.32 loads

[braintanned]

Hello all-After a week of nasty weather,I got to shoot my new .32 today -the trigger needed work(done) and the front sight was loose from the factory(wish I noticed that sooner),but it didnt do too bad-I decided to just shoot for the fun of shooting and not worry too much about sighting it in until I learned what it liked to be fed and got used to shooting it-does anyone have experience with ,32 caliber ball-ets? I was using 30 grns of pyrodex P at first,then switched to 35 which seemed to help tighten the groups but nothing was very consistant - a couple shots would almost touch-the next two might as well but be 5" away from the other two-I was not using the bench but rather just sitting,so my own changes and lack of practice are likely to blame-but if anyone has found a sweet load for 70 grn ball ets in a 24" 1:48 barrel,I could use the advice on what works well for others! to be excited about squirrel hunting agian is a wonderful thing- Steve

 

[cayuga]

http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/lube.htm

Here is an interesting site of a person shooting a .32 caliber. I have no experience with it.

 

[RogerDailey]

I have no experience with the ball-ets, but I did play around with some other conicals. My results were about like yours. It seemed I had to give them a pretty stiff load to get decent accuracy. Another thing was consistent wiping between shots. My best result came when I used a min. amount of wetting solution. That is just enough to get the patch in and out without hanging. For me, that is 3 drops of Moose Milk on a patch. I push the patch in untill I feel the "crud ring" that develops just behind the projectile. I let the patch rest there for about a 2 count, then withdraw the patch and load the next one. I suspect the conicals don't fit the bore real tight and with the small charges of powder; things don't ignite in a real consistent fashion. I did improve results by using masking tape wrapped around the bullet as a paper patch. There were a bear to load, but shot well. For what its worth, all I use now in 32's are patched round balls (#0 buckshot).

 

[braintanned]

thanks for the replys-I've been fishing and just now got back into the frame of mind to hunt! I will be shooting the .32 agian saturday from a bench rest,and if I have time,will weigh the powder (after seeing what a measured by volume amount weighs).I'd also love to weigh theese "ball-et"s too and seperate them while sighting in. while I may end up going with patched rounds,I have two boxes of theese ballets to use up and will post what I find out -Steve

 

[Finaddict]

while I may end up going with patched rounds

There's nothing wrong with a PRB. I use the roundballs in my .32 and it does a real number on the rabbits and squirells. The .32 is a great small game rifle that's cheap and fun to shoot. Enjoy and keep us posted on your results.

 

[braintanned]

I can say the "ball-ets" were not to blame before-I didnt weigh either powder or the bullets as I intended but did use a bench and was very pleased with the little .32 today! the first shot was about an inch away from the next 4 or 5 that were touching or overlapping.I adjusted the rear sight and had another group that were just as close,only on center-whoo hoo! this was only at 30 yards,but I figure that equals a far shot at small game,and I am anxious to go squirrel hunting!

 

[cayuga]

now I read somewhere that you can shoot 00 Buck instead of a ball.. is that true? If it was, you could sure shoot cheap.

 

[RogerDailey]

now I read somewhere that you can shoot 00 Buck instead of a ball.. is that true? If it was, you could sure shoot cheap.

I believe 00 (0.33") would be very tight. I use 0 (0.032") and it requres a thin patch. However, they are cheap ($7-8 for 700 balls) and in my experience shoot just as well as the commercial 32 cal roundballs.

 

[schoolmaster]

I have a custom 32 with Montana barrel and it shoots 40 grains of 3f and a .315 roundball with .15 pillow ticking patch. Now this is a fast load and will have the terminal effect on squirrels about like a .22 mag. So head shots are in order. It really peels them out of the tree.

 

[sabinajiles]

30 grns of powder pushing a 70 grn conical seems like a bit of overkill for squirrels. I have a .32 cal Crockett rifle that will shoot <quarter sized groups, at 35 yds, all day long, using a .311 roundball over 18 grns of Fffg blackpowder.

 

[braintanned]

I agree on the over-kill. however, I am optimistic with this inital outing in terms of accuracy; and the squrrels wont mind if they were taken out by a load that might also be effective on something bigger. I usually have a predator call with me regardless of what I am hunting.

 

[cayuga]

I might just have to get me a Green Mountian Barrel in .32 caliber. What would be exciting is get one in flintlock and shoot it off my Hawkins...

I better stop reading this thread.. the last rifle was enough. Another rifle would be trouble around the house. So what two rifles in one month is not the end of the world. Not a big deal. Right :?: