32 cal load info needed

[jh45gun]

Hey guys posting this here just got a project gun that some one started and did not finish. Not going to go into the specifics as type but the barrel is a 32 cal CVA "Squirrel" rifle barrel. Never shot anything this small before my muzzle loaders are 50 and 54 cal. What powder loads for this barrel and what ball and patch combination? The local shop has .310 and .315 ball sizes.
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[Rebel]

My CVA Squirrel rifle shot good with 25-30 grs of Pyrodex P, and a ticking patched .310 rd ball.

 

[Walks Alone]

Have 2 CVA Squirrels (32 & 36). CVA's specs for the 32 was a .310 ball, .015 patch and 10-30 gr of 3F (not substitutes) back during the five years they were made. Since the Spanish barrels are only CIP proofed 700kpcm2 I wouldn't push higher like you can with some 32's (ie TC Cherokee).

 

[JesseJames]

My cherokee 32 I shoot 20 pyro. and a maxie for squirrel.

 

[sduve]

You got a piece of manure!! I'll be glad to take it off your hands. :winking:
Try .010" patch, .315" ball, 20-25 gr 777 3F
My 10 yr old has one in lefty. He loads 15 gr with maxiball,........until he shot the dang ramrod. Now I load it.

 

[jh45gun]

Piece of manure :grin: Sduve if you only knew. LOL This gun is not origional so that is all I can say except for the barrel is a CVA 32 cal Squirrel rifle barrel. Lets just say some one modified it and I bought it as is. But for 25 bucks that I paid for it I will not complain. Thanks for the load info guys I appreciate it.

 

[jh45gun]

Was not aware there was a maxi ball for the 32? What twist is this? 48?

 

[Rebel]

Yea, you can get .32 Maxi's from Bruce at Blue Grouse. Just don't tell him they are for a CVA or he may not sell them to you though.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

25-30g FFF for the roundball and 30-35g FFF for the maxi.

It's all good :grin:

 

[Walks Alone]

Was not aware there was a maxi ball for the 32? What twist is this? 48?

47 grain RB - 103 grain maxi-ball.
The guy I bought my 32 Squirrel from only shot maxi's in it for squirrel hunting - said it shot them better than RB FWIW.

25-30g FFF for the roundball and 30-35g FFF for the maxi.

Opinions vary, just the spice of life I guess. Don't think I'd increase the charge for the heavier maxi past published factory RB specs in a barrel proofed for less than 10,000 psi myself.

 

[Zonie]

It's too bad the Lyman BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK & LOADING MANUAL 2nd ed doesn't list anything except roundball loads for the .32 cal rifle.

The 45 grain .310 diameter roundball generates some pretty high pressures with its loads.

With GOEX FFFg, a 50 grain loads pressure is 10,400 PSI.
Using 50 grains of Pyrodex RS gives a pressure of 13,300.
Substituting 50 grains of Pyrodex P raises this pressure to 19,500 PSI.

Just to get a BS approximation of the effects of a bullet rather than a roundball, I am using the .36 caliber data. Although it really is not usable information, I thought it might be interesting to compare the effects of the two.

With 50 grains of GOEX FFFg going from roundball to a 125 grain Buffalo HP Conical raises the pressure by a factor of 1.129.
Substituting 50 grains of Pyrodex P, the raise in pressure has a factor of 1.312.
Substituting 50 grains of Pyrodex RS, the raise in pressure has a factor of 1.453.

If (and, it's a mighty big if) we use the pressure factors of the .36 caliber gun as the change ratio for the .32 caliber guns, using a bullet rather than a ball in the .32 cal would raise the pressures as follows:

GOEX FFFg: 10400 X 1.129 = 11742 PSI
Pyrodex RS: 13300 X 1.453 = 19324 PSI
Pyrodex P: 19500 X 1.312 = 25584 PSI
(NOTE: Black Powder guns can achieve this much pressure. The .32 shooting a roundball with 70 grains of Pyrodex P is shown to have 25,600 PSI shooting a roundball.)

My advice if your planning on using a slug is to go real easy with your powder loads. You may be in some real dangerous territory.

 

[merdean]

I have CVA Squirrel rifles in .32 and .36. Love em. My .32 is best with .310rb and .015 pillow tick patch, bore butter lube all backed by 30gr Pyrodex P. My .36 likes a .350rb, same patch and 35gr 777. They both keep the squirrel population down! Good find! :hatsoff:

 

[Walks Alone]

Great information Zonie - thanks for putting it all together.

Only data I have right from CVA for their 32 Squirrel barrels is for the RB (as posted above), and nothing from them for substitutes or maxi's. The 32 moulds I have that throw the 103 gr. maxi's are T/C moulds BTW. T/C goes 30-50 of 3F for either the RB or maxi in their 32 rifles.

CVA's data for the 36 RB says 40-60 of 3F, and again no substitutes or loads for maxi's are listed. T/C also lists 40-60 of 3F for RB or maxi in their 36's.

Since the Spanish barrels are proofed so much lower than TC barrels (for example), I certainly wouldn't push my 32 Squirrel anywhere near as far as I would my 32 Cherokee, especially with maxi-balls.

 

[jh45gun]

Thanks Zonie and the rest of you guys I knew I could get straight info here. You guys really know your stuff. :hatsoff: