Leather/Chamois Patching

Just had my best range day yet with the new .62 jeager built by Roger Sells (pics coming soon!). A big "THANK YOU" to Wes/Tex for suggesting chamois as a patching material. atriot: Several problems were solved today using a wonder wad and chamois:

Grouping real well now

MUCH easier to load due to compressibility of the chamois. Can thumb start the patched ball!
Reloading no longer requires a solid brass rod.

Hunting load of 110 grains 2f groups well, but equally good results and same POI with 90 grains 3f. Interestingly (and Roundball has mentioned this in the past, I believe) these are the powder charges where the BOOM changes to a CRACK.

Ready for hunting season...

Cool! :wink: Glad it worked so well for you. It was an eye opener for me too. I'd seen an article many years ago in a Muzzle Blasts or Muzzleloading magazine about it and it got me going. Turns out the author was the same Carl Semensic who used ot run teh old Muzzleloading Hide. He used thin leather he'd bought, found a dull rotary patch cutter would still work with leather even when it had trouble with cloth and had his boys help him lube them while watching TV...now there's a plan.
I got to thinking chamois I could get from the local auto parts guys when they'd run sales on them might just be the ticket...it was! They don't smolder in dry leaves or grass and many are clean enough to lick off and use again! Well, maybe want to go easy on the 'lick off' end! :rotf: :thumbsup:

Since the chamois worked so well with Easter Maine Product's "Premium Lube" (wonderlube), am going to experiment with Track's "Trapper's Pure Mink Oil" and some other lubes just for the heck of it.

Might have to look into a rotary cutter - just cut these out with scissors.

You could buy a 1 3/4 inch arch punch or you might be able to get Ohio Ramrod to make a custom punch for you for a LOT less money. I don't know if he makes punches that large but he has made a couple smaller sizes for me and at extremely reasonable prices. If he can make one for you, and you have a drill press, ask him to make a drill press adaptor to go with your punch. You use the drill punch with it turned off to punch out the patches. It works great and you can cut a lot of patches in a short time. You can just do a search for Ohio "Ramrod" in the "Members" section.

Good to hear that the patching solved a number of problems. Would be very interested to see pictures of the Jaeger made by Roger. I am looking into getting one in left hand and have been looking for a builder that specialises in Jaegers. To date his is the only name that has come up. Am also looking at a kit from Sitting Fox as they are going to start building a LH Jaeger kit very soon.

Billnpatti - Great idea! I sent Ohio Ramrod an inquiry into a punch. The .62 shooting patches measure 1.5 inches in diameter.

Or you could just cut square patches, no need for a fancy punch......

dikman said:

Or you could just cut square patches, no need for a fancy punch......

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That is a thought :hmm: will just have to give 'em a try.

No, I wouldn't spend my money on a "fancy" punch either. I have found from long experience that the plain round ones work the best. :haha:

I have used chamois now and then. Works great in my smoothbore. I have a bunch of them as I am always washing my vintage m/c's with them.

Billnpatti said:

No, I wouldn't spend my money on a "fancy" punch either. I have found from long experience that the plain round ones work the best. :haha:

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:blah:

I've tried chamois, but the issue I experienced was the lack of uniform thickness across the skin.