32 S&WL; 311008 115 gr SWC; Bullseye & Unique PSI Test

A fellow member here, JoeJames, who is an aficionado of the 32 S&WL offered up a sufficient quantity of 311008 bullets for a comprehensive test of Alliant’s Bullseye and Unique powders. The nominal weight is 115 gr but Joes’, cast of COWW + 2% tin, weighed in at 116 gr fully dressed…..close enough for government work…… His bullets were sized at .312 and lubed with 50/50 lube.

I used my 10” barreled TC Contender barrel for the pressure and velocity testing. I lose about 200 fps when the same loads are fired in my 3” M30 S&WL and a bit over 100 fps when they are fired in my 6 ½” Ruger SS 32 H&R. The Oehler M43 PBL was set up at the local range. Bench position used with sandbag rests. The Contender barrel has an old TC 2.5X scope on it, not the best but sufficient for testing purposes.

Attachment 242387

Attachment 242388

The temperature during the test ran from 77 to 82 degrees. Humidity was26% and the barometric pressure was 29.82. Target is at 50 yards.

There is little current data available using 115 gr cast bullets in the 32 S&WL. The last really relevant data was found in the Lyman #3 CBH. As you can see from the pressure measurement data of this test it appears the Lyman data for their listed max load of Bullseye is somewhat mild while their max load listed for Unique is a bit heavy, especially for use in older weaker break top revolvers and those having “pot metal” solid frames.

Thus, JoeJames and I had settled incremental testing of both Bullseye (2.3, 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 gr) and Unique (2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.3, 3.5 and 3.8 gr). Both powders are of Alliant manufacture. I used a Lee powder thrower as it throws both powders evenly. Thrown powder charges were set using an Ohaus 10-0-5 scale. Ten rounds of each increment was loaded for testing.

Cases were R-P 32 S&WLs loaded on Hornady dies. Primers were Winchester WSPs for all charges. A mid range charge was selected for each powder and was also tested using CCI 500 primers. The 311008s were seated to an OAL of 1.257 and a slight roll crimp was applied just under the front drive band.

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Accuracy of all the loads except the 3.8 gr load of Unique was 2” or less at 50 yards. That’s about the best I can do these days off sand bags. The 3.8 gr Unique load with its high psi obviously obturated the bullet more in the longer 32 H&R chamber giving some leading in the throat and first couple inches of barrel. May have been some gas cutting going on also. The 50 yard group opened up to about 5”.

Here is the test data for each powder:

Bullseye Powder
Increment…..Vel……SD….......ES……psi(M43)….SD………ES
2.3 gr……….863 fps…7 fps…..20 fps….14,900……600…......1,800
2.5 gr……….908 fps…14 fps....36 fps….15,900…...1,500……4,400
2.5 gr……….902 fps…10 fps…35 fps….15,300……500……..1,800…..CCI 500 primers
2.8 gr……….977 fps…..7 fps….22 fps….17,800……400…….1,200
3.0 gr……….1028 fps...12 fps…43 fps….20,300……700…….1,900

Unique Powder
Increment…..Vel……SD….......ES……psi(M43)….SD………ES
2.5 gr………849 fps…21 fps…..69 fps….13,600…...600……..1,900
2.8 gr………886 fps…19 fps…..54 fps….14,100……500…….1,400
2.8 gr………886 fps…22 fps…..61 fps….14,500……900…….2,500….CCI 500 primers
3.0 gr………951 fps…18 fps…..55 fps….16,300……800…….2,400
3.3 gr……...1010 fps…15 fps….41 fps….18,000…...1,100…...3,400
3.5 gr……...1062 fps…15 fps….47 fps….21,400…...1,500…...4,200….max Lyman CBH #3
3.8 gr……...1134 fps…10 fps….30 fps….24,700……1,100…..3,900

Now, please, before complaining about “hot rodding” or “over loading” the 32 S&WL cartridge understand that I am not recommending anyone load any of these charges. Given the wide discrepancy in quality and strength available in 32 S&WL revolvers each must make up their own mind what they deem “safe” in the revolver they have. The choice is theirs if they have 115 +/- cast bullets and wish to load Bullseye or Unique. For my own M30 S&W (pictured) I have loaded 12 rounds each using the remaining 311008s of Bullseye (2.8 gr) and Unique (3.3 gr) to chronograph and test for accuracy and POI at 25 yards. I deem those loads as entirely safe in my M30 as previously test 32 S&W (which is proclaimed to be safe in all 32 S&WLs) because they do not exceed the highest 32 S&W psi measured [18,900 psi] in the same test gun. I will edit this post and post the chronographed velocities when I get them.

Larry Gibson

Great info as always! Thanks!

Good info these are two go to powders for 32sw long.

Great information thanks.
Oh and 2” groups at 50 with any of my 32s well my shooting buddies would get sick of hearing about it.:p

Thank you Larry for the test you done.helps alot .

Bravo Zulu Larry! Great info, as always.

A good report as usual. I would like to see some of those superb groups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Driver man

A good report as usual. I would like to see some of those superb groups.

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Had to dig 'em out of the garbage but here are a few. As you can see in the bench set up photo in the first post I also use a spotting scope and track each shot. If I call a shot a flyer and it goes to call (most do) I then discount it from the group. A couple of those groups (bottom left and right) I dropped one out of each out the bottom.....:(

Attachment 242393

Groups run [top left to right]; 1.85", 2.1", 1.77", 1.54", 1.9", 1.95" 1.91" and 1.86"

Larry,

If you saved any groups from the S&W Model 30 at practical handgun at bunny wabbit range, would love to see. My 3" barrel Colt Police Positive does about 2 inches at 50 feet with Accurate 31-105T and 2.5 grains of Bullseye, which is about as good as my 70-year-old eyes can see to hold anymore. I would expect your results to be similar unless your eyes are younger 8-).

Nope, mine are older........:sad:

:drinks:

Thanks for the post, Larry!

Thanks for going to the time and effort to post this. Very interesting.

Awesome stuff as always.

Only one very very small complaint. Would have been nice to see some Red Dot loads in there. However I do know that you are only one person and your time is limited.

Very good info Larry and especially like to see the temp 411 included, 77-82 degrees sounds nice, my wife is trying to get the wood stove lit as I type this.

edit; those targets look funny? ;-)

Bullseye is my go to for the .32 S&W-L

Thanks for posting the results. I told you that I thought the 3.8 grain Unique load might strain the milk. Also, as I stated before, I thought I'd try the 2.8 grain Unique load and see how it did in my 4" 631 , and in my 4" pre-model 30.

Your 3.0 grain load of Unique in a 10" barrel TC was: "3.0 gr………951 fps…18 fps…..55 fps….16,300……800…….2,400"
In my 4" Model 631 with a 3.0 grain Unique load they ran as follows: 845, 868, and 870 fps, which kind of makes sense.

The 2.8 grain Unique load in your 10" barrel TC was: "2.8 gr………886 fps…22 fps…..61 fps….14,500……900…….2,500….CCI 500 primers"; so in my 4" Smiths I figure they will be running about 786 to 800, and that may be a pretty good sweet spot. BTW I was waiting on your results before I loaded any in 2.8 grains. I will report back on how they chronograph in my 4" Smiths. Since I still have about 1/2 a tub of the boolits I sent you; there is certainly no harm in trying them.

Thanks again!

I load for the 32 H&R and I have been really loving GreenDot. The accuracy is good and the recoil is slower. Wonder how that would work in a long? I do not own a long, or I would test it.

Good work , Thanks
BD

Pressure tested data is very valuable. Larry's recent test of Bullseye under the Lyman 358477 showed me that QuickLoad estimates with this combination are about 15% low. It would be great to have a collection of these pressure tested loads as a sticky.

Tested some 116 grain SWC's on Sunday on top of 2.8 grains of Unique - average velocity per my chronograph = 809 fps. Also as a comparison also shot 98 grain SWC's on top of 2.1 grains of Bullseye - average velocity = 722 fps. Revolver used was the fixed sight 4" S&W Improved I frame made @ 1952. Kindly obvious that Smith regulated it for the 98 grain loads. Note that the holes marked by a slash mark are the 116's, and the ones with a B are the 98 grains. Took me a spell to get settled in, but the 98's did fine per the last group of 3 = point of aim. Note the 116 gr shot way high and the pattern is in 870 Remington territory. Looks like 98 grain is the go to bullet for the Improved I frame 4". However, in reviewing my notebook, I did notice that the 116's over 3 grains of Unique still shot high in my 631, but a fairly good group, and since the 631 has an adjustable sight, I am not going to throw the 116's away.

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