Smallbore shooting advice?

[brewer12345]

I won an auction for a vintage CVA Squirrel Rifle kit. I have a ways to go to get from a kit to a usable rifle, but I will be casting my own projectiles and this will be for target and small game (maybe turkey). My experience thus far is with 50 and 54 caplocks for big game. Any advice on shooting a small bore muzzleloader? Is there much point to the 32 cal maxi balls that Track of the Wolf sells a mold for?

 

[Carbon 6]

Maxi balls will shoot nice tight little cloverleafs out of a CVA squirrel rifle. They are also much easier to load than those tiny little round balls and patches.
Squirrels beware!

 

[biliff]

Is there much point to the 32 cal maxi balls that Track of the Wolf sells a mold for?

No. A PRB will do everything you need for small game and paper punching.

 

[Grenadier1758]

You will be well served by using #1 shot at 0.300" diameter. You don't need a 32 caliber maxiball for squirrels. Coyotes, maybe.

 

[brewer12345]

I decided to try Ballistic Products' swaged buckshot as round balls. If it is swaged, it cannot be that hard. 1280 balls for a little over $40 delivered. I could certainly cast them for nothing using my own setup, but it is hardly worth the effort given how inexpensive these are. We will see if I try a maxi ball mold or not. Got time to think about it since I have to put the kit together first.

 

[Grimord]

Alot will depend on what youwish to use the .32 for. For squirrels, small game and targets, you can't beat the patched round ball out to about 50 yards. Also, the .32 is very economical to shoot. If longer range is required, or game like coyotes, the maxi ball will work. Check the twist of the barrel. My CVA .32 has a 1:56 twist, and it will not stabilize maxi balls. Beyond 35 yards I get key holes, and poor accruacy. I have given up on them in this gun. In my .32 Renegade barrel, with a 1:48 twist, the maxi's shoot well, but I really don't use them much got the PRB does everything I need a .32 to do.

 

[user 31257]

I only shoot round balls that I cast myself, I have a T/C .32 maxiball mold but I haven’t used it. Did you win the Squirrel kit on Gunbroker? The one missing a buttplate? Deer Creek Products still lists CVA squirrel buttplates for sale.

 

[brewer12345]

Yep, the one on gunbroker. Yes, I will be buying a buttplate from deer creek.