A little background:
I've been using a liquid patch lube for rendevous shooting and practice shooting, which is just t/c #13 soaked into a .015 store bought cotton patch wrapped around a .530 RB. Patches are damp but none can be squeezed out of them. Recovered patches look good, no excessive burning or holes in them. I'm sold on using this combination for the ease of loading and not having to swab everytime, as well as good grouping. These are being shot over a load of 70grns ff goex.
I've been recently experimenting with different patch lubes that will be good for hunting, so that the load can sit in the barrel for a day of hunting and not foul the powder. I've been experimenting using the same 70grn charge, but want it to work for 80grn hunting loads, which I will experiment with once I actually get some good results with a 70grn charge.
I recently tried a Castor oil/Denatured alcohol mix, 1 part CO to 5 parts DA. Patches were fried to a crisp, loading would require swabbing for even a second loading, and of course groups were non existant. So I then tried 2 parts CO to 5 parts DA...patches weren't fried but did have holes in them still, groups weren't acceptable, but loading up to three times without swabbing was possible. At this point I tried shooting some .015 cotton patches that I lubed with Natural Lube 1000. These resulted in terrible groups as well, holes in the patches, and having to swab every shot.
So, now I think a patch change is in order. I'm thinking of trying pillow ticking for a tighter weave to see if it eliminates the holes. Most pillow ticking seems to be .018, but I did find that CVA makes a .015 precut pillow ticking patch as well. I refuse to have to use a mallet to load, so I'm obviously looking for the best patch that will work and still have decent loading ease and most importantly good groups. I'm wondering what all of you with way more experience at this obsession think of this line of thought? At this point do you feel that the patch material is at fault and should be changed?
I've been using a liquid patch lube for rendevous shooting and practice shooting, which is just t/c #13 soaked into a .015 store bought cotton patch wrapped around a .530 RB. Patches are damp but none can be squeezed out of them. Recovered patches look good, no excessive burning or holes in them. I'm sold on using this combination for the ease of loading and not having to swab everytime, as well as good grouping. These are being shot over a load of 70grns ff goex.
I've been recently experimenting with different patch lubes that will be good for hunting, so that the load can sit in the barrel for a day of hunting and not foul the powder. I've been experimenting using the same 70grn charge, but want it to work for 80grn hunting loads, which I will experiment with once I actually get some good results with a 70grn charge.
I recently tried a Castor oil/Denatured alcohol mix, 1 part CO to 5 parts DA. Patches were fried to a crisp, loading would require swabbing for even a second loading, and of course groups were non existant. So I then tried 2 parts CO to 5 parts DA...patches weren't fried but did have holes in them still, groups weren't acceptable, but loading up to three times without swabbing was possible. At this point I tried shooting some .015 cotton patches that I lubed with Natural Lube 1000. These resulted in terrible groups as well, holes in the patches, and having to swab every shot.
So, now I think a patch change is in order. I'm thinking of trying pillow ticking for a tighter weave to see if it eliminates the holes. Most pillow ticking seems to be .018, but I did find that CVA makes a .015 precut pillow ticking patch as well. I refuse to have to use a mallet to load, so I'm obviously looking for the best patch that will work and still have decent loading ease and most importantly good groups. I'm wondering what all of you with way more experience at this obsession think of this line of thought? At this point do you feel that the patch material is at fault and should be changed?
