New to Levers, 1892/32-20

[rost495]

Hi

Just obtained the above..... We have small deer and close shots and controlled shots, and no I won't change my mind.... I"m going to take a few deer with it. For old times sake.

That being said... jacketed, cast, what weight, best powders.... I have printed the 2 32-20 articles by Paco and thanks for that, but real life input, I lean more to a light jacketed bullet to try so it won't lead the bore and will expand... but then I need input from folks that do this all the time....
Should I look at 85 xtps or more like 115 grain lead maybe gaschecked?

I need to order powder, I have 2400 on the list for starters, any input there?

Thanks, Jeff

[Modoc ED]

Welcome to the forum.

I am completly un-familiar with the 32-20 but someone will come along soon to help you out.

No matter what the caliber you can't go wrong with a levergun.

[rost495]

BTW i just went to HOrnady website, looking for expansion speeds etc, and realizing its a pistol bullet, I found they have 100s also, flat point HPs, seems like a better choice...???

Not that I"m scared of a non expanding lead bullet, but happen to prefer some expansion in small calibers if possible. Big calibers no big deal.

Thanks, Jeff

[kimwcook]

Welcome to the fire. Someone will come along soon and answer your question. Till then, grab a cup, sit back and enjoy.

[gamekeeper]

Welcome to the camp fire, Jeff.

I've been looking for such a gun myself, mainly for shooting foxes, so I will be interested in the replies to your question. The 32/20 sure put a lot of meat in the pot before whizz bang magnums were the only guns considered by "some" to be the answer to bad shot placement !

[rost495]

With over 100 big game archery kills, I have no doubt a 32-20 will be lethal in the correct hands.

Thanks, Jeff

[Hobie]

I just got a .32-20 but haven't started loading for it yet. I'm not likely to go deer hunting with it right away but what I have done is lean towards the heavier for cartridge bullets, the 100 gr., cast and jacketed.

[Terry Murbach]

I HAVE BEEN SHOOTING A SAA 32-20 AND A BROWNING 53 32-20 FOR MANY YEARS. YEARS AGO I WAS ASKED WHAT THE CARTRIDGE WAS GOOD FOR. I TOLD 'EM IT WAS " A 30 CALIBER RELOADABLE 22 MAGNUM." I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY REASON TO TO CHANGE THAT DEFINITION AND HAVE SINCE SEEN IT QUOTED [ INCORRECTLY ATTRIBUTED ] IN SEVERAL PLACES ON THE INTERNET. WILL IT KILL DEER ?? OF COURSE. YOU CAN KILL DEER WITH A SLINGSHOT. OR AN ARROW. A SPEAR. OR A 22LR BETWEEN THE EYES.

[JerryB]

Welcome to the forum, you have one of the finest rifles ever built. I have an 1892 32-20 rifle built in 1917 that I have used since the early 1950's. My best load right now is with the 100 grain XTPHP and 10 grains of 5744. You can go up to 11 grains but mine does real good with this load. I plan on using my rifle and this load this year for deer on the ridge behind my house, the longest shot will be less than 50 yards. I have used 2400 and Unique also.

[rjohns94]

welcome to the forum

[dr walker]

Welcome to the forum.

[Bogie35]

Welcome!

These guys are great!

Sincerely,
bogie

[tman]

welcome, lung shots at short range use the expanding bullet. i'm a big fan of hard cast bullets, but, that's when they are being pushed hard in the .357 s&w magnum. good luck. bullet placement is the most important factor. precise bullet placement rules above all else

[rost495]

Thanks for all the input. Even the negative input that wasn't asked for..... I think I've enough game under my belt, I sure wouldn't think twice about killing em with a 22 lr if it was legal. Its not hard at all.

Anyway sounds like I'll go 100 xtp to try, was going for 2400 as I can use it other places, but 5744, is it really worth it? I think thats AA and I hate that powder, lot variations almost cost me valuable places at the national championships and I swore I'd never use it again...

But if the input says its worth a try, what the heck its only 15 bucks or so. What say you? Try it or is 2400 ok.

Jeff

[JerryB]

I did not have any 2400 on hand to try and I got good results in my rifle. I plan on getting some more 2400 before long and I'll be interested in your work with it. Load for your rifle, it was just a suggestion to try.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Welcome! The .32-20 is a super little cartridge and my Browning 53 is the most accurate lever I own with selected loads and the 100gr jacketed bullet. I dont shoot J-word bullets in it much though. The Lyman 115gr PB bullet is just too much fun.

[KirkD]

The 32-20 is one of my favorite cartridges. I've owned a Winchester 1892 in that caliber but traded it in for an original Winchester Model 65 in the same caliber. I only use it for varmints, so I have not stoked it up to its full potential. The highest I've gone is 11 grains of 2400 under a 85 grain Hornady JHP for a chronographed 1,800 fps and an extreme deviation of 87 fps. If it is one complaint I have against 2400 it's the high E.S., no matter what the cartridge I try it in. But it works well in certain applications.

If I were going to use it for deer, I'd go with the heavier 115 grain gas check version. Snooky Williamson has published some extra steamy loads of 14 grains of IMR 4227 under a 117 grain 311316 bullet for 1,848 fps. He took 40 deer with his 32-20, although all were under 100 yards. Be forewarned, however; Snooky's loads are 'high end'. He does state that his 32-20 loads did surprisingly well against deer. With this cartridge, shot placement is critical. His loads do break both shoulders on small Whitetails. I think I'd recommend IMR 4227 over 2400 if you are going for steamy loads, as IMR 4227 will give you the same velocity with less peak pressure. I find that 5744 and IMR 4227 give almost identical ballistics, grain for grain, so 5744 is good as well, especially as you approach capacity loads. I've only used 5744 at lower load levels, but it should do better than 2400 at the higher end.

[rost495]

Thanks! I don't shoot shoulders, only ribs. So no worries there.

I think after this, I'll get a can of 4227 or 5744 depending.

FWIW ES is a worthless figure, I shoot competition to 1000 with irons, where it and SD come into play is after 600 yards for sure. Chronos have very little value to most folks, save safety and MV for data. The holes in the paper is what you watch, not the numbers on the chrono.

Thanks again, Jeff

[Kansas Ed]

Ok, I took a large mule deer doe in 1991 with a '92 in 32-20. Range was 70 yards, and I shot completely through her taking out both lungs. She ran about 25 yards and flopped upside down, and was dead much quicker than the same shot on a smaller buck several years later with a 25-06. I would have NO trouble using the same load for deer if I watched my shot like you are going to do.

Load was taken from Snooky Williamsons book "The Winchester Lever Legacy" like Kirk mentioned before. It is load #2 on page 268. Remember, I worked up to this in my rifle..suggest you do the same. Load printed quite well on paper, and was surprisingly effective. The only problem is getting the bullets I used...I don't know if they are still available....

Cartridge 32-20 Winchester
Rifle 1892 Winchester
Bullet Remington 100gr Soft Point
Powder IMR-4227
Charge 15.0 gr.
Primer Remington Small Rifle
Published Velocity 1946 fps

This bullet is great for high velocity, I don't know anything about the Hornady bullets, except that I've heard they fragment....no personal experience. The Remington bullet with lung shots certainly did not.


Ed

[KirkD]

FWIW ES is a worthless figure, I shoot competition to 1000 with irons, where it and SD come into play is after 600 yards for sure. Chronos have very little value to most folks, save safety and MV for data. The holes in the paper is what you watch, not the numbers on the chrono.

Thanks again, Jeff

E.S. is important for load development. It can tell you a lot about burning consistency, why some loads give tighter groups than others, and be an indicator of dangerously low load densities with slower powders.

[rost495]

Load density... work to find a powder thats as close to 100% as you can get... thats simple and first to think about.

Beyond that, I got all hooked up into how important ES and SD was, and found that the better the chrono read many times, I would go to the target to almost cry.... expecting what the pundits said, small groups that were often patterns..... Average ES and SD are fine, but seeking low numbers has been in vain for me from the 300 or 600 yard benches here at home. I have not put in a 1000 yard bench yet but I know ES is important there for vertical groups... IE lack of vertical spread.

Jeff

Edit to add I found a guy to cast bullets for me, 115 flat points. But have to slug the barrel and provide a few fired cases first before he casts, sizes and gas checks.

Jeff

[AndyM]

welcome to the board -

I have the combo Winchester 1892 in 32-20 - in fact this was my first 1892 rifle I purchased a while back and since then, the 32-20 has become one of my favorite rounds.

I used 2400 with some success. It has not shown as consistent results as some of the other powders I tried, with that being said, I have gone up as high as 11 grains also with the Horn. 85 xtp - I backed off all the way to 8 to 9 grains with the 115 lead FP.

If I would hunt deer with it - I would get the 100 gr. xtp and work up accurate load first, without much consideration to velocity.

[rost495]

got the 100s ordered, and 115 cast flat points on the list as soon as I slug the barrel and provide a fired case to my bullet caster.

I'm gonna enjoy this I think.

Jeff