.32 and .36 Caliber question.

Being rather new to muzzleloading, but definitely hooked, I have a question (possibly a dumb one, but, as I tell my students, there are very few dumb questions) about shooting .32 and .36 caliber muzzleloaders. Is it possible to use single and tripple 0 buck shot as a patched round ball for these two guns, respectively? I was looking at some of my reloading stuff, and noticied that these two sizes of shot are about the same size, and I was wondering if it was possible.
Basically, I'm just thinking ahead to my next muzzleloader (I got a TC New Englander in .50 for $50 with part of my Christmas bonus, and after some rehab, it shoots one hole groups at 25 yards), and I would like a .32 next, percussion preferably.
Thanks
D

Yes if you don't mind the dimples. My buddy shot them in his guns,one size fits the 32 and one fits the 36.Not real sure which one fits, someone here will. I cast all my own. But they shot allright. Dilly

Yes. YOu can buy " Buck shot " in bulk at prices much cheaper than buying these small balls cast, or swaged. They work well. Hornady makes a .350 ball that is 000 buck, that is perfect in the .36 rifle. The singe or double 0 buck is right for the .32. One is in at .300, and the other at approx. .314, I believe. Err on the side of leaving room for your cloth patches.

For CASers, I bought a bottle of the Hornady .36 cal. balls, to use for squib loads in my .38 cal. revolvers. They also can be used in most of the .36 navy Colt percussion guns.

Hornady just sent me their 2007 catalog. I used to stop in Grand Island, NE and visit them. Their buckshot 000 is .350 diameter, 00 is .330 and 0 is.320. They use a strict roundness tolerance of +.001, while the industry standard is +.006. It comes in 5 pound boxes. Their web site is[url] www.hornady.com[/url]. They have an online ballistics calculator, add /ballistics to their address. Track of the Wolf sells this buckshot, their catalog price is $11.50 a box, may be increased now.

I use .300" Hornady lead buck shot for hunting rabbits and it works great...head shot every time! I just have to use .018" patch material instead of .015". When target work is at hand I use the Hornady .310" round ball and get sub 1" groups at 25 yards.

Take care!
:hatsoff:
Nord

I shoot Hornaday 000 buckshot in my 36 Seneca. It works great. I just received 1000 350 round balls from Eddie May. They look very good.

Joel Lehman, Austin TX

Hi wolfe,
What kind of .32 are you looking at? I've been kicking around the idea of getting a Traditions Crockett this summer. I've heard so much about them in here, both good and bad. They seem like they would be a fun gun. Great for small game and a good starting point for the grand kids. Shop around for the best price. Just might change my mind about small caliber black powder. Wish you luck. :thumbsup:

The Traditions Crockett is definitely on the list to look at, but I'm also looking around at other things. Track of the Wolf (no relation, darn it) has replacement barrels for a TC Hawken for about $170, so there is some thought to finding a used Hawken and replacing the barrel. I got a great deal on my New Englander ($50, all it needed was some WD40 and a lot of cleaning), but I don't think I'll be able to do that well this time. Someone on another forum has a TC Cherokee kit that they would part with for $400, including shipping, but that sounds a little steap for me, espically since they first offered it for sale on that forum 2 years ago, for the same price (not to mention that TC hasn't made that model for at least 15 years).

I'm open to suggestions on other makes/models to look at, but I haven't found much under $500 at Track of the Wolf, Dixie Gun Works, Cabela's or Midway.

D

Hi wolfe,
Most of the places you mentioned are way too expensive on their firearms. One place I learned about on this forum is Midsouth Shooters. They have the Crockett for $270.22. Here's the link[url] http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00139R26128101[/url] . At that price, it's hard to pass up. Just a thought. Good luck.

You might find this article interesting:

Round Ball Economy

wolfe28 said:

... Someone on another forum has a TC Cherokee kit that they would part with for $400, including shipping, but that sounds a little steap for me, espically since they first offered it for sale on that forum 2 years ago, for the same price (not to mention that TC hasn't made that model for at least 15 years)...

D

Click to expand...

Cherokee kits NIB are much rarer than factory assembled rifles, so sooner or latter that seller will probably get the $400 asking price. If they still have it after 2 years, they probably know they don't have to take less. All of the clean Cherokee's I've seen almost always run in the $350-$450 range - the closer to NIB the higher the price. I paid top dollar for mine still NIB about 3 years ago, and was happy to get it even for that price. The fact that TC stopped making the Cherokee's (and Seneca's) is why they have gone up in price (supply and demand). And it is NOT a valid reason to think they are worth less just because they are out of production. They are great little rifles that were well made, shoot very well and will last a life time if cared for.

Another possibility for your looking is the CVA Squirrels. Way more reasonable to buy than the Cherokee or a Crockett if you can find a good one. I have early Squirrels in both 32 and 36, and while obviously not as well made as the TC's they are still very serviceable rifles that shoot well.

I've heard a lot more complaints about the Crockett and problems with them than praise from those who had no problems with theirs FWIW.

IMO-YMMV