I know I have cut patches after having shot my rifle approximately 100 times. I am shooting 70 grains of 2F, .530 Ball and a .018 Ox-yoke pillow ticking patch with wonder lube. Would it help if I used a thicker patch such as .020? I just ordered some from Dixon's in both cotton and pillow ticking. I know I could lap the bore, however I have a tendency to mess things up if I tool around with them, so I am looking for other avenues.
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Cut patches
- Thread starter Eric M
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
jamesthomas
70 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2009
- Messages
- 4,111
- Reaction score
- 14
Just shoot it some more, some rifles need it. Or just take a piece of green pad, wrap it around a cleaning jag and run it up and down the bore about 20 to 30 times. That will help smooth out any rough spots.
Memphis1211, Check your crown for sharp edges. You can smooth the crown with a piece of emery on the end of your finger, rotate both your finger and the barrel till you go all the way around. I usually start with 220grit and end with 400 grit.
Robby
Robby
Good advice given so far. Don't screw around. Just keep shooting. I know we don't want cut patches but how the gun shoots is what is important. Just keep shooting, the barrel will smooth out.
These are from a CVA Mountain Rifle that's had 1000's of rounds throught it, 50 cal, 495 ball and .020 thick;
This is 5 shot's at 50yrds, so a few cut's is no big deal;
This is 5 shot's at 50yrds, so a few cut's is no big deal;
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2004
- Messages
- 14,767
- Reaction score
- 319
I agree with the general consensus that the cuts are likely occurring at a sharp crown, and I know firsthand that Robby's technique is a good solution. But I also agree that the condition will solve itself with more shooting, even if you don't go to work on the crown.
If you're a little reluctant to take up sandpaper but want to reduce cuts while doing more shooting, try this.
Rather than "slapping" the short starter like so many people do, carefully line up the patches and press gently with your thumb to get a "press" start with a minimum of folds or wrinkles. Now use the botton on your short starter to firmly PUSH the ball into the bore. No slaps, just start soft and gradually add pressure till the ball pops down past the crown. It may help to use a little extra lube for the time being.
If you're a little reluctant to take up sandpaper but want to reduce cuts while doing more shooting, try this.
Rather than "slapping" the short starter like so many people do, carefully line up the patches and press gently with your thumb to get a "press" start with a minimum of folds or wrinkles. Now use the botton on your short starter to firmly PUSH the ball into the bore. No slaps, just start soft and gradually add pressure till the ball pops down past the crown. It may help to use a little extra lube for the time being.
ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2008
- Messages
- 7,473
- Reaction score
- 2,208
While lapping with various coumpounds will salvage a rusted/pitted bore ,I don't believe in using coumpounds in a new rifle. However Tooth paste is a very fine abrasive and I have never heard of any one doing any harm with some tooth paste and a bore brush. If nothing else it will shine your bore. :idunno: :idunno:
paulvallandigham
Passed On
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
- Messages
- 17,537
- Reaction score
- 89
If you read your spent patches, they will tell what and where they are being cut.
Crown cutting often will only cut through half the patch material- leaving what looks like a skid mark.
Sharp-edges lands will leave a small slit the width of the land, located Where that land is in your gun. Use a magic marker, or some other ink marker to mark a Witness mark on the patch, before lubing and loading. place the patch so that your line will align with the front sight.
After the shot is fired, pick up the spent patch, and place it back on the muzzle, with the line pointing to that front sight again. Now, examine the hole for slits, and that will tell you which land is still cutting patches.
Use the Lean-on technique BrownBear describes for loading your PRB, rather than Whacking that short starter. Until that crown is smoothed some, "whacking" is almost always counter-productive. I have watched Chunk Gun Match shooters loading their Large diameter balls and thick patches, and only a few- not in the top scorers anymore--- are still using a mallet to whack that short starter. Those that still do are using teflon coated patches, which resist cutting better than cotton mattress ticking.
Also, some of the commercially sold ticking is Not Washed to remove the "sizing"- a starch like substance put into the fabric at the factory to make it lie flat for wrapping around the "bolt" and for shipping. Sizing makes it more difficult for the fabric to absorb patch lubes- particularly those that are a combination of any oil and wax. The water based lubes do not seem to have much of a problem. You can tell the difference between unwashed ticking and washed ticking because the washed ticking will be softer, and will stretch easier.
Pay attention to what fabrics you receive, and treat them accordingly. Even pre-cut, but unlubed patches can be throw into a stocking, the end close with a simple knot, and then washed a couple of times. Then dry it. When the sock is dried, remove the patches from the sock by simply turning the sock inside out. If there is someone in your house who wears nylons, an old( Not new!) nylon stocking, or even pantyhose, can be "appropriated" for this task.
By putting pre-cut patches in some kind of soft container, you reduce or eliminate the problem of the edges of the patches being frayed in the washing and drying process. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Crown cutting often will only cut through half the patch material- leaving what looks like a skid mark.
Sharp-edges lands will leave a small slit the width of the land, located Where that land is in your gun. Use a magic marker, or some other ink marker to mark a Witness mark on the patch, before lubing and loading. place the patch so that your line will align with the front sight.
After the shot is fired, pick up the spent patch, and place it back on the muzzle, with the line pointing to that front sight again. Now, examine the hole for slits, and that will tell you which land is still cutting patches.
Use the Lean-on technique BrownBear describes for loading your PRB, rather than Whacking that short starter. Until that crown is smoothed some, "whacking" is almost always counter-productive. I have watched Chunk Gun Match shooters loading their Large diameter balls and thick patches, and only a few- not in the top scorers anymore--- are still using a mallet to whack that short starter. Those that still do are using teflon coated patches, which resist cutting better than cotton mattress ticking.
Also, some of the commercially sold ticking is Not Washed to remove the "sizing"- a starch like substance put into the fabric at the factory to make it lie flat for wrapping around the "bolt" and for shipping. Sizing makes it more difficult for the fabric to absorb patch lubes- particularly those that are a combination of any oil and wax. The water based lubes do not seem to have much of a problem. You can tell the difference between unwashed ticking and washed ticking because the washed ticking will be softer, and will stretch easier.
Pay attention to what fabrics you receive, and treat them accordingly. Even pre-cut, but unlubed patches can be throw into a stocking, the end close with a simple knot, and then washed a couple of times. Then dry it. When the sock is dried, remove the patches from the sock by simply turning the sock inside out. If there is someone in your house who wears nylons, an old( Not new!) nylon stocking, or even pantyhose, can be "appropriated" for this task.
By putting pre-cut patches in some kind of soft container, you reduce or eliminate the problem of the edges of the patches being frayed in the washing and drying process. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thanks for all the advice. I just ran a small piece of 00 steel wool down the bore a few times, I did not go crazy. I will see what happens next time at the range. As I stated I did order a pack each of .020 cotton and pillow ticking patches from ox-yoke to see if they will help.
I don't know what barrel you are using, but I had a GM .58 barrel that was still cutting after more than 150 shots, and I think was closer to 200 shots actually. I did finally run some 0000 steel wool down tha barrel, only about 20 strokes, and that fixed the problem. Looking back, I could have just shot it some more, as it wasn't affecting accuracy. Some other GM barrles I have used stopped cutting under 150 shots.
I'm thinking if it's not affecting accuracy too badly, I wouldn't worry about the cutting, it doesn't actually do any harm. I would only consider lapping if you're having a problem with your groups.
Like others have mentioned though, you might check the sharpness of the crown. Bill
I'm thinking if it's not affecting accuracy too badly, I wouldn't worry about the cutting, it doesn't actually do any harm. I would only consider lapping if you're having a problem with your groups.
Like others have mentioned though, you might check the sharpness of the crown. Bill
always check how your groyups are doing I have seen some folks obsessed with getting good looking patches long after the gun has been shooting as good as it probably ever will, just a thought,kind of like if it's broke but still works fine don't try to fix it :hmm:
