.327 Federal Mag./32 H&R Mag. With 60 Grain Bullets?

[Rcted]

I have a Taurus revolver in .327 Fed. Mag. which allows me to shoot 32 H&R Mags also. I know the 60 grain .32 cal bullets are used for .32 APC rounds, but does anyone have any experience using the 60g bullets in these two rounds? My wife loves to shoot this gun {I made the fatal mistake of letting her shoot it}, and I'm trying to find a milder round for her to use for concealed carry. I believe the lighter bullet will move somewhat faster with a lighter charge, but will still have some decent Knock down power. Any ideas?

[FrankenMauser]

I have toyed with them in .327 Federal and .32 H&R.
In the end, the jump to the throat with .32 H&R was too great, and seemed to be negatively affecting accuracy.

...And I didn't want to take any chances with .327 Federal. To get a reliable load, you have to push some decent velocity, but doing so risks forcing cone damage (the bullet isn't designed to take the pressures .327 Federal generates - even in moderate loads).

So...
I started burning them up in .30-30 with Trail Boss. Best decision ever. It was a fantastic varmint and plinking load.


For a nice .32 H&R load, I use 85 gr XTPs on top of 11 gr Lil Gun. (Starline brass, CCI SP primer.)
My wife will shoot 300+ rounds through my GP100 and/or Blackhawk, in an outing ... if I don't stop her.

[Rcted]

Thanks for the info. I was just wondering if there would be any advantage to the 60s. What was your charge wt for the 30-30 loads? I've been looking for a plinking round.

[ligonierbill]

No real advantage in those calibers, but I have loaded some .32 S&W Long with 60 GDHP per Speer #14. Crimp over the ogive. About the same as a good. 32 ACP out of a 4" I-frame.

[FrankenMauser]

Thanks for the info. I was just wondering if there would be any advantage to the 60s. What was your charge wt for the 30-30 loads? I've been looking for a plinking round.

Um....

I turned my .30-30s in .444 Marlins last winter, and just packed up all of the leftover ammo and components last week.

Looking....

Searching.....


Aha!

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
12 gr Trail Boss in Winchester brass.

That charge weight was not compressed in my loads, but lot-to-lot variation of the powder and differences between brands of brass might make it a compressed load.
So, as always... start low and work up. I believe Hodgdon recommends 6.5-9 gr for most bullet weights, but you do have substantially more case capacity with the 60 gr bullets (I used XTPs).

Your best bet is to just follow Hodgdon/IMR instructions, if you aren't aware of the procedure, already:
http://www.imrpowder.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf