versatile handgun because of the wide variety of cast bullets available to the .32 caliber cartridges.

I may be alone in this but 50 yards is a long shot for me when it comes to small game - although tall trees have a way of lengthening the distance. Low velocity .32 caliber loads are easy to hit with from 10 feet to 50 yards.

I agree with the last post, I have no need to cut an animal in two in the back yard. I prefer a lightweight, reasonably quite rifle which will generally leave its bullet in the body of a small critter. I am pleased to see I am not alone in this line of thought.