Author Topic: Squirrel Gun or Pig Gun? (Read 1198 times)

River runner · « **on:** January 29, 2003, 03:01:56 PM »

Well thanks to the good folks on this wire, I got my .32 flinter shooting nice tiny groups, all touching at 25 yards (5 rounds), and within an 1 1/2" at 50 yards. Special thanks go to King, fredj, and johnt. I used a combination of all their advice.

Only problem is the durn thing is using 35 grains of 3F, and according to my Chronograph is going over 2000 fps which is approximately 400+ fpe. enough to take a Javalina for sure or even a feral hog.

I worked up this load from 10 grns. using 5 grns. at a time. Last week I settled on 17 grns, so I started there today. Took my lunch with me and spent the whole day out there. Now you folks living in the frozen north, the temps were up in the 80's, so it was a beautiful blue bird day. I didn't want to go beyond that (35 grns) as that is where my accuracy peaked, and I could start to see the results of unburned powder diminished returns. Maximum for the rifle is only 40 grns.

I was hoping for a nice light load to duplicate a 22 rim fire, but it don't seem to like anything less than 30-35 grns. At least with the accuracy it's giving me head shots on squirrels and rabbits should be a breeze.

Any and all comments or suggestions welcome. RR

johnt · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2003, 09:41:49 PM »

Another friend of mine posts here"grump",just got a T/C .32 IBS.
He's using 20gr 777 3f,and tells of groups like yours.He just got it and know's Dutch also,so he's still trying to work up the patch size and lube,fer proper fit.Sure nuff don't need 2000fps,my goodness 1100 will give ya the"crack" sound they all want.I'll give'm a holler an see what he come up with so far.
p.s. It's -3 as I post this!

fredj · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2003, 11:22:13 PM »

RR-Glad to hear you're getting some fine accuracy, and pretty much right off the bat as well. I don't remember what BP you're shooting, but you'll find the ballistic efficiency differences between the Swiss and a rifle grade
make for some very different loads, you might find an alternative powder
showing it's best accuracy at lower velocities. Sounds like you're doing something right :wink: congrats on the new rifle.
Regards fredj

Grump · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2003, 12:40:24 PM »

River runner, Johnt said I should drop you a line on the shooting Ive been doing with my .32cal. Said he sent ya the" System" Study this method until you know it by heart and follow it. Johnt put me onto the "System" and It changed eveything for me.I have had excelent results using Denium patch .023=.013compressed with a 6/1 water soluable oil ratio with a .310 hornady ball. Havent tried BP yet since I have been getting good results with 20g of 777. Dont know if that will work in your flinter. Might be a good experiment though. 20g 777 down the barrel with a 4f priming charge. Its a little hard to find the expended patch but have somebody "spot it "for ya. You need to study the condition of that little bugger to get the optimum load. good luck!

River runner · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2003, 03:56:46 PM »

Just took delivery on a mixed bag of powder, 3F, 2F, and 4F. The 4F is Goex as that was the only available 4F. Some of the 3F is Swiss, that's a bit more expensive so I'm gonna see how that shoots and if I can see a major difference, I'll get some more, The balance is 3F and 2F by KIK. I still have some Dragon left, man I really liked that stuff but as fredj said it's no longer available. It sure does make my Remington '58s sing. I'm going to pack my lunch tomorrow morning and spend the day on the range. Figure on taking the .32 flinter, the .45 Kentucky, and my .54 and see how that powder works, and see if there is difference. Will be putting the Dutch Schultz system to the test. I haven't tried it yet on the .45. The weather here turned cold again, it's only getting up to a high of 70 mid-day, the mornings are really cool mid 50's. I'll let ya know the results. RR

Grump · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2003, 12:05:07 PM »

River runner, Looking at my target data I had the best results with a .025"=.014" crushed pillow ticking with a 6/1 WSC ratio. Got the ticking from Wal-mart.

River runner · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2003, 02:13:31 PM »

Grump, you must have the same pillow ticking I've got, also got it at WalMart. blue & white stripe. Didn't get out this morning, the wind was blowing about 40 miles an hour, so I caught up on my reloading, for those fancy new arms called cartridge, ya know like 44-40, .45 Colt, 45-70 etc. RR

johnt · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2003, 02:24:05 PM »

You guys found .14 !? In ticking!?
I'm goin to Wally in the Am ta check that out!
RR I hope that wind was blowin our way,sure could use somma that warm dry desert air.
We got dumped on 10" snow and 0 temps. I was darn near late for work the other night,I had to open the car door with a crowbar,it was froze shut!
Oh well, just put another log on the fire,

johnt · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2003, 04:58:59 AM »

yous guyss!! I didn't find no tickin what squished too .014! Dang!
Lady said,folks been buyin ticking and denium alot,and that I should stop in everyday to check for new shipments.(ya right! So I bought a pop and candybar on the way out) I did find just a piece in the remnant bin thet has sum promice to it.But it froze on the way home,so i'll have ta wait till it thaws to check it again.
RR,can ya send me a piece a what you got?(no bigger than the piece I sent you) just so's I can check it?I got a pretty heavy hand on the mic fer cotton.

fredj · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2003, 05:20:38 AM »

Quote from: johnt

yous guyss!! I didn't find no tickin what squished too .014! Dang!
Lady said,folks been buyin ticking and denium alot,and that I should stop in everyday to check for new shipments.(ya right! So I bought a pop and candybar on the way out) I did find just a piece in the remnant bin thet has sum promice to it.But it froze on the way home,so i'll have ta wait till it thaws to check it again.
RR,can ya send me a piece a what you got?(no bigger than the piece I sent you) just so's I can check it?I got a pretty heavy hand on the mic fer cotton.

JohnT- Remember to wash the ticking before you use it to get all the sizing out, it's entirely different stuff with the sizing washed out, you might check a local fabric store, they always have at least 2 different thicknesses of pillow ticking.
Regards fredj

johnt · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2003, 07:12:30 AM »

TY fredj,
local fabric shop has 6 different thickness Pillow Ticking,8 different thickness Denim,3 different Duck and 3 artists canvis. All 100% cotton.
And all the tight weave we need for patch(gun's type not fer pants')
My 85 yr old mother, the seemstress,fabric shop owner and manager she has been for 55yrs,kinda taught her kids a tad bout cloth'n stuff.
Bolts of cloth can vary from lot to lot just as much as powder from the same manufacturer,that's why I like to find a material that suits my needs then buy a full yard.Man that's ALOT of shooting! Just think of how much powder and ball has to be used to shoot up a yard of cloth.
Sizing is removed not by just washing, but by heat drying.
The myth is that when you dry cotton,and it shrinks, the thickness changes.Width and length,yes.Thickness,crushed,No.If ya don't wanna believe that sobeit,I still wash twice and fully dry my cotton.Then I work loads up from there.At that point I'm not changeing the thickness variable of my patch.
Funny stuff cotton.comes from a plant.It'll only squish so much.
Now here is the commercial aspect.How many precut patches can OX-Yoke or T/C get out of a yard of sized vs.dry unsized cotton.
HHmmm.If I was a bean counter and had to figger by millions of pieces,well,simple enough.
Anyways fredj,thanks for the tip about washing out the sizing.

Grump · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2003, 01:05:55 PM »

Hey Johnt, I measured that tickin sitting here at the computer.Washed 3 times and already soaked and dried. O yeah, I measured using a caliper. Got a bunch more . :grin:

River runner · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2003, 03:00:33 PM »

Johnt, no problem, I'll get some out to ya the first chance I get. I bought enough to last a bit, and I'm going to have a storage problem here before too long anyway. By the way I only washed it once, but it really seems to work good in the .54. It's too loose in the .32. My .45 Kentucky isn't all that particular, but it's alot easier to stuff a ball and patch with pillow ticking than it is the denim down that bore. RR :grin: