Got a new Benelli MP95 in .32 S&W long coming my way soon. Plan to reload using Lapua 98 grain WC bullets and hope to use Titegroup powder. Is there anyone out there that uses this load? I'd like to get around 680-700 fps. What would be a good weight of powder to start with? Around 1.8 grains I'm thinking?
.32 S&W long wadcutter.
- Thread starter Mike38
- Start date
Enjoy the new gun. Use flat base or bevel base wadcutters for better stability than a hollow-base of the same weight has. This is due to their being shorter.
Hodgdon has load data of 1.8 to 2.0 grains for a 98 grain HBWC. The volume of material in either HB or DE wadcutter of the same weight will be the same, so the final powder space will be the same and the load will work for both. I note they have a 1.7 grain load for a lighter wadcutter that goes slower. That will be due to the extra powder space. I suspect they are being careful not to have you load down too far because they don't want the low pressure to fail to seal the case against the chamber and bleed gas off, leaving a bullet stuck in the barrel. But the fact is that you can load lower if you can measure it accurately and make sure ever bullet is clearing the muzzle and making a hole in the paper. It just gets harder to throw powder consistently as the charge gets very small.
The reason I mention the stability difference with hollow base is my dad got a GSP years ago that was keyholing with hollow-base wadcutters at first. After it shot in, this stopped, but he could only get better groups from some DE wadcutters for awhile. I have no idea why the problem ceased, which bothers me, but the cause was that the twist is slow, being a holdover from back when bullets tended to be lighter and shorter or even were round balls for gallery loads. A magazine published an experiement arount that time with a series of barrels with progressively tighter twist and found the groups shrank significantly with a 12" twist and the long HBWC's. Anyway, just be aware that shorter and possibly even lighter bullets may actually behave best with the standard twist.
Hodgdon has load data of 1.8 to 2.0 grains for a 98 grain HBWC. The volume of material in either HB or DE wadcutter of the same weight will be the same, so the final powder space will be the same and the load will work for both. I note they have a 1.7 grain load for a lighter wadcutter that goes slower. That will be due to the extra powder space. I suspect they are being careful not to have you load down too far because they don't want the low pressure to fail to seal the case against the chamber and bleed gas off, leaving a bullet stuck in the barrel. But the fact is that you can load lower if you can measure it accurately and make sure ever bullet is clearing the muzzle and making a hole in the paper. It just gets harder to throw powder consistently as the charge gets very small.
The reason I mention the stability difference with hollow base is my dad got a GSP years ago that was keyholing with hollow-base wadcutters at first. After it shot in, this stopped, but he could only get better groups from some DE wadcutters for awhile. I have no idea why the problem ceased, which bothers me, but the cause was that the twist is slow, being a holdover from back when bullets tended to be lighter and shorter or even were round balls for gallery loads. A magazine published an experiement arount that time with a series of barrels with progressively tighter twist and found the groups shrank significantly with a 12" twist and the long HBWC's. Anyway, just be aware that shorter and possibly even lighter bullets may actually behave best with the standard twist.
I have heard that. Thanks for the confirmation. I may go ahead and buy 500 rounds of the Fiocchi just to get me going. While I'm punching holes with them, I can get bullets and dies then make up my own. I have very good results with Fiocchi .22 standard velocity, and hope the centerfire are good also.
TruthTellers
New member
Fully agree. OP won't go wrong with that ammo.
The Lapua bullets should be very, very good bullets, probably not at the low end of the price scale. Folks who shoot Bullseye and dabble in .32 Wadcutter guns have an absolute favorite bullet beyond all others -- it is the H&N HBWC, H&N being some European bullet maker, not sure what the initials stand for. Basically have to find someone that has arranged an international group buy to get them as they aren't found here in North America unless some shooter that has a pile decides to get out of .32 Wadcutter.
I have been using the Speer 98gr HBWC and the 90gr Hornady HBWC in my Walther GSP. If there is an accuracy difference between them, I have yet to find it. I haven't totally settled on a load just yet, but from a sandbag rest, one hole groups at 12 yards isn't difficult. Lately I have been running 1.7 grains of Titegroup under either bullet.
Also agree that the Fiocchi wadcutter is fine ammo, but I searched and searched and couldn't manage any cheaper than $16 per box of 50, a bitter pill for a long time handloader to swallow.
I have been using the Speer 98gr HBWC and the 90gr Hornady HBWC in my Walther GSP. If there is an accuracy difference between them, I have yet to find it. I haven't totally settled on a load just yet, but from a sandbag rest, one hole groups at 12 yards isn't difficult. Lately I have been running 1.7 grains of Titegroup under either bullet.
Also agree that the Fiocchi wadcutter is fine ammo, but I searched and searched and couldn't manage any cheaper than $16 per box of 50, a bitter pill for a long time handloader to swallow.
ShootistPRS
New member
At the Hodgdon reload data site they call for a start load of 1.8 and a max load of 2.0 with a 98 grain wadcutter and TiteGroup powder. You can probably reduce the load to 1.5 without problems but work down in small steps. TiteGroup is not position sensitive at all.
Thanks for the replies. Some good info here! A guy I shoot Bullseye with suggested MagTech ammo also. So I bought 250 rounds of each, Fiocchi and MagTech. If nothing else, it will be fun to test, and I'll have 500 pcs of empty brass to start reloading. Still leaning towards the Lapua bullets for reloading, but may check into others. Gun show this weekend, and a dealer there leans towards Cowboy Action shooting, so maybe he will have some .32 wadcutter bullets to try. Been thinking over the Titegroup thing. 1.8 grains may be a bit too fast. Probably think serious about 1.6 or that area. Tried some practice throws of Titegroup to see consistency at that small charge. My Lyman No.55 powder throw does a very good job. Pleasantly surprised.
I've been loading .32 S&W Long for my GSP-C with 1.8 gr W231 and the Magnus #204 98 gr BBWC for about 10 years, with excellent results. I started initially with Lapua bullets, but I couldn't see enough difference in accuracy (no difference, really) to justify the extra cost. I've never chronographed them, so I don't know how the velocity compares to what you're looking for but I suspect it's close.
"...1.8 grains..." That's the Titegroup start load(max is only 2.0) for a 98 grain HBWC. You must work up the load for your pistol, not pick one and hope. And accuracy is far more important than velocity.
Lapua stuff is excessively expensive too. $154.99 per 1,000 for Lapua 98 grain HBWC bullets at Midway. Vs 100 grain Meister WC's at $46.49 per 500. $92.98 per 1,000.
Lapua stuff is excessively expensive too. $154.99 per 1,000 for Lapua 98 grain HBWC bullets at Midway. Vs 100 grain Meister WC's at $46.49 per 500. $92.98 per 1,000.