Crockett .32 Squirrel rifle kit. Any good?

[Jorge Nicky]

My experience with a traditions deerhunter 32 is that FFFG will foul the bore within a handful of shots while Pyrodex P leaves less residue. Pyrodex P is a bit harder to ignite, but by tapping the rifle near the lock after the main charge is poured will get some powder into the bolster and cleaning the nipple flash hole ever shot will produce very reliable ignition. The 1:48" twist rate is too slow to for accurate prb loads below 20gn of powder and way too slow for a 110gn maxi ball conical. My best groups have been with 30gn of Pyrodex P behind a prb. I've tune this load to shoot clover leaf (holes touching) accuracy at 25 yds (bench rest) by resizing LEE .311 cast round balls through a LEE .308 resizing die. This resizing puts a wide flat band around the round ball. I also use a fairly thick, .020', patch pre lubed with 50/50 beeswax/crisco. Stumbled into this load, but it works for me so I'm sticking with it. I can shoot 50+ shot and not need to clean the barrel between shots.

My theory on why this all works is:
30gns of powder gets the velocity and spin rate up to mitigate the slow 1:48" twist and stabilize the ball
308 resizing creates a flat ring with more bearing surface to grab the rifling and gas check the bore
The thick .020" lubed patch with the flat ring seals the deep rifling and cleans any fouling on load

I find the 311/308 rb difficult to handle with ol' fat fingers so a loading block made out of a cedar shingle with 8 patched and trimmed 311/308 prb makes field reloading so much easier.

BTW I use the 50/50 beeswax/crisco because this what I lube my conicals with. I use the .020 patch thickness because it is the pillow ticking Walmart sells. I resize the 311 ball to 308 because it would not load easy with the .020 patch and I already had the 308 resizing die.

My current cost per shot is about 15c with the ball and the patch being basically free as I recycle airgun pellets into cast round balls and the patches are much less than 1c each. Powder at 8.5c a shot and #11 caps at 6c a shot are my current major costs. I've just purchased powder in bulk and started to punch and prime my own caps so my future costs should be 5c per shot with 4c for powder and 1c for cap. A day at the range will now cost only a few dollars.

 

[Jorge Nicky]

BTW when I bought my 32 deerhunter kit I considered the 32 crocket but went with the deerhunter because I prefer a shorter barrel and the modern stock style. Additionally the $200 difference in the kit price helped my decision making. Everything I read before and after my purchase leads me to believe they will shoot very similarly.

I ran extensive tests varying loads; powder (FFFG, Pyrodex P) charge (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40), ball (.310,.311,.311/308rz), patch (.015,.018,.020); taking hundreds of shots before I settled on the load of a 311/308rz, 020 patch over 30gn of Pyrodex P.

I am currently experimenting with Black MZ as a non corrosives replacement to Pyrodex. If I can tune up loads that shoot as well as Pyrodex this would greatly simplify cleanup after shooting. Currently I fully strip down my guns every time I shoot, soap water clean all parts, dry, oil and reassemble. My goal is that with Black MZ I can change to patch cleaning the bore and wiping down / oiling the outside after shooting and only needing to fully strip and clean once a year.

 

[Jorge Nicky]

Based on what I know now my ideal 32 rifle would be;

A CVA squirrel rifle stock with set trigger
A custom 26" 3/4" octagon 32 cal with 1:30" deep groove rifling drilled and tapped for scope
CVA adjustable hawken rear sight with CVA post and bead front
See thru scope rail and a quick disconnect 1moa red dot sight

I'd like to down load to a prb with 10gns of powder and have 1" accuracy at 25 yds for squirrels, 100fpe
I'd like to nominal load a prb with 30gns of powder and have 1.5" accuracy at 50 yds for rabbits/chucks, 250fpe
I'd like to upload to a 110gn maxi ball with 50-60gns of powder and have 2" accuracy at 100yd for yotes, 600fpe

A tc Cherokee would the rifle that might get this performance, but these are hard to find.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Based on what I know now my ideal 32 rifle would be;

A CVA squirrel rifle stock with set trigger
A custom 26" 3/4" octagon 32 cal with 1:30" deep groove rifling drilled and tapped for scope
CVA adjustable hawken rear sight with CVA post and bead front
See thru scope rail and a quick disconnect 1moa red dot sight

I'd like to down load to a prb with 10gns of powder and have 1" accuracy at 25 yds for squirrels, 100fpe
I'd like to nominal load a prb with 30gns of powder and have 1.5" accuracy at 50 yds for rabbits/chucks, 250fpe
I'd like to upload to a 110gn maxi ball with 50-60gns of powder and have 2" accuracy at 100yd for yotes, 600fpe

A tc Cherokee would the rifle that might get this performance, but these are hard to find.

Ahhh what's the fun in that! A modern scope on a traditional caplock squirrel rifle?? But if it works for ya', just fine!

 

[D. Buck Stopshere]

"Cooldill", here might be your "cat's meow". A Thompson Center Renegade fitted with a Green Mountain 1" A-T-F, .32 caliber barrel, (no longer in production). It groups well at 25 yards bench with 25 grains of Swiss 3FG, Hornady .315 RB, & a .015" thick cotton patch. At 9 lbs, its a "heavy hitter", if you get my drift.

 

[Panzerschwein]

"Cooldill", here might be your "cat's meow". A Thompson Center Renegade fitted with a Green Mountain 1" A-T-F, .32 caliber barrel, (no longer in production). It groups well at 25 yards bench with 25 grains of Swiss 3FG, Hornady .315 RB, & a .015" thick cotton patch. At 9 lbs, its a "heavy hitter", if you get my drift.

Looks good, nice shooting!!