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FFFG burning patches?

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Tinhorn

40 Cal
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
116
Reaction score
39
Location
Redding, Ca
Tinhorn here- I was told at the last Rondy that I could use light 50g charges of FFFG in my Browning Mountain Rifle for target use, and would require less bore wiping on the 25-28 target Trailwalk. But my patches show burn holes 50% of the time. Would switching to the FFG I have always used fix this? The patch and ball combo is optimum, and has served me well, my starter and ramrod effort is unchanged from when I had good patches. The rifle will work with 60g FFG, and hit the mark OK.
A refresher on BMRs- They have a deep firecone in the breech, and ignite HOT! Fast ignition, in my experience. The cone is about an inch deep in a .50cal bore, one heck of a cone. Can this make FFFG burn too hot? My CVA .50cal belt pistol burns 25g FFFG with a shallow 1/4" fire cone, a hemisphere, and doesn't burn patches at all. Any thoughts on this problem?
 
Use of an over powder wad would likely help also. However it is an extra step when shooting a 25-28 shot woods walk.

The 3fg is more energetic and the internal pressure will be higher quicker than the 2fg charge. The 3fg is the culprit here. If you are cutting patches at the muzzle, the scrap from the previous cut patch could be rolled up and inserted before loading the patch and ball.
 
The patch and ball combo is optimum, and has served me well, my starter and ramrod effort is unchanged from when I had good patches.

Not sure what this means? Are you using a different patch from what you used to? Thinner, not as tight of weave, etc.?
I suspect a patch or lube problem vs. a 3f or "firecone" problem. Were the patches lubed for quite some time before being used? Store bought pre-lubed?
Please describe what patch material, thickness, and lube you are using in more detail.
I can run 80 grains of 3f in my .54 with a very lightly lubed pillow ticking patch I lubed myself and patches look good. I've used very light applications of mink oil, olive oil, and a 7:1 ratio of a Dutch Schultz style lube (barely tell there is lube) with success with that 3f charge.
My experiences with poor looking patches is when using too thin of a patch or old patches that have been lubed for too long. While I haven't experienced it myself, something that has changed with the barrel could also be cutting them.
 
An op wad should work but, IMHO, You need a thicker, stronger patch. Heavy loads of 3F don't burn the patches in my rifles likely because I use .024" canvas.
 
While it takes getting used to, I have found leather over powder wads prevent patch burning. (not patch cutting by rough bores ) The leather wads have a scrubbing effect that reduces the fouling build up when shooting many shots.
 
Lube is 25% mineral oil/water, starter and ramrod effort is unchanged, so the ball is engraving ok, as the accuracy off a rest is 2" at 40 yds. Rest, not bench. Just leaning against the Chevy. Will shoot 50g or 60g of FFG tomorrow and see how the accuracy, trajectory, and patches turn out. About 5 shots will tell the tale. Will lean on the truck to reduce the 'old guy wobble' to the minimum. Tinhorn
 
FILM AT ELEVEN, as they used to say on TV- So my Pop used to say to me: " Boy, if all else fails, read the directions. And if that doesn't work, try FOLLOWING them"...... I dug around in my rifle bag, and actually came up with the Instruction Manual from Browning for the rifle I bought new in 1985. This manual came with the rifle, and very specifically said USE FFG POWDER in this rifle. And Gee Whillikers, the patches stopped burning, the rifle hit the 2" square mark at 40 paces, same 50g FFG charge, AND NO SIGHT ADJUSTMENT NEEDED! Increase to 60g moved the hole up 4". So all is once again good in Tinhorn Land. And a shout to Grenadier, Carbon, and the rest of you riflemen on helping me with this. The folks at the Federal BLM will close off the shooting ranges real soon for fire season, so it was great to get this burned patch thing put to rest. Tinhorn out.
 
Yeah, we get that here too. I pick up my junk, which is usually a plastic coffee can, or cardboard box, and 'police the area' when I can. Next, I'm going to work over my powder flasks so that my cylinder flask is used for pistol, and my pretty Colt Revolver replica flask becomes my FFG rifle flask. I haven't carried my full size Davy Crockett powderhorn in 20 years, it's just for show, now. Nice cowhorn powderhorn. Just too much junk to wear. I much prefer a belt bag my Mom made, and my little cap&measure bag, and my ball&patch bag (both are different styles of Civil War Cap Boxes, 1 is square, 1 is round-bottom for balls and patch tin. I call this my 'War-belt' and it's probably a version of the carpenters tool belt. And gee, the CVA Belt Pistol fits on it too! Varmints, stand aside! Tinhorn
 
switch to making your own patches from 100 percent pure linen weave medium weight cloth tight weave. never burn and even can be collected and reused.
 
Those wet pillowtick patches are probably good enough to re-use! I cut them out of several layers of pillowtick with a sharpened 1-1/4" hole saw in a cordless drill, like most of the other guys do. And the new .495 mold made a pound of balls in about 20 minutes, so I'm good for Monday at the range. I have 2 measures I made, a 50g and a 60g, so I need to get point of impact data this time. Tinhorn
 
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