patch question

I am shooting a new GPR flinter in 54 cal.I started making patches about a month ago.I first used muslin that was I think about .010.I dont have a micrometer.I was using 100 grains FFG and a .530 ball,and was burning a hole in the bottom of the patch.I then got some white ticking that is quite a bit thicker.Still no micrometer. :shake: I used 80 grains FFFG this time and a .530 ball and the patches are tearing in half.I am cutting them at the muzzle.I only found one good patch.I was shooting by an arroyo and if their were any more good ones they went into the arroyo.Here are the pics of the ticking patches.What do you think is causing it.I didnt find the normal cuts from the riflings like I usualy do.I am using lard for lube also

 

[Matt B]

My guess is new barrel tearing them. Not an expert though.

Are you lubing the patch?

With???

I like the moose milk.

 

[Flintlock_bob]

How much effort does it take to push the ball down the barrel? If the patches are too thin they could come apart.

How tough is the material, it looks like it's coming apart at the weave.

Buy some store bought patches in .015 and see how they hold up.

 

The balls start hard but after started go down firm.Should I be using a thicker lube?Been waitng on some bees wax to ad to the lard.The material is thick.I had to wash it twice.Before I washed it the ball wouldnt start.

 

[Landngroove]

To see if your rifling is cutting the patches, take a round ball and patch, and run it down the barrel as you normally do. Just don't load any powder. Try to stop just short of the bottom of the breach, so it doesn't get stuck. Now put a screw type ball puller on your ramrod, and pull the ball. if your rifling is cutting the patches, it will show now. If rifling is not cutting your patches, I would try a different patch lube. Hoppe's # 9 Plus Black Powder Solvent And Patch Lube is an excellent choice. Also Thompson/Center Natural Lube 1000 Bore Butter is a good choice. I use .018" Pillow ticking patches, both store bought, and my own, made from Walmart pillow ticking with these two lubes. Never a blown patch problem.

 

Cool.Ill try that and see

 

OK.No cuts in the patch.Gotta be the lube?I just did my first dry ball on purpose :youcrazy:

 

[Landngroove]

I would think it would be either the material, or the lube. I would go with the red striped, or blue striped pillow ticking material at Walmart. I have been using the red striped, and after washing, and drying, to remove any sizing, it measures at .018". You did wash your patch material before using? Also try the different lube.

 

I have some blue ticking here at the house that I will try also.Ill try some other lube to.Forgot to metion that I washed it twice.The tag on it said white ticking.Thanks

 

[Swampman]

Precut you some larger square patches. Forget cutting them at the muzzle. A .526 or .520 ball would be a lot better. Use olive oil for lube.

 

[BS]

Looks like you patch is tooooo thin.

Try a thicker patch, if it loads to hard, then:

Try a smaller ball and thicker patch, also try a wad under the patched ball.

If your patches catch on fire and burn, then you need more lube. I have had good luck with 50/50 Olive Oil and Murphy's Oil Soap.

 

[Bob J]

Precut you some larger square patches. Forget cutting them at the muzzle. A .526 or .520 ball would be a lot better. Use olive oil for lube.

:hmm: .530 ball worked great in my .54 GPR with .018 wonder-lubed ticking. After about 250 shots I noticed it loaded a little too easy and now use .535 ball with good accuracy using same patch, wonderlube and more recently, Birddog6's liquid lube and patch grease.

 

[Swampman]

You should be using thicker patches, not larger balls.

 

Thanks for all the help.Looks like I got some work to do. :grin:

 

[Rebel]

And you should quit telling everyone else what they should and should not be doing. Make suggestions all you want, but how about leaving the know it all attitude somewhere else. We don't need or appreciate it.

 

[buckknife]

By the look of the patches they look to have a lot of heavy fouling,the black stuff.The round brown part in the middle of the black tells me that there may not be enough lube.If it were me id try more lard on the patch or maybe try a good moist spit patch to see if they hold up.This is just a guess but if there isnt enough lube and the fouling is fairly hard it can put a lot of pressure on the patch material.It usally shows on a patch as little burn holes around the outside diamiter of that brown part of your patch in the pic.If the material is week enough it could tear the patch on loading if the fouling is on the hard side.
IMHO on a .010 patch with lube and a heavy 100gr charge you can get those burn holes just from a thin patch and a .010 under ball.You can also get those holes on a .018 patch with the same powder charge if there isnt enough lube.If you have some .018 ticklen mateiral that isnt lubed at all put a patch on a ball and start it in the muzzle.Pull it back out and hold the patch up to your eye and look at the light bulb.On a walley world .018 material you will see more light were it was streached on the lands.Compare it to a patch that wasnt started.You wont see hardley any light.If you have some of those precut .018 that TC sells that arnt lubed hold on of them up to the light the same way.You will see alot of light threw them even on a patch that wasnt started.But when lubed right they will shoot as good as any other .018 material.
Thats just MHO and it aint written in stone nowares.If you tried 5 wet spit patch shots in a row on a clean bore to start with and some .018 ticklen with 80gr of black and the patches still look like the ones in the pic IMHO you may have a problem in the bore.

 

Just a thought, but from looking at the picture of those patches, I'm wondering if lapping the barrel or possibly using a little bit of JB Bore Paste might not take care of that problem. :hmm:

 

[Zonie]

First off, I'll say, I don't understand the reasons for Rebels post. It looks like it's coming out of left field so to speak. It also rates very high on the rude scale .

Now to more productive things
CROWHOP: You say this is "some white ticking".
Did you wash the starch out of it before using it?
As it comes from the cloth store, it has "sizing" in it. This is starch and it may be some of the problem.
Another thought: When you bought the material did you check the tag to make sure it was 100 percent cotton? If there was any man-made material in it that also could be causing what looks to me like a burn thru.

If this "ticking" was store bought patches, they may have been old. Old material becomes weak after a few years.

Because the GPR rifling grooves are .010 deep that would explain why the .010 thick patches were blowing out. As for the thicker material, if your using enough lube on the outside of the patch they shouldn't be having the problem.

That last line by the way wasn't meant as a dig at anyone by the way. I have known people to put the lube on the inside of the patch next to the ball.
If this is done, there is nothing to act as a lube between the barrel and the ball, nor is there anything to take the heat of the blast except the cloth.

 

I think your right about the patch taking the heat.Maybe a thicker lube (bees wax mix?)The tag said 100% cotton.I had to wash it twice.I tried to start a ball before I washed to see what it would do.It deformed a ball so I washed it twice.Cut it into strips and soaked in lard then wringed out excess lard.Just experimenting so I dont have to buy patches.Gonna try some different things.Ill sort through the suggestions and see what works.Gotta get this rifle ready for deer season :grin:

 

[Zonie]

CROWHOP: You said "Cut it into strips and soaked in lard then wringed out excess lard..." so maybe your doing to thorough of a job?
Rather than wringing out the excess, just wipe off the excess leaving a lot of it on the patch. Then let it set up.
I know this makes them a bit messy to handle, but the extra lube may be just what is needed, not only for lubrication but to absorb the heat.


I've seen 777 blow out patches like yours but didn't mention it because when I read your post because you said you were using FFg so I assumed you were using black powder.
Using wads between the 777 and the patch has helped others so maybe you might try wadding up a patch and ramming it down onto the powder before you load the patch/ball. Just a thought. :hmm: