Guys,
I ordered a .32 cal Crockett Traditions 1:48 and will have it by Friday. I was wondering if you had any input/load info you wouldn't mind sharing.

Also very interested in any very light loads, below 10grs etc. of fffg etc. for shooting starlings, sparrows at close range?

I have been fighting with ' which caliber' .32 or .36! I already have a round ball molds for the .32 and have been shooting them out of my rifles. I am very happy with the performance of the .311 balls on game up to 20lbs+ (some gobblers were over 20lbs).



Thanks for your help
Harpy

From everything I have heard about the Crockett Rifle, they are a sweet shooting gun. I have no personal experience with the .32 caliber yet. I do intend to get a IBS barrel in that caliber or .40 caiber for small game. I just have not decided yet. The one thing I read over and over on posts about the small caliber rifles (funny we should call a .32 caliber small when many modern rifles are less then that, and are standard hunting fare.) are they fowl the barrel fast, so swabbing is a necessity.

I am sure your rifle will come with a manual where different loads will be suggested. As for loading it down for starlings and such, well you can only try and see what happens. As any of us who have forgot to put powder first before the ball, and had to pack a nipple hole or bolster clean out hole to get enough powder to expell the projectile, very little powder is need to make that ball fly even 35 yards with enough power to bounce back about 15 feet (personal experience talking here... )

Good luck with your new rifle and keep us posted as to how well it shoots....

with very low powder loads you'll have ungodly fouling and won't like reloading after a couple shots. a 32 is very close to a 22 magnum when properly loaded, would you normally use a 22 magnum on a starling? I would think a 22 round with bird shot or a shotgun would be the preferred load, not sure where you are shooting hem but probably a pellet gun or BBgun will be better than a 32 caliber rifle.

most good groupings start around 25 grains of p in my 32 cal. I have no luck with 2 or 3f in mine.

I have a 36 cal home made rifle and I shoot 15 gr by volume of 777 with a musket cap and it shoots great with little or no fouling . I am not shure if they make 777 in 3f size like pordx p ,something to think about . A friend that has a older TC 32 uses 10-12 gr of 3f with good results . Last year the score was ,for me 32 squirles with 42 shots and for him 47 squirles with 61 shots (he gets to hunt more) have fun with the smoke pole.

The load I use in my Crockett is 20gr Pryodex P in front of Hornady .310 roundball with a .010 patch. I have several .32's and .36's namely Cherokee's and senaca's. I shoot exclusively .32 maxi's in my Cherokee as it has a 1:30 twist. Load charges vary depending on the small game I am huning for.