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Ball Patch - Round or Square?

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jeffdrown

40 Cal.
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Dec 22, 2011
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I just got some pillow tickling cloth for round ball patches. Whats better round or square patches for shooting round balls..or doesn't really matter??? I was thinking about making a punch for my 20 gauge ball patches!

Also Can I use a dry patch or should I lube them. I have been getting round prelube patches. I also load a lubed cusion wad under ball. Just wondering if I could skip the patch lube ?.Thanks from a "newbe: !
 
Doesn't really matter. I tear mine into strips and cut them at the muzzle or once pressed into a wood ball block.

You can get by with dry patch in a smoothbore, but a little dampness is better (I think). With the strip I just dab it on my tongue if I'm shooting right away or use a wax/grease lube from a tin. If you're already using a lubed wad the patch doesn't need more.
 
Since shape does not matter much but square patches are the easiest to cut. Just use the lines on the ticking cloth to get the width right and eyeball the cross cut to get them square. Close enough. No special tools required.
 
With a wet patch you are "cleaning" each time you load. With a dry patch you will probably hit a point after about 3 or 4 shots where you can't get the ball down on the powder due to fowling. Spit patching works great for target shooting, there are dozens of recipes for patch lubes that are useful when hunting.

I asked that question of an old shooter once and he told me that he asked his gun whether it liked square patches or not and his gun told him it didn't matter. Then he went out and won the match using square patches.

Many Klatch
 
Last time I went to the range I tried round patches and square ones I had precut too about 1 1/4" squares. I couldn't tell an ounce of difference. Not in the loading, or accuracy!

I also tried muzzle cut lubed with my same lube and can't tell any difference their!
 
I found no difference in round or square patches, even the triangular ones did as well.
 
Although I'm still occasionally using some round patches (I got a bunch with a rifle I traded into), when I use pillow ticking, I simply cut 'em square. Doesn't take long to do.
 
I witnessed a test run by one of our best shots
of our time on a bench gun. He shot 5 shots with
square patches and 5 by cutting on the muzzle.
The square shot the better group. This was at 50 yds. This was about 37 years ago. Today, he still
is the man to beat at Friendship.
 
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