There have been some threads recently about shooting .32 caliber rifles at 100 yards, and they made me curious. I don't have a .32, but I have a .30, and I wondered what it would do at 100 yards. I've never shot it beyond 35 yards, because it's a dedicated squirrel rifle, in my mind. I shoot about 15 grains 3F for squirrels, but I used to shoot 25 and had some data recorded showing a velocity of a little more than 2100 fps with that. It was also originally sighted in at 25 yards with 25 grains, so I had enough info to calculate a trajectory to 100 yards. It showed the ball would be about 5 1/2" low at 100. I did a little trek thingie today and decided to give the gun a go at 100 just for the heck of it. Hadn't been out this spring, and it was a beautiful day for it, why not?
The barrel is by Bill Large, 38" long, straight, with a twist rate of 1:56". It has iron sights, silver front blade and low v-notch rear. I loaded 25 gr. 3F, a .295" home cast ball using .008" cotton patching and spit lube. Primed with 4F. I shot off a sandbag while draped over the hood of my Jeep. I used an old homemade target with a 2" square red bull on typing paper, but when I got ready to shoot I simply couldn't see the bull. Scratched my head a bit, then took a Sharpie and made a heavy sighter 5 1/2" above the bull and tried that. The calculations were pretty good, a three-shot group 2 3/8" exactly on elevation and just a tad right.
I think we sell our little guns short, they are capable of shooting better than we think.
Spence
The barrel is by Bill Large, 38" long, straight, with a twist rate of 1:56". It has iron sights, silver front blade and low v-notch rear. I loaded 25 gr. 3F, a .295" home cast ball using .008" cotton patching and spit lube. Primed with 4F. I shot off a sandbag while draped over the hood of my Jeep. I used an old homemade target with a 2" square red bull on typing paper, but when I got ready to shoot I simply couldn't see the bull. Scratched my head a bit, then took a Sharpie and made a heavy sighter 5 1/2" above the bull and tried that. The calculations were pretty good, a three-shot group 2 3/8" exactly on elevation and just a tad right.
I think we sell our little guns short, they are capable of shooting better than we think.
Spence