Paper Patched Lead Bullets

Does anyone on the forum paper patch their bullets? I have a underhammer rifle that came with 7 paper patched bullets. Any details as to the procedure, type of paper or sources of information would be appreciated.

Idaho Ron uses paper patch bullets. If he doesn't see your post you could PM him or you could also search "paper patched" and read some of the older posts.

I would be glad to help but there are others that paper patch here too. I do it a little different than some do. Ron

My method is from the long range muzzleloading as they do at Oak Ridge in the spring and fall. My Badger barrel has a .450 bore with .004" rifling and 1 in 18 twist - like the Shiloh Sharps guys in Big Timber, MT.

I swage a 540 gr smooth-sided bullet. The paper patch is IIRC is .002" thick. With 2 wraps around the bullet, it is just slightly smaller than the bore. I can thumb press the bullet into the bore. The weight of the ramrod will lower the bullet into the bore.

Although it is a loose fit, when fired with say 80-90 grains of ffg bumps up enough to shred the paper as it leaves the muzzle. If a squib load would be used the bullet would not bump up, and the patch would be burned. (I tried that to see.) The load will vary, but many shooters aim for 1250-1350 fps. I would guess that I could duplicate a .45-90 with this barrel and load.

Keep in mind that this is for long range target shooting and not for hunting. Remember that the bullet is a loose fit. The risk of having the bullet slide away from the powder would be a risk. It is a great target load but not for hunting.

Idaho Ron will provide the "paper patched bullet" in hunting situations. I will be interested in how his methods differ from mine. I'm sure a major difference will be the tighter fit to the barrel.

Regards,
Pletch

Greg....look at the bullets/paper etc. offered by Buffalo Arms in Idaho. Paper patching is pretty simple but be advised that cleaning between shots is pretty much required for top accuracy. Don't forget too that big bullets require a fast twist barrel to stabilize. cheers Paul

pletch pretty muched summed up how i do it.

For my bullets I am using Grease groove bullets. For my 50 with the 1-28 twist I am using a Lee C-501-440-RF. I use 9# onion skin 25% cotton Paper that is .0025 thick.
I wrap the paper on dry and twist the tail and push it on the bottom. After I wrap the paper on I then size the bullet and paper dry in a Lee .501 sizer.

After sizing these bullets fit my green mountain barrel very snug. In my barrels they slide down with a fair amount of pressure. In some barrels I have had to use a little lube on the outside to get them to slide down easier.

For my 45 I am using a RCBS 11mm bullet.They cast at .446 and I wrap them dry. After I wrap them I size them to .446 to finish them. I am using this bullet in a 1-30 twist. This bullet goes down with the weight of the range rod about 2 to 3 pounds.

I use oversized over powder wads for both. For instance the 50 uses a wad that is .62" diameter. They tend to pucker a bit when inserted. I also use a small amount of bore butter or Hornady great plains lube on the felt wads.

Ron

There's a pictorial guide to paper patching on my Research Press web site by the late Joe Hepsworth. You should be able to find it easily enough via google.

David

What is the purpose/benefits of the paper patch?
Can it be used with any type bore? What sized bullet to bore is used? How difficult to load? Does the bullet need a boat tail shape to start into bore?

crockett said:

What is the purpose/benefits of the paper patch?
Can it be used with any type bore? What sized bullet to bore is used? How difficult to load? Does the bullet need a boat tail shape to start into bore?

Click to expand...

Books have been written on the questions you raised. One I have is The Paper Patch by Paul Matthews, 1991 available from Buffalo Arms Company. Richard Corbin has an online book on swaging with a chapter on paper patching. A google search for "paper patch bullets" will get you started.

To start you off: the barrel should be a bullet twist for the bullet you sellect. The bullet/patch should be sized to your bore. Mine is made of soft lead and, with paper,is just under bore size. No boat-tail is necessary.

Regards,
Pletch

PS here Link is the link to David's web site above:

Ron,
I have a couple questions about your method. Do you wrap the paper twice around the bullet? Do you use a parallelagram shaped paper? Any problems keeping the paper in place as it goes into the sizer? I assume that the bullet's grooves are greased before the paper goes on. Maybe that's what helps to hold the paper in place. Thanks.
Regards,
Pletch

Pletch said:

Ron,
I have a couple questions about your method. Do you wrap the paper twice around the bullet? Do you use a parallelagram shaped paper? Any problems keeping the paper in place as it goes into the sizer? I assume that the bullet's grooves are greased before the paper goes on. Maybe that's what helps to hold the paper in place. Thanks.
Regards,
Pletch

Click to expand...

Yes I do two wraps of 25% cotton 9# onion skin. Yes the paper is parallelagram shaped. No I don't use grease on the bullet or any other lube on the bullet or paper. After I wrap them the paper is tight. They go into the sizer just fine. the sizer makes the folds tight so they stay on great. When they come out of the barrel it is confetti. I also use a over powder wad to protect the paper from the fire. Ron

After wrapping two layers of dress pattern paper on my bullets I wet the paper with water.

When the water drys the paper shrinks to make a tight wrapper that will not come off.

Did you read the PT I sent you?

No PT yet.
Pletch

"I assume that the bullet's grooves are greased before the paper goes on. Maybe that's what helps to hold the paper in place."

Pletch, the wet paper will shrink to tightly fit a clean, degreased bullet. Bullet lube of any kind on the unpatched bullet makes it extremely difficult to get the paper to adhere.

Not only will lubed paper not help the paper stick to the bullet, if it is done hours or days before the bullet is loaded it will soften the paper making it almost impossible to load without tearing the paper off.

I lube my PP bullets right before I ram them down the bore.

I've tried various concoctions made with beeswax to climate proof paper patches, steeping the patched bullets in the melted lube. To one degree or the other it will introduce :barf: additional variables into how the patched bullet behaves in the barrel.

You can make it work but if you don't live in high humidity don't bother. :shake: