I wanted to do this for a while because I wanted a beter metering powder than Trail Boss and good load density. As it turns out, N32c gives 80-90% case fill under a flush seated HBWC per QuickLoad, even more so if you eyeball it.
There is no data for this application. I googled and googled and finally had to translate foreign BBS transcripts to get an idea what works. People said 3 grains was good. My Little Dandy #8 rotor throws 2.9 grains and the #9 3.2 grains.
I tried both charge weights with Remington and Speer bullets and FC, Win, CCI, and RP standard primers. I used a 4" Python and a 6" OMT. Velocities ran wild all over the place. The 2.9 grain load averaged about 630 FPS and the 3.2 grain load just 30 FPS faster through both guns. I expected the 6" gun to shoot faster than the 4", but it actually shot slower. Go figure.
I used Federal's Gold Medal HBWC as a baseline. It flew at 740 FPS from the OMT and grouped into a nice .6" center to center pattern at 15 yards from a bench rest. The only load that came close was 3.2 grains under the RP bullet and the FC primer. That one was a hair under an inch. The remaining loads shot 2-3". I thought, ***? But the wild velocity swings, in excess of 80 FPS in some cases, explained it for a while. Extraction was fine. No cases stuck. Primers looked normal.
So I tried the Python. The first load I shot, 2.9 grs under a Speer bullet and a CCI primer, made a nice little 50 caliber hole. The remaining primers shot OK, with WSP being the worst.
This was just a preliminary test and more testing is needed. But there are several conclusions: This powder generates substandard velocities, huge ES, and relatively poor accuracy with most loads. Accuracy is firearm dependent- what shoots good in one Colt does not shoot good in another Colt. This powder is definitely a no no for a S&W with it's 1-18" twist rate. The recoil of these loads seemed very weak. It certainly won't cycle a 52. The FCGM felt like .357 Magnum in comparison.
There is no data for this application. I googled and googled and finally had to translate foreign BBS transcripts to get an idea what works. People said 3 grains was good. My Little Dandy #8 rotor throws 2.9 grains and the #9 3.2 grains.
I tried both charge weights with Remington and Speer bullets and FC, Win, CCI, and RP standard primers. I used a 4" Python and a 6" OMT. Velocities ran wild all over the place. The 2.9 grain load averaged about 630 FPS and the 3.2 grain load just 30 FPS faster through both guns. I expected the 6" gun to shoot faster than the 4", but it actually shot slower. Go figure.
I used Federal's Gold Medal HBWC as a baseline. It flew at 740 FPS from the OMT and grouped into a nice .6" center to center pattern at 15 yards from a bench rest. The only load that came close was 3.2 grains under the RP bullet and the FC primer. That one was a hair under an inch. The remaining loads shot 2-3". I thought, ***? But the wild velocity swings, in excess of 80 FPS in some cases, explained it for a while. Extraction was fine. No cases stuck. Primers looked normal.
So I tried the Python. The first load I shot, 2.9 grs under a Speer bullet and a CCI primer, made a nice little 50 caliber hole. The remaining primers shot OK, with WSP being the worst.
This was just a preliminary test and more testing is needed. But there are several conclusions: This powder generates substandard velocities, huge ES, and relatively poor accuracy with most loads. Accuracy is firearm dependent- what shoots good in one Colt does not shoot good in another Colt. This powder is definitely a no no for a S&W with it's 1-18" twist rate. The recoil of these loads seemed very weak. It certainly won't cycle a 52. The FCGM felt like .357 Magnum in comparison.
