Traditions 32 Caliber Crockett

[crockett]

For those of you who own and hunt with a Traditions 32 Caliber Crockett, how is the accuracy? I would assume it is good enough for squirrel hunting. What kind of groups do you get at 50 yards and 100 yards?
Is the 32 caliber powerful enough for coyote, bobcat, raccoon, etc? In other words could it also be used for predator hunting? What about turkey-where legal?
Are there any conicals or the like that expand its application to predators- if needed?
Like a lot of folks I started using blackpowder because of the extra deer season- now I only want to shoot black powder and I am looking for an off- the- shelf rifle for small game.
Thanks.

 

[Rebel]

I had a couple of them and they were extremely accurate. Would shoot 1 hole groups at 25 yds. and about 3/4" groups at 50. Never tried it on paper at 100, but i did kill a coyote with it at 165 paces using 40 grs of Pyrodex P. There was a lot of luck involved in that shot though. I hit him right in the ear, and he never moved. With good shot placement, yes they will take coyotes. Great for small game like rabbits and squirrels.

 

[odean]

My eyes won't let me shoot good groups at longer distances with out a scope but at 25 yards my little Crockett with 25 gr. Pyro "P", .313/.315" ball and pillow tick patch will shoot 1/2". I started with 10 gr. and went up 5 grs. at a time to 35. The groups started at 3" and got smaller till I got to 25 and then opened up to 3" at 35 gr. The bore was gosh awful rough and I had to have it smoothed out inside before it would do any good. It shredded patches so bad the fired ones looked like a wad of strings.

Oscar/NC

 

[Rat]

Although I'm sure it can be done, using a .32 on coyote sized critters, and has been done by people like the Reb who put the bullet in one ear and out the other, (hey I did that to a Coyote once with a .303) for the bigger small game you may want to consider going to a .36", that's still a very small ball, but to my mind makes a little more sense. In addition, I believe a .36" will work equally well on small-small game.

Also, I've heard of maxi-balls in .36", but not in .32". ?? I'm a round ball guy, but if it came to shooting a 'yote with a .32 or .36" I might consider using a slug, more so with the .32 for sure. A .36" with a stout load probably smaks pretty hard at 50 yards.

Rat

 

[Rebel]

Actually, you can get .32 cal. Maxi bullets from Bruce at Blue Grouse in Wash. He is the Underhammer maker. I shot some of his out of my .32 Crockett and they shot pretty good.

 

[2172]

y'all pretty much answered a question I was about to ask...yesterday, I dug out my .32 Tenn. Poor Boy from Dixie..for some reason, I put it away about 10 or 12 years ago...have been shooting only my .45's and .50's...I realize that I've forgotten what powder charge I used to use...I'm guessing I can start with 30 gr of fffg...right?
Best ,Hank

 

[caneman]

How did you get the bore smoothed out? I'm very new and didn't know anything of that nature could be done.

Tinderbox

 

[Rebel]

Mine shot good with from 25-40 grs of Pyrodex P. I was using 40 gr when i shot the coyote. Now like i said, there was a lot of luck involved in that shot. I wouldn't take a shot that long on deer, especially off hand like this one was, but i just don't like coyotes. If i were going out to hunt specifically for coyotes, i would take a bigger cal. :m2c:

 

[Slamfire]

I realize that I've forgotten what powder charge I used to use...I'm guessing I can start with 30 gr of fffg...right?
Best ,Hank

Lyman's blackpowder loading manual gives loads from 30 to 70 grains of either black or pyrodex.

 

[Mike/MI]

Hi,

You may want to be careful with that much of a load (70 grains) in your Traditions 32 caliber Crocket. Their manual has a recomended 3f load of 20 grains as "most accurate" and 35 grains as "maximum".

Take care,

Mike

 

[merdean]

I use my .32 on squirrel size animals. 30gr 777 and .310 PRB. It makes head shots to about 30 to 35 yards. The power is very good at that range. But for anything bigger, I opt for .36. It is still small enough for squirrels with 40 gr 777. Accuracy is good enough for head shots to about 50 yards and the power is very good. For coyotes, I would up the charge as much as I could and still keep it accurate. For my .36, that is about 65gr 777. After that, groups open up. I have used TC Maxi Balls in .36 cal with devastating effect on coyotes with 60 gr Pyrodex P. At about 75 yards they just stop and drop. Put that little slug where it belongs and it will work! Both of these guns are older 70's-80's era CVA Squirrel Rifles. Roughly a match for the Traditions of today. I think. :m2c:

 

[odean]

I sent it to an old gunsmith friend and asked him to fix it. I never asked him what he did. It shoots so much better now than it did.

Oscar/NC