Traditions Crockett .32 range day

[johnfrommd]

I posted this on another forum and copied to this one.

I finally got some time to wring out some loads for my Crockett .32 rifle. One thing I did was changed the sights. I needed a wider front (I'm old) and I wanted the same rear as I have on my Great Plains rifles.

I only used Pyrodex P and am so happy, I won't bother using my reserve stock of holy black. One thing I noticed, I did not wipe at all today and the bore did not develop a crud ring. On my .50's and .54's, they will develop a hard crud ring if you don't wipe at least every five shots.

I used Hornady .310 balls with Joanne's striped ticking that measured out at .016 crushed. My lube was 8 to 1 water and Ballistol. I also tried .315 balls but did not see any advantage with them.

Several folks on the net recommended starting with 15 grains so I did. Since some of my patches were burning through, I added 10 grains of cream of wheat. This was the ticket and the combo gave me one ragged 1/2 inch hole for 6 rounds at 25 yards. I tried 20 grains and got about the same thing.

I then moved to 50 yards. Here I had to up the powder to 25 grains as I was fighting some wind. I was using the same cream of wheat combo and came up with a 1 inch six round group. ( I was trying to shoot between gusts and seemed to have succeeded. POI was about an inch or so higher than at 25.

Back at home I tinkered with my plinking load and it turns out 7 grains with 10 gns of cream of wheat gives me a nice 1 inch group at 25 yards, poi=poa. This load sounds almost like a subsonic 22 shot out of a Rossi 62 with a 22 inch barrel. You actually hear the ring of the bullet trap louder than the report.

While I had to do some tinkering with the trigger group, overall the rest of this rifle has been excellent quality. The 1 in 48 twist gives good round ball accuracy and the wood is a nice piece of birch. I'm never thought an off the shelf .32 would shoot so well but this gun is a tack driver.

__________________
John
Vietnam '72 - '73

 

[BrownBear]

Back at home I tinkered with my plinking load and it turns out 7 grains with 10 gns of cream of wheat gives me a nice 1 inch group at 25 yards, poi=poa. This load sounds almost like a subsonic 22 shot out of a Rossi 62 with a 22 inch barrel. You actually hear the ring of the bullet trap louder than the report.

________________
John
Vietnam '72 - '73

That pretty well sums up why 10 grains has been my snowshoe hare load for over 20 years. Deadly, flat out to my 35 yard range limit, and accurate.

 

[Zonie]

John:
I'm assuming you are pouring the cream of wheat down the barrel after you have poured the powder in, right?

I'm only asking because some people might get the idea from what you wrote, that you are mixing the cream of wheat with the powder before pouring the mixture into the bore.

Of course, if you are mixing the two powders before dumping it down the bore, it could be done but I don't think it would help with your accuracy.

 

[brewer12345]

Why does the cream of wheat help?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The cream of wheat acts like an over powder wad, It kind of, sort of seals the bore.

 

[Grimord]

I would try to use an actual over powder wad that is used for .32 cap and ball revolvers. I believe it will give you the same accuracy. I use a .36 felt wad over the powder in my 1842 Penebaker .36 rifle. Without the wad my groups are over 2" at 30 yards, and the patches are shredded. with the wad, groups close up to less than an inch, and patches are only slightly frayed. The barrel is somewhat pitted near the breech, so I think the wad protects the patched ball during ignition.