Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .32 Short Colt with .309 | 86gr | H&N RN HS bullet and 18 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 3"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1000*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 12,575 psi | 87% | 682 fps | 91.5% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 64% | 12,749 psi | 88% | 666 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 68% | 11,531 psi | 80% | 673 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI AS 50N*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 12,183 psi | 84% | 696 fps | 90.1% |
| Alliant Green Dot*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 12,415 psi | 86% | 682 fps | 90.3% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,778 psi | 88% | 715 fps | 96.3% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,749 psi | 88% | 702 fps | 88.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 11,748 psi | 81% | 712 fps | 90% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,357 psi | 85% | 725 fps | 89.4% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 68% | 11,850 psi | 82% | 646 fps | 99.3% |
| Maxam CSB 2* | <<locked>> | 92% | 12,227 psi | 84% | 764 fps | 89.6% |
| Maxam CSB 3* | <<locked>> | 80% | 13,024 psi | 90% | 722 fps | 89.2% |
| Maxam CSB 4*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 11,922 psi | 82% | 692 fps | 91.2% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 68% | 13,068 psi | 90% | 719 fps | 99% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12* | <<locked>> | 80% | 12,140 psi | 84% | 768 fps | 93% |
| Rottweil P 801² | <<locked>> | 72% | 12,937 psi | 89% | 761 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N320*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,430 psi | 86% | 732 fps | 92.3% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 8,485 psi | 59% | 633 fps | 94.8% |
Start Load - Barrel Length: 3"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1000*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,674 psi | 67% | 610 fps | 86.7% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,081 psi | 76% | 630 fps | 99.1% |
| ADI AS 30*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,688 psi | 60% | 597 fps | 91.3% |
| ADI AS 50N*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,456 psi | 65% | 627 fps | 85.3% |
| Alliant Green Dot*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,863 psi | 68% | 617 fps | 85.9% |
| Alliant RED DOT*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,383 psi | 58% | 600 fps | 89.7% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 11,269 psi | 78% | 666 fps | 86.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol* | <<locked>> | 92% | 9,558 psi | 66% | 653 fps | 85.7% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 11,284 psi | 78% | 699 fps | 87.6% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,876 psi | 61% | 574 fps | 96.6% |
| Maxam CSB 2* | <<locked>> | 88% | 10,936 psi | 75% | 732 fps | 87.3% |
| Maxam CSB 3*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 11,560 psi | 80% | 686 fps | 86.9% |
| Maxam CSB 4*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 9,181 psi | 63% | 623 fps | 86.3% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,863 psi | 68% | 643 fps | 96.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 8,441 psi | 58% | 663 fps | 85.8% |
| Rottweil P 801*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,905 psi | 61% | 663 fps | 90.9% |
| Vihtavuori N320*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 9,674 psi | 67% | 656 fps | 87.4% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star* | <<locked>> | 84% | 5,860 psi | 40% | 538 fps | 87.3% |
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 18 powders for .32 Short Colt loaded with the .309 | 86gr | H&N RN HS. ReloadSwiss RS 12 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 768 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 633 fps to 768 fps. Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 5 of the 18 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (100 MPa), the top charges use 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. As outliers, Accurate Solo 1000, ADI AS 50N, Alliant Green Dot burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1000, ADI APS 450, ADI AS 30 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.