Gun Digest – August 2019

gundigest.com GunDigest the magazine AUGUST 2019 (^) | 39
out of a Ruger Single Seven. This little
gun can generate a lot of power, but
by virtue of all the cartridges it can
digest, it has a very wide window of
performance.
Handloading for the Single Seven
can be fun. However, with so many
loads to choose from, why bother
(other than saving a little bit of cash)?
I worked up a single handload for
general purpose use using a 90-grain
Sierra JHC bullet, but I did so with the
.32 H&R Magnum cases. The load is
a little hot for the .32 H&R Magnum
cartridge and should only be fi red in
.327 Federal Magnum revolvers, but
I’ve used it a good bit. It’ll do better
than 1,100 fps from just about any
.327 and will work on paper and steel;
and I’ve used it on small game such as
groundhogs with great success.
SNAKE SHOT HANDLOADS
The only real handloading I do for my
Single Seven is to create snake shot. If
there is a weakness in the versatility
of any of the .32-caliber cartridges, it
is the lack of a shotshell load. Because
the Single Seven is my primary trail
gun, I had to do something about that,
so I just created my own.
I start with .327 Federal Magnum
brass. After sizing and priming, I drop
in 5.0 grains of Ramshot True Blue (6.0
grains is a safe load too, but it does
not provide much velocity increase). I
then sharpen the mouth of a .32 Long
case by chamfering and then use it to
cut out discs of thin cardboard (as is
used for heavy-duty business cards).
A cardboard disc is then dropped into
the case and pushed down on top of
the powder with the eraser end of a
pencil. Next, 60 grains of #12 shot is
inserted into the case; and, on top of
that, I seat a 60-grain Hornady XTP
bullet. Finally, a little bit of colored
fi ngernail polish on the bullets helps
me keep these loads separated.
What I end up with is a devilishly ef-
fective duplex snake load that’ll deliver
about a 7-inch pattern at 6 feet—with
a single .32-caliber hole dead center. It
works like a charm on snakes. When
I’m out and about with the Single Seven
during snake season, the fi rst two cham-
bers of the cylinder are fi lled with this
load. And, with that 60-grain bullet up
front, I’m good to go for small game or
self-defense if necessary.
So, that is my 32-year love story—
how I fell for 0.32-caliber revolvers and
ultimately ended up helping create
one to perfectly suit my needs.
It’s a fi ne general purpose trail gun.
With the wide assortment of ammuni-
tion it can digest, anyone in my house
(or yours) who is old enough to shoot
can handle it.
Best get one soon: This is a limited-
edition revolver, and I won’t be let-
ting go of mine. (Hell, I might even be
buried with it.) GDTM
With some colored fi ngernail polish,
the custom-handloaded snake loads for
the .327 Federal Magnum are easily
distinguishable from standard ammunition.