what patch to use?

L & R
the hawken shop
Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
tdoyka

tdoyka

32 Cal.
Joined
Jun 18, 2013
Messages
83
Reaction score
27
i need to use a .005" patch for my CVA Hawken. i was wondering what other kind of home made patches used for?

rifle cleaning patch for .17 cal. is .008"
notebook paper is .002"
toilet paper is .015"
used drier sheet is .004 to .006"
paper receipt from pharmacy is .003"

i have some .005" patches ordered, but i want to shoot my FL rifle and i only got 12 patches that are .005". i was thinking an over patch (.015") and then a drier sheet with the RB. can it work or never do it. just wait till the patches show up.
 
tdoyka said:
i need to use a .005" patch for my CVA Hawken. i was wondering what other kind of home made patches used for?

rifle cleaning patch for .17 cal. is .008"
notebook paper is .002"
toilet paper is .015"
used drier sheet is .004 to .006"
paper receipt from pharmacy is .003"

i have some .005" patches ordered, but i want to shoot my FL rifle and i only got 12 patches that are .005". i was thinking an over patch (.015") and then a drier sheet with the RB. can it work or never do it. just wait till the patches show up.
Click to expand...
Why so thin a patch? Might burn through hurting accuracy.
 
Phil Coffins said:
You will not be happy with .005” patch, any kind of paper will be less than effective. Change ball size to use a thicker patch.
Click to expand...
I agree because you need a patch thick enough to really grab that rifling on the way out. It needs to compress into the grooves, and given that most rifling is already nearly that deep or even deeper, there's little compression of the patch into the grooves with that thickness.
 
Last edited:
I but 500 packs of prelubed patches for 33? bucks from ebay. Eastern Maine shooters supply I think.
I get .015, and they perform 100%. Go down easy, and clean up well. They have every thickness and caliber, and quantity. I would rather shoot than mess with making patches, but I can see wanting to do it yourself. Anyway it works for me.
I agree with the other gentlemen, get a smaller ball to get more patch in the rifling. That keeps it clean and consistent.
 
my ball is .488". if you go to thicker patch, like .010", you will be able to shoot a couple of times and then the only way to get them down the barrel is a rod and mallet. i do a cloverleaf pattern at 50 yards and no burn thru. if i want, i could reuse the patches. i use 70.0gr Goex FFg powder. i have alot of it

i have a cotton Hankee that measure .005 - .007". i am going to try that.
 
If I don't get water vapor down after each shot It is almost impossible to load twice. I good blow and I can go as long as I like. Personally I can't cuff more than 40 shots. I get about 1 shot per 2 minutes, so I usually stop at 45 -60 minutes. The range is a few miles away, so I can go twice a day if I want to burn powder.
 
You need a patch thick enough to compress and grab and fill the rifling, while gripping the ball tightly enough to impart a spin to the ball upon firing. An .005 patch is way too thin and will most likely just tear up on its way down then out the bore.

I'm assumimg your gun is in .50 caliber. You should be able to use an .015 patch with a .488 ball and still get it down the bore fairly easily.
 
i owned about 4 or 5 flintlocks, Lymans and Traditions, and i never worried about patches. they were always .015 - .020". i got 50cal CVA Hawken left handed FL at an auction about 4 or 5 years ago. i tried .015" patches, but i could not get it down the barrel. so i order smaller sized patches, .010 and .005". the .010" i could get down the barrel for 2 firings. i tried the 3rd firing but i was able to get it down the barrel with a wooden mallet and synthetic rod. i tried .005" the next day (cleaned the bore beforehand) and i shot 12 or 13 times. i cleaned the bore and a i shot 10 shots a day for about 4 months. the .005" patches looks like you could shoot it again.

i got about 1000 .488" rb's that me and Dad (RIP) made. so i will buy a smaller RB mold later, i think. i can do a cloverleaf pattern at 50 yards with a bench and sandbags. off hand with a tripod, 2 - 3" group at 50 yards.


UwXSjPa.jpg



it is not the best rifle i have ever owned, but i like the way it shoots.
 
So......

You are going to continue to use a .005 patch, great!
This particular gun is the exception to the rule that a patch needs to fill the barrel grooves and grip the ball enough to spin it and be tough enough to prevent cutting or burn through.

I hope you find some .005 patch material.
 
Wirehair said:
If three shots touching at 50 yds "...is not the best rifle I have ever owned...", how well does your best rifle shoot?
Click to expand...

there are some marks ad dents on the stock and when i got, it had a rusty bore. it took me forever and a day to clean it out.
 
The grooves in my rifles range from about .012" to .016". Depending on the particular rifle the thinnest patch I use is .015". But in general I mostly use canvas and I cut all my own patches. The canvas patches are .024" compressed and go down pretty easily with the wood ramrod. The loads are fairly tight and I don't wipe between shots or series of shots as each prb wipes the bore when seated. Pillow ticking is around .015", mattress ticking about .018" and represent the thinnest material I use for patches. But the canvas patches are .024" and are my standard for .32 to .50 caliber.
 

Similar threads

4
.32 caliber frustrations with not grouping.
2 3 4
Replies
76
Views
6K
Grenadier1758
Grenadier1758
B
Purchased patch thickness
Replies
0
Views
237
Buckskinquin
B
tdoyka
CVA HAWKENS
Replies
2
Views
130
tdoyka
tdoyka
Z
What ball/patch generally works best?
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
appalichian hunter
A
A
What is the deal with the fouling ring
2 3
Replies
51
Views
5K
TDM
TDM

Latest posts

Back
Top