Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ethical use of a 32-20?

Can you hit them behind the ear?

Theoretically, yes. But with open sights that's not a shot I would ever take on something other than paper. Not saying others can't or shouldn't... just not something I'm comfortable doing.

Thirty years ago lived in NE PA. Matriarch of a family we became friends with kept a .32-20 propped by the kitchen door during deer season. During the time that we lived there, she took several deer that were unfortunate enough to meander thru the side yard during deer season. Meat in the freezer. Never any complaints.

When I was a boy I know a man who was a WW2 vet, living outside of Eureka Nevada who had killed a few deer with an M-1 Carbine. He fought in the Pacific and my dad and he used to talk a bit about the war. The m1 Carbine was not legal for deer, but he didn't care. He told my Dad and I he'd "shoot-um in the arm-pit". He had a lot of deer on his place and he shot them up close. I can't know for sure, but I doubt he ever lost one.

The 32-20 and the 30 Carbine are pretty close in ballistics so if you heart-shoot them or brain shoot them I am sure it would be OK. The real trick is to have some hunting ethics and never shoot those that you "think will be ok" but only shoot when you KNOW you are going to make the kill.
Many hunters today will not be so disciplined.
If you are, then I'd say to go ahead.

I have shot 2 sitka blacktails with a 22 hornet. Shot placement is key.

If you take only shots that are within about 50 yards or so, broadside and/or no “obstructions” (i.e. not quartering) in the way and you are proficient with the rifle then I’d say it’s ethical. It’s killed plenty of deer in it’s day and they were most likely as above. Getting the bullet where it needs to be is the key - pretty much no matter the range, caliber and/or size of animal. I have a Winchester 1873 in .32-20 that I’ve taken out for deer but the “right” opportunity had not presented itself and as others have stated it’s about humanely dispatching the animal not “stunt” shooting to brag about how great YOU are.

PennDog

It isn't something I would try, although it can and has been done. I have used my .44 Mag B92 Browning, but my load has 3x the energy at 100 that the .32-20 has.

If I were to use it, I'd probably try to keep shots inside 50 yards.

This all pretty much confirms what I've been thinking... 32-20 is a no go next deer season.

Definitely an ethical decision.

If your .32-20 is anything like my .25-20 M92, it was used back in the black powder corrosive priming days and while I'm sure that I could hit a 50 yard deer with mine, that bore isn't as pristine as I'd like. Accuracy coupled with that buck horn rear sight it would not be a big confidence booster compared with anything else in the gun safe. While Jim Jordan gunned his big buck with a M92 .25-20, if he hadn't broken it's back with one of his multiple shots, I don't think that there would have been a Jordan buck. Use enough gun. I have never found a good use for that little cartridge myself. Fun, but kind of useless imo.

Mine was built in 1911. Don't know anything about the first 50 years, but it sat unfired from the mid-60s until I got it around 2008. It has some rough bluing spots, but the bore is in very good shape and it's a solid shooter.

Or go with a "big gun", like my 38-40, 1910 vintage 1892 Winchester. It's very slick, very accurate. Bore is shiny with a few pits.

DF

If you are starving and it's the only gun you own, use it. If that's not the case, then find a more powerful caliber.

While the 32-20 wouldn't be my first choice for a deer rifle, I have one in a Browning 53 and wouldn't be afraid to use it on deer. Within reason.

The 92 is a strong gun. There are a number of good cast bullets in the 120-135 grain range that safely make the 32-20 in a rifle a considerably different round than the factory loadings.

'92 is probably the strongest action in its class, thanks to JMB. You could crank up a pretty potent load. But, it would still be a 32-20, just a more powerful one.

I'd rather be shooting a full house 38-40, or even better, a full house 44-40.

DF

I agree. I'd rather have a 38-40 or 44-40 but still wouldn't stay home if all I had was a 92/53 in 32-20.

I have a Martini in .32-20. It's accurate (with the right "oversize" bullet) and the Martini action will hold astonishingly high pressures because of its design- but the limitations are based on cartridge brass strength. I wouldn't be afraid to employ it in the deer woods with a hell-for-stout load with a lot more "snap" to it than what a factory round delivers, with careful shot placement, but I would much prefer one of my "regular deer rifles" given a choice.

A case can be made for using little mild cartridges like this. I think it basically boils down to how cool/calm/collected the guy is who uses one. I had an old timer friend who started his deer hunting career back in the 30's with a .25-20 Winchester and stuck with it for a long long time, killing a metric ton of deer with it. One of my uncles killed a sh*t ton of deer with a .22 Hornet. (Pennsylvania in both cases.) Their hunting prowess more than made up for deficiencies in their armament.

Agreed

May be missing something??! - one of the “funnest” guns I shoot is that Winchester Model 1873 - it has a single set trigger and with the right load can keep them clustered around an inch at fifty yards with the factory iron sights.....I use this rifle almost exclusively for pistol cartridge silhouette, fall turkeys (here in PA) and squirrels (again with the “right” load) it is a hoot and I have no doubt would kill a deer with the aforementioned caveats......I don’t have to take any shot on deer and haven’t yet but then again hunting has become much more about being out there than having to kill something (for me).

PennDog

Like other rounds from that era, there are two levels of .32/20 loads, 1873/revolver and 1892 Winchester family. I'd steer clear of using the first type, and use the other up to maybe 100 yards. Back in the day, lots of deer were taken with the high-speed loads, but serious hunters will use something with more power and range under most conditions now. For shooting does, say over a food plot, sure, but not with the anemic factory loads out there now, which are small-game or turkey loads.

Do some research, load up some hot ones, and go for it. Paco Kelly has some good stuff on his site, IIRC.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/3220wcf.htm