.32 MaxiBall

[trapperP]

I posted up a thread in the "Wanted" section to see if anyone had a MaxiBall mold for the .32? I just ordered up a .32, actually a TC Hawken with GM .32 barrel and was wanting to see how it did with the MaxiBall. I have an eye problem that was just repaired but cannot shoot anything with greater recoil than a 22 rimffire per my Dr [ he also shoots, lucky me!] and based on my experience with the TC Hawken both in 45 and 50 they are absolutely deadly with the MaxiBall. Anyone know of this, any experience with using them in the pea rifles? I plan on doing some real devastation to the resident squirrel population with this thing and cannot wait to actually get my hands on it and shoot it some.
Any information and help appreciated!

[mooman76]

You have to have a pretty tight twist in a 32 to get a maxi to stablize. Why not try a RB? They can shoot very well also.

[DIRT Farmer]

I had one a long time ago thai I used in a TC 32 Cherokee. It shot well as I rember, as usual in my experience with a hot for bore load. I also rember it fouled. Wiping after the shot was mandatory

[stubshaft]

Check the twist of the barrel. My Mountain rifle never shot the maxi's well. But then again 3/4" @ 50 yds with a RB and 20gr 3F is hard to beat.

[roverboy]

You can try the maxi's, they might work good. I remember reading a article once about .32 ml rifles and in it the author said that if the barrel had a fast twist it would shoot better with light loads. He said 1 in 30 or 1 in 32 was great. What he said made a lot of since. Most people today shoot squirrels woth a .22 lr. Velocity with a .22 is about 1150-1250 fps. They work good too. He said to get good accuracy out of most .32's, you have to use 25-30 gr. powder. That means .22 mag. velocity. The rifling twist on most are to slow. Most are 1 in 66" twist. He used charges like 10-15 gr. for about 1150 fps. I think this article was written by Sam Fadala. Sorry to ramble on.

[northmn]

A round ball in a 32 will do quite a bit of damage to small game. I question whether a mixi would give any more range. Also most 32's ahve a 1-48 inch twist which may be a bit slow for a maxi. Patched round balls will shoot rings around it anyway and work fine for what a 32 is used for.

Northmn

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Many tell you stories about the .32 not shooting slugs.

My personal long term experience with a 1/66 Douglas barreled caplock that normally shoots very well with "0" buck and either 15 or 30 grains of Goex fffg, is that the rifle shoots the Lee .32 SWC or the Hornady bulk .32 wc with the same accuracy at 25 and 50 yards. It shoots them with the same charges into the same size groups at 25 and slightly lower at 50 yards. I used .005 precut patches and naked boolits, or paper patched them. I did wipe between shots as this was range playing .

I always used the RB for hunting. I found greater hit possibilities at longer ranges with the RB on gray squirrlels. Perhaps if I had been after groundhogs the slug might have been better for energy. The RB ran at 1350 for the lower charge and 1650 for the greater. BvT

[KCSO]

Why a Maxi, a 32 is a small game gun and a r/b will give you everything you ned in a 32. You are just wasting lead with a maxi.

[StarMetal]

I'll bet that 32 Cherokee doesn't have as slow twist as a normal 32 muzzle loader.

[trapperP]

Thanks to all for the replies. i don't have the rifle to hand yet so I can't check the twist until it arrives. It is a T/C Hawken but it has a green river barrel and I cannot find where they state the rate of twist of their barrels.
My experience with M/L rifles has been a little bit with a 45 and a great deal with a 50. My T/C Hawken 50 shoots a patched .490 RB very well and is absolutely deadly with the T/C MaxiBall. Better than I could shoot it for sure and now that I am not supposed to shoot anything with more recoil than a 22 rim fire I wanted something else to play with and ordered out the .32.
Already have a supply of RB for it but would like to test it out with the MaxiBall before buying 500 or so.
Best regards,
trapperP

[chief3]

I have a .32 Green River barrel that handles Lee SWC 's very well. I still use RB because they are a little more accurate. I use the SWC,s at 100yd cross stick matches if there is much wind since the RB 's cant take any wind at that distance.
Have fun with that new rifle. Trying different loads is always a great way to spend a day.

[shdwlkr]

I have only been shooting black powder for 4 decades plus so am still learning. What I have found is that the maxi-ball is a nice bullet to play with but for serious work I like the rb. I only have 6 or 7 thompson center black powder rifles so I kind of limited on what will and won't work. In all of my black powder rifles that go from .32 up to .54 caliber the maxi works depending on what you call acceptable and range you are shooting. If I am shooting varmints then I like the maxi as it does deliver more engery but limit my range to under 100 yards or even less depending on caliber being used.
In my .50 and .54 I like the extra weight of the maxi when hunting big game and again my range is around 75 yards or less. It all boils down to what you expect from the bullet and caliber go from there and see what happens. I know they tell you that you need a fast twist to shoot maxi balls but have known and seen friends fire them in rifles with 1and 66 twist and they worked just fine and others with 1 in 28 twist and they shot like ****.
Get some and try and see if you like them for yourself only way your are going to really know as we have found may not be true for you and your rifle. Good luck and let us know how it worked or didn't for you.