Crockett Load??

[misher]

My new Crockett did not come with a manual.I had a manual for my Traditions Hawken that had a chart in the back for all caliber of traditions so I have been going by that. Today I saw on the Possibles Shop a Traditions manual that had the same chart but with a 15 grain lower maximun load. This is a big difference in a .32. Can any Crockett fans clear this up a little for me? I find it hard to believe that new Crocketts are that much weaker.

 

[BrownBear]

I can't find my original manual, but I started with 30 grains of Pyrodex P or Goex 3f (it didn't favor one over the other). It was accurate, but just blew the snot out of snowshoe hare heads. If you got even low in the skull it blood shot the neck and a fair bit of the front shoulders. Think Zabruder rabbits here.

I dropped it successively to 20 grains and tamed the flesh damage quite a bit while also improving accuracy and reducing noise. I was headed for 15 grains when I quit shooting last spring, and haven't got there yet. I have high hopes for it, because it seems like the lower I go the better it shoots. And 20 grains reminds me more of a 22 mag on impact, while I'm looking for performance more like a 22lr.

BTW- Speaking one snowshoe hunter to another, do yourself a great big favor. Make or buy a couple of 32 caliber loading blocks for the Crockett. Handling those little tiny balls and patches with gloves, or without gloves and cold fingers, is really wasteful. You'll scatter more balls on the ground than you get positioned for seating.

 

[ric]

mike, just checked three traditions instructions booklets. they are general and cover all cal. one did not list 32. one had 10gr. 3f as most accurate and 25gr. 3f as max, the third listed 20g 3f the most accurate and 35gr 3f as the max. ?????? i use 15-20gr 3f ,310 ball and a 15 patch . don't know about bunnys or squirrels but it kills paper targets.

 

[buttonbuck]

you can download and print one from traditions performance firearms they are about 20 pages. Or just look at it and glean the necessary info Hey brown bear what drill bit size do you use for the block for a 32 cal. Say a 311 cast rb and a .018 or a 315 and a .015 drill cloth patch? a 5/16" or 9/32" now I know what to do with the walnut slabs I have squirreled away.

 

[brudford]

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/574295866MsyQJV

I load 14.0 grs of 3f for a light load and never more than 17-18- for a heavier load . At the above sight you can see my salvage pics of my Crockett after I dropped it and cracked the stock . You may not think it is a Crockett but it is .

 

[misher]

Yea, I saw your rebuilt pistol photos when you posted them before. Nice,wish I could do that. I was talking about the rifle though. They sure can make a pound of powder last a while!!! All the ads I see around say they have a wooden rod,this one has a aluminum one.

 

[hanshi]

I like 30 grains of Goex 3f and used that load on squirrels and found the damage wasn't as bad as one would expect. The load was extremely accurate. Later I settled on 20 grains which was just as accurate and easier on small game. The Crockett seems to do well with about any load I shoot in it.

 

[BrownBear]

Hey brown bear what drill bit size do you use for the block for a 32 cal. Say a 311 cast rb and a .018 or a 315 and a .015 drill cloth patch? a 5/16" or 9/32" now I know what to do with the walnut slabs I have squirreled away.

There's a handy reference on bit sizes for loading blocks here on the site. I couldn't locate the recommended 21/64 bit from local sources, so I just used a 5/16 like you suggest. Actually I kinda wonder about the 21/64, because by the time I sanded just a little to smooth the hole from a 5/16, the holes were almost too loose for my taste with .015 patches and .311 Lee balls. It's fine with the same ball and .018 ticking patches lubed "at the muzzle" with my own grease-type lube.

To load the block I lube my ticking strip, stack the ball on it and push it through to the depth I want and cut with a sharp knife, just as I do at the muzzle. It leaves you with no patching showing above the block, which is good with those tiny balls. They don't have a whole lot of grip even in a tight hole, and protruding patch is kinda easy to snag in a bag or on brush. Especially with that tiny little ball and cold hands, seating deep enough to have some ball sticking out the bottom really helps you "find" the muzzle when you're loading quick for a second shot. I've had snowshoe hare stay frozen for awhile after a miss, and if you're quick at your loading, you can often get off a second shot.

A little bit of countersink sure helps seating in the block. Doesn't take a lot, just enough to kinda break the sharp edge on the hole at the top of the block.

As for # of holes per block, I've finally settled on 3 being about right. It's a tiny block, but it just works better for me to have several in my bag and move between them rather than trying to have one big block, for hunting anyway. Each block has it's own short thong to let me tie it to my bag strap. I don't like dangly manure hanging from a bag when I'm moving through tight brush on a hare hunt, so I just shove it down into the bag when I'm moving. But it's real handy having that thong when you're loading quick and prone to dropping stuff. After the shot it's kinda nice to shove it down in the bag and forget it, rather than digging through the snow or tall grass to find a dropped block.

 

[wilded]

Remember the .32 is a small game rifle. Here are some loads and velocity from my .32 Cherokee and they should work very well in the Crockett.

10 grains FFFg 1120 FPS equals standard .22 long rifle round
20 grains FFFg 1650 FPS
30 grains FFFg 1870 FPS

Try your rifle with small charges and see what kind of accuracy you get. Body shots with over 20 grains tear up a lot of meat on squirrels and rabbits. I have found that if I am not shooting predators or long range I can get a lot more shots per pound of powder with a 10 or 15 grain charge than the heavier loads. The shot is quieter and seems to foul the bore less. JMHO

 

[misher]

Thinking mainly about spruce hens and ptarmigan,squirrels are really small here.
I asked Traditions for the missing manual but haven't heard from them yet.Thanks for letting me know what works,saves powder.

 

[hanshi]

This information is right on the mark; I use the same loads.

 

[misher]

Yea, thats a real good idea,I like that.Sounds like something in my skill range.Getting into the upper 30s some mornings now.Are those sold already made anywhere?