Accuracy tips for the .32 ?

[Daryl]

A starter smaller in diameter than 5/16" is needed as that size will grab a patch. 1/4" brass would work, but 1/4" hickory is preferable due to the brass being harder on the crown as to wear.

[MeatStick]

In my .32 cal Rayl barreled rifle I'm shooting 15 grains fff, 310 ball and cotton t-shirt patches with no lube,  brush and alcohol swab after 3 getting about a quarter sized group at 40 yards. My crockett would not do better than a snuff can group at forty with patch and ball.

[MeatStick]

I have been stretching the range on my .32. I found the groups fall apart after 40 yards with the dry thin patch, so I did some experimenting with patch and lubes. Best groups at 50 yards was .20 pillow tick patch, very light bore butter, .310 ball and 19 grains fff. Result was about a quarter sized group. At 100 yards same patch and ball, 41 grains fff gave consistent snuff can sized groups. I swabbed with alcohol and dry patch after every 3 shots. 

[doug]

     I have a 32 early Dixie poor boy and it is very fussy about the powder charge.  I use buckshot with roughly .015" patch and spit patches cut at the muzzle.  In my case I started with 15 grains and worked up to 30 gr of 3F.  It seems to like the 30 grain charge

cheers Doug

[Daryl]

Mine likes 35gr. for all round. With 30gr. is was giving the odd flyer out of the group. With 35gr. 3F GOEX, they are all in the group. I was using .311" pure lead cast balls, Lee mould with 10oz denim as well as the .023" railroad ticking. No wiping is needed - ever as it'/s cleaned/wiped, ever time a ball is seated, but then, the best I can get is 1" at 50 yards for 5 shot groups. I thought that was pretty good for a .32 until this thread. I picked up a .319" Lee moud which will become my go-to mould now. 

I still have some pure 100% cotton stretchy material that runs .019" in heavily compressed calipers that might just be the ticket for this .319" ball - with the normal, easy loading. This material is very tightly woven, with a crinkled stitch that gives it some stretch, although no synthetics are in it - it is very strong, with an exceptionally high thread count. I am hording the last yard of it now.

 

[hanshi]

I've had my Crockett a good 12 years or so and have no idea if any changes have been made to the model since then.  The grooves in the bore (my rifle) are quite deep, noticeably deeper than many other factory rifles I've owned or examined.  I think this is partly the reason a .311" ball and .020" patch loads so easily and produces fine accuracy.  I know for certain the accuracy is not a result of my shooting ability.  

[Daryl]

In my rifle, Hanshi, with about .008" rifling, I can push the .023" ticking patched .311" ball down into the muzzle with the stud on the short starter's knob, just by pushing on it with my hand.  The small balls re-form into the rifling very easily.  It doesn't take very much pressure, it seems. 

I found when using mink oil in my .32, that after the first shot, it loaded easier than the first had and continued to do that however many shots I fired- all were easier than the first - perhaps that was due to the 'other' oil film not being compatible with the mink oil?  Dan found this with WD40 as well. When using the normal wet patches, I haven't noticed this -  except every round including the last round of the day, whether it's only the 50th or the 80th, always loads as easily as the first - only fore finger and thumb on the ram rod to seat it after it's started 5" down the tube.

[alsask]

Finaly got out with the .32 yesterday.  It is shooting as good as my son's Ruger 10/22 at 25 yards.  I think my problems were with the oversized starter and too thin a patch.

Now I have to go looking for some rabbits.

[hanshi]

Daryl, I never got around to smoothing the crown on my Crockett so don't know if that plus a touch of mink oil would help even more.  I mostly use Hoppes which allows me to shoot and shoot and easily reload.  The only time I ever do anything to the bore during a session is to occasionally use a brush or patch is if a crud ring seems to have formed.

[Daryl]

The little .32's a blast to shoot. I've never had any crud rings develope, so cannot address that problem.

[bob in the woods]

Speaking of "crud",  any ideas as to why my .32 gets a crud build up on the breach face ?  Eventually, it needs scraping.

[Daryl]

Don't know, Bob - I clean mine by flushing awatr in and out the vent under a much pressure as the rod can supply - no crud.  I use 35gr. 3f GOEX and it shoots as cleanly and cleans up as easily as any other gun I own.