Different patch thickness?

[harleysboss]

I was shooting my new to me 62 cal under hammer rifle today and started out with a .015 pillow ticking patch and began shooting patterns not groups. Patch was badly shredded. I moved up to a .020 cotton patch and the patterns became decent groups. The patches were intact but badly frayed around the edges. The ball is a .615 and with the .020 patch 80 grains of Swiss FFG it loaded stiff but not "strain yourself" to load stiff. I'm thinking that a patch material that is just a little bit thicker, groups may shrink just a bit more. What kind of patch material should I be looking at to get to .022-.024 ? Track of the wolf only shows .020 as their thickest patch. I did not keep the patches but should have!

 

[harleysboss]

Picture of the 6 shot group using the.020 patch combo. 3 with an over powder wad and 3 just the patch. 50 yards.

 

[tenngun]

Try cutting back your charge. I have found patch best at 65 grains. Larger charges are better with wads in my experience

 

[necchi]

What kind of patch material should I be looking at to get to .022-.024 ?

Sage advise from @tenngun.
But what do you mean, ? Someplace to buy thicker patch,, Or what kind of fabric should you use??

 

[Grenadier1758]

To get thicker patch material, you will need to go to a fabric store with a decent selection of cotton fabrics. Take your micrometer or digital calipers to measure the thickness. Some of the heavier 100% cotton canvas material will be 0.024" thick uncompressed. You can also go to an artists' store to buy their 100% cotton canvas fabric for mounting in a frame for painting. That is heavy canvas and tightly woven. I do recommend that any fabric bought off the bolt should be washed and dried. The washing removes the sizing making the fabric a bit softer to absorb lubricant and it will compress in the bore. The shredding seen at the edges of a recovered patch is normal from the patch getting blown off the ball as the ball and patch exit the muzzle. You want to see no cuts or holes in the patch. Excessive burning or internal shredding is a sign of sharp lands or a sharp muzzle crown.

 

[nchawkeye]

Double up, mix and match, you can use a .010 and a .015 to get thicker...Even 2 that are .010 may give smaller groups...

 

[harleysboss]

Sage advise from @tenngun.
But what do you mean, ? Someplace to buy thicker patch,, Or what kind of fabric should you use??

Yes. I'm interested in the type of material. I've always bought pre-cut patches. I've read about drill cloth, pillow ticking ect. I was hoping that someone would know of a particular cloth in the store that I should be looking for? I've got my measuring instruments handy and a fabric store not far away. Mainly I was thinking that someone would say, "try this type" it measured at this thickness.

 

[harleysboss]

To get thicker patch material, you will need to go to a fabric store with a decent selection of cotton fabrics. Take your micrometer or digital calipers to measure the thickness. Some of the heavier 100% cotton canvas material will be 0.024" thick uncompressed. You can also go to an artists' store to buy their 100% cotton canvas fabric for mounting in a frame for painting. That is heavy canvas and tightly woven. I do recommend that any fabric bought off the bolt should be washed and dried. The washing removes the sizing making the fabric a bit softer to absorb lubricant and it will compress in the bore. The shredding seen at the edges of a recovered patch is normal from the patch getting blown off the ball as the ball and patch exit the muzzle. You want to see no cuts or holes in the patch. Excessive burning or internal shredding is a sign of sharp lands or a sharp muzzle crown.

When I inspected the .015 patch it was definitely torn up. The .020 patch had a definite clean center and I could clearly see the inprint/outline of the ball. The edges were frayed evenly all around. Maybe the .020 arne't as bad as I first thought? I wish I would have saved them to post a picture.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@harleysboss, you are probably getting gas cutting with the 0.015 patches. The 0.020 patches are filling the grooves and are not getting shredded by gas cutting on firing.

 

[smo]

You didn’t mention what type of lube was used..

I would give the .020 material another try with a little more patch lube.

 

[necchi]

Yes. I'm interested in the type of material.

Denim. Like bluejeans,, it's by far the largest selection of varied thickness,,

 

[TarponStalker]

I always buy the #40 cotton pocket drill from Joann fabrics. I’m not sure how thick it is but I think it’s about .018 from what I’ve read. It’s a tight weave and it’s pretty tough. However, I still wind up with shredded patches if I don’t put some cornmeal on top of the powder charge before loading the ball. but this is mainly from one gun. My other rifles are not quite as bad.
If you go into the fabric store, they will know what this is should you decide to use it.

 

[harleysboss]

Thanks all.

 

[TDM]

Might want to do a thumb and sandpaper polish on your muzzle. Could be some rough spots there contributing to the frayed patches.

 

[hanshi]

About the thinnest patch material I use is "mattress ticking" which is about .018" and sometimes less. I also use cotton canvas duck on occasion. But generally I use a heavy canvas material that measures around .030" uncompressed and around .024" compressed with calipers. It can only be used, in my experience, in a rifle that's had the muzzle crown polished with thumb and sandpaper as TDM suggested.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Two thoughts. One: try a larger ball, I know may be tough to source. Two: try a wad, greased maybe under your PRB. I’ve had good luck with greased home made Durafelt wads under Lee REAL bullets and naked balls in smooth bores (mostly a T/C .56 but also in my .62 Pedersoli Trade Gun).

 

[harleysboss]

I didn’t think about polishing the muzzle with the thumb suggestion but I will do it.
As far as the wad goes, I did shoot a 3 shot string using a 20 ga wonder wad as an over powered wad along with the.020 patch. My problem is, I didn’t go out and collect just that string of patches. I will retest the wad and collect those patches to see what difference it makes. For what it’s worth, the group with the patch/wad combo shot to the same point as just using the .020 patch.

 

[tenngun]

Oh one more thing. Patches don’t have to be cloth. Thin leather works well. Try pig or goat skin in a glove leather

 

[longcruise]

The frayed around the edges description has me wondering. The very outside edges will always be frayed. Whats important is the condition of the ring where the patch and ball contact barrel. Pretty much where the rubber meets the road.

If the edge is fraying into the contact area then either the patch is not big enough in diameter or the material is weak.

 

[smo]

Not all cotton patch material is created equally…
Some just seems too fray more than others.
Probably something too do with the weave
or threads per inch..
More lube…
Solved my fraying..

As longcruise mentioned, look where the patch contacts the barrel.
No burn thru or torn/ cut areas.