Help reading patches

[Docgp]

Looking for help reading these patches. It is a 20 yr old neglected 54 caliber in trying to bring back to function. Bore is rough, but with 70 gains of 2f, I'm shooting roughly 6" at 100 yds. With my eyes, i can do no better. These are t- shirt material with a .530 ball. Not sure if that's just a rough bore chewing up the patches, or i need to try thicker patch. Seems to be shooting good (to me at least) and is much easier to load than with the thicker pillow ticking.

Anyway, you guys are so far ahead of me on all this stuff, I'm just looking for any and all input. Much appreciated.

 

[IanH]

Save your tee shirts for cleaning.

What your patches are showing is they can't seal the bore against burn through because the material is too thin, too open of a weave, threads too small and delicate, and yes, the bore is rough.

Use the ticking. Lube it with something, spit, mink oil, canola oil, "moose milk", commercial patch lube, anything. If you don't have a short/long starter, get one and use it. Collect those patches after shooting and get back to us.

 

[64Springer]

Only way to get a positive read on those patches is if Hellen Keller was looking at them.

You could try folding the t-shirt in half and use a .510 ball.

J/K. Buy some real patches.

 

[Don Steele]

You might be able to improve the bore if you can fabricate a piece of “green wool” scrubbing material that will stay on your jag and be a very tight fit in the bore of your rifle. For a 54, some folks have used a 50 cal jag to get started with green wool. Otherwise, follow Ian’s advice. Get some real patch material and a proven Lube and you’ll do well.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Get some OOOO steel wool wrap some around you cleaning jag and run it down the barrel about 25 to 50 times should polish it unless the barrel is a basket case

 

[IanH]

I second the "green wool" if necessary. I've found that steel wool won't do much for the crusties that are high, iron oxide is very hard. If indeed there is a lot of high rust in the bore, degrease it thoroughly with brake parts cleaner or acetone, plug the nipple/touch hole, and fill the barrel up with Evaporust from the home store or hardware store. Soak overnight, pour out half, scrub with a bronze brush, pour that out, rinse with plain water, and repeat. After that, rinse and dry, then give it the steel wool treatment Ronald mentioned above to smooth out the frost and the sharp edges of the empty rust pits left by the Evaporust.

 

[Mike in FL]

Put a felt wad (I use a lubed felt wad) over the powder, then patched ball. That prevents burn through and DOES NOT spoil the powder as some would say. But I would address the rough bore first. My .50 will absolutely not accept a .490 ball with a patch thicker than .010 without pounding it in with a mallet which I ain't gonna do. Also, does 6" at 100 yards equate to 3" at 50? That ain't good.

 

[TDM]

As said, your bore would benefit from a good scrubbing with a smaller jag wrapped in green scotchbrite along with some JB bore paste. Use as directed. I’d also polish the muzzle crown with some 220, 320, 400 grit sandpaper under thumb pressure or under an oversized ball. And definitely get some proper patches in a variety of thicknesses. TOW mink oil is a very good lube.

 

[centershot]

As said, your bore needs some attention, do what you can to smooth it up. As for the patch material, the reason most of us settled on ticking is due to it's tight weave. There are other fabrics available that offer that same tight wave but are thinner and easier to load. I've been using linen patches in my .54 because it's such a bear to load with ticking. I settled on 0.010" linen, tough stuff and it works great. Save the old T-shirts for cleaning or shop rags!

 

[springfield art]

I'm still working on Tea Leaves! Seriously, though, you can tell a lot by retrieving the patches. Good luck!

 

[hanshi]

You need thicker, stronger patch material. Polish the crown with sandpaper and your thumb; it will make loading easier and allows the use of a thicker patch.

 

[Flintandsteel]

T shirt material is NOT patch material.