Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .32 Short Colt with .311 | 86gr | H&N RN HS bullet and 17 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% | 11,400 psi | 79% | 633 fps | 88.1% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 64% | 11,980 psi | 83% | 614 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 64% | 11,226 psi | 77% | 614 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AS 30*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 11,719 psi | 81% | 659 fps | 94.9% |
| ADI AS 50N*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,647 psi | 87% | 686 fps | 89.4% |
| Alliant Green Dot*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,749 psi | 88% | 669 fps | 89.2% |
| Alliant RED DOT*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 11,327 psi | 78% | 663 fps | 93.6% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 76% | 12,169 psi | 84% | 633 fps | 98.9% |
| Maxam CSB 3* | <<locked>> | 84% | 12,183 psi | 84% | 682 fps | 86.4% |
| Maxam CSB 4* | <<locked>> | 80% | 12,459 psi | 86% | 686 fps | 90.6% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 72% | 11,618 psi | 80% | 666 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12* | <<locked>> | 88% | 12,908 psi | 89% | 768 fps | 93% |
| Rottweil P 801*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 11,980 psi | 83% | 725 fps | 94.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 64% | 13,111 psi | 90% | 653 fps | 99.5% |
| Vihtavuori N310² | <<locked>> | 64% | 12,807 psi | 88% | 696 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N320* | <<locked>> | 80% | 11,574 psi | 80% | 689 fps | 89.4% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 7,774 psi | 54% | 594 fps | 91.9% |
Start Load - Barrel Length: 3"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1000*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 9,863 psi | 68% | 597 fps | 85.4% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,980 psi | 83% | 614 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,226 psi | 77% | 614 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AS 30*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,586 psi | 59% | 577 fps | 89.7% |
| ADI AS 50N*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 11,037 psi | 76% | 650 fps | 86.8% |
| Alliant Green Dot*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 11,211 psi | 77% | 633 fps | 86.8% |
| Alliant RED DOT*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 8,224 psi | 57% | 581 fps | 87.9% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,804 psi | 61% | 558 fps | 95.5% |
| Maxam CSB 3* | <<locked>> | 80% | 12,183 psi | 84% | 682 fps | 86.4% |
| Maxam CSB 4*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 10,834 psi | 75% | 646 fps | 88% |
| Maxam CSB 5*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,398 psi | 58% | 584 fps | 92.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12* | <<locked>> | 80% | 9,964 psi | 69% | 696 fps | 88% |
| Rottweil P 801*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 7,818 psi | 54% | 617 fps | 87.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,211 psi | 77% | 614 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N310² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,776 psi | 74% | 653 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N320*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 10,051 psi | 69% | 650 fps | 86.5% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star* | <<locked>> | 88% | 5,961 psi | 41% | 528 fps | 85.8% |
* 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 17 powders for .32 Short Colt loaded with the .311 | 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 594 fps to 768 fps. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 5 of the 17 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (100 MPa), the top charges use 54–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. 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 30, ADI AS 50N burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1000, ADI APS 350, ADI APS 450 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.