Need advice

[BruceHuxford]

Y'all , I'm torn between two rifles and in need of advice. One is an Investarms 36 Santa Fe rifle the other the Traditions 32 Crockett rifle, I have also considered the Investarms 45 Bridger rifle too. I can only have one, at least at this time. Any thoughts and advice is greatly appreciated

 

[ETipp]

I like my .32 Crockett squirrel rifle quite well overall. However, if I had to do it over again, and from the choices you listed, I would most likely choose the Investarms .36 caliber. Reasons are:

1. I find the small .32 caliber RB to be a bit difficult to handle, especially with cold fingers and/or in poor light conditions. If the ball is not swaged and has a sprue then it makes loading even more difficult.

2. IMO, the Traditions is not the most high quality made rifle overall. I do not like the wood used to make the stock, I do not like the finish, I do not like the shoddy factory ramrod, and to be quite truthful, I do not like the drop in the stock.

3. Through much testing, I have found that the Crockett is not the easiest ML to master, in terms of accuracy. I find it very picky as to the correct hold on the shot. It does not like a firm hold and if I choke down on it, its a miss. However, with a proper, good rest, the Crockett can be shot very accurately. IMO, the Crockett is truly one of those "Aim small, miss small" rifles. More so than any other rifle I have ever shot in my entire life.

4. I question the need for the somewhat longer barrel. From my real world hunting time with my Crockett, I find that between the drop in the stock and the somewhat longer barrel, I'm always banging and clanging it against something out in the woods. Never has such an issue with a Hawken, New Englander, or Renegade style ML.

5. The smaller bore can be a pain especially when trying to center the shooting patch.


The Pro's of the Crockett:

1. It's light to carry through the woods.

2. Its narrower diameter makes it nice for in the woods as well. My hands fit nicely around it while hunting/walking in the mountains and/or while getting a rest against a small diameter tree when squirrel hunting.

3. Its very economical to shoot.

4. The accuracy of the Crockett can be quite nice.

5. The report when firing is, IMO, fairly quiet. This has enabled me to kill several squirrels out of the same tree within a few minutes of each other.

6. The Crockett is a nice looking little ML IF one likes brass furniture.

7. Its a very fun little ML to shoot and hunt with.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Y'all , I'm torn between two rifles and in need of advice. One is an Investarms 36 Santa Fe rifle the other the Traditions 32 Crockett rifle, I have also considered the Investarms 45 Bridger rifle too. I can only have one, at least at this time. Any thoughts and advice is greatly appreciated

Folks that get their .32 rifles to shoot well, love them. I guess that's true of most rifle users.
The .36 will get game just like a .32, but they tend to be a little heavier. Their rammers, when wooden, tend to last longer than the more slender .32
Neither is OK for deer, while the .45 is in many states. You can download the .45 for squirrel and rabbits, so long as it and you are accurate enough to take head shots. IF not..., then a .36 or .32 body shot is better.

IF they are just for paper punching, the least expensive, especially with a metal or synthetic rammer, is the .32

LD

 

[Grenadier1758]

Tough choices.

I would be considering the Santa Fe in 36. Good for paper punching. Economical to shoot. Good for small game. If deer hunting is a possibility, then the 45.

 

[BruceHuxford]

Thanks y'all. We'll you helped me narrow my choices, with a bad disc in my back, I gave up deer hunting., though I do miss it.

 

[hanshi]

Just me but I'd choose the Crockett and never look back. Mine was super accurate from the get-go and deadly on squirrels. I liked nearly everything about it but I agree the wood used was not worthy of of that little gem.