does patch size matter?

[frontierman01]

Hello all, got a question, I have a 50 cal lyman deer stalker. while going thru my cleaning and blackpowder stash, found some non lubricated round patches. they are made from thin canvas type material and are a little larger than the pre-lubed patches that I use for the rifle. I was wondering if it matters about the size of the patch. as long as I can jam it down the barrel, it should suffice. am I correct in this thinking? also, what would I use to lube the patches. Thanks

 

[Kansas Jake]

The only problem I have had with too large a diameter patches is one time with a 32 caliber, the over size patch wanted to grab the ramrod and it was hard to pull out. I would not use grossly over size patches as they might not shed easily when fired, but otherwise there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[mooman76]

Hello all, got a question, I have a 50 cal lyman deer stalker. while going thru my cleaning and blackpowder stash, found some non lubricated round patches. they are made from thin canvas type material and are a little larger than the pre-lubed patches that I use for the rifle. I was wondering if it matters about the size of the patch. as long as I can jam it down the barrel, it should suffice. am I correct in this thinking? also, what would I use to lube the patches. Thanks

Basically no as long as it's big enough. It fly's off right after firing. I can see possibly having a slight problem with a small caliber and a really large patch though. I have so many different calibers I just cut allot of different size patches and eventually use them somewhere.

 

[FishDFly]

Does hat size matter on your head??????????

 

[coloradoclyde]

Muzzleloaders are extremely forgiving....but, size does matter...Too small and you run into problems....To large and you run into problems....Too thick and you run into problems...and too thin and you run into problems....

 

[Gene L]

Does hat size matter on your head??????????

Congratulations. You've managed to be arrogant and dismissive without a scintilla of helpful information in return. And multiple ??????s. Do you even know the answer to the question?

 

[coloradoclyde]

It's called an "analogy" Gene.....I understood it just fine... :idunno:

 

[tenngun]

Square or large work fine as long as it’s a proper thickness. Only trouble can be if as mentioned above it bunches around the rod then you have problems. You can fix that if your careful.
I wear a bonnet often with a ribbon tie so I can adjust its size as needed.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Ever tell you about the time I used a patch that was too large and had a wee bit too much grease on it.....when I fired the gun the patch stayed wrapped around the ball and was found that way stuck in the target.

 

[azmntman]

Flu Flu Ball :thumbsup: :rotf:

 

[tenngun]

Wow, imagine the turbulence overcame by your sticky lube. Iwouldlove to see a hi snowed photo of that.

 

[Billnpatti]

The thickness of a patch is the most important consideration. As long as it is just a little bit larger than what you have been using, it will make no difference. As for lube, there are so many different lube recipes that you can use about any natural animal or vegetable oil or grease. Some use olive oil, some use Crisco and then there are the more exotic lubes such as Jojoba oil. There are a million other possibilities and you can try any of them as long as they are not petroleum based. Petroleum oils and greases leave a coating inside your bore that can be a beast to get out. You can also find many store bought lubes. Probably the most common store bought lube is Bore Butter. I use it sometimes and it works fine.

 

[tenngun]

Wow, imagine the turbulence overcame by your sticky lube. Iwouldlove to see a hi snowed photo of that.

Spell check... high speed photo or movie :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I can't think of any practical reason to make them oversized....It's just a waste of material and lube.

Cleaning patches are even more fussy on size...Too small and you can lose it in the barrel, too big and the whole works can get stuck...

 

[Rifleman1776]

Basically no as long as it's big enough. It fly's off right after firing.

Correct. Size not a problem except, maybe, for the rod grab issue.
One day, many years ago, at one of our casual weekend shoots at Friendship, I watched the famous Webb Terry experiment with patch size. He loaded larger and larger patches around the ball and shot noting the result. No difference. Patch falls off quickly after exiting the bore. Don't sweat it, use wat ye have.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Is that a handkerchief sticking pout of your shooting bag?....."No, it a shooting patch" :rotf:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Size and shape matter little unless being too big would cause flight problems while unraveling from ball. or hanging on ramrod during withdrawal. Outside of that, if the material is thick enough and
lubed they don't seem to care.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Where are the guys that weigh their balls?....Why are they not chiming in?
Every variable matters to some degree....

 

[FishDFly]

I do weigh mine, think it does matter, set 5 National Records in Phoenix in 2014 in pistol.

Patch thickness does matter also.

Went from Marksman to Expert in Phoenix in that year and went on to Friendship in Fall of 2014 and placed well in the Expert Class.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:thumbsup: