PATCHED ROUND BALL

Haven't shot patched R/B in quite a while. I dug out my old equipment to find some patching to lube.what I could only find was the right thickness but only one and one half in. wide, will this do for a .54 cal.? To late for me to try and get some material, shoot is on Sunday. Can any of you guys help me out on this issue?,Also along the same lines I have been trying to get a patch lube I've used for over 40 years only to find today that it's been discontinued due to rasing cost from mfg. Old Zip Patch Lube is no moore. Dixie Gun Works has carried this lube since Turner Kirkland opened all those years ago. Looks like I'll be making my own. I know the main additives are mutton tallow and bees wax, not sure if their is any more additives or not. I guess I'll have to experiment. I really hate to see old things that have been around for years disaparre. I guess it means i'm getting to old. any way maybe some of you fellows can help me. Thanks, Tom

Unless its going to be as cold as Maine in winter, I just use spit for lube. Sometimes 12 or 15 shots with no wiping. The recipe stays the same year in and year out. Never gets discontinued.
And you can go grab some pillow ticking off the shelf from Wallmart.

As to your question about the width of the patch material - 1 1/2" should be fine. When the bullet is seated level or slightly below the muzzle and cut off, the resulting patch diameter is slightly larger than twice the bullet diameter, or just under 1 1/4" in this case. I use pre-cut 1 1/4" patches for .54 caliber rifles with good results.

mhb - MIke

I use a 1 1/2" piece of steel strap as a guide and a rotary cutter to cut strips of whatever patch material I choose, usually 300 or 400 tpi all cotton old sheets. I cut the strips about 3 feet long. Put one end in my mouth as I load the powder, put the moistened strip over the bore, place ball in position, short start and cut at the muzzle, push ball down and seat on top of the powder. Go to the line, cap (or prime) and shoot. Repeat as often as you wish. Same strips and procedure for every caliber I have (but really like the .54 !).

Ames said:

Unless its going to be as cold as Maine in winter, I just use spit for lube. Sometimes 12 or 15 shots with no wiping. The recipe stays the same year in and year out. Never gets discontinued.
And you can go grab some pillow ticking off the shelf from Wallmart.

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AMES; Thanks for the advise,it's been some time since RB shooting. Any way I appreciate your taking time to help me. Tom

Otter said:

I use a 1 1/2" piece of steel strap as a guide and a rotary cutter to cut strips of whatever patch material I choose, usually 300 or 400 tpi all cotton old sheets. I cut the strips about 3 feet long. Put one end in my mouth as I load the powder, put the moistened strip over the bore, place ball in position, short start and cut at the muzzle, push ball down and seat on top of the powder. Go to the line, cap (or prime) and shoot. Repeat as often as you wish. Same strips and procedure for every caliber I have (but really like the .54 !).

Click to expand...

Otter; thanks for teaching me your method of cutting patch strips, sounds like the way to go. I will be trying this in a few days. Thanks again....Tom Happy trails!

Exact size of the patch is not really too important and one size can easily work in two or three calibers. Example; a .45 patch works fine in a .40 and a .50 works in both .45 & .50, etc. A small patch for a .36 covers the .32 and a .40 does fine in the .36.