Thoughts and ideas on Patching bullets.
All comments below refer to target rifle shooting and are not what I do for My Hunting loads.

Patch width-height.

I have found that the most-best results On Paper, have been a shorter patch just to the ogive and about .120 to .200 over the base of the bullet and no tail give the best consistant results at longer ranges.

At Raton I had quite a good many remarks, from folks Mike Rix, Steve Baldwin, Jimbo and a good many others that on every shot I had very fine confetiti at the muzzle, and fine strips of paper were all we found in front of the muzzle. I wet patch plus use Rubbing alcohol to speed the drying of the patch on my hotplate, this seems to give the patch some nap too it and perhaps makes the paper more brittle???

On several tests we have found bullets will bump up to the top of the patch no mater where it is set the higher up the more the bullet will bump up, no mater what alloy used, of course we have only tested 1-16 and 1-20 these past few years. These results were on recoverd bullets that did not hit steel at the Mile target.

I still find that the harder alloys help prevent nose slump or setback if you will. I find enough reference by the old Dead guys of 1-11, 1-14 and 1-16 alloys (for target long range shooting) That I may even go to 1-14. Several references made too shallow rifling, thin paper will help with fouling issues.

Results at Phoenix, both in the cup and the Winternats Regional, and Raton this year, along with some record making scores fired at the Mile match for myself, personal results and where I ended up and 2 scope titles won, convince me I am on the right track, on the paper patch trail.

Fouling control is also major concern-issue that must be fully looked at to give fair and accurate evaluations of ones load and performance.

The small amount of vertical too even 1 mile, is that from great fouling control or is it from primer wads--- OR BOTH?

I also fully understand that a point comes: where one can only build on marksmenship skills and better doping of conditions, that is where more points can be picked up.

Things I won't be changing:

Wet patching-to bore

Distiled water

Patch to the Ogive no higher

Use a rubbing alcohol in my distiled water

8# paper and a bullet size that gives .001 over bore diameter of bullet after patch has dried.

A proper wad stack that fully protects the bullet's base.

A wipping regimen that leaves a near perfect barrel condition for shot to shot consistancy.

The 45-2-7/8ths cartridge

Annealing cases every time.

Primer Wads.

Frankly at this point, for me, I think that the only weak link, is the screwball behind the trigger, and our ability to dope-read conditions and make the proper corrections for such.

Kenny Wasserburger

Kenny when you go with a harder alloy do you see a difference in bullet diameter?
I cast abunch of those BACO bullets for my 44 from what should be 16-1 and they grew a thousands in diameter.
They shot pretty decent most of the time here at home at Creedmoor distances, but they sure let me down at Raton and Byers, when cast from 20-1.

No I dont see much difference Don, at least with the Money moulds from BACO.

Kenny

Thanks for the insight Kenny, i'm just beginning the Paper Patch disclipline and any and all of the wisdom of the folks that make it work is of value.

Going to shoot my third silhouette match this weekendwith Paper Patch--on paper targets my current Paper Patch load performs as good or better than my previous grease groove match load--WITH NO LEAD !!!!

For some reason, yet to be discovered, my Shiloh leads with all the lubes and grease groove bullets i have tried in the past---its a pleasure to be done with the lead mining every relay.

Currently shooting the 500 grain BACO Creedmore Paper Patch bullet, 0.444 patched to 0.4505 in front of 65 grains of swiss 1 1/2--the wad stack is similar to yours i believe.

Stay warm out that way

Dave

Dave how were your results at the last shoot? bobw

(11-13-2013, 08:38 AM)bobw Wrote: Dave how were your results at the last shoot? bobw

Hi Bob:

Interesting for sure---------cleaned the pigs and a couple of turkeys and a couple of rams----------this is all with one damp patch, and a chamber wipe that gets about 2 inches of barrel dried as well

Sooooooo-------the load/fouling control seems to fail past 300 meters, i haven't tried drying the entire barrel yet---one damp patch followed by a dry one to see if that improves things between 300 and 500 meters.

We shot a buffler match last time i made it to the range, 821 yards steel buffler with i believe a 24 inch "gong"-----5 shots---4 hits two of which were "gongs"

I wiped one damp and two dry patches, i simply had more time to work on fouling between shots.

Soooo at ranges past 500 meters things straightened up with the dryer barrel condition

I'm playing with thinner papers and perhaps a wiping system that gets the damp patch and a drying patch in one stroke----kinda like a bore pig but just carrying patches, when i get time to do some lathe work i'm going to experiment a bit with that idea.

Whitetail season if open now in Texas so that gonna take away from experiment time.

Keep well and stay safe

Dave

Hi Kenny,

You've listed a bunch of things you won't be changing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you've got .45-110's in 1:18 and 1:16 twist. For 1000 yard shooting do notice much difference between the two twist rates?

Thanks,

Chris.

Chris,

I have not, The 1-16 twist rifle will not shoot the scores the 1-18 twist will at 800 yards, I think its more due to the fact the chamber is .0015 bigger on the 25# rifle then my old Rifle.

The old 1-18 rifle just holds elevation better for what ever reason.

Kenny W

Thanks Kenny. I'm still tossing around the idea of another Shiloh. The honest reality for me is that there isn't any opportunity yet for long range paper matches anywhere near me, but there is a group about a half day's drive that is working on a 900m range that will have an electronic setup rather than pits and target pullers. This will be a first in this part of the world. Although they are geared toward modern smokeless competition, black powder rifles will be welcomed.

Chris.