Am going to shoot a few offhand matches fixed this year see how it works. Don't need the last 1/4 minute of accuracy and want to pay attention to breaking shots, that's all.  Will load exactly like my 38/55 fixed loads minimum neck pull 4227 thrown. Bullet out so it just engages the lands when the block is closed. Think I will shoot it same velocity as breach seated about 1450 fps.


Have a mold from Raphine, it's throwing a 1 inch long bullet that mikes .323 in 1/25.  I want to pan lube it but the expander die in my 32/40 Lyman set is .321 that's a lot of squeeze.  I could go with a larger M die plug or run the bullet through a sizer die.

Breech seated in that CPA I am using a tapered bullet out of a Hoch nose pour that's .323 base.

What do you guys think larger expander or size the bullet.

Boats

Boats

Will your chamber accept fixed ammo with a .323" bullet?  If not, then you'll either have to go with a smaller bullet, neck ream your brass or ream your chamber!  Easiest fix with a tight chamber would be to size your bullet.  As far as your expander goes, if you have a lathe or the services of a friend with one, you can turn a new expander plug from drill rod to fit a Lyman M die.   

David

I'd chuck that rapine mold in the lathe and cut a small stop ring in it.  Wouldnt size my brass at all. Been using my Frank Zika .321 SR bullets in my Douglas barrel with smokeless and black.  Works good for OH.




                  Joe.

Frank, let us know your thoughts on throating for fixed 32-40 ammo!  What has worked for you?

David

Dial indicate the cavity within .001 or closer.  Use a boring bar with a v cutter, like for cutting threads to make a stop ring on one of the driving bands.  Just deep enough to keep the cast bullets from dropping in the case neck.  The bullet base should fit the inside of the case neck very close.   

The cutter can be ground to any shape you like. The V cut works fine. 

All that after you decide where you want the stop ring located.   

            Joe. 

Boats will the bullet dia. be larger than your freebore dia. if so you might end up swagging the bullet down of which would not be real conducive to good accuracy.

J.Louis

Three targets I shot with BP and stop ring bullets in a 32/40.

Works for me.

Didnt do anything to the throats. I dont have any lead bullet guns with freebore. 

I use stop ring bullets in three 32/40s and two 8.15X46Rs.   

          Joe.

David,
Sorry it took this long to get back. I had to go check my reamers for specs, find my targets and check my chrono book.

Neck and throat reamers as follows,

.308 groove, .330 neck dia, ball seat (free bore) .309 x .120 lg, .8 deg leade.

.321 groove, .343 neck, .322 x .100 ball seat, 1.0 deg leade.

.338 groove, .360 neck, .339 x .100 ball seat, 1.0 deg leade.

All the .308 stuff is 32/35 Stevens chamber. 2.2cc case capacity. All the fixed loads are around 2000 fps with the exception of one group shot with a 3118 mold that I made into a spitzer, shot with 12 gr 4227 3 BSed and 2 fixed shots. As I was using the fixed in CBA, all are GCed bullets.

CBA's rules (at least into the 90's) allow you to seat the bullet only finger tight so, that it will not fall out if turned upside down and that is the reason for the tight neck chamber. I didn't size the necks, just re/decap, throw the charge at the bench as in BSing, put a bullet in the neck, long and chamber.

The targets I'm showing are with three bullets, 3118S (one group), RCBS 180 FN that I made into a Spitzer and a NEI copy of a 311334 that weights 200 gr. All shot at 100 yds. My bore dia is .300 on the Douglas barrel and I sized the bore riding nose to .301 in a coax sizer with the body sized .309 for the ball seat and the base band .310.

I also shoot this same chamber BSed with a tapered RL 187 gr bullet with a .311 - .312 base band. The advantage there is that you only need palm pressure to BS. It makes it much faster and less cumbersome to BS that way.  

I never chambered a barrel with the 33 cal reamer. I rethroated my Clerke HW with the 32 but, can't shoot it fixed because it has a straight taper Schuetzen type chamber (no neck) but, it made it possible to BS like I do the 30 cal and that rifle has won it's share of matches (Ken, it the rifle I bought from you in '85). All my 30 & 32 BSing is done with RL tapered bullets sized .001 - .002 over the ball seat size.

Continued