Hi folks have caught some online talk of using an additional patch or wad under a patched ball to cushion and protect it. Is anyone doing that if so has there been improved accuracy or other benefits?
Thanks
Thanks
Patch or wad over powder.
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Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
You can try it or wait for devine guidance.
Cushion and protect it from what?
It sounds like a notion someone came up with to compensate for bad patching material. A proper patch does just fine by itself.
It sounds like a notion someone came up with to compensate for bad patching material. A proper patch does just fine by itself.
BlongIV
32 Cal
I was having trouble with the main patch getting burnt. I started using an over the powder patch, now the patches come out good enough to reuse. It seems to help with accuracy.
I have had over powder wad help on accuracy, yet it is still in the air whether I was doing everything right. We were getting torn patches and started lubing patches more and that corrected the problem. Weather permitting I will further my experiment tomorrow.
My presumption would be it provides a better gas seal than just a patched round ball. Same reason I put some cornmeal in in between my powder and prb.
Here’s 5 shots at 50 yds with my .58
bldtrailer
Pilgrim
I use an over powder wad during the deer season when my rifle may stay loaded for several days to may be weeks, if I am unfortunate not to get a shot at a deer. The over powder wad helps to keep the powder from being contaminated by the lube on the patch.
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I do not use an over-powder patch or wad. That being said, I can see no reason NOT to try it and see if accuracy and/or ease of loading is affected.
Looks like another project once my 54 WoodsRunner is finished...
Looks like another project once my 54 WoodsRunner is finished...
justinoldguy
32 Cal
Been using an over powder patch for five decades, works great for me. While not necessary in all my rifles, I can spare a 7 cent patch per shot to insure accuracy. I start my over powder patch with my short starter, and then ram it down the rest of the way with the ball. If I shoot 50 shots, it costs me three and a half bucks extra, an exceedingly small price to pay to protect the patch that actually engages the rifling. I shoot over chronographs extensively, and an over powder patch/wad results in less fps variation in my rifles.
I have tried this with a few of my rifles, testing for both accuracy/precision, or MV differences and have seen no material differences using additional over-powder discs or wads. . I use Ox-Yoke patches and TOTW Mink Oil Lube with LRB’s in my rifles. 58 cal. Kibler Colonial and 50 cal. Hubbard, bench rest.
Brokennock
Cannon
Yes.
Depends who you ask.
There's only a couple (
) other topics and replies on this subject here, but I'm sure you can find some debates on it.I had the improvement of being able to match the accuracy of a tight and difficult to load patch/ball combo with and easier to load combo on a rifle I used to have.
Some will say it's pointless. Some will say you don't need to protect the powder from the lubed patch. But some also don't post results or what, "shoots just fine" means to them.
Experiment for yourself. With muzzleloaders things vary, from gun to gun and person to person.
Thanks for everyone's input. It is muzzleloder deer season this week in NJ. Will plan on getting to the range after it is over. I just received a no frills 1830 - 1860 plains type fullstock from Track of the Wolf but have only put maybe 50 shots through it so not hunting with it will try the secondary patch out to see if it makes any difference.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
I'm in the cream o wheat/cornmeal bunch but only on 1 of my rifles without the cream o wheat by the 3rd shot it's blowing patches and lucky to get a 5" group at 25 yards use the filler and its good for a whole day of match shooting. this is on a gun that has thousands of rounds through it
Use the proper ball size and patch thickness and you won't blow or burn patches. I have experimented with a patch over powder and see no changes. I have left my rifles loaded for weeks and leave them in the cold garage during season and though I use a lot of lube, it never affected the shots. The amount of powder that soaks up lube might equal 1/2 gr or less, that is less then you can measure when you fill the powder measure.
I use a chunk of paper wasp nest under my ball. Have found it to increase accuracy in every one of my round ball rifles.
The only rifle I do that with is a .75 jaeger and the reason is because the massive powder charge tends to burn through the patch.
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