The .32 Special was developed by Winchester in responce to backwoodsman at the time who either thought smokeless powder was a fad or had a lot of black powder laying around and couldn't do anything with it. It was developed to shoot either smokeless powder and jacketed bullets or black powder and lead bullets. Hence "Special". It allowed them to "roll their own" with the components they had. I cast 150 gr. scrap lead bullets for mine and shoot them with Unique pistol powder and a toilet paper wad. It is accurate enough to shoot squirrels and rabbits out to 50 yd. When my "bunny loads" are on at 25 yd. the jacketed deer loads are on at 100. I can shoot it for about the same price as a .22. It is a fun caliber to play with.