Crockett Loads?

[nit wit]

I tried 30 gr 3F .315 balls .10 patch off a bench 25 yards. It's all over the place.
What works for you folks?
Thanks
Nit Wit

 

[Blackfingers]

I've had a couple of these rifles, I find 20grs 3f, .310 ball, .10 wad. worked for me. BTW, I used Triple7 powder, not quite a dirty as BP, won't clog the smallish bore as much. IMHO Blackfingers

 

[BrownBear]

I'm only using mine for head shots on snowshoe hare, and loads over 20 grains blood shot the whole front shoulders if you drop down into the neck even a little. So I started dropping the charge. Accuracy was even better at 15 grains and just as good at 10 grains where I shoot it now- ragged hole groups with both at 25 yards. Don't have a clue about accuracy up at 30 grains because I've never shot that high.

 

[azmntman]

:metoo:

 

[Micah Clark]

I had a Crocket and could never get it to group well enough to hunt with . . . it was a dandy little rifle in so many was. . with a pretty stellar reputation . . but after 3 years for me, I had enough . . .sold it and built a custom 32. The guy who bought it never complained so maybe he got it to shoot as well as so many others here have.

That being said, there is a user on this forum called Hanshi . . he knows this rifle well, and was very helpful with something he wrote called "Hanshi's notes" about his .32 Crockett load . . I copied it, and still have it . . It improved my accuracy. He was using Hoppes BP for lube and I think a felt over-powder wad with .15 pillow ticking and around 30 grains of Goex 3f . .as I recall. . . you may want to message him and ask.

Hanshi is very nice guy and very helpful. From what I have read 30g is a common charge, but I seldom see higher than that with lots of folks shooting around 20-25 grains.

 

[BullRunBear]

I'm still experimenting with the Crockett but so far have had the best results with 20 grs. Goex 3F, a .310 ball and .015 patch at 25 yards. Over 20 grs. and the groups got bigger.

I plan to try variations with smaller charges and thinner patches.

Jeff

 

[BrownBear]

Overall I find small calibers to be more "sensitive" to slight variations in loading method as well as component mixes. The amount of pressure you put on the rod once the ball is seated sure affects mine, both the Crockett and my 30 cal (.290 ball). Less so with my 36 cal. Can't put a measure on it, but it requires seating pressure just short of feeling the powder crunch.

Mine also seems to prefer a light dose of grease type lube, whether a blend of deer tallow and olive oil or TOW's mink tallow. I never had much luck with the Hoppe's, but I could well have been using too much or too little, or it might have had something to do with my particular patch/ball combo (.311 ball from a LEE mold and .018ish ticking). My combo is tight enough to need a short starter and a fair whack on it to get the ball moving.

Biggest thing is to try different things, but only make on change at a time as you experiment. Dropping the charge below 20 had a bigger impact on my accuracy than everything else put together, but dinks with lube/patch/ball/seating all helped refine it after I found the right powder charge.

 

[Zonie]

I am not suggesting that any of you use this for a load but, the powder capacity of a .22 long rifle cartridge is about 4 grains of black powder.

That amount of powder pushes a 40 grain bullet just fine for hunting.

A .31 diameter lead roundball weighs about 45 grains so it is not that much heavier than a .22 caliber lead bullet.

Given these facts, a 20 grain powder load is far from being a weak charge in a .32.

 

[BrownBear]

Good insight. If my geezerly memory serves, the 22 first came on the scene as a blackpowder cartridge too, whatevever they're stuffing in it now. Sure has a long legacy with those puny charges.

In my hands 20 grains of 3f is downright explosive on snowshoe hare. The velocity is about like that of a 22 mag as far as I can tell, but with a ball starting out already as big or bigger than an expanded 22 bullet. Nothing left of rabbit heads but a skin sack, and if you drop down to the neck you pretty thoroughly decapitate them while ruining the front shoulders with blood shot.

Next time I'm out goofing around, I'll have to try 5 grains just cuzz. I sure like the puny little 22 for game, so it might be even better than my current 10 grain charges.

 

[Zonie]

Yes, the original .22 was a short loaded with black powder and it was used in a Smith & Wesson revolver in 1848.
Enough cartridge stuff.

Like I said, I am not suggesting people would use a 5 grain powder load in their .32.

While that amount of powder would over fill a long rifle case it would only be about 1/4" high in a .32 caliber barrel.
If the barrel was breeched with a smaller "chamber" it might not fill it.
It might not be enough to keep the ball above the side drum in a conventional side drum type rifle either.

A powder load that would be about 1/2" tall in a .32 bore would be about 9 grains so that's about what I would suggest as a minimum load.

Lyman shows a number of loads they tested for their Black Powder Handbook & Loading Manual .
Unfortunately, they started their tests with a 30 grain powder load which gave them a MV of 1940 fps with a patched roundball. The loads and velocities go up from there.

I did a linear regression for smaller powder loads and came up with a velocity of about 1860 fps for your 20 grain powder load.

No wonder it blew the bunny apart.

Even a 15 grain, 3Fg powder load gives a velocity that calculates to about 1850 fps MV.

Like I say, these numbers were arrived at by linear regression based on a bunch of the other powder loads and the velocity Lyman said they measured. They might be off by quite a bit because they assume the changes in velocity for a given powder load give a straight line on a graph.

 

[Micah Clark]

Before I sold my Crockett, I began using a grease patch lube from Flintlocks Inc . . . I really liked it, even after having used Hoppes BP for some time.

After I sold the traditions and built a TVM w a .32 rice barrel, I have used mostly a spit patch with that, but I have not hunted with it.

I spent a great deal of time with my TVM at the range last year and settled around 25 grains of Schutzen FFF . . . and got good results in accuracy, enough to hunt with . . . though that never happened.

I intent to get that back to the range to shoot quite a bit before the fall, but will likely wait until after eye surgery in late August for cataract removal that I really hope helps me with open sights.

 

[azmntman]

My dad wore glasses all his life and was a crack shot. After surgery he could shoot again W/O GLASSES

 

[Kansas Jake]

Would 4 grains of BP even be enough to fill the patent breech on a Crockett? My Deer Hunter .32 likes about 12 grains pretty well with a .15 patch. I used 12 because that is what the spout on the flask throws and I don't want to change spouts.

 

[hanshi]

I wouldn't go that low. 4 grains might not fill the powder chamber and may cause a stuck ball. 10 grains is about as light a charge as I'd use.

 

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I know that you ask about load for your Crockett I shoot a Traditions Shenandoah 36 Cal my load is 30gr of 2F T777 and a 128gr Maxi-ball I can hit a 16oz water bottle every time at 80 yards. I also shoot a Hornady .350 round ball with a .015 patch and this load is just as deadly as my Maxi-ball load.

 

[hanshi]

My favorite load in the Crockett I owned was 30 grains of 3F. One hole accuracy and it collected lots of squirrels without any more damage than one would expect from using a .22LRHP. Shot about as well with 20 grains.

 

[Grimord]

15 grains of 3f in my Pedersoli Pennsylvania .32 rifle is my squirrel and rabbit load. Dime sized groups out to 35 yards.

 

[32 ballard xl]

For whatever it is worth, the 32 long used "13 grains of Hazzard's 2fg Kentucky Rifle Powder." Hazzard's 2fg was equivalent to du Pont's 3fg powder. du Pont's has morphed into Goex. I have a Ballard in that caliber. :redface: