This is what I am getting from my new to me Crocket rifle I got from a member of the forum here. I got the gun a few weeks back and cleaned it up replaced the mucket nipple that was on it with a #11 nipple. I could get better accuracy if I go up in powder charge, but I see no reason to if all I am doing is punching paper and shooting some squirrels. I have a few more patch options to try, which is a beeswax olive oil mixture I mad, the pre-lubed patches I have and the Traditions Ez-Lube. My try some Swiss 3f at some point but I am saving that for my flintlock that is sighted in with it. I think it's shooter.
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Crocket Testing Results
- Thread starter Jaeger73
- Start date
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Jeager, I mean no disrespect here. But the hits that are strung out a little in a vertical pattern is most likely you. Whenever you see a vertical pattern, such is the case with the target on the left, its a pretty sure sign. My guess is, your Crockett rifle is shooting more accurately than you are.
Another aspect I found to be important with the Crockett rifle is, make yourself a target with no larger than a 1 3/4" dot, diamond or square. Nothing else on the paper, just one black diamond/dot on a white piece of paper. My Crockett rifle gives new meaning to the old term "aim small, miss small".
Also, I find a Crockett rifle extremely difficult to shoot accurately from a table/bench. Never in my life have I encountered anything like this before. And this old boy has done tons of loading, testing, shooting, with many different rifles in my day. Yet I have been killing squirrels that were way up in the tops of very tall trees. So far up that they made an very small target. But most were hit mid body. Go figure. In short, what that does is prove that my particular Crockett rifle is very accurate but for me, its when I stand and get a rest from a tree. It definitely is not that way whenever I shoot from a table/bench.
Good luck.
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The difference in the groups is from the patch lube. One is spit n the other moose milk. Some times an over powder wad may help seal the bore & keep powder load drier. Vertical string maybe caused by too much powder & or bad bore seal or shooter.
Thanks for the input fellas! Just sharing some information for those who are looking for a starting point. I have looked here and a few other place and there's not much if any load development data that I have found. Once I get it figured out then I'll start shooting of hand or using a standing rest.
One other thing I noticed when I went back and read your OP. Might want to ditch the 6 O'clock hold. As I have stated, a 1 3/4" dot, diamond or square. From 25 yards I find it conducive to best accuracy with my Crockett. Try center hold instead of 6 O'clock hold. Its aim small, miss small. At a distance of 25 yards and a 1 3/4" dot, diamond or square, the front sight will be easy to aim small, miss small.
This is a image of one of my targets that has proven to be most conductive.
The box is 2" with a 1 3/4" diamond in the center.
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rafterob
62 Cal.
A 6 o'clock hold is good for developing a load and for target shooting when targets are consistent and designed for the distance you are shooting at. But the minute you switch to objects, rather than targets, a 6 o'clock hold can be upsetting. When I started, I used the 6 o'clock hold and got proficient. Then I shot a primitive match and a silhouette match and couldn't hit anything. After receiving some sage advice from our club's champion shooters, I made the switch to point of aim.
What powder are you using? No one has Bore Butter in stock and I highly doubt it make a come back seeing as TC (Smith & Wesson) has been out of business for awhile now. So I am trying different lubes. The .310 balls do load very easy with .015 patching, but I am not seeing the same level of accuracy as I am with the .311 hand cast balls.
Once I get it figured out what the gun like best I'll change how I sight it in. I don't plan on shooting a squirrel past 30yds with open sights anyway, cause most of them I shoot of the ground. I have a lot of time on the range both as a student and instructor, just trying to share some load development if anyone cares.
Jaeger, that was after I first got my Crockett. I was using some old very stiff Bore Butter. I have since then went to Track Of The Wolf's Mink Oil. I've repeated such groups.
My loads are as follows.
.310 Hornady swaged and .311 hand cast with sprue.
20 grains of 3F black powder.
.015 Pillow ticking from October Country......the red striped.
TOTW Mink Oil.
I'm getting the same basic accuracy from my own .311 RB as I do with the Hornaday swaged.
However, the point I was trying to make is the size of aim point. I strongly suggest you make the smallest aim dot you can see for whatever distance you plan on shooting from. Drop the 6 O'clock hold and aim for center dot.
As I have said, the Crockett gives true meaning to "Aim small, miss small".
One other aspect I found about the Crockett. It likes a loose hold. If you clam down on it you will miss, at least I do.
Believe me, I've done a lot of testing with my Crockett. Much of that testing was done in the woods on squirrels. Mr. Crockett and I fought for a while on a couple of things. I learned a lot about that little rifle. The best thing I did was got rid of the inferior original open sights and went to a peep sight and a taller, finer, front sight.
Good luck.
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