some 44-77 questions

[Gunlaker]

I like the Seth Cole 55W too. As far as I can measure, it's about 0.0016" but paper is tricky to measure accurately for me.

I use it to patch .445" and .446" bullets for my .45's and patch to a snug thumb press fit.

Don, what wiping routine is Ian using? It's pretty impressive to shoot PP in such a time restricted match as silhouette and shoot master class scores!

Chris.

[Kurt]

Don,

When it comes to paper for PP I might be to particular what I use. I try to stick with a 75 to 100% cockle finish cotton paper with as little sizing in it as I can find that keeps the ink from bleeding through and it is softer then 25% or just straight wood pulp paper like the Paper mill has. The 100 or 75% cotton is soft enough that it will compress a little so I can seat the round with ease. A hard paper like tracing paper that is a vellum like the 55-Y I want to fit the bore snug even as soft as the 55 Y is. When the bullet is to tight and when the round is seated it puts more tension on the bullet changing the release and compressing a loose powder load more or less if the fouling is not all removed from the throat or even a clean throat and it increases the vertical.
My moulds are cut for using .0018" thick paper so they patch right at bore to one halve to not more then one thousand over bore diameter depending on the paper so I can seat the bullet with ease and the bullet makes uniform contact in the bore with no chance of misalignment that can happen from a loose fitting or a very tight deep seated bullet that can get a lot of misalignment in the bore with a loose or even tight chamber. It's just my way right or wrong but I'm sticking to it

[Kurt]

I like the Seth Cole 55W too. As far as I can measure, it's about 0.0016" but paper is tricky to measure accurately for me.

I use it to patch .445" and .446" bullets for my .45's and patch to a snug thumb press fit.

Don, what wiping routine is Ian using? It's pretty impressive to shoot PP in such a time restricted match as silhouette and shoot master class scores!

Chris.

Thank you Chris.

[Nuclearcricket]

Having been the Range Officer for the Ridgway PA Shiloutte matches most of this year and some of last, I get to set and watch the line. To my knowledge I have seen just One person using pp bullets, he had to breach seat them and wipe between shots. To the best of my memory he did not run out of time. There are very few shooters any more that I see using a blow tube. Most wipe with a single damp patch. I have seen shoters use nearly all of their time and have heard the last shots being fired down close to the 5 second point but no one has fired one off after the cease fire point.
My feelings are, if you are going to wipe, you need to be organized. Have your rod handy, have your patches handy. Have things that fit just right so that your not fighting with anything. Practice wiping before you come to the match so that you know what to place where and what it takes to get the patch off of the jag at the muzzle.
Kurt, nothing at all wrong with the MItitoyo stuff. Many of the apprentices where I had worked purchased that brand. They are just as good and most anyone else. The Etalon micrometers I have I would put just a bit above the rest but them their price is a bit above the rest as well. They are very good but not what I would recommend for the average user. Where I worked most of my life, we had to hold +/- .0002", the Etalon's just made it a bit easier to measure down that close is all.
At this point I am looking at picking up some paper but am also shopping around for a paper cutter. I want one that I can attach stops to so that I can cut evenly measured strips, and then put on an attachment so that I can hold the length and angle . The hard part is just making up my mind I guess.
As for the mold most likely I will go with an Accurate mold, the price is right and he will custom cut the diameter. I figure also on a slick, If I want a little bit bigger bullet I can chuck the mold up in the lathe and polish it out a bit till I get the size I want. Shouldn't take all that much to polish out .001 to .002" on an aluminum mold.
Decisions, Decisions , enough to make your head hurt and your bourbon supply disappear.
Sam

[Kurt]

Sam I use a roller cutter for cutting patches. I have a pattern for every bullet I use and when I need patches I scan the pattern sheet and staple it 12 to 16 blank sheets putting a staple on every strip this keeps them straight and they are all the same when I cut them. I can cut around 360 patches in less then a hour with very little waste.
Rowdy Rick made me a patch board for cutting single sheets like Frank posted here once and it works great if I just want a few test patches cut. You can set the angle and with and length of the patch easy.
IMG_0538 by Kurt, on Flickr

[Don McDowell]

I like the Seth Cole 55W too. As far as I can measure, it's about 0.0016" but paper is tricky to measure accurately for me.

I use it to patch .445" and .446" bullets for my .45's and patch to a snug thumb press fit.

Don, what wiping routine is Ian using? It's pretty impressive to shoot PP in such a time restricted match as silhouette and shoot master class scores!

Chris.

Chris he went to using the BACO bws and a variation there of.

[Nuclearcricket]

Kurt, that looks good. What I was thinking of was a paper cutter where I could either drill and tap it so that I could put a stop on that would allow me to cut the strips to width and then attach another piece at an angle with index marks to cut the strips to length. Being able to print the right sizes out on a top sheet is a very good idea. I just don't have the ability to print things out on a one to one basis, I think. I will have to look into it. I do have a good cad program but setting the scale is not something I have really played with and not really sure how to do it.
I now have a milling machine. And that would make it very easy to to drill and tap the paper cutter to put stop plates on, I even have a strip of cheap aluminum that would work well for that purpose, just need to find a cutter that will support being drilled and taped or having inserts installed.
I did get an excelent deal on the mill, its a Grizzly G0704. I got it from a guy that was leaving the area, Its 4 years old and the worst thing he did to it was letting the table rust a bit. $1250 new and I got it for $450 with a vice and clamp kit. I cried about the price I had to pay for about a heart beat. He had one solid tool holder for it and a drill chuck that he destroyed. Not a big deal, I have a drill chuck on an R8 shank, so that is covered, a set of R8 collets cost me $44, I am good to go. I did get the vice he had, its only 4" wide but it will work, and I have a bunch of cutters and other stuff for a mill. I think I did ok. I have used it a little so far and it did just fine. I just need to get some lights set up and I can sling chips till the cows come home.
Fall has set in here in PA so I have a few months to figure out what mold I want, and to get things in place to venture into the world of PP bullets.
One question I do have about shooting PP bullets, if you are going to wipe between shots, do you need to have a lube wad of some sort, either just a lube wad or something like a felt wad soaked with lube?
Sam

[Don McDowell]

A lube wad isn't necessary when shooting accuracy loads and wiping between shots.
I do however prefer to use the Muzzleloader original dry lubed felt wads under the bullet, and my rifles seem to agree it is the proper thing to do.

[Nuclearcricket]

I am guessing that the ones for the .44/.45 pistol will work just fine. I honestly don't know if any of the local shops have any of them on the shelf or not. If not, I am thinking TOW has them. I know that is something I wanted to put on my order when I got round balls for my .31 Remington C &B pistol but seems I had a brain fart when placing my order and that item got left off.
Glad the scope cap business has been good this year, I have money left now to get new goodies to play with.
Sam

[Don McDowell]

Sam I get mine from Midway, their prices usually the best I can find, been trying to get Dave Gullo to carry them. The 44 size works well with 44 and 45 cal rifle cartridges, the 36 caliber works very well in the 40 cal, and the 31 caliber size works like a champ in the 32-40.