Paper patched bullets help

[kh54]

I picked up a beautiful picket target rifle from @BigSkyRambler - my Christmas/retirement gift to myself. (If interested, here is the original listing with pics: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/scoped-picket-ball-target-rifle.189081/.) The land-to-land distance measures .406". I plan to try paper patched bullets and maybe later try a true picket ball. I want to order a mold to use paper patched bullets with tracing paper that measures .002" thick. So here are the questions:

1. It seems that others have success with a double-wrap patch, so for my paper that's .008" and that leaves .398". How much should I allow for loading the patched bullet?
2. Accurate Molds shows a bullet that I think would work, 39-295P: .392" diameter, .984 total length. Assuming the same paper patch, the total bullet and patch diameter would be .400, leaving .006 clearance. Is that enough? Just right? Too much?

I would accept any other advice y'all can offer...

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Nice rifle.
Indeed a picket rifle. Likely cut with a gain twist, often starting at 1/48" at the breech and 1/24" at the muzzle.

You will want a bullet no more than 1.5 calibers in length, so for .40 caliber keep your bullet around 0.60" in length.

You rifle was built to use a guide (piston) starter to start the bullet straight when loading. You can try loading without one and see how it goes though.

A picket bullet, once the mold is cut is quite easy to use. An oiled round linen patch is used for the bullet.

Paper patching for your rifle seems like a lot of work, and was not originally done with picket rifles.

You can try using a grease grooved bullet: it would be easier than paper patching.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’ve never worked with a Picket Target rifle….

I do shoot the bullet pictured below in 1-30 GM LRH 45 caliber barrels and find it very accurate. The ~410~ grain bullet starts out about .433”-.434 “ diameter, has two wraps of 9# onion skin paper (.002” thickness) and ends up .451”-.452 before sizing for a barrel that gauges at .450”. Loads with light finger pressure. Over an 1/8” thick .50” diameter felt wad it is very accurate.

If you want to explore more, check out posts by @Idaho Ron and his hot rod Hawken. I’m just working from suggestions he provided a few years back.

Oh, and for what it is worth, I haven’t found using paperpatch bullets all that difficult. Definitely not as messy as using grease.