Traditions Crockett Maxi-ball

[Bardo]

I would like to here from people that have used the Maxi ball (mine is 112gr from pure lead 32 cal.) in the Crockett or even any 32 cal 1 in 48. I would like to know what people are doing to get it to shoot good. I have read stuff on this but no details. People say things like it shot good, but don't give group sizes or ranges or better yet pictures.

96688

So I went and shot the boolit for the first time today. I tried it out with a naked boolit and a lubed felt wade, just a lubed boolit, and lubed boolit with lubed felt wad. The naked boolit was hard to get the third boolit down so I wont use that combo.

I tried 22.5 gr of 3f goex and the boolit when it hit the target at 25 yards was tumbling. (you can see one at the top of the target) 30 gr of 3f goex and the boolit wasn't tumbling but the group was about 3.875" at 25 yards. (3 shot group on the right) 35 gr of 3f goex and the group tightened up a little but was still bad at 3". I don't know how much powder I can put in there and be safe. I think more would tighten it up. My Lyman manual doesn't list the maxi ball just round ball and they go to 70 gr of 3f goex with a round ball.

96687

Then I put my normal load of 22.5 gr 3f goex and a .311 round ball (cast from a ohaus 2 cavity mold) with .015 pillow ticking patch lubed with mouse milk (1 to 7) and got my normal great results of .5" for a 3 shot group at 25 yards.

I know that the 1 in 48 twist could be the problem. But I have read mixed reviews with this boolit in 1 in 48 twist 32 cals. And would like to know what people are doing to get good results.

Bardo

[tacklebury]

35 gr. FFFg is maximum in the Crockett with a conical. Maximum with round ball is 25 gr. 8)

***edit***
I should have stated that it's definitely a slower twist than a lot of conicals will like. If you can find them, you might try a ballette mold. Think there was one for sale some time ago, don't know if it is still there. Those are short enough to use in RB twist firearms.

[Bardo]

Well I decided to cut off one of the bands and see if that would help with my slow twist. This was pretty crude but they didn't differ more then 1 gr and weighed 75 gr.

96759

I shot 3 with 22.5 gr 3f goex and it grouped about 4". But I shot a group with 30 gr 3f goex and at 25 yards got a 1.125" group. So I think there is hope.

Bardo

96760

[jjamna]

Big difference there. I was going to tell you yesterday to try cutting them but chickened out. I am seriously considering having my mold milled down to what you shot. Maybe just a bit longer. I shoot mine in a 1 in 66 CVA. At least that is what I think it is LOL.

[Bardo]

I was looking at milling mine, but I don't think it would work. If you milled it down to the next lube groove it would only leave about 1/8" of thread in the aluminum for the 2 bolts on the top. Also they cut that shallow trough down the middle of the new 6 cavities to help vent. You would be into that and it would make the 2 halves not fit tight at the top.

Bardo

[fouronesix]

If you get good obturation and little or no cutting or blow-by with the 32 cal Maxiball therefore good spin up out the muzzle, there's still the question of basic stability. For what it's worth in my experience and given a twist rate of 48" through all the calibers.... the Maxiball stabilizes well and is accurate in 54 and 50 caliber but is marginal in 45 caliber. That seems to be a clue that somewhere around 45-50 caliber, a 48" twist starts to become inadequate. Study how the relationship between caliber and twist works in the Greenhill formula/table. It may not be THE answer but worth considering.

[Lefty Red]

I had a Traditions Deer Stalker with a .32 cal barrel. The local ammo producer and gun shop owner casted and sized me some bullets he had for a 32 long load he produced (lead and air cooled). I double TLed them with Alox and ran then under a wad and 30 grains of FFF. I got very good groups and it would drop a coydog at 50 yards! Would not flinched to use it against a small doe.

Might be a cheap alternate to the maxi ball, ball-et mold. If you can find one. I personally have never heard of anyone that got good groups with the small maxi bullet.

Lefty

[fouronesix]

Oh and another way to look at the potential of a 32 or 36 caliber longish conical like the Maxiball out of a 48" twist muzzleloader. Compare that 48" twist to what yields good results for shooting conicals out of a BPCR rifle. The accurate BPCRs shooting comparable conicals at comparable velocities usually have twists in the 16"-22" range for 45 caliber.... not 48" in a 32 caliber! Seems little wonder why the PRB does well and the conical does not. Roundballs require very little twist to shoot well. The only way to overcome that reality in a small caliber, relatively slow twist rifle would be to shorten the conical into a flatbase roundball... aka the Ball-et or one of the short pistol bullets. The problem then becomes having enough inertial mass to fully obturate.

[Squeeze]

Love the .32 But in my obsevations 1-48 is just too slow in a .32 so I rarely shoot them much anymore, due to my increasing supply of faster twist barrels. Dont own a crocket, But I do own 2 CVA varminter and a squirreler, and a pedersoli in 1-48 in .32 cal. To me my TC 1-30 twists just outperform on every level. But even they have taken a backseat lately to some custom inlines with 1-34, and 1-36 twists. :grin: (I know...blasphemy, But you trad guys are just way too uptight, and that, for the most part is what waned me from my trad phaze).

In a varminter, I was getting best results with 30 grn goex 3f, and a combo of lubed wads, powder, felt wad, then a 3/16 or 1/4 inch cardboard wad lightly lubed (I cant even remember where I got them) then maxi. also lubed. I almost always swab between shots, usually one windex, then one dry (both sides each) And dont tamp the load too tight, just seat snug, this has become a practice for me in the small calibers, doesn't seem so strict for a larger cal.