32-20 with BP: some experiences and conclusions - part 1

[martinibelgian]

It's been a while that I have and shoot a 32-20 match rifle for short-range competition. The idea started out with a philosophy of 'just enough gun' for the purpose while staying in the general framework of BP shooting. After all, here where I live, most competitions are short-range, due to the limited availability of decent shooting ranges.
That, and also the availability of the small BSA Martini actions, which are restricted in cartridge size due to barrel tenon size and action length. However, this is a pretty good action, very solid, with a fast lock time and a pretty decent direct trigger. And I am a Martini fan, of course!
Also, as the base rifle is a .22 match rifle (BSA 12/15), it allows one to have a cheap practice rifle with almost identical ergonomics for cheap and cheerful practice.

Why 32-20? Well, it is of course a period-correct cartridge with brass still (more or less) available, and it allows one to use a good selection of both barrels and moulds. Yes indeed, if one uses a standard .308 barrel, which is what I did. Also, it doesn't use gobs of powder and lead (allowing more practice for the same monay), doesn't kick you as hard in a lighter, smaller, better-balanced rifle.

However, not everything is perfect for match use : Standard barrel twist for the 32-20 doesn't allow the use of heavy-for-calibre bullets, which IMO is one of the essentials for both a clean burn and good accuracy. Which is why I went with a 1:12 twist Lothar Walther barrel. And I did design my own mould, a 151gr RN bullet.
Again, the goal was not to maximize muzzle velocity, but best accuracy at short to mid range. To be honest, I haven't yet chrono'd my ammo yet, but I'm guesstimating it to be in a .22LR velocity range. And with the 174gr Pope bullet semi-breechseated, it could well be subsonic.

Of course, the smaller bore size also has some potential downsides: fouling being the main element here. Also, going for a moderate velocity round (subsonic with the heavier bullets) would also be a potential issue, but as its intended use was short range target work, I was hoping this would prove the concept for the distance

This was the general idea behind the development of a single shot 32-20 match rifle

To be continued...