Paper patches?

[westrayer]

Several years ago I ran into a guy at the range who was playing with a smooth bore and using patches from heavy paper bags.
Anyone tried this? Why?

 

[TCMonts]

Did he use it just like cloth patch or like a wad or like a paper cartridge?

 

[The Appalachian]

Are you sure he wasn't wadding the load? A wad of paper over the charge, and a wad over the shot or ball?

I can't see how even heavy paper would survive the trip down the barrel let alone surviving being fired used as a "patch".

 

[westrayer]

Just like a cloth patch. He was shooting a smooth bore so that certainly could be a factor.

 

[The Appalachian]

Just like a cloth patch. He was shooting a smooth bore so that certainly could be a factor.

Well if you were watching him do it, what happened? Did it work? How was his grouping? Was he just trying it, or was he committed to using paper patches?

 

[Cruzatte]

Several years ago I ran into a guy at the range who was playing with a smooth bore and using patches from heavy paper bags.
Anyone tried this? Why?

Probably not patches, but wads. He may have used paper wads over the powder, or over the ball, or both. I've used shredded paper napkins over the ball with satisfaction.