Who woulda thunk it?

[J.D.]

I have owned a 32 cal, Pedersoli frontier rifle for several years, that has been giving me fits. The "normal" loads used in other 32s have not shot well at all. When I say "not shot well" I mean shotgun patterns or hard loading, or both.

.323 balls and a .015 patch shot well, but were too hard to load for hunting. .315 balls and .015 and .018 patching didn't shoot all that well. The .315 and a .020 patch was a real bear to load, but shot well.

I recently found 8 .310 balls and a fragment of canvas that mics .020. That started by old brain churning; .310+ .040=.350. Well, this load loads easier, especially with the funneled muzzle Daryl advises.

I fired all 8 rounds without swabbing, with a decent group at 30 yards, or so, considering that I was sitting down leaning against a tree.

Patches were either spit lubed or lubed with Windex.

I guess that I'll use the remaining .315 and .323 balls in the blunderbuss. 

Who woulda thunk it?

God bless,
J.D.

[hanshi]

J.D.,  I've never had any experience with the Pedersoli Frontier rifle in .32 but I do have a Traditions "Crockett" in .32 cal.  I cast balls from a Lee mold that lists it as being .311 though I've never miked them.  I've use only dead soft lead to mold them.  With pillow ticking and with thinner t-shirt patches both, I get excellent accuracy.  I think you're on the right track especially now as you say you are now getting satisfactory accuracy.  My best load seems to be 30grns of Goex 3f.  20grns is virtually as accurate and duplicates the old .22 WRF.  30grns duplicates the .22WRM.  I've never funneled the muzzle and loading is easy with the proper lube.  Hope this helps. 

[J.D.]

The .310 balls with thin patching didn't shoot well in this gun, but with .020 patching pushed by 35 gr FFG Swiss, an 8 shot group measured 2 inches by 1 3/8 inches, fired at a range of 35 yards, stepped off. Three shots were touching in the 1" dia X ring. One shot is a pinwheel X. They don't get any better than that.

All shots were fired from a sitting position, with my back against a tree and elbows resting on my knees.

Not bad shooting for a short, fat, foureyed, baldheaded old man.   

Can ya tell that I'm excited to get this gun shooting well? 

God bless,
J.D.

[hanshi]

Usually all it takes is a bit of experimentation to find what a particular gun likes.  Some are more omnivorous, others are more picky.  Yours was picky but you found out what it likes.  The .32 is a superior small game round, economical and accurate.  Have fun.   

[Sam Everly]

I had one years ago and it shot great . I can't tell you what i shot in it as for balls , but i used .015 wonder lube patches . It would group 5 shots you could cover with  dime at 25 yards. I shot several 50's with it at 25 yards , that was offhand . But on a windy day , forget it ! If i remember what the ball size was i will let you know . The reason i sold it was, it was Butt UGLY! 

[northmn]

I had a Lyman mold at .319 for my 32s, but my first was a Douglas and the second I just can't remember.  It was 1-48.  Both shot OK.  I sometimes think that too tight may damage the ball enough on loading to mess up accuracy.  A small bore like that especially.  They are fun to shoot.

DP

[hanshi]

There is apparently enough variation in the bore size & rifling depth of various .32s to require experimentation.  Typically, .310 - .315 ball size will fill most needs.  .32s really shouldn't be forced to take tight balls.  Besides the deformation problem Northmn mentions, .32 rods are thin and easily broken.  A good starting point would be a .310/.311 ball and pillow ticking or similar patching.  Also, forget about the claims of excessive fouling; use of a good lube (especially the wet lubes) will allow many rounds to be fired with ball seating no more difficult than with larger calibers.

[J.D.]

The reason i sold it was, it was Butt UGLY! 

  They are ugly guns, aren't they. I have seriously thought about selling this one, but until it began to shoot well, I couldn't, with a clear conscious,sell it to some poor unsuspecting slob who probably wouldn't get any better groups than I had.

Now that it shoots well, I may part with it and build a good looking gun, that fits properly, around an old Douglas XX .32 cal barrel. I have most of the components to cobble together a  generic rifle, and since I am learning to forge buttpieces and trikker guards, might make a southern rifle out of it.

I don't know where I bought the .310 balls, but I have had them for a looong time.  Accuracy was spotty, no matter what patch/ball combination was shot in this gun.
I don't know why I didn't try .020 patching with the .310 balls, but that .020 patching is what made all the difference. I have a piece of canvas that mics .022, and might try that too.

The only balls  locally available are .315 Hornady balls, so that is what I bought, and tried to shoot when the .310 balls didn't shoot well.

The plastic rod that came with this gun was originally replaced by hardware store ramin.  I then bought about a dozen hickory rods, of various diameters, at Dixons a coupla years ago and made a coupla good hickory rods that are holding up well.

These small bores are fun and economical to shoot, and like Sam said, it is butt ugly. 

I do appreciate everyone's input.
God bless,
J.D.

[T*O*F]

JD,
You've got a PM