I just put calipers to the "0" buck from Hornady buckshot I shoot in my current .32 caplock. It measured .321. I looked now in their 2006 catalog and they list their lead/antimony hardened "0" buckshot, part # 6410 at.320" diameter. They state roundness of +0.001. My barrel takes a 10 thousandths patch for target work with a steel loading rod for these buckshot, and I use a 5 thousandths patch for hunting with the wooden rod and short starter. Boxed 32 caliber roundballs differ by manufacturer with varying diameters. I have seen .310, .315, and .319 depending on maker currently in the marketplace. One probably wants to consider standardizing for accuracy. Years ago when country stores would sell you a 12 gauge single ought buck shell for 35 cents I could buy those shells which were the cheapest common lead buckshot and take out the buckshot to use them (12 or 16 pellets). There was a time when such shells were cheaper to cut open for ball than to buy the 100 designated m/l balls after m/l caught on. Over at least 35 years I only bought one or two boxes of 100 preferring the buckshot in my rifles for cost and convenience. Never molded a 32 ball in all that time. Still do not. I shoot the Hornady now as getting the pure lead buckshot by the bag or in cheap shells is nearly impossible for me. Do what you want to do but I would tell you that great thick patch combinations in the 32 do not lead to the best accuracy simply because thick patches compress on firing and the ball takes too much windage. Thick patches are just too soft to keep the ball in the middle under pressure of the spin imparted by the rifling. The 32 is a higher pressure gun than a .62 rifled jaeger with deep grooves. Big calibers is where a thick patch belongs. Remember all that advice apout the patch weave impressing around the ball diameter in a good tight fit as being best for accuracy. It is so.
