.32 rifle load

[JamesT]

If the patch is way oversize, square or round, it may have an adverse effect on accuracy as heavy lubricant will hold the patch to the ball as it leaves the muzzle

I am startin to think you hit the nail on the head. I have been ponderin on this till I thought I was crazy. Been considering too much grease and when the patch departs the ball. Instead of wiping the patches in the grease I started melting the grease and dipping the patches in. Super heavy grease. May be problem I'm thinking now. Don't like to keep guessing instead of shooting but don't have the daylight. I'm thinking the grease is keeping the patch on the ball ruining it's flight. Certainly not my shooting. I always hit the X.

 

[JamesT]

My greased patches

 

[nchawkeye]

Ok, 1-48 twist, made by Ed Rayle?? If so, good barrel, I have 2 and have a story later if it is him...

 

[JamesT]

Ok, 1-48 twist, made by Ed Rayle?? If so, good barrel, I have 2 and have a story later if it is him...

Nah. Pretty sure it's a Rice barrel.
James

 

[Winchester97]

I bet it's too much lube on your patches. I saw it myself with a .36 kibler using a thick, heavy patch lube. As soon as I switched to light olive oil, I started getting cloverleafs at 25yd. If it's a rice barrel, there can't be much wrong with it.

 

[JamesT]

I bet it's too much lube on your patches. I saw it myself with a .36 kibler using a thick, heavy patch lube. As soon as I switched to light olive oil, I started getting cloverleafs at 25yd. If it's a rice barrel, there can't be much wrong with it.

I think you are correct now. More to follow

 

[deerstalkert]

i haven't shot my squirrel gun enough to really have much experience. what i did discover though is i have to use a .300 ball with .018 patch.
and it hates any of the fat based lubes.
it won't hit a paper plate at 25 yards with a bear grease patch. Ballistol and water is almost as bad. olive oil just makes me hungry for salad.
i tried the grain for bore size and it endangered those behind me.
i kicked it up to 40g fff and a spit patch . it started hitting the plate. 45g fff and spit patch it really cracked and took out the 1 inch bull with 10 shots. i am going to shoot the postal match this month with it.
oh yeah i hate cleaning it because the .32 jag wont fit. the .30 jag wont fit with a patch. had to use a .25 with double patches.
don't you just love this sport?

 

[olskool]

James i have told this many times, dawn dish soap and water as patch lube. with that you can literally shoot all day and never swab. it is also the most accurate lube i have ever used. it also makes the gun easer to clean at the end. if you ever try it, you will chunk the grease and mink oil lube,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Crooked Creek]

And looks to me round bottom rifling.View attachment 180681View attachment 180682

I see your barrel has a very nice crown. However, the crowning left some quite sharp looking corners and edges. I have read many times on this forum about using sanding papers of various grits and polishing off the sharp areas to leave a small, smooth radius on all those edges of the muzzle. Not coning, just smoothing to prevent any patch cutting/tearing issues.

Before polishing down the muzzles on two of my rifles, the patches would sometimes be cut by the corners on the rifling, The loading would stress the material enough the patches would blow out. Your patches look like they have some stress marks similar to what my patches had.

 

[Barry Strickland]

JamesT
I might offer a suggestion or two. I use a machine rest to test pistol barrels. After about 1800 shots now with a few different barrels I have learned a few things.
1 - Never trust three shot groups! Use a minimum of five shots.
2 - Do not over lube the patch material.
3 - Never use square cut patches if you want consistent accuracy. Cut at the muzzle.
I might explain what might be happening with square cut patches. I believe a corner of the patching falls over the face of the ball is it is accelerated out of the bore. The patch is staying on the face of the ball long enough to cause slight deflection of the balls flight path.
I might also note the picture of the patching material shows a very coarse weave. I would definitely go to a tighter weave material.
Keep testing and good luck in your efforts for accuracy!
Barry

 

[Grimord]

James i have told this many times, dawn dish soap and water as patch lube. with that you can literally shoot all day and never swab. it is also the most accurate lube i have ever used. it also makes the gun easer to clean at the end. if you ever try it, you will chunk the grease and mink oil lube,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

How does this lube hold up in cold weather? does it freeze?

 

[Otiscokid]

Starting to become a bit frustrated to say the least. I am not new to flintlock shooting having started around 2000. I have never had such a time sighting in a rifle. I sold a couple fine squirrel rifles to justify a custom built squirrel getter. It's a fine piece but I'm struggling to get it properly zeroed. Also the first .32 caliber er rifle I have owned.

It's .32 caliber so I started with 1grain per caliber as a rule of thumb. Right or wrong it's what I do. Seems to group better with a higher charge. Shot a bit today out in the yard and dropped back to 20 grains fff as folks here recommended. Shot poorly. It appears that it shoots better with upwards of 30 to 35 grains. Does this seem excessive for a .32??


I am hesitant to file in the sights before I get some things worked out.

The caveat I will offer is this is the first for this type of patching. I have always used .020 pillow ticking but came into some cotton muslin about .015 thick and appears to be good.
Shooting a .310 cast ball with fff Goex and mink oil lube on the patch.

May have answered my own question but what are your thoughts on this? I will post some photos.

James

I have used Lehigh Valley for patch Lube and cleaning, which has worked well for me but my small cal. Is a 36 Seneca.

 

[olskool]

How does this lube hold up in cold weather? does it freeze?

well it's mostly water, so i guess it would freeze, i never thought about it, i live in the Jungels of SC,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Col. Batguano]

Get Dutch Schoultz' book. Read it and follow its' advice. Most of the time it's the patches and lube that are the culprit (as referred to above).

 

[Grimord]

well it's mostly water, so i guess it would freeze, i never thought about it, i live in the Jungels of SC,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

That is the reason I use Mink Oil for patch lube on my guns for hunting and winter trail walks. I once had a patch freeze to the barrel, and the ball went wide of the target. I'm glad I wasn't shooting at a deer at the time.

 

[Lippy984]

James i have told this many times, dawn dish soap and water as patch lube. with that you can literally shoot all day and never swab. it is also the most accurate lube i have ever used. it also makes the gun easer to clean at the end. if you ever try it, you will chunk the grease and mink oil lube,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Do you mix it in a bowl and apply to the patch material to let dry? Or apply a drop or two before shooting?

 

[Grenadier1758]

To see the results that @olskool reports, the patch should be damp. The dampness from the water softens the fouling and the dish soap supplies the lubrication when shooting a series of shots at a range. I use a water soluble oil and water to dampen my patch at the range. It can perform just as a patch lubricant or to wipe the bore between shots taking care to avoid pushing fouling into the flash channel.

I recommend an oil, such as Track of the Wolf's Mink Oil for use when hunting as it won't dry out or have a water based solvent to dry out in the bore. Olive oil works too. I found a small bottle of olive oil at the Dollar Store and the bottle can act as the applicator.

 

[olskool]

Do you mix it in a bowl and apply to the patch material to let dry? Or apply a drop or two before shooting?

i usually just spray them from a spray bottle then load. i make them good and damp. my friend shoots from a bag and uses plastic snuff cans he gets from a friend, he soaks them and seals them for the woods walk, when hunting i use olive oil and beeswax so the powder doesn't get wet over time. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[jimdvan]

I had the same trouble recently and reread some info about loading. The article suggested wiping the bore after loading to dry the bore of any lube. The idea being that lube in the bore can make for fliers. I tried it and my group immediately shrunk.

 

[JamesT]

Well I have been real busy and haven't had a chance to shoot till this afternoon so I snuck out back for a few. It was a bright crisp day here.

I've been doin alot of thinkin on this and realized some of the patches I picked up last time out were still greased. Matter of fact I found one today folded over and when I unfolded it the patch still had mink oil on it. Been about a week now! In the past every patch I picked was always dry. Starting to have doubts about the Mink oil now.

I dug out some pillow ticking to use today and just wiped it in my mink oil tin to lube and cut the patch at the muzzle. Starting and 20gr. FFF the groups were not impressive in this 1-48" twist barrel. As I got to 30grains it started to tighten up. I had a fairly impressive 2 shot group going then I heard two rifle shots down the hollow as it's rifle season here. As my mind started to wander and dream of deer hunting I pushed the 3rd ball of the group down against the breach face. Hahaha. Have done that in a few years so I was done for the day as the Sun was getting low.

At the end of this afternoon I'm thinkin the heavy greased patch was hanging onto the ball too long as some here also suspected. I might be headed back to goog ole cooking oil and ticking or maybe try the dawn detergent and water like Olskool swears by. I'm thinking this rifle will end up needing upwards of 35gr for a charge. More to follow. Have yall found the little .32s to be finicky? I have never had this much time sighting in a rifle. I'm hoping I will get it into the woods this year yet. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.
Humbly,
James