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

Would you shoot a whitetail (at relatively close range: 100 yards or less) with a .32-20? I've got a m92 that I'd like to hunt with at least once because of who it belonged to, but I'm on the fence. The energy is pretty anemic, but it's still almost an 8mm.

And yes, I know a .22 to the head would work... but I don't plan to shoot behind the ear, so I'm asking about standard vital shots.

No. No I wouldn't. Used to have a 25-20 and I only used it on varmints.

A local guy and his son and daughters all used a 25-20 to kill deer and it did fine. I would say try it. Just use the right bullet and don't stretch it too far.

I have both the factory Winchester and Remington ammo. But they're more or less the same.

I have , worked fine with no issues. Smallish buck, 50 yards or so, speer 100gr HP from a 20" Contender Carbine. Have also shot several medium sized pigs with the same...again no issues.

Deer took a couple of steps & fell over, broadside double-lung shot that also ruined the heart a bit.

I'd only add that i would never use factory loads, but handloads will get you 800-1000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy in the 32/20......i pack around a couple of contender carbines in 32/20, plus a marlin 1894classic also....fun guns...occasionally a pig, coyote, etc happens to get shot with those, plus a whole lot of the usual vermin likes skunks, coons, etc.

if the rifle has some sentimental value, i think it'd be a cool hunt, but if i would feel better with 50 yards, and take extra care to make sure it was a classic broadside shot, etc.

I looked and it shows a 100 grain lead round nose at roughly 1210 fps. If you are not going to handload for it. Treat it like a bow and arrow. Only take shots where you will miss heavy bone, i.e. quartering away behind the shoulder.

Fyre - would you feel comfortable using your hotter handloads in a circa 1911 production? I'm not a reloader, so I'm always leery of over pressure in an old gun.

I am planning to use a S&W Model 16-4 converted to .327 Federal on deer and the .32-20 is about the same. It should work fine for you

I'd looked at 32 mag revolvers before settling on a 44. But from what I recall, the factory loads, even in pistols, were generating exponentially more energy than factory 32-20 loads in a m92?

First rifle I ever hunted whitetail with was a Rem.pump in 32-20..All I can say is it worked. Dead deer

The Jordan buck, that was the number one typical B&C whitetail until the Hanson buck was killed, was taken with a 25-20.

I kind of remember an article some time ago that had some .92 specific load data for the 32/20....the stuff i was using was above those pressure levels so might be a bit excessive for 1892's.

will see if i have that data; was thinking that article had suggested 100gr bullets at around 1800fps, and 116-118cast bullets at 1500-ish.

Shot several with trans-sonic Speer 170 gr .308 FN bullets. About 45 years ago.

All shot in a field. Just behind shoulder. No apparent expansion, all exited w/minimal or no discernible blood trail. All animals were recovered but after runs of between 50 (shortest) and 200 (longest) yds.

No interest in repeating the experiment. Sure it would work. The variable I would not overlook is surrounding cover. A 200 yd run in an open field is nothing to fret. Thick cover is another matter.

I've had several .32-20s over the last thirty-five years. While they're fun to shoot and have mild recoil and little noise, I question the usefulness of a .32-20 on anything other than close-up coyotes or turkey. I suppose if you loaded hot for a strong action like the modern Marlin lever actions, the .32-20 would be adequate for small deer in the hands of a skilled game shooter. Sort of a "stunt" cartridge in this regard, like using a .223 for deer hunting when better cartridges are available.

It only took 13 shots too.

Most of them poorly placed. It only would have taken one placed right. I know this to be fact as I've killed several with one shot each using ..22LR, 22 mag. and 5mm Remington mag... The LR kills were all head shots but a few with the .22 mag. and 5mm were lung shots and none went very far.

The Chadwick Ram was taken with a .404 Jeffery but that doesn't make it a good sheep rifle.


Okie John

Elmer Keith would have disagreed with you about that.

I’ve seen it used for deer a few times with no issue. I’d stay within 100 yards for sure and pick my shots.

There are a few old Winchester’s chambered in that floating around the north woods.

I have lever actions both in 25-20 & 32-20. Use is primarily for small game. Sure they will kill deer if your shot is placed precisely, very precisely. But how many deer have been wounded & lost because of these anemic rounds. It is a living animal your shooting & it deserves to be dispatched quickly & humanely. You will always hear some one go on about how they took a deer or a hog with their 32-20, but you will never hear from the hunters that wounded & lost game. Not one. Always use s cartridge that is easily capable of taking game cleanly. This is known as hunter ethics.