Cutting patch at Muzzle

[Bountyhunter]

Someone asked last week about cutting patches at the muzzle as opposed to using store bought patches.

Heres how we do it.

Place lubed--I am using Lehighs here--strip of ticking over muzzle and thumb push ball into muzzle.

Seat ball below end of muzzle with short starter

Cut patch material off even with end of muzzle

What your patch strip looks like. Other than this, just seat with long starter and push the ball down tight on the powder.

For you beginners, make sure you wash your material first. That starch that it comes with doesnt help the inside of your barrel at all.

An afterthought on the LeHighs lube. I did 50,60,70,90,100, and 110 grain loads and had no burn through on any patches. It was interesting though that the holes walked up the target about an inch apart.

 

[tg]

Another thing beginners may want to try is to pre cut square patches, lube as needed when loading, works as well as patches cut at the muzzle as far as I can tell.

 

[Bountyhunter]

Wasnt intended to be an argument for or against it. There are several good ways to patch. This is just how cutting at the muzzle is done.

 

[tg]

No arguement intended...just adding more options for those who are looking for things to try.

 

[marwat06]

Many recommend using a bass patch knife. Is it to keep from wearing the barrel?

 

[paulvallandigham]

HUH? What is a " Bass patch knife?" And how does it keep from wearing a steel barrel? Any steel barrel is going to pose more a problem for keeping a sharp edge on your knife than any danger a knife poses to the steel barrel. The fabric has various microscopic debris in it that will also dull the edge, so the main concern is in keeping the edge sharp. A good leather strop made from an old belt and used between patch cuttings is the easiest and best way to keep the edge keen, once you have it razor sharp.

 

[Legionair]

I've heard of the brass patch knife. It was to keep from scatching up your barrel.

If your worried about it, just cut the patch a 1/2" higher so the blade doesn't touch the barrel.

I also understand that the patch knife blade was only ground on one side so as to not catch on the barrel. Don't know if that makes any real difference or not...

Legion

 

[grant]

This may be a dumb thing to ask but here goes. Has anybody tried using an over large pre-cut patch and cutting it at the muzzle? For instance use a patch good for .69 caliber for a .45 caliber gun, just gather the loose material and cut off. I guess it all depends on how much loose material to grab.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yes. It works. Kind of costly way to use patches, but it works. Makes more sense to cut strips of cloth, lube them before going to the range, or field, roll them up, and cut them on the barrel as pictured. You save a lot of money buying the fabric in yards, rather than pre-cut, pre-lubed patches, and lubing them yourself. You can also use your own formula, rather than rely on what the factory offers. Not everyonw likes Bore Butter, for instance. Stumpy's moose snot is a very good lube.

 

[Bountyhunter]

In the pictures I'm using the Nolen neck knife that I always carry, the blade is similar to my patch knife. The muzzle of my rifle has a bowtie shaped shiny spot on the end from years of cutting patches. I try to cut parallel to the muzzle, but sometimes it gets deeper than others.

A knife with a chisel grind would be less likely to shine the muzzle, I havent tried that, but I think it would be worth a try.

Just in case any of you get a hankerin to run down and fire up your belt grinder, just remember that chisel ground blades are side specific. Right hand and left hand are ground on opposite sides.

 

[snagg]

Bountyhunter:

Thanks for the pics. I started out my shooting with store bought pre-lubed patches. After they were used up I bought pillow ticking and cut strips then cut those strips to squares and pre-lubed them. It was kinda nice making something for myself.
Next, I just might give your system of patching a try. I'm not sure if there is any advantages or disadvantages to any of the different ways of patching but it is nice to try some different ways of doing things.

Thanks again, snagg

 

[Bountyhunter]

The one thing that I have found out that a guy needs to watch out for is keepin your strip clean. If you pre lube it, and just let it flap, it picks up grit and trash and such. At least keeping it in your bag and keeping your bag clean would be preferrable, otherwise, you might as well just patch with emery cloth. I was using clean ticking and squirtin it with LeHighs saturday. That actually worked real good, other than at a juried event, it would be a little tacky pullin out your plastic spray bottle.

If you precut, then you dont need to cut at the muzzle. If precuts arent available, you can use whatever you have and cut at the muzzle. Just keep it clean.

 

[No Deer]

This may be a dumb thing to ask but here goes. Has anybody tried using an over large pre-cut patch and cutting it at the muzzle? For instance use a patch good for .69 caliber for a .45 caliber gun, just gather the loose material and cut off. I guess it all depends on how much loose material to grab.

Just a question...if you are going to buy precut patches, why not buy the right size and not have to cut them? It is cheaper in the long run to just buy pillow tick and cut into strips or squares and cut at the muzzle.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The problem with pre-cut patches the right size is that you then have to exactly center the patch on the muzzle before you push the ball down with the short starter. That doesn't always happen. If your patch is crooked, one side of the patch may not be protecting the bore from the ball and vice versa. That ball is not going to shoot accurately. You may be able to lift up on the excess patch and get both the ball and patch out so you can reseat it again, or you may just have to drive the ball down and fire the round into the dirt to get rid of it. Cutting a patch from an oversized strip or square patch allows for some mistakes in centering the ball when you load it.

I suppose if we were really smart, we would have the muzzles of our guns coned, so we could seat the balls with thrumbprssure. That would allow us to catch any mistake in centering pre-cut patches, and correct it right there.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I'm tempted to 'crawl under the table' on this one, but I always run a felt wad atop powder anyway, then cut PRB loosely at the muzzle with just short starter length inside muzzle.
Felt wad definitely improved groups at any distance.
I use tight-weave cotton patch and .495 RB in my .50 CVA, 1&1/2 or better groups at 50 yds., as good as I can hold it. Off a rest that is. With 3f powder.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Thanks for the help. That was me!!! I still do not know what I wan't to do. I do not shoot enough to worry about the price. Pre but patches have been working really well for me. I am not sure yet.

 

[reddogge]

I've always cut patches at the muzzle for target shooting and never worried about chisel grinds, brass knives, shiney muzzles or anything like that. A good sharp patch knife will do the job and float over the muzzle anyway. My muzzles are not browned so it's a moot point. I never gouged any either.

On square patches, the patch grips the ball in a round shape so any overhang or offcenter patching will not affect the shot as long as it's reasonably centered and the patch completely grips the ball. It goes against the thinking of some of the overly detailed individuals but that's how it works.

 

[bob308]

you are on the right track with the conning. i cut a 1deg. angle on my muzzle makes it like a funnel. and for a patch knife i use an old hickery pearing knife. easy to sharpen and it stays sharp.

for precut patches i get and arc punch used for cutting gaskets the size i need i trun the end so it will fit in a drill press. wrap the material around a board and cut out patches by the hundreds.