My quest for a small bore.........

[offhand35]

I have been hunting squirrel, fox, and coyote with a 22LR Contender, and a 10ga ML underhammer shotgun, but want to move from the 22LR to a 32 or 36 CAL muzzleloader, though I would prefer a 32.
I found a local dealer who had 2 Traditions Crockett rifles on the shelf. I found that the lock would not drop out of half cock half the time the trigger was set and pulled,  on one, and I just did not have a good feeling as to the overall quality of the other one. Maybe the 1st one soured me on the model altogether.......Traditions Performance Muzzleloaders office is just 20-30 miles away, and I may try to stop by their showroom to look, if I wind up working out that way in the near future.

I did find a used Interarms Hawken in 36cal, but it is a Hawken,  with a 1" or 1 1/16 bbl bored out to 36cal, it must weigh 9 lbs.! Not exactly the lithe, graceful arm I had in mind.

Dixie was running a Pedersoli 32 cal special all December, but I missed out on that. I didn't have any cash for it until now.....I like their Frontier 32 in percussion, but the LOP  is almost an inch longer than I wanted......though it most resembles the Tennessee style that I seem to be drawn to.......They are still running a special price on their Deluxe Cub rifle in 32, and the LOP is listed as 13 1/2" with a  28" bbl...and I am considering this rifle as a possibility, but I do feel that it is just too flashy with the brass patch box.

When I mentioned to my wife that a semi-custom Tennessee Poor Boy from TVM would run $800-900, I could tell she had no clue what her 1/2 carat diamond pendant for Christmas had cost........but all that really has to happen is to sell a couple of my modern arms that are on auction and the TVM would be covered.

I know that some of you do have the Crockett rifle, and like it.  To get the best price, I could mail order it from Midsouth, and return it to Traditions for repair or exchange if needed....but I don't want to ask for service problems.....

I'm looking for input in regard to reliability of the small bore rifle you may have, and if you have any good/bad experience in regard to repairs or exchanges or refunds

Thanks for "listening". I'll be interested in all your  comments !

[Gregory]

I have a CVA Varmint model (adjustable sights) very accurate with a PRB and very reliable.

[Odinbreaker]

I just bught a cva 36 cal bobcat from the possible's shop 155   These are discontinued guns new in box.  this has a hooked breech makes cleaning easier

[jgalar]

It sounds like the trigger was out of adjustment on the Traditions Crockett. The rifle comes with instructions on adjusting the trigger and its easy to do.

[Birddog6]

I can only speak for the Traditions Crockett that I had & it was Super in all ways, for a mass produced rifle.  Now, it doesn't have the fit & finish of a $2000 browning shotgun, but for the $200 I paid for it is was superb. And the accuracy was great to. Right out of the box it shot under 1" groups at 25 yards & with Swiss 3F powder you could shoot all day & not swab.
20 grains of 3F Swiss
.310 Hornady RB
.015 Oxjoke patch
Lehigh Lube

[sharps4590]

I don't like shiny brass either, (if it's shiny I much prefer silver),  but it's never been a problem.  A little black powder fouling rubbed on it from a cleaning patch and it will be dull in no time.

I too like the Southern Mountain style rifles and that's what my squirrel rifle is, in 36 cal. flint.  It's a very well home built rifle by a friend of mine.  While it can't be truly considered custom I like it just fine and it has a piece of maple to die for.

The 32 and 36 cal's. are both good.  Considering the animals you mentioned hunting I believe I'd prefer the 36, especially on coyotes.  In my experience and opinion the 36 is also some easier to keep shooting accurately.  I'll confess to preferring the 36 over the 32.

Vic

[gustmouse]

I just bught a cva 36 cal bobcat from the possible's shop 155   These are discontinued guns new in box.  this has a hooked breech makes cleaning easier

I also have a Bobcat in 36 caliber short light and cheap to own. It shoots a 65 grain RB with a .15 patch and 50 grains of 3F black powder or 45 grains of 777 3F accurately and hits pretty hard at 60 yards!

[olduvai george]

I have no experience with the rifles mentioned above as my .32s, .36s, 40s have been custom. I finally settled on the .32 as the best of the lot for small game,primarily squirrels, but would not hesitate to shoot a coyote, or a deer, with a rb/15 grains of fffg. Mine has a 39" barrel and that load chronographs at 1550 fps. When talking .32 rb gun think of 32-20 power and that is a lot for small game. My largest was a 25 pound beaver with it.

[sharps4590]

The 32-20, which is my favorite small bore....must be, I have and use 4 of them......also shoots a 95-120 gr. bullet and out of a rifle right at or a little better than 1550 fps., (my handloads and cast bullets). That's a bit more energy and bullet weight, thus penetration,  than a PRB.  It's also considered too small for deer and I would have to agree.  It's also pretty darn hot for small game!   But certainly doable.  I think the 32-20 is a grand old cartridge!!!

Vic

[sparsons]

my buddy has two Traditions .32 cal. one is the crockett.  He had to send both back for repair. The lock fit was poor and the stock had been drilled missed and drilled again before the hole matched with lock setting.  Second day out after getting them back the nipple snapped in two parts after the second shot. All that said he seems reasonably happy with the rifles.  I bought Tradition Shenandoah in the .50 cal and its nipple didn't last much over 3 months.

[offhand35]

Well, I was working near Old Saybrook, CT the other day, so I stopped by the Traditions Performance Muzzleloading showroom. The fellow I spoke to on the phone for directions helpful enough......The Crockett rifle in the showroom was very nice, fit & finish as expected, and the lock and set triggers worked perfectly.......
The woman working the floor complained that she was still at lunch (in my hearing)  when asked by an office worker if she could take care of the customer......when she finally came out, was not happy that she had to go in back to find a Crockett, and was gone a while.....a shipment had just come in......
I helped unwrap the box and she opened the box and handed me the rifle,  fit and finish were good, but after the 1st working of the lock, the hammer hung on 1/2 cock on  the way down to the niipple, and the trigger would not set.
I complained that the trigger would not set, she looked at me like I had two heads. A fellow passing by said "...Probably needs adjustment, a gunsmith can take care of that....."   NOT "OUR gunsmith can take care of that"!!!!, and NOT, let's open up a different rifle.....
Apparently, they thought I was going to buy that rifle, and then take it to my own gunsmith and pay to have it fixed?
I had already looked at  2 other new Crocketts off a dealer's shelf with trigger and lock problems, and thought I would find better at the importer's showroom!

I told them to forget it, I was not going to buy a rifle that is not right, right out of the box, and that it's not right to for them to try to sell it to me that way.

I bought the used 36cal Investarms  Hawken that I had looked at before.

[snicker]

I bought one of the Bobcat's in 36 cal a couple of years ago.  Looked it over and wasn't happy with the crown on it - had a small gouge in it - and the lock needed some work.  Anyhow I put it in the closet and hadn't looked at it until the other day when I was cleaning out the closet.  Cleaned the barrel out good and worked on the lock a little.  Had to loosen up the hammer screw a little and put some lube on it.  I think it will fire now.  Still haven't shot it.  My question for you fella's who have this model is how low can you go on the powder in the .36 cal?  50 grains seems like an awful lot for squirrels and rabbits.  Also, did you have to polish the bore any?  The rifling is awful sharp and really cuts the cleaning patches.  Thanks for any information on the Bobcat .36.

[olduvai george]

On a .36 even 2 or 3 grains will propel a ball out. For squirrels at 25 yards start about 15 to 18 grains fffg.  Shoot 5 shot groups jumping up 2 or 3 grains at a time till it groups nicely at 25 yards. Shoot one shot, damp patch, dry patch, load-----every time, same as hunting. Use a ball/patch combo you can load in a hunting situation. I'm used to wooden ramrods and like a tight target load with a steel rod, since you work at a range. For hunting I just use a thinner patch, wood rod. I recall  my .36 squirrel load was 28 grains fffg and it was very powerful. Head shots or front end shots  or none if you eat tree rats(Ha!). It is easy to polish a new bore. I have a ball puller screw I put on the ramrod, thread on 2 or 3 wonder wads , coat the edges with flitz, jb bore compound, or Brownell's garnet lap. Push all the way in, short stroke back and forth coming out with more strokes near the breech. Clean well. Normally in a .36,  10 or 15 thoudandth thickness works well. Jeans pocket material(pocket drill) is usually 11k., pillow tick 17/18k. After 30 shots or so patch cutting from new rifling should stop. good shooting.

[Slamfire]

You might want a faster twist if you're gonna shoot really light charges in either. My .36 underhammer has a 40" twist and won't hold a group with less'n 25 grain charges.