Our small game season starts on the 17th and I have been using a 36 cal cap-lock for squirrels for the past four seasons. Yesterday I was offered a 32 cal Traditions Crockett rifle for $150.00 that looks like it hadn’t been shot more than a dozen times. My thinking is that it would make a good squirrel gun so I bought it. No paper works came with the gun and the manual I downloaded from Traditions indicates that the most accurate load for a 32 cal is only 10 grains of powder and the max is 25. In that my 36 shoots best with 55 grains of 3F those loads seem a bit anemic to me. Any thoughts on where I should start to work up a load?

I am sure that the manual is aimed towards the side of safety, but that does sound like a low charge. Now owning a small rifle, I have no idea what to tell you. So I would say ... follow the recommendations of the manufacturer. I am sure there are other shooters that might give you a more realistic powder charge.

55grs in a .36 is a very stout load, of course if it groups with that much powder then it is what it is...

In my .40 my squirrel load is 25grs FFF...In a .32 I would start with 15-20grs and move up to 30-35...I'd hope it could group with the lower charge as higher charges will tear up the meat if head shots aren't taken...

After shooting 20 and 25 grain loads of GOEX FFFg in my .32 Pedersoli with several different patch thicknesses and not getting the accuracy I thought I should get, I moved up to 35 grains GOEX FFFg and got this. You've just got to let the rifle tell you what it wants. I don't see how a load like this could be too much for a Traditions rifle.

The rule of thumb my Granddad taught me was to start at 1/2 the ball weight and expect to find the sweet load before you get to 3/4 the ball weight.

I shoot a 30 grain load of 3F in my 36 caliber rifle with PRB. And that is not a stout load by any means. But my rifle shoots 30 grains very well. I have shot up to 50 grains of powder in the rifle. But my rifle shot a pattern at 50 yards-not a group. My rifle will consistently hit a 2-1/2" gong every shot with a 30 grain load. I have yet to shoot a squirrel with the rifle. And I will probably be selling it since I ordered a new rifle. But 30 grains should work well for you.

Also you got a good deal on that rifle. I have seen them(in top condition) sell for $250 to even $300. So you did well!! Tom.

I shoot 30 gr in my .32 cal . That Crockett is a nice squirrel gun . I am sure you will like it. And you got it for a great price . congrats

I also have the Traditions Crockett in .32 and love it. I am shooting 30 grs. of 3F and getting good results.

Enjoy!!!

I started with 20 gr of FFFg and worked my way up in 5 gr increments and watched as the groups size shrank and then begin to enlarge. The optimum load for my T/C Cherokee .32 cal was 30 gr with RB and .018" pillow tick patch. Much like Semi, those 5 PRBs punched a nice ragged hole at 25 yds.