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What happens to patches?

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sidtrog

32 Cal
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Nov 25, 2015
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I shot new gun, .72 double rifle cap lock recently for my initial sight in, noticed all my patches ended up about 15 yards out, completely intact. They looked so good I am tempted to reuse them. This struck me as odd because I have rarely found more than fragments of patches when shooting my other muzzleloaders, a .54 cap lock and .45 flintlock, although I have not really looked very hard. This is with all different types of patch types generally 0.1 or 0.15" either strips cut at muzzle or precut, usually prelubed, have not tried spit patch. The intact patches were precut, prelubed from Maine Powder House.
My question is: is this a good or bad thing to have intact patches, have I been doing something wrong all along?
 
It's a good thing in fact wen you are having accuracy issues, how the patches look is one of the trouble shooting things we look at. A good patch shows you are shooting good patches and getting a good seal of the bore.
 
Your patch is there to seal pressure from the black powder ignition, and make the ball follow the rifling. Most get frayed around the edges, but a good patch should stay intact.
 
Any advantage in accuracy to using strips cut at the muzzle vs precut round patches? I suspect patch cut at the muzzle would be more precisely fitted to the ball with no extra since most precut have a size range ball they are sold for. I have not tried any accuracy tests to look at this. Probably don't know what what I'm talking about.
 
I shot new gun, .72 double rifle cap lock recently for my initial sight in, noticed all my patches ended up about 15 yards out, completely intact. They looked so good I am tempted to reuse them. This struck me as odd because I have rarely found more than fragments of patches when shooting my other muzzleloaders, a .54 cap lock and .45 flintlock, although I have not really looked very hard. This is with all different types of patch types generally 0.1 or 0.15" either strips cut at muzzle or precut, usually prelubed, have not tried spit patch. The intact patches were precut, prelubed from Maine Powder House.
My question is: is this a good or bad thing to have intact patches, have I been doing something wrong all along?
Thats good they didnt burn through. funny you said good nuff to re-use.Mine are pillow ticking precut n prelubed...always frayed.I think the rifling frays them and hopefully after the barrels get really broke in they wont fray as bad.
 
Patches can be hard to find even when you look for them. Patches cut at the muzzle do fit closer but that about it. As long as the patch covers the ball where it meets the bore, that's all that really matters. Square, round, cut at muzzle, you get the same accuracy wise.
 
Patches can be hard to find even when you look for them. Patches cut at the muzzle do fit closer but that about it. As long as the patch covers the ball where it meets the bore, that's all that really matters. Square, round, cut at muzzle, you get the same accuracy wise.
The birds prefer the square ones!
 
My birds insist on blue stripe pillow ticking cut at the muzzle. We had an ol Timer in our club that would collect the good patches and take them home and wash them to reuse. He put them in a ladies nylon sock in the washing machine.
 
Any advantage in accuracy to using strips cut at the muzzle vs precut round patches? I suspect patch cut at the muzzle would be more precisely fitted to the ball with no extra since most precut have a size range ball they are sold for. I have not tried any accuracy tests to look at this. Probably don't know what what I'm talking about.
Cut at the muzzle patches will always be centered around the ball if reasonable care is taken when placing the ball on the patch at the muzzle.

Is the patch cut at the muzzle more accurate? That depends on the match of the patch to type of shooting you are doing. It also may depend on the type and amount of patch lubricant you are using. Patch thickness and tightness of weave have more to do with accuracy than the precise cut of the patch at the muzzle. Excellent accuracy can be obtained when one does the precut patches. Confidence in knowing that you have a well lubricated patch centered around the ball is the best for accuracy whether you are using cut at the muzzle round or square patches. The patches being used by the Ol Timer who washes the used patches will have lost some of the tightness in the weave and probably won't be as accurate.
 
Patches cut at the muzzle are centered by the way they are cut. Precut patches may or may not be centered depending on how careful you are loading.That is the only difference.I use precut patches most of the time since I am a klutz and having a sharp knife, rifle, and cloth strip all in my hands at the same time is an accident waiting to happen.
 
At the range I use a moose milk recipe to lube my patches, cuz I don't got enough spit, they are always badly frayed around the edges. I always cut at the muzzle. It doesn't matter which gun, but the same gun, the same load, the same patching, using mink oil, in preparation for hunting season, the patches are in tact, barely frayed and many times folded like a taco and hard to find. I have spent way to time musing on what it all means, even though the load shoots true and I am confident it its' accuracy. Is there a point, er, forgot.
Robby
 
There's no accuracy difference between the two. Any differences are the result of operator errors.
Use the method that produces the least errors for you.
 
Years ago, a friend of mine who shot lots of muzzleloaders suggested I use a "bore button" under my patched round ball and he gave several reasons. So I did, and still do. I dont know about any effect on accuracy but I know my patches come off the ground ready to be loaded and fired again, although I never have done that. Just brush them off and they look almost new. I have to believe that can't be a bad thing.
 
Years ago, a friend of mine who shot lots of muzzleloaders suggested I use a "bore button" under my patched round ball and he gave several reasons. So I did, and still do. I dont know about any effect on accuracy but I know my patches come off the ground ready to be loaded and fired again, although I never have done that. Just brush them off and they look almost new. I have to believe that can't be a bad thing.
 

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