Is a .32 Cal. accurate with slight variations in powder vol.

[mossyhorn]

I am bldg. a .32 flint with a rice barrel and have been told that it will not be as accurate as my old CVA .45 that will shoot a 3 shot group that I can cover with a quarter at 25 yds. It was said that the .32 or any small cal. are very choosy concerning the amounts of powder and consistent volumes of powder per load, with a powder measure while hunting. Since this is my first bldg. I am now very concerned that I've chosen the wrong cal. for my squirrel rifle. I know that a good load must be worked up but will they still be accurate with very small differences experienced with a vol. measure as I do in my .45?

[bob in the woods]

At 25 yards, I have no doubt that you'll be able to shoot inside a "quarter".   I measured my "bulk/volume " loads
with an electronic scale many years ago, and they were within a couple of grains of each other.

[Mike Brooks]

I shot a .32 for many years, never had the problems you are anticipating.

[JBJ]

Have used various .32s  for years. I have found that loads from 20 to 35 grains of FFFG  will work when I have the right patch and ball combination. Of course, some combinations were better than others. I don't think that you will find getting to quarter size groups to be too difficult. The little .32s are sure fun!
J.B.

[Robin Henderson]

Got lucky at Friendship. This is an offhand target I shot in the Haffner Agg at 25 yds. The low nine was my last shot....25 grains Goex 3f, ticking patch and Hornady "0" buckshot.

[Daryl]

A .32 will shoot dime-sized groups at 25 yards - ALL DAY& fairly easily given a decent shot, good eyes & GOOD ball/patch combination.  

A mere 20 to 25gr. of 3f is all that is needed at that range.

Shooting that well at 50yards, however, will usually take a lot more powder and may never happen, that is, resulting in dime sized groups with a .32.

A .45 will my much easier to get to shoot those sized groups at 50 yards, but at that, dime-sized is a good trick for open sights at 50 yards from a rest. Nickle sized groups are quite possible with .40's, .45's and even .50's - and maybe a .36 as well - but a .32 - possible, but not with the .32 I had.  My .32 would put 5 consecutive shots that you could cover with a dime at 25 yards, using only 20gr. 3F. It would give the same accuracy (albeit different poi) with charges increasing by 5gr. weight, right up to 40gr. 3F at 25 yards.  All charges were stricken using ctg. case powder measures with roughly a .30 cal bore.  The smaller the hole diameter in the powder measure, the closer each thrown powder charge will be to the previous one. Using small diameter powder measures and good technique, your charges will not vary more than a couple tenths of a grain.

The larger the ball, the greater the POTENTIAL accuracy as the range increases.

[bones92]

Agreed.  Your biggest challenge for tiny groups is more likely to be with having the right sights (and a good set of eyes) than it is with the .32 caliber.

Personally, I like a thin, sharp front sight post and a fairly narrow rear notch.  This helps me aim precisely and consistently.

The good thing is that squirrels and small varmint (the ideal recipient of .32 lead medicine) are small, so you probably don't need to worry about dime-sized groups beyond 30 or 40 yards, anyway.

[little joe]

Got lucky at Friendship. This is an offhand target I shot in the Haffner Agg at 25 yds. The low nine was my last shot....25 grains Goex 3f, ticking patch and Hornady "0" buckshot.

Luck, thats BS. This is skill and hopefully no wind. Great shooting.

[Dennis Glazener]

I am now very concerned that I've chosen the wrong cal. for my squirrel rifle.

I built a NC style rifle with a Rice 32 cal 44 inch radius rifling that shot really well. Normally I can't brag on any of my ML shooting since open sights haven't worked well for me since I was a teenager! But that little 32 would shoot nickel sized or better groups from a rest all day long and it didn't seem to care what I used. I just used whatever patch material I had that loaded easily and usually shot from 20 to 30 grains of Goex 3F. I didn't see any difference in group sizes.

I sold the rifle primarily because the little 32 cal balls are too small for my old arthritic hands and it was always a pain to clean because I usually had either too loose or too tight a jag for my cleaning patches but that wasn't the barrels fault. I think you will love the 32 as far as accuracy is concerned.

I replaced the rifle with one of Jim Kiblers 36 cal, haven't shot it yet but if it shoots anywhere near as good as the 32 I will be happy.
Dennis

[mossyhorn]

Thanks!!! You guys are making me feel much better about my choice. Mine is a Kibler kit also with an added patch box of my design. Just like some polishing of the  trigger guard, butt plate, and barrel then the stain and finish and aging the barrel and the rest of the metal.

[hanshi]

I've owned two .32 rifles, a Traditions Crockett and a poorboy flint with a Rice RB swamped barrel.  The Crockett was a sub 1" 5 shot group shooter with 20 to 30 grains of 3F and that was at 40 yards.  Still working with the flinter but it does shoot like a "house-a-fire" with 40 grains of 3F.  And anywhere from 15 to 30 grains of 3F shoots with the same great accuracy.  I like the .32.

[Don Steele]

Mossyhorn....
First thing you might want to do is ignore most of: "...what you've been told".
You've got a Kibler kit with a Rice bbl. and a Chambers lock. Unless you REALLY screw something up in building the rifle, she's gonna shoot.
I've been casually shopping around for a LH-flint 32 caliber rifle. As a result, I generally take note of the posts that discuss the .32.
One of the things I've noticed is that more than any other caliber, there seems to be a lot more powder/patch/ball combinations in general use than any other common caliber.
I see ball sizes from .310, .311, .315, .320. All kinds of patch thicknesses and powder charges (generally 3f) from 10-50 gns.
Bottom line is that you will need to find out what your rifle likes. You may find some help by polling other folks that are shooting a 32 caliber Kibler kit, to at least narrow down the field of choices you will want to start out looking at.
Good luck..and ENJOY the journey. 

[Daryl]

Mossyhorn....
I see ball sizes from .310, .311, .315, .320. All kinds of patch thicknesses and powder charges (generally 3f) from 10-50 gns.
Bottom line is that you will need to find out what your rifle likes.

What is written above - is a guideline. There is nothing written in stone - nor from 2 barrels of the same maker.  There are a multitude of combinations that will work - depending on what is defined as "working well".

If you are after the best accuracy the barrel, gun and you can provide, you have to experiment - as has already been said a number of times.

The best accuracy will come from combinations like you see the fellows using who are consistently in the winner's circle at rendezvous - those will not be .311" ball and .010" or .012" patches - nor .015" patches for that matter.

The accuracy you get is what you get with the combinations you choose to use.

Do not expect a .32 to shoot to compete on par with well developed combinations with the .45's and .50's - at 50 or more yards.

At 25yards, it should put 5 shots into a sightly oblong 40cal. hole - with a good combination and about any powder charge- maybe even a .015" patch.  Further out, say 40 to 60yards, is what separates good combinations from not-so-good ones.