Looking for .32 cal information...

[CoHiCntry]

With small game hunting season upon us I've been thinking about trying to find a .32 caliber side lock. I don't know much about these so hoping you all could give me some information on them? I haven't seen a lot of these around and a quick google search didn't turn up too much. I was looking at the T/C Cherokee... good choice? I read that the 1:30 twist rate on the Cherokee is better for small game hunting than the 1:48 that most .32's come with. Agree? Any other .32's that I should be looking at? Where can I find one to buy? Thanks for the help!

 

[dbowling2]

1:48 works just fine, my little Traditions Deerstalker .32 is very accurate shooting 15-20 gr. fffg with tight patch..at least the squirrels I shot in the head with it think so

 

[exMember]

yep the 1:48 does great with those tiny pills. Traditions is about all you'll find unless its a green mountain drop in barrel or a custom barrel.

 

[Fyrstyk]

If you can find a Cherokee in .32 at a reasonable price, I would get it.  If you are in the market for a new gun, the Traditions Crockett has had some good reviews.  Dixie gun works also carries some Pedersoli models like the Pennsylvania with 41" barrel, or the Cub with 28" barrel and there is the  Frontier (Full size 39" barrel or Scout 25" barrel).  I think the Alamo model is also available in .32.

There are a few other choices too, but these are just a few that I remember.  As for twist rate, I have a CVA Squirrel rifle with a 1:56 twist.  This gun likes 10-15 Grains of 3F with a 310 ball for near one hole groups at 25 yds from the bench.  My pedersoli Pennsylvania likes 25 grains with the same ball for about 1800 FPS with the 1:48 twist.  Very accurate out to 40 yards with 1-1.5 groups.  I also have a .32 Green Mountain drop in barrel for my Renegade.  The barrel alone weighs over 6#.  I have this gun set up for target work only for range shooting.  It has a 1:48 twist and is 28" long.  It likes a .320 ball with a .10 patch over 25 grains of 3f.  I have this set up with a vernier tang peep sight, and I have won several off hand 25 yard matches with it as it will shoot into 1 hole from the bench, and I have been able to get less than 3/4" groups off hand if I am having a good day.

The small caliber guns are fun to shoot as they are very economical and accurate, but it seems that new guns in the smaller calibers are getting harder to find.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like a T/C Cherokee might be hard to find and they definitly hold there value! All the Pedersoli's Ive seen so far have been full stock which I'm not crazy about. Would prefer a half stock. They seem pretty pricey too. Didn't really wanna spend that much. Which brings me to the Traditions Crockett... It has the look that I like and at a reasonable price. New too which is nice. Midway has them for $50 off right now. Might go ahead and get one. Anyone have anything else to say good or bad about these before I pull the trigger?

 

[mark1945]

Im building one right now I got the kit from Midway . So far Ive not found anything to not like nice wood , metal is machined smooth all the inletting is about 99 % very little work for getting a perfect fit . The only dislike that I had was the under rib does not go all the way to the end cap  that was an easy fix to extend it . I would not hesitate to buy either a finished gun or a kit again.

 

[Hanshi]

I owned and hunted with a Traditions Crockett for many years; it's perfect for squirrels or any other small game and varmints.  Those little rifles are capable of sub 1" groups at 40 yards or better.  I used mostly a .311" ball and 30 grains of 3F.  Twenty grains shot just as well and I did not find it destructive on squirrels even using the 30" charge.

Another myth to put to rest is the claim that the small bores foul worse and faster than larger bores.  The fouling issue will depend on your patch thickness and the lube you use.  I use Hoppes <a href='/tags/9' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #9'>#9</a> BP lube and a .022" mattress ticking patch.  As long as your prb combo is snug and fairly tight there will be no fouling buildup.  Spit patch does just as well.  A tight prb will not require wiping if you even use a grease, I like mink oil.  Smooth the rifles crown to prevent patch cutting and you'll be fine.

 

[hawkthrower]

Truly love my .32 - light weight and packs a bigger punch than you might expect - It ain't no .58! but anything that crawls or flies, that is small, and even perhaps a bit larger than small is easily taken. As Hanshi said, sub 1" out to 50yds is very easily done!

Coyote removal tool..... you will like it!

 

[Hanshi]

Hawkthrower, that is one nice looking little rifle.  The .32 can be extremely accurate; and most shooters don't realize how powerful it can be.  It gives a fine balance between accuracy and power.  For varmints just load it up and for small game just load it down.  Coyotes?  No problem.  Squirrels?  No problem.  My current .32 is a flintlock and I'm still searching for that "definitive load".