Took my Traditions Crockett to the range

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  • John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,725
    Socialist State of Maryland
    today and boy was it fun.

    The rifle was hardly used so it could be called new. After I shot about 30 rounds around the house, I finally got it to the range today.

    I only had Hornady .310 balls but they did pretty well. I started at 25 yards with 10 grains of powder and ran it up to 25grains. I found that it likes 15grains best of all and was able to shot a 1 inch group leaning with my elbows on a bench.

    One thing I found out is that it doesn't like to be swabbed between shots. Evidently swabbing dumps carbon near the touch hole and I start having failures to fire. I had no problem not swabbing as the .32 doesn't doesn't give the resistance my .50 or .54s do.

    Settling on the 15grain load, I shot both Pryrodex and 3F and couldn't tell any difference. I started using ballistol and water on .015 patches but switched to crisco coated .017 patches which gave me more consistency. I tried the 15grain load at 50 yards and the groups only opened by a quarter inch with the crisco patches. The ballistol and water .015 patches gave me about 2 inch groups.

    The only glitch in my day was that I left my range rods home and only had the fiberglass rod on the rifle. That is short and slick so my arthritic hands got a workout using it. I also worked on the trigger last night and got it dropping at 8 ounces. The unset trigger will go off at about 1.5 pounds but it is crisp.

    Well, I have to go clean the beast now. :lol:
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,725
    Socialist State of Maryland
    The weather was perfect and it was only me and one other member on the range. He is almost as old as the M96 Swede he was shooting. :lol:

    He was telling me his son wants his guns but isn't really into shooting. :sad20:
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,725
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Found a new plinking load for my Crockett today. Five grains of 3F and 10gns of cream of wheat with a .308 ball (more later) and a .018 patch. Quiet and tight groups at 25 yards. You really only hear the cap go off and the lead hit the steel of the bullet trap.

    Ahh, the .308 ball. I decided to try some of TOTW's .311 balls to see if they shot any better than the .310 Hornady balls that I have. It turns out, TOTW and its supplier have no quality control program. The balls all turned out to be .308. I could have sent them back and bitched but I just used a thicker patch and will shoot them in the back yard. This is just a heads up for you guys who order cast balls from TOTW.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    I have had plenty of trouble from TOW lead. Half the minies come warped and the skirt thickness and weight vary from box to box.
    Gotta mold your own!



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,725
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I have had plenty of trouble from TOW lead. Half the minies come warped and the skirt thickness and weight vary from box to box.
    Gotta mold your own!

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    I make my own bullets for everything but .223. That said, making .32cal pure lead balls with an aluminum mold would be the hardest thing I attempted. If I was using a steel mold, it would be easier because they retain the heat whereas aluminum doesn't. The only aluminum molds I own that work well are large bullets with six cavities. I don't think I want to experiment with a Lee six cavity to the tune of $55 plus shipping. Hell I can get 600 Hornady balls for that price!

    I think I will stick with the Hornady .310 balls as they give me acceptable accuracy and I don't have to worry about setting up the sprue with my arthritic fingers. :lol:
     

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