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Paper Patched 32cal bullets?

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brstevns

36 Cal.
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Just a thought but could one paper patch 32cal handgun bullets and use them in a 32cal percussion rifle.
 
Suppose you could but would they stabilize with your rifling twist?
 
technically yes, but you have to have a bullet that is about 10 thousandths smaller than bore dia. to shoot well, you need the proper twist in the rifle. you can actually pp any bullet, it serves the same purpose as copper jacketing and is in fact copper jacketing's predesessor, they were mass produced well into the 20th century. if you look around enough on the net you'll even find an article where a guy teflon patched .30 rounds and shot them out of a 30-6. fascinating technology.
 
A couple of problems with the idea.

First, almost all modern pistol bullets are hardened. They were meant to be groove size and contained in a cartridge so they already fit the grooves before they are fired in a modern gun.

In your muzzleloader they won't expand much from obturation when they are fired so they won't "swell up" to grab the rifling.

The next problem comes from the groove size in your barrel.

Typically the grooves that are made for paper patched bullets are very shallow. The ones on my Schutzen are only about .002 deep (like a modern guns).

The patch in a muzzleloader should seal off the grooves so they are gas tight. If it doesn't, the leaking hot gas will burn thru the paper patch and all chances of the patch spinning the bullet like it should will be lost.

That said, what you proposing is to have a bullet with a paper patch that is smaller than the bore so you can easily load it without ripping the patch. Then you are asking the patch and the bullet to expand at least .013 (.006 deep grooves times two plus .001 pre shot bore clearance).

I don't think it will work very well. :(
 
I was thinking that the patch may act like a sabot? I have patched many cast bullet for center rifles and they work very well. I have also used teflon tape for these as well.
 
Just curious , but why would you Want to use modern pistol bullets in a TRADITIONAL muzzleloader ? :confused: Why not just use sabots that can be purchased off the shelf ? :hmm: Zonie pretty well covered the mechanical problems that would seem to me , to make it impractical :v
 
I do not think 32cal sabots are made? Was given a couple 100 .312 pistol bullets but have not 32cal pistol. I also have a bullet mold that makes a nice little .313 diameter bullet about 110gr. Just thought I might try something different.
 
Not sure what rate of twist I have. It is a CVA squirrel rifle. I will just have to give it a try and see what happens. Like many I have found every rifle is a law into itself, I have had centerfire rifles work very well with light or heavy bullets that should have never worked with the twist they had!
 
I have the Lee sizers. On my 50 I pour the bullets at .501 then I wrap the bullet with two wraps of 25% onion skin paper. Then I size the bullet with the paper on to .501 this gives me a bullet that fits tight going down. I have had VERY good luck with this bullet as a hunting bullet. Ron
 
I have tried paper, but I find that teflon plumers tape also works well if your rifle twist is fast enough.
 
I posted a question earlier about using teflon tape as patching material and was told it was to thin and that it would melt under the heat of black powder? How is your accuracy using it?
 
travis3 said:
Not sure what rate of twist I have. It is a CVA squirrel rifle. I will just have to give it a try and see what happens. Like many I have found every rifle is a law into itself, I have had centerfire rifles work very well with light or heavy bullets that should have never worked with the twist they had!

Why are you going to shoot conicals out of a squirrel rifle? Are those critters that tough where you live? Just curious! :idunno:
 
travis3 said:
I posted a question earlier about using teflon tape as patching material and was told it was to thin and that it would melt under the heat of black powder? How is your accuracy using it?

Can't help but wonder where the lower practical limit in diameter is for paper patching with muzzleloading rifles. Going smaller than 32 might start running into problems.
Hmmm, 36 could use big bunches of available molds, would make a really fun flinter.
 
The problem I see with the plumbers tape is it needs to come off the bullet as the bullet comes out of the barrel. If it sticks it will change the way the bullet flys. I would not want a kite tail flapping down range. Paper comes off the bullet the instant it leaves the barrel. Ron
 
Tough old fox squirrels! Really I was going to try them on a couple of coyotes. Still a mini on a squirrel. That is a thought. :hmm:
 
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