Please Help Me Before I lose My Mind!

[wild_willie_10]

What type powder & patch type do you use in your Traditions 32 cal. Crockett rifle? I've been using Clearshot 3f with a 310 ball and a 015 lubed patch. This combo gives me uncontrolable groups at any distance. I need a type group for a 25 yd sight in distance. Thanks to all that can help me figure this out.

 

[flintlockmdj]

This will take a lot of targets and a lot of shooting but here goes. Change one thing at a time, you didn't say what powder charge you were using but I would start with 30 grains and shoot three 5 shot groups. If that doesn't do it (and it probably wont) raise the charge by 5 grains at a time shoot 3 more 5 shot groups and see if you get any better acuracy. Continue to increase 5 grains at a time if this doesn't do it go back to 30 grains and decrease by 5 grains at a time and see what you get. If this does not give satisfactory results change granulations of powder and start the process all over again. Then if necessary change brands of powder and try again. Then ball diameter and then patch thickness and patch lubricant and brands of caps. Somewhere along the line you should find a load that is better than the rest. At this point you refine that load untill you get the best possible load. Through all this you will have fired several hundred shots, have become very comfortable with your rifle, and have enjoyed some outstanding days at the range. If I can be of further help let me know if you are not thoroughly confused yet I will try again. :grin:

 

[Rebel]

Both of my Crocketts shot real good with 25 gr of Pyrodex P, a ticking patch lubed with Crisco, anda .311 rd ball.

 

[BOGG]

I shoot a .32 cal. Pedersoli Pa long rifle with a 20 grain 777 charge and a 310 ball on a .018 dry pach. I get a 1" group at 35 yeards ( for the first 3-4 shots then light field cleaning) If I change the charge 3-5 I'm all over the place. Just keep working with it.

 

[BrownBear]

Mine and both my neighbors all are really happy with either Hornady .310 swaged balls or .311 balls from a Lee RB mould with .015 commercial prelubed wonderlube patches. Doesn't seem to matter whether it's 20 or 25 grains of Pyrodex P. Virtually all shots touching at 25 yards when we do our parts.

 

[bwhoffman]

you probably need to run 50 to 100 rounds thru it to break in the barrel...burrs, sharp edges ect
mic your balls and patches, go look for some of the fired patches about 30 ft from the muzzle, these will tell a good story if you post your findings here. I am also told that the 32 fouls fairly fast so wipe every 2-3 shots.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you aren't getting good accuracy with a substitute powder like Triple Seven, how about using Black Powder instead? YOu can't possible read this forum for very long before you find out that virtually everyone here prefers using Black Powder. There is a reason for this. And, notice that almost everyone who has a gun like yours is using LESS powder, and not more!

My God, man you are shooting the equivalent of a .22 rimfire. 20 grains should be enough, and will give you good accuracy. Your current loading is 50% higher that that recommended load, using substitute powders. From the experiences I have had, talking to other shooters who have those small caliber rifles, over the years, and from reading comments by other members here, things have not changed a bit: They all like about 20 grain charges of FFFg powder for a nice, accurate load. For the .36, most rifles like a 30 grain charge.

Don't over load these small caliber guns. Even with 20 grains of FFFg powder, that little ball is buzzing out the barrel at a very fast clip. There is so much metal in the barrels around these small bores that its next to impossible to ruin the barrel, or rupture them, but you aren't doing a lot of nice to that flash channel and nipple. Save the powder and get in more shots per Expensive can of powder. The gun can serve you well for many generations of shooters.

 

[woodmaster62]

Hey Ziggy! :hatsoff:

I agree with Brownbear. My wifes 32 Crocket works good with .310 store bought and .311 Lee mold homemade balls. We've been using .015 borebuttered patches with about 20-25 grain of 3f Goex powder. My wifes first shot on this Crocket (first muzzleloader she ever shot!!!) got her a bullseyed groundhog target at about 30 yards. While I had to work on the lock when I bought it, it's been a good shooter ever since. Try some good blackpowder and have fun!!

grumpybear :thumbsup:

 

I have the same gun Ziggy. I am using cast .310 balls and pillow ticking lubed with bore butter and cut at the muzzle. My gun absolutely refuses to group anything less than 30 grains fff Goex or Pyrodex P. At 30 grains of either powder it instantly becomes a squirrel gun.

I think it has a minimum velocity needed to stabilize. If it does not spin fast enough it will not group. Sometime shooting wimp loads defeats us.

I have a scope with a magna mount I use to develop loads. This gun/load will cloverleaf at 25 yards when I use the glass.

 

[arcticap]

Your using Clearshot, the discontinued Goex powder that was only briefly produced? That powder didn't work well for me at all. So I'm not surprised that it's not working well for you either. Try another powder...:winking:

 

[Rat Trapper]

Clearshot is a discontinued powder. If the can was opened it mostly is no longer any good. Try a fresh can of Triple Seven 3F. If you want to hunt squirrels with it you need to keep your vel down to 1000 fps. I have been told that around 15 grains of 4F black powder will get you in the range of 960 fps. If you keep your muzzel vel down then if you hit a squirrel there will still be enough left to eat.

 

[Birddog6]

The Crockett I had would cut three shots in a cloverleaf at 25 yards with 20 grains of 3F Swiss, .310 Hornady RB, .015 pillow ticking & Lehigh Lube. And you could just load & shoot, shot after shot & no swabbing with the Swiss as it had virtually no fouling. I put the Lehigh in a pump/spray 2 oz bottle & on a .32 cal I used 1 spray on a 3/4" patch holding it at about 3" from the patch.
Whyen I shot Goex 3F in it, got similar grouping but used 30 grains & swabbed between whots with Lehigh damp on a T shirt patch, swabbing between shots.
:thumbsup:

 

[gpsutton]

Check your patch after you fire the gun. If your patches are burned through you will never get any kind of accuracy. If they do have holes in them, go to a thicker patch.