Help improving my group

[Salty Cracker]

Have a benchrest shooter do a group. Believe it or not, there are necessary bench rest techniques to do the best. It could be the nut behind the butt.

Haha. Don't know any. I'm good.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Thanks for your input. If alcohol patches work for you great. I can't argue with that. Do you not have rust issues with a dry bore? Alcohol evaporates so I don't see using it as the patch would dry out and burn causing gas blow by would it not? Especially if left loaded for awhile hunting. Why not just use a spit patch then?

No to all of your concerns. Just try it or not.

 

[Sam squanch]

Weigh your round balls. Use a buffer , wad, or cream of wheat between your powder charge and patched ball.

 

[ETipp]

ETipp, the Crockett .32 rifle is capable of that group size at 44 yards and maybe farther. Back when I could see a friend and I were shooting my .36 SMR at liter plastic soda bottles and the load was 20 grains of Jack's Battle Powder and the distance was 80 yards. I had no trouble hitting them where I wanted to hit once I accounted for the drop at that distance. Same goes for the fine little Crockett. I've never fired my .32 or .36 past 50 yards and mostly I set up targets at about 40 yards or a bit farther. And yes the Crockett is amazing.

I do try to keep my good targets but I also keep some of the "not-so-good" targets too. Doing that shows me that good vs bad days shoots can present useful information.

Indeed. I concur.

I'll have to take your word on the longer distances (target shooting) with the Crockett. Due to my vision I keep my shots at, or under, 30 yards on paper. I have made some longer shots on squirrels, however.

I have found that, without doubt, the little Crockett Rifle shoots much better than I can most of the time. Took me a while to figure it out, to the degree that I swore there was something wrong with that ML. Much of it had to do with shooting it from a bench. For whatever reason, it's still the most difficult rifle I have ever shot from a bench.

However, after a few good days here and there with very good accuracy, it became obvious. The rifle is very accurate, up to the task and is much more accurate than I am on a constant basis. What that did was build a fire under me and make me strive harder to figure it, which thankfully I did. I was just about to give up on it.

That has been my point in this thread, but there are those that still try to argue it.

Not a competition shooter, no desire whatsoever to be one. Just a hard core hunter that takes hunting very serious.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Really wanted to shoot today so I set a make shift range from my 19th century summer kitchen. A little windy and rainy from the storm coming up the coast. Will post my improved results in a few.

 

[Salty Cracker]

So to everyone here that suggested a larger ball diameter thank you. You were spot on. Today I tried Hornady .315 swaged ball with ox-yoke wonder lubed .010 patch, 30 gr. Goex FFF. This is the result. 1st shot high. Clean bore. 4 subsequent shots touching. 25yards benched. Rainy and a little wind. Low light and not the best shooting conditions. Im Tickled with the results. 1/4" grid squares making a 1" black square. I'm satisfied and will be on my favorite oak flat this week for squirrel.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Here is another 5 shot group. Same loading. I believe my elevation variance is from poor lighting.

 

[pacanis]

Nice.

That sounds like my .32 load as well for my Pedersoli KY.
Since switching to Swiss I have dropped down five grains. But my rifle seems to shoot better with a little more powder than what I read others are using.

 

[Salty Cracker]

I

Nice.

That sounds like my .32 load as well for my Pedersoli KY.
Since switching to Swiss I have dropped down five grains. But my rifle seems to shoot better with a little more powder than what I read others are using.

I agree with you. Seemed like a.stout charge for a .32 but mine likes 30gr. With a .315 ball and 35gr. With a .310 ball. I'll take it either way

 

[ETipp]

That's some good accuracy there, Salty. Glad to see you are getting it figured out.

I concur on the 1" aiming point from 25 yards.

Aim small, miss small.

 

[Nor'Easter]

I find wind to be a real 'fly in the ointment' to obtaining tiny groups with a muzzleloader.