Traditions Crockett

[Micah Clark]

Friends,

I am new and have read a lot about this on the forum, but thought I'd ask this anyway of any traditions Crocket 32 rifle owners.
I am somewhat new to ML, but have shot 100 rounds through a used Crocket rifle, (which I really like). Mostly I have used Hornady .310 rb's. . but have some .311 and shot them too.

Still, I cannot seem to get the rifle to group consistently small enough to even begin to consider hunting with it. I sometimes get two somewhat close then a third inevitably is a flyer.

always off a bench, I have done the following:
Goex 3 F - 310 and .10 ox yoke wonder lube patch at 15, 17, 20 25 grains.
Goex 3F .310 ball, 15 Ox Yoke Wonder lube, 15, 17, 20, 25 grains
Goex 3F 310 ball pillow ticking .18 that I soaked in bore butter. . . and 15, 17, 20, 25 and even 30 grains. I also began using felt wads in this load between the patch & powder. .. and have used a 311 ball with this combo.
I am swabbing with cotton swabs after every shot, sometimes dampened with TC 13 bore cleaner (in the white & yellow bottle). . . and have even run dry swabs down the bore after loading.
My latest 310 or 311, pillow-ticking and 25-30 grains seems a little better.
I purchased Hoppes patch & cleaner and am considering using it as a patch lube next in place of bore butter on pillow ticking.
I am shooting at 25 yrds.
I also installed Lyman hunter sights (the kind that look like what I have on my Ruger 10/22.)
I am stymied. . . even considering going somewhere to find a traditional ML shooter to watch me to see if I am doing something wrong or inconsistent in my loading steps. . . but it seems that in Indianapolis, IN there aren't many traditional ML shooters. . . I may have to go down to Friendship or over to the Log cabin shop in Ohio . . . I'm open to any ideas, or suggestions. . .and to starting over from square 1. Thanks,
Micah

 

[John Wasmuth]

I use 40 grains of FFg, a .310 hornady rb and a .20 patch for deer and hogs out to 35 yards.
for small game and targets I use 25 grains of FFg and the same ball and patch, shoots clover leafs at 50 yards. Great little rifle.

 

[Micah Clark]

Wow . . . am I reading that right? You're using 2 F or 3 F powder? I thought a small 32 caliber bore was strictly 3 F.
(I am expecting a Lyman Great Plains from Santa . . . in 50 and plan on 3f with it.)

Perhaps I need a larger load . . . It seems pretty hot for squirrels at 30 grains, but I'm not checking any velocity. . . just listening.
Thanks.

 

[Micah Clark]

I'm sorry I missed your other load difference which is a .20 patch . . . perhaps I need a little larger patch than what I am using.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Yes sir, I use FFg for that rifle, it shoots better with it, tried FFFg but it didnt seem to like it much. 30 might be high for smaller game but its head shots and it is accurate. The CVA .32 does shoot better with FFFg but I dont shoot it much anymore since the crockett fits better.
I have no idea how fast it is going, all I know is that it shoots well like that. 200 years ago they didnt have chronies, all they knew was what worked best and stuck with it.

 

[Micah Clark]

Well, I know where I can get some Goex 2f (I am not too fond of substitutes . . . they clean a lot better, but I like real smoke).

I'll give it a try. Thanks.

 

[John Wasmuth]

yer welcome, give it a whirl!

 

[John Wasmuth]

Here is the last whitetail doe I shot with it last month. Fixin to do it again here pretty quick.

 

[Micah Clark]

I'm amazed that a .32 could take a Whitetail. Beautiful deer, by the way. . . I'm not telling the Mrs. about this though . . . that's why I bought the Lyman Great Plans .50 for Christmas.

 

[R.M.]

Be aware that each state has their own restrictions on ML caliber. A .32 might not be legal where you are, but then it could be too. You need to check.

 

[John Wasmuth]

What RM stated is true, be sure it is legal where you are at. Also, do not use it on anything like deer size animals until you are completely comfortable with it, know what its limitations are and hold yourself to the strict standards that accompany using a smaller caliber. The .50 is a better choice until you are ready. I can shoot quarter size groups with it at 40 yards when all the conditions are right and only use it on doe deer when everything, stars included, are properly aligned.

 

[Micah Clark]

I just want to get a load right for squirrels with the Crockett and then use the Lyman GPR 50 for deer later after I get a load for it.

I am not as concerned about the 50 as I am getting the Crocket 32 to shoot well at 25 yards. For some reason, I think the 50 will be easier to zero in, but perhaps its just mental because the vitals of a deer are a lot larger than the head of a squirrel.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Its all in your mind my friend. Just spend some time with that Crockett and you will become fast friends with it.

 

[Zonie]

All this fine shooting is great but it doesn't help poor ole' MAC1967.

I don't shoot a .32 so I can't be of much help with his guns poor shooting except to say that the barrel may have been "ringed". Some folks call it "bulged" and it can be caused by firing a gun with the projectile rammed only half way down the barrel. Sense it was a used gun, anyone could have done that.

I know I had a used CVA Mountain rifle with a ringed barrel and it never would shoot worth a darn.

MAC 1967, while your ramming the patched ball down the bore is there some place that seems to be "loose" and then tightens back up like it was before the patched ball got to that location?

 

[John Wasmuth]

Well, since he never mentioned that it perhaps could be a mechanical problem rather than a load problem it didnt cross my mind, so perhaps you could be right. Dont recall seeing anything in his original post about any loose spots or tight spots down the bore while loading.

 

[Micah Clark]

I've heard of this, but I can't really tell. I know that most often the started is pretty stiff, but once the PRB is down the barrel the length of the starter the ramrod drives it home and always seems to take less pressure than the starter. . . but as for a spot where it seems to slip, like a ring, I don't think so. . . but not 100% certain.
When I bought it, (from the Log Cabin Shop) I dropped a light down the bore and the rifling was good, but I don't know if it would show a ring, and I really couldn't see much past half the length of the barrel.
I do know that I've gotten a few patches and plastic cleaning rod ends and a patched ball stuck in it and pulling each of those things out, I often wished for a spot of ease !!

 

[Micah Clark]

I am going to sound niave, but the barrel of the Crockett is pretty stout. . . and the powder loads are relatively light, say 30g or less, with the manual recommending 10 g . .wouldn't it take a lot to ring that barrel . . . and perhaps quite an idiot breaking common sense rules to do so?

 

[John Wasmuth]

It would take a lot more than 40 grains to ring or ruin the barrel. I shot 10 grains out of mine with little luck at all and the group was about 5 inches at 25 yards, it didnt like it at all. I increased it by 5 grains at a time until it settled in and started getting really nice at 25, better at 30, and best at 40. Some people here have had some nice groupimgs with 15 and twenty grain loads but mine shoots better with heavier loads. I use the same loads for target shooting as I do for hunting, dont see any reason to not do so.

 

[Micah Clark]

Are you using real BP and are you swabbing the bore between shots for fouling?

 

[John Wasmuth]

I use FFg Goex, usually swab with a spit patch followed by a dry patch about every tenth shot. Usually dont have any problems with reloading until about then. Fouling isnt a problem unless its really humid.