32-20 accuracy?

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Tycer
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32-20 accuracy?

Post by Tycer »

First off I am inexperienced with a single action revolver. I can shoot a K-frame well both SA and DA.
Went out and shot 100 rounds in the Ruger Buckeye today. First time to shoot this much after the Sixgun Magic workover. It was a joy. I like the Bowen rear sight.
I’m not super pleased with my groups.
I had the sun in my face, no wind and 10” black w/Red Bull targets. Once I settled in, the best six shot group was 1.93” and most were 2.5”. 25 yards offhand.
7.5 grains Lil’Gun, wsp primer, 115 gr properly sized 17 hardness gas checked bullet.

What should I expect to get for 25 yard accuracy if I was a real sixgunner and my load was dialed in?
Kind regards,
Tycer
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JimT
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by JimT »

Potential accuracy of a firearm and actual accuracy of the shooter are two lovers who are not destined to meet very often in real life. :D
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AJMD429
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by AJMD429 »

.
I'd shoot a variety of handloads from once-fired brass, from a rest, to see how potentially accurate the GUN is. Then see if your 'offhand' style can come up to match the gun's inherent level of accuracy. Consider using a MantisX to see how much movement happens pre- and post-trigger pull, and compare to other guns you shoot.

I'm not a great revolver shot so no brag on my part intended.
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Old Savage
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Old Savage »

Offhand accuracy K fame .22 50 ft.

Offhand accuracy .44 Spl 25 yds.

I have one of those Buckeyes. I would place it between the two above.

I like what JimT said and rested groups is the only answer.
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Turdyturdy
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Turdyturdy »

Nothing wrong with those groups, especially off hand. I have the same gun and have never shot off hand that well. I have found the 32 H&R cylinder more accurate and I get better brass mileage. I have found 32-20 brass hard to get at times.
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by GunnyMack »

Like any other cartridge, its potential is all about finding what it likes. A .1 gr of powder up or down could be the difference between bug holes or 2" groups.
Is this gun new? Or just new to you? Gotta shoot it to break it in.
Try different powders, bullets, charge weights, primers.
Like I was taught, time behind the gun is the only way to improve.
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Sixgun »

Offhand accuracy means nothing. …..nothing……unless you can hold like a rock and I’ve never met that person. There’s more variables in the equation that can move the bullet 2” at that distance than there is gnawed chicken bones in a dumpster behind a KFC store…… Over a sandbag with the wrist on the bag is next best choice …then the gun on the bag and ultimately a Ransom rest or however that word is spelled…….

People think a slight difference in powder charge will change everything…b.s. unless your long range bench resting a 5K blueprinted action with a Nightforce scope on top…..it may matter a bit but not much………everything in accuracy is the bullet matched to the groove diameter with the proper throat and a reasonable velocity all matched with the proper shooter and sights, along with wind and sunlight in your favor.

In a revolver, size the bullet to the cylinder throat and hopefully you will have a near matching groove diameter in the barrel. If the throat is slightly larger than the groove diameter….like a thou or two, your in business…let the barrel size the bullet.

Pretending here….in the 32-20, my favorite small bore ……if the cylinder throats are .311 and your groove diameter is .313, well, go home, have a drink,watch some TV and go to bed…..you might get 2.5” groups……..if you can shoot. So……ream out the throats to the same groove diameter or a thou over then retest it…..keep velocities within reason and the sights out of the sun and no more than one beer as two will give you the “alcohol shakes” and that don’t work….—-006

My 32-20 rifles will do 2” or under at 100 with 5.5 of unique and a Lyman bullet……..I would consider 2” at 25 with a revolver decent.
Last edited by Sixgun on Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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FLINT
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by FLINT »

I'm not a real sixgunner by any stretch, but I would personally be thrilled with 2" - 2.5" offhand groups at 25 yards. I doubt most people could do that with a rifle honestly.

you did some great shooting as far as I'm concerned.
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Nath »

Tycer wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 8:15 pm First off I am inexperienced with a single action revolver. I can shoot a K-frame well both SA and DA.
Went out and shot 100 rounds in the Ruger Buckeye today. First time to shoot this much after the Sixgun Magic workover. It was a joy. I like the Bowen rear sight.
I’m not super pleased with my groups.
I had the sun in my face, no wind and 10” black w/Red Bull targets. Once I settled in, the best six shot group was 1.93” and most were 2.5”. 25 yards offhand.
7.5 grains Lil’Gun, wsp primer, 115 gr properly sized 17 hardness gas checked bullet.

What should I expect to get for 25 yard accuracy if I was a real sixgunner and my load was dialed in?
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Tycer
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Tycer »

Sixgun wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:56 am Offhand accuracy means nothing. …..nothing……unless you can hold like a rock and I’ve never met that person. There’s more variables in the equation that can move the bullet 2” at that distance than there is gnawed chicken bones in a dumpster behind a KFC store…… Over a sandbag with the wrist on the bag is next best choice …then the gun on the bag and ultimately a Ransom rest or however that word is spelled…….

People think a slight difference in powder charge will change everything…b.s. unless your long range bench resting a 5K blueprinted action with a Nightforce scope on top…..it may matter a bit but not much………everything in accuracy is the bullet matched to the groove diameter with the proper throat and a reasonable velocity all matched with the proper shooter and sights, along with wind and sunlight in your favor.

In a revolver, size the bullet to the cylinder throat and hopefully you will have a near matching groove diameter in the barrel. If the throat is slightly larger than the groove diameter….like a thou or two, your in business…let the barrel size the bullet.

Pretending here….in the 32-20, my favorite small bore ……if the cylinder throats are .311 and your groove diameter is .313, well, go home, have a drink,watch some TV and go to bed…..you might get 2.5” groups……..if you can shoot. So……ream out the throats to the same groove diameter or a thou over then retest it…..keep velocities within reason and the sights out of the sun and no more than one beer as two will give you the “alcohol shakes” and that don’t work….—-006

My 32-20 rifles will do 2” or under at 100 with 5.5 of unique and a Lyman bullet……..I would consider 2” at 25 with a revolver decent.
Thanks six. I’ve lapped the barrel to remove a constriction at the breech end and honed the cylinder to where a bullet driven through the barrel pushes through with finger pressure. My bullets are sized about a thou bigger than the cylinder. The cylinder is timed properly and the forcing cone was set with the Munden’s Sixgun Magic job. The trigger is a sweetheart.
Flooding has cut off my vehicle access to the range so I’m carrying everything 200 yards and was too lazy to haul the table and chair and bags. I’ll do that though as it sounds like she’s showing promise and I’ll try the Unique load too and the 3118 pb
Kind regards,
Tycer
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Sixgun
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Sixgun »

Well Tycer….remember, you didn’t exactly have ideal shooting conditions….Just walking 200 yards with all your gear will raise your heart rate and BP…..and then depending on your personality the thought floating unconsciously in the gray matter of walking back with all your gear can aggravate you….then it was the first time and you were excited about the small, but mighty 32-20….very mighty indeed….

I’m no Brian Pearce who manages to get 1/2” groups at 100 yards with the 25-20…….the best I can do at 25 yards is maybe 1.5-2” off the bench and better with a good .22 but I’m better at shooting “things” instead of sometimes useless paper shooting and set up a beer can at 200 meters and I’ll nail it. That hood rat barging through the door will be hit between the eyes while I’m upside down using a 2” barreled 38

I consider paper shooting a necessary evil to give me confidence to know exactly where my bullet is going.

Shooting is 10% physical and 90% mental and most of us, including myself, just don’t have what it takes for that perfect hold with open sights. I’ve seen guys upstate at the State Champs hold like a rock and will even point out the spot on the metallic silhouette they are going to hit where the rest of us are just trying to hit the animal.

Just because a renowned gunsmith worked on your gun don’t mean it’s going to be a laser beam. —-006
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Sixgun
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Sixgun »

Oh, remember that “secret” handgun load for the 32-20 I told you about 10 years ago? Just because your gun is a mighty Ruger doesn’t mean it needs to have mighty loads……..3 gr of Bullseye and a 115 lead bullet sized to the throat of yo gun. :D
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Tycer
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Re: 32-20 accuracy?

Post by Tycer »

Sixgun wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 2:36 pm Oh, remember that “secret” handgun load for the 32-20 I told you about 10 years ago? Just because your gun is a mighty Ruger doesn’t mean it needs to have mighty loads……..3 gr of Bullseye and a 115 lead bullet sized to the throat of yo gun. :D
Yup. I’ll try that too.
Kind regards,
Tycer
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