My local club has a ram bash out to 200 meters and I was thinking about what cartridge/rifle to use for this event.  "Fixed cartridges of 32 caliber or larger with a cast or swaged LEAD bullet propelled by any safe smokeless powder, blackpowder, Pyrodex or duplex charge may be used."

I'm a collector first and a shooter second so I do not want to use any custom rifles/cartridges.  My first love is 1885's and I was curious if a low wall in 32 WCF could be a decent rifle for this game or if I would have to upgrade to a high wall in 32-40 to "compete".  I know a heavy and fast 32 WCF could do 200 meters but I have concerns about the twist and strength of a low wall with a souped up 32 WCF. 

I have lots of other shooting to do in the meantime so for right now this is just a research and thought exercise.  Any other thoughts or ideas are welcome.   

I have shot 32-20 120gr 1300fps loads at 200 meter 25,0 KG rams and almost never knocked them down with body hits. But, 44-40 210gr, 1290fps loads almost always knocked them down, failures were low, centered body hits. 205gr 0,325", 1500fps loads have never failed to knock down 200M rams with hits anywhere on body or feet.

My 32-20 LW as 20+/1 twist. I have a 30-20 with 13/1 twist and hope to try heavier bullet BP loads MartiniBelgium has been testing on 200M rams this year.

Grisen

Hits on nose, horns, neck might be best bet with 32 Ideal BP loads. IF you can make those hits high % of time, every one will be impressed.

Grisen

First, you need to define what your club will allow as 32 caliber and if it will allow a variation on bore and groove size.

The standard 32/20 is about .312/.313 groove. The 32/30 Rem is about .311 as I recall. If they won't allow a .308 groove barrel, you'll have to special order a faster twist in the orginal groove size for a heavier 170 - 200 gr bullet to do the work needed. A bullet mold will also be expensive  if you want a heavy one for a .313 groove.

A LW, shooting a 170 or heavier bullt, will strecth the case and cause seperations, if shot at 1300+ fps. The case is weak to begin with.

A HW will do anything you want with the 32/20 case. The HW I built for my wife has yet to loose a case and it's shooting a 183 gr bullet at at least 1408 fps.

If you don't want to give up the LW action, I would suggest the 32/30 Rem, made from 357 Max cases (lower pressures with the larger case) or the 32 Ideal (a even better choise). The cases will be HARD to get and expensive but, everything else will be less expensive.

Much will depend on how strick the rules will be but, the 32 Ideal fits the bill perfectly and you won't have to ask if it's ok.

Frank

Am not familiar with a ram bash where you actually knock down the rams. The few that I am familiar with only require that you hit them to count. With four (4) rams, having to set them would take way to long to cycle folks through. They are hung from chains.

I'll head to the match held later this month and see what other people are using.  32 WCF would be my first choice because I like low recoil and I could probably find a decent low wall for relatively cheap.  But if it isn't enough cartridge then I'll probably look for a high wall.   

There is a low wall in 32 ideal at cabelas but I'm not sold on that cartridge yet.  More research, more looking.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Fairfax R&R Club has been having the Ram Bash for 20 years or more and they use standard, full sized rams suspended on chains.  The animals are repainted for each round and spotters only have to see the splash of lead for it to count as a hit.  Back when Chris Christensen got me to come shoot it with them he was shooting a 32-20 sometimes IIRC, and he would have been competitive with it or he wouldn't have shot it.  I preferred my high wall Plain Sporter in 32-40, because I could shoot 200 gr bullets that carried quite well, and I had a nice Lyman #52 tang sight for it.  Man, now I want to go back up there and shoot that match again myself! 

Froggie

I shoot a Uberti 73 OBR 32-20 with target sights at 300 Meters and it is very accurate. Wind is a factor, but in good conditions I get less than 6 inch  5 shot groups at 300 m (B/R fixed ammo) on paper and if knockdown not needed....no recoil is a plus for me too
I dont shoot at 200m  much once I am on target well at 300m