32 cal ? powder charge

[Bullshop]

We just got a 32 cal Green Mt. barrel for a TC hawken and dont have a clue.
Our experiance with this would be at the babes in diapers level.
All we have for BP is some Goex cartridge. Might have a lil bit of Pyro P also. What kinda charge is normal for these lil guys? Will they handle short conicles? What diameter ball? Anybody slugged one?
This seems like it could be fun for rabbit shooting if I can get it to shoot.
Thanks Yall!
BIC/BS

[Maven]

Dan, Dixie Arms recommends 20 - 25gr. FFFg with a .310" RB and a .015" patch, while Sam Fadala goes as high as 30gr. He did find, however, that 25gr. was a more accurate load. Btw, you may find that the Green Mtn. bbl. is happier with a patch that compresses to .018" for target work. Hope this helps!

[mooman76]

I use about 30g fff in my 32 cal CVA. I have gone higher but did see any improvement so why bother. A 310 ball would probubly work good although I have an old one that the 310 is small in so I got a bigger .318 and maybe could go higher but I have yet to shoot it. It needs a new nipple and it is an odd size I haven't found yet. The bore is actually oversized by todays standards. That's the good thing about ML's you can always go to a thicker patch to make up the difference. Should be a real fun gun to shoot!

[madcaster]

Dan,
I always stuck at a .315" ball and 30 grains of 3F Goex,and of course,a patch around the ball.
Just sold a barrel like the one you mentioned!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

My caplock 32 is old with a Douglas barrel. My load for many years has been 15 grains fffg/.320 soft buckshot ball/.010 patch if after squirrels, sighted in a little high at 25 , only a little low at 50 yards. 30 grains if something bigger was a distinct possibility, like a beaver or deer. The 30 grain load is on at 25 and a tiny bit low at 50. about 1350 and 1650 respectively. Common lead buckshot is virtually impossible for me to get now, and the Hornady "0" buck is .322/.323" diameter and hardened. I never used anything else. I have to go to .005 patching for the Hornady and it is still harder to start than I like. Have a mould ordered though. One grain will make a difference in group size, so be careful on powder. 40" barrel. I have used up to 45 grains but not chronographed that. Think 32-20 with a 60 grain lead bullet and a 15 or 30 grain charge in mine at least. BvT

[mainiac]

We just got a 32 cal Green Mt. barrel for a TC hawken and dont have a clue.
Our experiance with this would be at the babes in diapers level.
All we have for BP is some Goex cartridge. Might have a lil bit of Pyro P also. What kinda charge is normal for these lil guys? Will they handle short conicles? What diameter ball? Anybody slugged one?
This seems like it could be fun for rabbit shooting if I can get it to shoot.
Thanks Yall!
BIC/BS

I wrote a long detailed report about the .32 last night, and i see that it never made it here!!!!! Dont know where the heck it went! Anyway, ive shot a .32 t/c cherokee extensivily,starting last summer. My accuracy load is 24 grs (weighed) of schuetzen fff, a homegrown lee round ball that is .311 and 46 grs weight, blue pilllow ticking from walmart that measures .017 thick. I use lehigh valley lube and can shoot 20-25 balls without cleaning,as long as i use the lehigh.I also have a accuracy load with fff swiss, 21 grains(weighed),but i went to the schuetzen because the fouling is not as hard. Swiss is supposed to burn cleaner, but the fouling is really hard,down where the ball sits. My gun will shoot groups @ 25 yards of .300-.400,@ 50, around a inch,and @100 it will do under 2 inches,IF you use wind flags. Never had a gun so bad as far as wind-drift!!! Dead on @ 25 is about dead on @ 50,and it is 12 inchs low at 100. My loads only go about 1600 f.p.s., according to the t/c book that came with it, i can take it up to 50 grs. Tried it just once! Around 2400 f.p.s. as i remember, but terrible noise (real sharp crack) and pretty lousy accuracy. With my 24 gr load, i can shoot without earplugs. This is probaly my favorite dubbing around gun,by far! Same powder measure setting, the goex fff is quite a bit hotter than shuetzen, around 150 f.p.s. more velocity, but the schuetzen beats goex as far as accuracy.Could go on and on,but ny 2 fingers are getting sore,so will close. Hope this essay makes it, if not i cant take tapping it out again!!!!! Need more info,just ask.

[Bullshop]

Thank you all for your help. My big problem now is I cant get black powder. Each of you gave loads with BP and I didnt see any thing done with subs. I have a can of T-7 fff that will have to do. I think T-7 is perty hot powder so think I will start at about 15gn.
That brings up another question. I assume you are all talking volume and not weight, correct? If so then by what means do you measure by volume to get gn?
Thanks again
BIC/BS

[KCSO]

Why can't you get black powder? No one will ship it in?

[Powderpacker]

I think American Pioneer Powder is the best substitute available if you can find it up there. Equal replacement for BP. I use 20 to 30 grains of the fffg in both of my .32's for PRB and also for a neat little maxi that a local casts from an old H&G mold . As for measures, I just use the ones from the various BP suppliers . There is probably some ratio for converting from wt to vol but I don't know what it is .

[mainiac]

When i first got my .32, i worked with pyrodex p. Around 23 grains (weighed). It is blasphemy to say it, but i think i shot my tightest groups with pyro p, but upon reading about the negatives using it, i took a 400 mile ride and bought a large supply of black. BTW, My accuracy load of schuetzen powder, is a rounded 38 special case, that i silver soldered a little brass handle onto. Using this measure,it equals 24 grs of schuetzen, or 25.5 of goex, both being fff grade.

[Dale53]

I shoot a .32 round ball gun. I have shot it quite a few matches. The little sucker will really shoot, too, but is quite wind sensitive at the longer ranges (as has been mentioned).

My load is 25 grs of Goex IIIF.

Most black powder suppliers will ship a mixed (various sizes and brands) case of black powder, but they require you to buy a case. One hazmat fee applies. I normally buy a full case, but if I didn't want a whole case, I would get a couple of buddies together and split a case.

Don't know what the procedure might be in Alaska (my information is for the lower 48).

Dale53

[mooman76]

Bullshop
If you like I could send you both some 318 and some 310 balls to try. As far as the 777 I think I read some wheres to use 25% less to come out the same. Most other substitutes like Pyro you just use the same amount by volume!

[Bullshop]

moonman
Thanks for the offer but I have a .311" mold I will try.

Dale53
If they would ship here I could sell every can I could afford to buy.
The only way to get it here is to have the dealer ship to a barge company, then have it barged to Anchorage, then I would drive the 350 miles to pick it up.
The minimum rate on a barge is a pallet. It can go to 700 lbs max but no min. at the pallet rate. I have forgotten the pallet rate but its not cheap. It takes a good number of people going together to make it worth while.
T-7 is about $30.00 lb. at the sportsmans supply in fairbanks.
Guess you have figured there is something of a price we pay for living here. On the up side we save lots on party ice and air conditioning.
Blessings
BIC/Daniel

[Scrounger]

Dan, do they sell new cars and refrigerators and things there? If I know teamsters, it wouldn't be too hard to get anything shipped in there relatively cheap inside a vehicle or refrigerator or something. All it takes is imagination.

[ktw]

I have some cousins that live somewhere in the vicinity of North Pole (SE of Fairbanks, anyway). Seems like one relative or another is making the drive between Alaska and the lower 48 every year or so.

Do you know what the issues are transporting it by land across the border with Canada?

edit: Googled up the following. Looks like importing black powder in containers of 1 lb or less and in a total quantity of less than 17lbs may not a big deal...

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/mms/explosif/licen/permit_e.html#exemption_table


-ktw

[RBak]

The lowly little .32 is possiblythe muzzleloading worlds best kept secret, IMHO.

Years ago, when I first got my little .32, I had always thought of it as a black powder version of a .22, when looking at, and considering that little 47gr roundball.

Man! was I ever in for a surprise!

23gr FFFg Goex, .016 spit-patch, was my very first load, and although I have played with many other loads, I have never changed that as my prefered load.
I no longer think of it as a .22 long rifle, but more like a .22 magnum out to 50 / 60 yds....as has been mentioned, it is absolutely terrible when it comes to wind drift at the longer ranges.

It is illegal as a deer rifle caliber (in my state) but if it were legal, I would not hesitate to take a deer, if that deer was in the 50 yd range.

You simply have to see this little guy perform in order to appreciate what it's capable of....It's a little wolf in sheeps clothing!

Russ...

[Dale53]

moonman
Thanks for the offer but I have a .311" mold I will try.

Dale53
If they would ship here I could sell every can I could afford to buy.
The only way to get it here is to have the dealer ship to a barge company, then have it barged to Anchorage, then I would drive the 350 miles to pick it up.
The minimum rate on a barge is a pallet. It can go to 700 lbs max but no min. at the pallet rate. I have forgotten the pallet rate but its not cheap. It takes a good number of people going together to make it worth while.
T-7 is about $30.00 lb. at the sportsmans supply in fairbanks.
Guess you have figured there is something of a price we pay for living here. On the up side we save lots on party ice and air conditioning.
Blessings
BIC/Daniel

I figured that it was something like that. Kind of a bummer...

FWIW;
I won a couple of cans of Pistol Pyrodex in a match. So, I decided to try it out in Black Powder Cowboy matches. It worked quite well. I shot both steel and paper in my Bisley Vaquero (had a 92 at fifty yards on the NRA 50 yard pistol target and won seven of eight matches). Full case loads in a .45 Colt. I shot BPC Pistol matches for a couple or three years and had great fun. My Vaquero is still in as good a shape as it started. It also gave me great respect (with both Pyrodex and Black) for the .45 Colt as a REAL cartridge when loaded with Black or Pyro...

Dale53

[northmn]

I have the same experiances with the 32 as mentioned. About 20-30 grains of BP for accuracy. Would try either Pioneer or 777 pistol with hot caps if I couldn't find black. I think some folks still get out of perspective due to its effect on small game. Mine all hit about like a 22 mag HP as has been mentioned. As such I would keep its use within those parameters. I will not say it will not kill a deer as I have seen them shot with about everything. A slightly misplaced shot with a small bore as when a deer steps forward about the time in between the brain saying pull the trigger and the actual pull and you have tracking problems. Its happened trust me. We all think we cannot miss but stuff happens out in the woods. Some claim that a 22 mag will not even anchor a coyote well and I question whether a 32 would at longer ranges. Look at a ballistic chart on retained velocity for roundball and you will see that even at 50 yards they can lose a lot. I love muzzleloaders and use round ball and have been impressed with their performance within their reasonable use. Do yourself and the game animals a favor and use bigger bores on larger game.

Northmn