.32 ball drop over 25 to 75 yds

[Ray Settanta]

I am going to my first wood's walk this coming Sunday. I just received a new Traditions Crockett rifle (.32 caliber) and sighted it in two days ago in the rain. At 25 yards, the balls made a group 2" above the aimimg point. I used 15 gr of Goex 3f with a Hornady .310 ball and a .015 patch. After 5 shots, the rain really came down with lots of wind and lighting, so I couldn't shoot at longer distances. I won't be able to shoot again this week. Can anyone help me out with determining how much the ball will drop at distances from 25 yds to 75 yards? Thanks.

[Fyrstyk]

My favorite .32 load is 20grains of 3f with a .310 and .o15 mink oil lubed patch.  I sight it to hit 1" high at 25 yds with a dead on hold.  I am about 3/4" low at 50yds and at 75 about 2" low.  Your 15 grain charge may have a more parabolic trajectory.  You should be able to get a better group at 25 yards than 2".  All three of my .32's will do less than a inch at 25 yards from a bench rest.

[retired fella]

You might try this.  Nothing like actually shooting but may do in a pinch.

ctmuzzleloaders.com    roundball ballistics calculator

[Daryl]

A slightly oblong hole at 25 yards for 5 shots would be more appropriate.

My .32 would do just that at 25 yards, but opened up to 2 1/2" at 50 yards with a 20gr. 3F GOEX load.  I used a .311" ball with .020" patch.

It did not shoot well at 50yards, until I put in 30gr. 3F, and that ran about 1 1./2" average. Increasing still to 35gr. made 1" groups for 5 at 50 yards.

40gr. 3F opened up again to 1 1/2", but was more accurate at 100yards than/was 35gr. - go figure. Once must do the shooting to see the results. You should

not trust what works in someone else's rifle - you rifle is not THAT rifle. You need to shoot yours with a progression of loads and find out what IT wants you to use.

 Sometimes changing the type of target makes a BIG difference.  Too big a target will oft times promote large groups.

Edited to remove the error I made in group size.

[Mike Brooks]

A slightly oblong hole at 25 yards for 5 shots would be more appropriate.

My .32 would do just that at 25 yards, but opened up to 2 1/2" at 50 yards with a 20gr. 3F GOEX load.  I used a .311" ball with .020" patch.

It did not shoot well at 50yards, until I put in 30gr. 3F, and that ran about 1 1./2" average. Increasing still to 35gr. made 1" groups for 5 at 50 yards.

40gr. 3F opened up again to 1 1/2", but was more accurate at 100yards than/was 35gr. - go figure. Once must do the shooting to see the results. You should

not trust what works in someone else's rifle - you rifle is not THAT rifle. You need to shoot yours with a progression of loads and find out what IT wants you to use.

As far as accuracy is concerned, 2" at 25 yards is quite dismal.  Sometimes changing the type of target makes a BIG difference.  Too big a target will oft times promote large groups.

Thanks.......

[wayback40]

He said, "the balls made a group 2" above the aiming point" not that the group was 2".

In my 32's I usually got the best groups using 25 to 40 grns of 3f.  All depends on the gun.

[Ray Settanta]

LOL. Thanks for pointing that out. I haven't used iron sights on a rifle in over 15 years so at 71 I am happy to hit the paper.  I did get a 1" group but only because I used a rest. The next woods walk is in December so I should be able to do some load development and practice before that. This will not be the first time I zeroed a rifle and practiced while shooting at a match.

[hanshi]

My Crockett shot well with both 30 grains of 3F and 20 grns.  At 40 yards it gave 3/4" groups with 30 grns.  My current .32 also likes 30 grns.

Though a .36 and not a .32, my SMR does very well with the same loads.  I was able to consistently hit plastic soda bottles at 80 yards with 20 grns.  The drop at that distance was fairly small.

[Ray Settanta]

Hanshi, if I remember correctly, you had a Crockett for a long time. Do you recall how much of a drop there was between 25, 50 and 75 yards? I only need an approximate answer because after the match this weekend, I'll be able to get back to the range and do it for myself. The current manual recommends that 25 grains of 3f is the maximum load.

[little joe]

Keep practicing.  About 35 yrs ago I was with a friend and we were shooting the 100 yd. off hand  match and I shot 32 or 35 something like that and he said I,m going shoot it over as I think I know where to hold. So we reentered and I shot a 40 with a 50 cal flinter and I,m happy. He shot a 44 with a 32 cal. Keep up going to the range and you will get it sorted out. The gun is capable.

[hanshi]

Ray, I never did test the Crockett for drop at distance.  But being that a 30 grain charge in the little .32 gave pretty high velocities - more so than in the .36 - I'd have to say that at 75 yards it shouldn't have been over 1" to 2" depending on how you had it sighted at 50.

[Ray Settanta]

Thanks everybody for the help.

[Daryl]

Here ya go, for 30gr. 3F GOEX .311 ball- 1,750fps.
25 yard zero 2,000 asl

 Yards..Vel....Energy...Drop...Drift....TOF(sec)

0      1750   304     -0.5    0.0     0.000
2      1717   293     -0.4    0.0     0.003
4      1686   282     -0.4    0.0     0.006
6      1646   269     -0.3    0.0     0.010
8      1607   256     -0.2    0.0     0.014
10     1570   244     -0.2    0.0     0.018
15     1492   221     -0.1    0.0     0.027
20     1406   196     -0.0    0.0     0.038
25     1334   177     -0.0    0.0     0.049
30     1272   160     -0.0    0.0     0.060
35     1213   146     -0.2    0.0     0.072
40     1159   133     -0.4    0.0     0.085
45     1117   124     -0.6    0.0     0.098
50     1081   116     -1.0    0.0     0.112
75     954    90      -4.3    0.0     0.186
100    856    73      -10.6   0.0     0.269
125    773    59      -20.8   0.0     0.361
150    694    48      -36.3   0.0     0.464

[Daryl]

 http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/rbballistics/web_apps/rb_ballistics.html

RB ballistics

For 15gr. - maybe 1,200fps- just a guess.
25 yard zero

Yards..Vel....Energy...Drop...Drift....TOF(sec)

0      1200   143     -0.5    0.0     0.000
2      1179   138     -0.4    0.0     0.005
4      1159   133     -0.3    0.0     0.010
6      1142   129     -0.2    0.0     0.015
8      1126   126     -0.1    0.0     0.020
10     1109   122     -0.1    0.0     0.026
15     1076   115     0.0     0.0     0.039
20     1047   109     0.1     0.0     0.053
25     1021   103     0.0     0.0     0.068
30     996    98      -0.2    0.0     0.083
35     973    94      -0.4    0.0     0.098
40     950    90      -0.8    0.0     0.114
45     929    86      -1.3    0.0     0.130
50     909    82      -1.8    0.0     0.146
75     819    67      -6.8    0.0     0.233
100    739    54      -15.8   0.0     0.329
125    662    43      -30.4   0.0     0.437
150    592    35      -51.8   0.0     0.556
175    525    27      -82.9   0.0     0.691
200    463    21      -126.5  0.0     0.843
225    406    16      -187.2  0.0     1.016
250    354    12      -271.1  0.0     1.214
275    305    9       -386.6  0.0     1.442
300    261    7       -546.9  0.0     1.708
325    221    5       -770.1  0.0     2.020
350    185    3       -1083.7 0.0     2.390
375    153    2       -1532.2 0.0     2.836
400    124    2       -2183.6 0.0     3.380

[Ray Settanta]

Thanks, Daryl! That's exactly what I needed. That will help me out a lot this weekend.