patch thickness

[shootrj2003]

I started using my .50 barrel for my renegade,measured the groove size as .510[measured with calipers at the muzzle and off a slug]  my home cast balls are .492 that's .018 divided by 2 =.009 I've got material .010 but it still seems mighty thin,my .54 used .018 which is what the boughten patches were from, I think, T/C 'I've 'also got ticking at .015 and .018 I usually just get whatever patching is available make up lubed rolls ,,about 1 1/4'' wide cut at the muzzle, and let fly, but,I figured I'd get technical just to see where it gets me this time.Anyway, am I figuring this right  or am I leaving something out, as I say .010 seems REAL thin but thats what the calipers tell me to use..

[Red Badger]

sounds about right to me... remember you might have some play in the rb diameter from ball to ball and your patch may not be a uniform thickness all the time...

The basic premis is to cushion the sandwich the patch between the powder and ball  and not the ball and the rifleing as when you touch it off the patch will end up behind the ball....

[shootrj2003]

I believe this is what made me not be so technical in the 1st place-but I can't remember back thet fer,Well this time I'm gonna follow the hound to the hole-I'll just have to go ''fire for effect! and burn some powderTomorrow.tonight,I'm rolling patches with fresh cooked patch lube-part corn oil- part beeswax-, part pariffin ,and I just finished watching ''Drums along the Mohawk'' Good movie!

[flintboomer]

The patch needs to compress slightly to avoid blowby or or burned through patches. How tight depends on your preference and what the gun likes. Pick up some patches after you shoot and see what they look like. Don't pay much attention to the outside edges, what you are looking for is the rifling marks. Are there any holes either burned or worn through? A correctly fitted patch should be a little dirty but look like it could loaded and shot again.

When you load is the .010 a good fit or does the .015 feel better going down the bore? The fit should fairly tight without needing to be hammered into the bore. If you use a short starter like most of us do it should take a good smack on the starter but you should be able to do it all day without your hand starting to hurt. A loose fit is when you can start the ball with just a push on the starter or just thumb start and push it down with the rod.

Most guns need a tight fit for best acuracy but some will shoot fine with a loose fit and some target shooters prefer a hammered fit.

[Hanshi]

Since all my loads are for field use I have to compromise between tightness and ease of loading.  As a general rule of thumb I start with a ball .010" under bore diameter and a patch .015"thick.  This works splendidly in most bores with deep rifling such as that found in most custom guns and some factory guns.  Occasionally I tweak by using a .005" under ball and/or a thinner/thicker patch.  The goal is a load that requires a short starter but seats fairly easily with a wooden ramrod and with no excessive pressure that risks rod breakage.  Such a load is normally very accurate and seats with moderate pressure.

With bores having shallow rifling a .015" patch isn't always feasible; the grooves aren't deep enough to accept the patching.  In such rifles I do often go to a thinner patch (.010").  As insurance I most always use an OP wad - toilet paper, wasp nest, felt or leather wads, etc. - to protect the patch and reduce velocity variation in ALL rifles.  If a load seats with too much protest it is of no use to me.  If it seats too loosely a thicker patch, at least, is called for.

[shootrj2003]

yeah,I know the test methods,I just wanted to make sure I was figgering the numbers right and the. 010patches just felt thin compared to the .018 I always bought for the .54 the .50 barrel is much better barel actually,probly almost new, I've had it for years and just never used it.

[flintboomer]

If your barrel is a thompson then a .010 patch should be correct. I have .010 patching that is a lot tougher than most .015-.018 patching plus the weave is really tight. The only problem with it is that my barrels have worn to a point that most of them shoot better with a thicker patch. Things like that happen when you shoot as much as I usually do.

[shootrj2003]

yep, I mea.sured my .54 and it's. 010 also for years I've assumed and been shooting patches twice as thick I'll do everything ttheright way and see if it makes a difference or not.

[Red Badger]

yep, I mea.sured my .54 and it's. 010 also for years I've assumed and been shooting patches twice as thick I'll do everything ttheright way and see if it makes a difference or not.

You mean there is a right way and a wrong way to experiment with which patch to use?   


takes all the fun outta it.... pass the jug   

[Hawken50]

  Heres ya go my little furry friend,drinks all yas want.I'm goin ta live up to my news years resolution ta be kind to bagers.Dont know bout otters yet,they tend ta slurp down the whole jug.

[shootrj2003]

Well' there is a right way and a wrong way but it all depends on your personal  way doing thinngs ,my right way may or may not be your wrong way and my wrong way may or may not be your right way and if somehow we got together with a jug we might be both good with both ways!

[Otter]

Why Hawken I resemble that remark and it's really a rare day that more of the dew is taken than is required to make sense of the world. Thank goodness there is a lot of nonsense in the world. 

[Hanshi]

And don't forget, beer is not just for breakfast anymore...or the jug.

[Hawken50]

  Ok i surrender...my jugs yur jug Otter.lol

[shootrj2003]

what were we talkin' about before the jug got involved?