Traditions .32cal Crockett ?

[tnpaw]

Hi! I have been Lurking for a long time and this is my Second Post and first Thread! I am in the Market for a ML Squirrel rifle and have been searching and looking for a While! The T/C Cherokee is as scarce as Hen's Teeth! And I don't know diddly squat about the Crockett! Can you Guy's steer me straight! I am getting old and am retired and don't want to waste my money on Junk! While I am at it what about the .32 cal Deerhunter they make? Thanks in advance!........john

[Junior1942]

My Crockett Rifle is one of my favorite firearms. If you plan to squirrel hunt with yours the minimum load suggested in the manual will give you a blown up squirrel. Use enough Pyro P to fill up the patent breech or 10 to 12 grs by/v for 1100 fps or so. Get a brass brush to fit the patent breech or it will get cruddy and give you misfires. If it doesn't give you 1/2" groups at 20 to 25 yds you're doing something wrong. If yours comes with a wooden ramrod I'd change it to plastic. It's small in diameter and easily broken.

[marshall623]

My Crockett Rifle is one of my favorite firearms. If you plan to squirrel hunt with yours the minimum load suggested in the manual will give you a blown up squirrel. Use enough Pyro P to fill up the patent breech or 10 to 12 grs by/v for 1100 fps or so. Get a brass brush to fit the patent breech or it will get cruddy and give you misfires. If it doesn't give you 1/2" groups at 20 to 25 yds you're doing something wrong. If yours comes with a wooden ramrod I'd change it to plastic. It's small in diameter and easily broken.

X2 on change out the ramrod I have a Cherokee and I broke my ramrod twice and have epoxied back together. Like Jr. said forget the min. charge in the book anymore than 20gr of FFF and a PRB it wont group (that's my gun). The 32's are the most fun for your buck you can have with a smoke pole. Jr. mine shot good at 20 gr. but I'll take it down some more and see what happens Thanks

[tnpaw]

Thanks Men! For all the advice! Looking forward to getting one!

[mooman76]

I have a Deerhunter 32 and no problems with it. Good little shooter and fun also. Certainly shoots good enough for squirrels.

[tnpaw]

Thanks for the info moonman76! I have been looking at them too!.....john

[Fly]

Ditto on .32 cal ram rods.I made my own & carry it in a quiver on my back.

Fly

[psmokey]

I've have a t/c Cherokee and love it. did the ramrod thing once. I think you'll be happy with one.

[Boerrancher]

I have owned a Crockett for several years. I wouldn't part with it for anything. As far as the deer hunter in 32 they are alright but are not the quality of the Crockett. Fit and finish are better on the Crockett and the double set trigger is a must for removing squirrel's heads at 40 yards. If you are going to spend the money get the Crockett and you won't be disappointed.

Best wishes,

Joe

[tnpaw]

Thanks All! Saving up to get one when I get home from Texas! Will be visiting my Daughters for a while! Maw told me to buy my black powder while in Texas and she would order the Crockett for me when we get back home for my Birthda! Now how's that? ..... John

[GARD72977]

I have owned the CVA squirrel riffle and the Crockett and both were great shooters. I say you cant go wrong with the crockett.

[Hanshi]

My Crockett is some 13 years old and has accounted for squirrels and targets. Mine is a keeper. The .32 is a super fun round and can take game much larger than most would think. Most of my squirrel hunting was with 30 grns of 3F black. I never had any more destruction evident than what a .22LR HP would cause. I stayed away from the front shoulder and the hind quarters, however. I like 20 grns best and you get more shots than with 30grns. That skinny wood rod won't last forever - still have mine - and something stronger is a good idea. The Crockett is one nice little rifle.

[curdog]

I have had a Crockett for several years. I use it for squirrel huntin and use a patched roundball and 10 grs of 3f goex. more powder tears the squirrels up. Its a dandy little rifle and at 25 yds it shoots a nice group. The newer ones come with a aluminum ramrod.

[Fly]

The newer ones come with a aluminum ramrod!Yea but they still suck & don't look right with that
pink anodize color.I made my ram rod with a nice handle & a brass rod.Carrying it in a sling is just
a handy deal, & the end does not pull off like the stock ones do.

JMOHOP Fly

[jcwit]

Got my wife a Crockett way back when CVA first brought them out. Got prototype #2 from their booth at Friendship.

[tnpaw]

Well! You men are costing me Money! Maw said to order it after I found a new one at DGW's on sale! Should be at my Shack come Friday! Now the wait begin's! Got to look up loads for PRB's and Powder! I will wait to get to Texas to get a mold and Holy Black! Can't Wait! Have to Wait!......john:D:groner:

[32HR MAG]

You can find them used for under $300 often. Some try them and decide the small caliber is not for them. I payed $210 for one that came with all the extras except powder and caps. They are very nice rifles and you won't ,if you do some load testing,be disappointed.

[Fly]

You can find them used for under $300 often. Some try them and decide the small caliber is not for them. I payed $210 for one that came with all the extras except powder and caps. They are very nice rifles and you won't ,if you do some load testing,be disappointed.

Well I tried finding a used one for over 4 months with out success.But I seem to never get a break when it comes to deals.

Fly

[tnpaw]

Me neither , Fly! I have been watching GunBroker and the Forums and haven't seen one for less than $350-$400! When I found the one at DGW's for $425 new, I jumped! And wouldn't you know it, nobody around here has any .32(.310) RB's! I am leaving for Texas, and I will find what I need when I get there! I hope......JOHN

[tnpaw]

Well! Would you look what the Brown Truck left!

[tnpaw]

Sorry for the Crooked Pictures!.....John

[John Allen]

TNpaw, I got myself thanks to the threads on the page. I can not wait to take it out. I just have to get some time.

[tnpaw]

John, it is going to be right at a month before I might get to shoot mine! Course I might haul it to Texas with me and shoot it down there!

[Hanshi]

Careful; I think the Crockett's in danger of falling off the bed!

[tnpaw]

I would turn the pictures if I knew how! They sort make me Dizzy looking at them!

I asked Maw if I could sleep with it fer a night or two, so it would sorta get use to the place and not want to leave! You know that went over like a fart in Church! But never fear, I have a Doggie bed laid out fer it on my side of the Bed!.....john

[John Allen]

I just bought the 32 maxi ball mold that track of the wolf has. I could not help myself.

[tnpaw]

John, let me know how that Maxi Ball does, shoot! I am going with a RB mold first! To see how accurate it is or how accurate I can shoot it! I am getting older and eyes ain't what they use to be! Have been shooting my Benj pellet gun all summer! And doing fair with them, using a peep sight! Wonder what would fit the Crockett! Anybody know!

[tnpaw]

What to do! I bought a box of Hornady RB's, supposed to be .316 and mike at .320-.322! I bought a Lee .311 RB mold and they cast .314-.315! Is that the way quality control is suppose to be! How are you suppose to work up an accurate load, with that much difference?.......john[smilie=b:

[mooman76]

Was your lead pure? Other metals will make the castings come out slightly larger. All my Lee RB moulds come out about .001/2 larger. Sounds like they come out the size you wanted in the long run.

[tnpaw]

Moonman, I have one 20# pot dedicated for pure plumbers lead! No wheel weights! Another 20# pot for the WW! They may be OK! Waiting until I get back from Texas to start shooting the Crockett!......john

[32HR MAG]

Crockett rifle on GB for sale

[Newtire]

Bud's Gun Shop has them for $418.00 + $17.00 insurance. My phone has been acting up- must have made a "butt-call" to Bud's??? Email says one's on its way-too late now!!

[rfd]

gotta love a thread that's nearly 2 years old!

a .32 ml is just too much fun and super cheap on both powder and casting balls. but better if a flinter and not a capper.

[Newtire]

Makes no difference to me the age of a thread. Good advice is pretty much timeless.

[rfd]

yessir - did i not post "gotta love a thread that's 2 years old!" ? :)

[Butler Ford]

I am glad this 2yo thread has been revived, I had forgotten about this:

147208

I do need to clean it up and start casting some with it!

BF

[Newtire]

No offense intended rfd. I am forever seeing things that are "outdated". I've been on some sites where you are told that the thread is over so many days old and am I sure I want to post? Can't figure what they are thinking.

[Newtire]

I am glad this 2yo thread has been revived, I had forgotten about this:

147208

I do need to clean it up and start casting some with it!

BF What is that thing Butler? Aside from "a boolit mould!":veryconfu

[Butler Ford]

It is a 32 CAL BALL-ET made by A.C.E (338ULTRAMAG I think his moniker was) before things went down the toilet for him. It is a hollow base/skirted 32 mini ball.

[Fly]

OK fellows I have not heard a follow up on the lee maxi,s ball for the crocket. Would someone that has shot them in this rifle
please let us know your thoughts?

Fly

[swamp]

I haven't used them in a Crockett, but the 32 Maxi works well in my 32 Cherokee.
swamp

[Newtire]

I was wondering if anyone has tried onewith the mould cut down using the middle band as the base?

[Texantothecore]

Yet another thread that will cost me money. Last thread like this was on the 1851 Navy and now I own two. One for guest shooters and so that I can shoot with them and don't have stand around watching them shoot.

Geez. End of September and the man in brown will be dropping off a Crockett.

[Newtire]

I am glad this 2yo thread has been revived, I had forgotten about this:

147208

I do need to clean it up and start casting some with it!

BFthat thing ought to shoot!

[dondiego]

Fly - I have shot the Lee .32 Maxi out of a Traditions pistol and they fit and shot fine with 20 grains of 3F and a little bore butter on the boolit. I don't know the twist rate of that pistol but they seemed to be stabilized OK. I haven't tried them out of my Crockett yet.

Don

[Bardo]

OK fellows I have not heard a follow up on the lee maxi,s ball for the crocket. Would someone that has shot them in this rifle
please let us know your thoughts?

Fly

I started this thread a little over a year ago.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?230897-Traditions-Crockett-Maxi-ball&highlight=

[Fly]

Great post! Did you ever try messing with the Maxi with different lubes, or did you just quit testing?

Fly

[Newtire]

I don't have the .32 mould for a maxi but have one for a .36 Navy Arms sidehammer. I plan on cutting off the section under the 2nd land down and see if it shoots. It is a 1-48 twist so ought to be close. I saw where one of our members had a mould for a .58 Zouave (with real slow twist) and the accuracy he was getting with a boolit which looked suspiciously like a sawed off maxi-ball was pretty darn good!

It was alot better than he was getting with Minie balls.

[John Allen]

I have an older crocket and love it. The fit and finish are superb. As everyone else said they shoot great.

[dondiego]

Great post! Did you ever try messing with the Maxi with different lubes, or did you just quit testing?

Fly

I haven't tried any lubes other than the bore butter that I had on hand. My testing is just getting started. I was happy that it shot in the pistol, now I need to work it up in the rifle.

[joatmon]

I bought a new one in 2000 or 2001 and never shot it! After reading this topic I may have to change that.
Aaron

[Bardo]

Great post! Did you ever try messing with the Maxi with different lubes, or did you just quit testing?

Fly

I never did test it with different lubes. I never did much testing beyond that.

[Hanshi]

Well, I reluctantly sold my Crockett; but it was necessary in order to get a .32 in flint. I opted for a Tn style Appalachian poorboy. It has a Rice swamped, round groove barrel. I had it brass mounted just to be different since my SMR .36 is iron mounted. It's a one-holer for 5 shots; but so was the Crockett.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt74/hanshi_photo/DSC00195_zpsfac5f0c0.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/hanshi_photo/media/DSC00195_zpsfac5f0c0.jpg.html)

[rfd]

a beauty there, hanshi!

not at all a fan of caplocks but ordered the crockett to both test the .32 waters and offer it over to my grandson as his first front loader. if it flies well for me i'll get the preferred (but far more costly) flinter in .32.

[mooman76]

Very nice! I love the wood!

[rfd]

what caps are y'all using for the crockett? cci or rws #11? musket caps?

[Fly]

Man hansh that is a gorgeous rifle. I have a crockett I would trade you for it, (wink) .

Fly

[Hanshi]

Any man with a Crockett is a well armed squirrel hunter. If all I had been interested in was accuracy, I'd have kept the Crockett. Traditions barrels are among the best and shoot right up there with the customs. I just like flint.

[rfd]

will #10 caps or musket caps work with the crockett?

[mooman76]

10's will with a new nipple or you could turn down a 11 nipple.

[Bardo]

I used remington 10 with the factory nipple

[rfd]

yep, jus tried cci #10 caps with the stock 6x1 nipple and they go off just fine ...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxousU5mD34

didn't like the orange anodized aluminum ramrod so i stained and clear coated a straight grained birch dowel, made it an inch longer for ease of use, added a tenon to the tip then glued and riveted on a cupped brass cap for ramming the ball or screwing on jags, worms, brushes, etc.

http://i.imgur.com/i77wUbW.jpg

big balls (.562's for the .58 musket, 280 grains) and little balls (.311's for the .32, 45 grains) .......

http://i.imgur.com/rlG5nQu.jpg

[Newtire]

Got mine out to the range and had the best luck ever. Someone had left up a big box on the 50 yd. line. I put some sand in it & pasted on some stick on shoot'n see targets. Looked & saw that I had brought the 2f instead of 3f 777. Loaded up a blank to blow out the oil from the nipple & then loaded up 20 gr. equivalent with a Hornady .310 and a .015" wonder patch. At 50 yds., first shot touched the edge of the X with the next shot right next to that one. Third shot was about an inch out. Bore was very smooth but had to short start the ball to get it in-not unlike most m/loaders.

Only had one glitch. The hammer stopped just short of the nipple and fired only after I got one cap to go off and left the spent cap inside the hammer. I'll either silver solder a small washer inside the hammer or shim the nipple. No more misfires with just a cap for a spacer. I'd say it's a winner. I had my old Navy Arms mule ear .36 along & it shot real good, even using Maxi-balls and round balls as well.

So had a good day, found out that 777 2f works great in small bores and my cleanup was quick & easy-still clean this morning with no 2nd day rust return like with pyro-*%##.

[rfd]

gat to hear, newtire.

have a local ml rondy tomorrow and will get to fire off the crockett and a buncha other cool ml's, report card to follow.

[Bardo]

Got mine out to the range and had the best luck ever. Someone had left up a big box on the 50 yd. line. I put some sand in it & pasted on some stick on shoot'n see targets. Looked & saw that I had brought the 2f instead of 3f 777. Loaded up a blank to blow out the oil from the nipple & then loaded up 20 gr. equivalent with a Hornady .310 and a .015" wonder patch. At 50 yds., first shot touched the edge of the X with the next shot right next to that one. Third shot was about an inch out. Bore was very smooth but had to short start the ball to get it in-not unlike most m/loaders.

Only had one glitch. The hammer stopped just short of the nipple and fired only after I got one cap to go off and left the spent cap inside the hammer. I'll either silver solder a small washer inside the hammer or shim the nipple. No more misfires with just a cap for a spacer. I'd say it's a winner. I had my old Navy Arms mule ear .36 along & it shot real good, even using Maxi-balls and round balls as well.

So had a good day, found out that 777 2f works great in small bores and my cleanup was quick & easy-still clean this morning with no 2nd day rust return like with pyro-*%##.

I had the same problem with the nipple being short. I would shim it and it would do it agian. I ended up glass bedding the tang and bringing everything closer to the hammer. I think it might of made it more accurate also.

Bardo

[Newtire]

I had the same problem with the nipple being short. I would shim it and it would do it agian. I ended up glass bedding the tang and bringing everything closer to the hammer. I think it might of made it more accurate also.

BardoThanks Bardo! You just saved me a whole bunch of grief.

[dondiego]

My Crockett wouldn't hit the caps either when I first got it. There is a hammer stop which can be filed down to allow the hammer to just contact the cap. Only took a few strokes.

[True.grit]

I had the same problem but after a few trips to the range to shoot it broke in and I have not had a bit of trouble. I went to a .315rb and a .12 cotton patch and it shoots great. I cut my own with a penny as a templet. Put 20 gr 3f real black and you will be pleased. Can't wait for some fall squirrel hunting.

[Newtire]

My Crockett wouldn't hit the caps either when I first got it. There is a hammer stop which can be filed down to allow the hammer to just contact the cap. Only took a few strokes.Thank you dondiego. That worked great!

[rfd]

what a blast shooting this little rifle yesterday. i built a birch wood ramrod to replace the aluminum one, and made it lots longer for ease of use. also made a ball starter and cast up a bunch of lee .311 pure lead balls and used .010" linen patch material that's dry lubed with 5% ballistol and spring water. 20 grains of goex 3f and a cci #10 cap (not #11) and off she goes.

i'm not a fan of cap locks, but i heartily recommend that everybody needs this one!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdwiCpxManQ

[fiberoptik]

Birch instead of hickory? Hrmmm, watch the hands! I'd be leary of splitting.

[El Bango]

Found a Crocket in a creek a few years back,figured it was there for 5 months or so.the stock was a mess,very dried out and light in weight,like old weathered wood would be,the metal was a mess,and of course it had a load down.I soaked the stock in linseed oil and started in on the metal between other gunsmith and machining jobs.Got it unbreeched and cleaned the bore with a lot of steel wool and barkeepers friend cleanser.Came out pretty good still had some pitting but some things can't be helped.same thing with the lock cleaned up and worked well.To make a long story short when it was finished it would shoot 3/4" at 25 yards. I used it for a season or two and it went down the road.

[rfd]

Birch instead of hickory? Hrmmm, watch the hands! I'd be leary of splitting.

it's a birch arrow shaft, with no grain run out, no problem.

hickory (pignut, shag bark) ain't the only good wood for ramrods. in fact, locust can be better yet.

[rfd]

got a line on a fine .32 flinter. just not a cap lock fan, no matter how good it is. time to move the crockett out ...