First Impressions of my 81!

[jim18611865]

1938 Model 81 in .32 Remington.

Well, I managed to shoot it today. WOW!
Recoil was brutal.

I used two types of ammo that came with the gun.
The CMA marked box, I only shot 5. Cases were splitting the necks. (38-55 head stamp)
I shot a whole box of Cabela's Obsolete line. Those looked like sturdier cases, no head stamp though.
Last two groups were 6" and 4" 5 shot groups at 50 yds. with the Williams peep sight.

Did I mention, recoil was brutal!
It was fun though.

Does anyone had any low recoil cast bullet load data for the .32?


Jim

[Wildgoose]

I don't know Jim. Everyone's idea of what constitutes brutal recoil is different but I really don't feel that any of my Model 8 or 81 rifles are all that bad. Even the 300 Savage is what I would call stout but not brutal. I kind of wonder about the ammo you are using. As I don't have a 32 I cant give you any good input as to loads for that one. Its has been my impression that loads for the 30Rem or 30-30 Win will work in the 32 with out any issues but that's not fact just what I have picked up on the lists. There are some guys here that have a good handle on the 32's so I am sure someone will chime in with better information for you.

[Phyrbird]

Splitting case necks, 38-55 head stamp, HHHHMMMMM

I've winchester, CIL, Remington factory rounds in 32REM. They all say 32 REM on the base.
You might have Real 38-55 rounds, my info says they are not the same as 32REM.
I've seen only one cartridge for our rifles other than these: 25REM, 30REM, 32REM, 35REM, 300SAV.
It was a European cartridge for the FN1900 a sister rifle, actually their version of the 35REM.

I urge some use of calipers and micrometers to check if these cartridges are correct for your rifle.
Split case necks can be a sign of excess pressure, these rifles are sturdy, but not made for the wrong rounds.

[In The Ten Ring]

The hardest kicking rifle I have is my Steyr M95 carbine. It's a 205 grain bullet at something like 2,300 fps. (8x56R ammo).

I have shot Mauser rifle matches lasting hours, standing, sitting, and prone with a steel buttplate and nothing more on than a tee shirt. After awhile it does get hard to pull the trigger because I know what is going to happen to my shoulder.

[jim18611865]

I would like to try these.
http://www.missouribullet.com/details.p ... &keywords=
My biggest problem with reloading is going to be finding a suitable powder. I have RX7 on hand and a very old unopened 1 lb. can of IMR4350 (too slow I think). I also have SR4756 (too fast I think) At least RX7 has plenty of data, but the starting powder amounts seem way high.

The 38-55 head stamped cases are certainly not .38-55 loads. I load for .38-55 too. 38-55 is a straight walled case with a .377-.383 bullet.
I am guessing 38-55 cases are not the best conversion. I won't be reloading those, split or not.

I also have a Remington factory box. I should have tried those.
I will next time.

Recoil is certainly relative. I shoot a lot of clay targets every year. Most are with 20 or 28 gauge.
Too many rounds of trap with a 12, I do find unpleasant.

[Sarge756]

Jim we discussed powders awhile back for loading the 30,32 Rem. Consensus was 3031 and 4895 were about perfect. I recently loaded 50 using 32grs of 4895 and 170gr Hornady jacketed flatpoints. That loading gives 2,000 fps. Don`t see why a similar load would not work for you with the cast bullets you mentioned in the link.By the way I appreciate that link and plan to order some bullets from them.
The cast bullets would also seem to be a good candidate for reduced loads and softer recoil. I recently did some loadings in the 35 Remington with pistol bullets of 158 and 147 gr using 2400 powder. 20 grs gave velocity around 1900 fps and decent accuracy. They were significantly more pleasurable to shoot and cycled the action of my Mod 8 just fine. The 32 cal. 170 cast with that load should be close to the same performance.
For standard loads in your 32, medium burnrate powders are what you should choose. With all the new powders on the market with the fancy names it becomes confusing when trying to choose the correct one. The lack of supply on the shelf at the store may force you to choose an alternate to the ones I mentioned. Consult a good reloading manual or look at the lists online such as this one: http://www.reloadersnest.com/burnrates.asp.
Joe