32 Crockett loads?

I dont have the Crockett rifle(very nice), but my .32CVA shoots .310 and .015 patch over 30 gr 3f.

Above!! thats a great load for the Crockett.

1 grain per caliber is the old time rule of thumb. Seems the guys above are onto something.

I use a .310 ball and lubed .015 patch. I haven't tried shooting farther than 50 yards but so far 20 grs of Goex 3F has given best results. That might just be my rifle since I typically see 30 grs. mentioned.

You're gonna love that rifle. They are very accurate, even with me shooting. If I still hunted, I wouldn't hesitate to use it for small game. Also, I like the idea of getting 350 shots out of a pound of powder.

Jeff

I don't have a Crockett, but i have 5 .32 rifles. One of them prefers (Renegade with .32 Green Mountain Barrel) a full caliber .320 ball with .015 mink oil lubed patch over 25 grs of 3f for 3/4" groups at 25 Yards off the bench. My heirloom(Gibbons) .32 likes 15 grains of 3f with a .315 ball and .015 MO lubed patch. My CVA Squirrel with 1:56 twist likes the .310 ball, .015 MO patch and 20 grains of 3f. Both my Pedersoli Pennsylvania (41" barrel) and my custom Blevins NC Squirrel flint lock rifle with 42" barrel, like 25 grains of 3f with the .315 ball and .015 patch. All of these guns will shoot into less than an inch at 25 yards with the loads given. I have found that for close range work, (less than 25 yards) most of these guns will shoot good groups with only 10 grains of 3f. 10 grains of 3f out of the 41" barreled gives me 1100 FPS which equals .22 Rimfire STD velocity, and the 25 grain loads give close to 1800FPS which is .22 mag velocity. Don't need much velocity to take small game a short to medium ranges. With open sights, I have to limit myself to 50 yards and less due the ageing eyes. Actually 35 yards is probably my farthest now cause the eyes are not getting better.

i suppose i will cause the naysayers to go nuts with what i shoot in mine. i have a magsparknipple on mine that requires a shotgun primer. i use 50 grains of blackhorn209 powder, a 60 thousands wad of fiber material or poly. then a buckshot over sized ball tapped into the bore with a small plastic hammer. then the ball and wad set on the powder. its fast and a one hole gun at 25 yards and never fouls. cant get better than that. let the naysayers rip.

No naysaying from me, I shoot 50 grains with a patched round ball from my .36. It's a one hole shooter as well.

Interesting how different 32s like different loads and ball/patch combos.

Now if Traditions offered their Crockett rifle in a flintlock for about the same price, I would be first in line for one.

Jeff

percussion revolvers shoot bare unpatched balls so i thought, why not a round ball rifle. my crockett rifle is one hole accurate and foul free so im keeping with it. easier to load also.

Armored farmer said:

...over 30 gr 3f.

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The old rule-o-thumb is one starts with a load equal to the caliber, "rounded to the nearest 5"....so a .32 would start out with a 30 grain load, a .36 with a 35 grain load, a .40 with a 40 grain load, etc.

LD

Catman42 said:

percussion revolvers shoot bare unpatched balls so i thought, why not a round ball rifle. my crockett rifle is one hole accurate and foul free so im keeping with it. easier to load also.

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I'm curious about the size of round ball you are using unpatched. That's very unorthodox...but whatever works?
The only time I saw anyone shoot an unpatched ball in a long gun, it was a smoothie.

i use buckshot round balls. dont know the size but they are over sized. also remember, bare balls are used in a percussion revolver. they can be used in a rifle also. i would never use them with out the 60 thousands wad and felt wad between the ball and powder. the wads keep hot gasses off of the ball so no leading. i know 50 grains of powder is a lot for a 32 but their is no stripping out. again i use blackhorn 209 powder so no need to wipe between rounds so if you you use real black or others wipe some between rounds. ill never go back to patching this 32, it works too well with this easy method. the oversized ball taps into the bore with ease by a small rubber hammer. fits it self to the grooves. accuracy never varies. always to point of aim.

777 3F powder works well in my .36 so I would also expect it to work well in a .32.
It's a potent, clean burning powder in smaller amounts and 3F may flow easier into the drum.

It's not a bad idea to run a patch down the bore before buying the gun.
IIRC some of the very early production models either had the drum threads installed a little too deep and/or there were metal burrs of some sort which would cause patches to hang up.
Some rifles did and some didn't, but that was a long time ago.
A fair number of people complained about it.
Whenever the price of a Crockett rifle is low and there's the possibility that it's of older manufacture, it's a good idea to check it with a tight patch before buying.
The serial number should also indicate the year of manufacture, but I don't know which year or years were affected.

Catman42 said:

its fast and a one hole gun at 25 yards and never fouls. cant get better than that. let the naysayers rip...it works too well with this easy method. the oversized ball taps into the bore with ease by a small rubber hammer. fits it self to the grooves...

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Ah he's swaging the ball onto the grooves of the barrel. It's the same thing as using a conical REAL bullet from LEE, except that LEE doesn't made them small enough to fit a .32. Probably when there isn't wind it's accurate beyond 50 yards.

LD

correct, im swaging the ball into the bore. as far as shooting it way out their. have no interest in that. i have bigger bore muzzleloaders for that. as a varmint rifle, it is fast and always accurate as a small rifle like that was ment to be. its just plain fun and easy to shoot.