Patch Size

[robert31352]

Hello all. Please forgive me if this has already been covered. I would like to know if there is a chart for patch size in relation to caliber size. I want to start making my own patches out of some old very high count ctton sheets. The patches will be square cut. My calibers I shoot are 56,54,50,45,36 and 32. Thanks, I will enjoy reading ya'lls thoughts on the subject.

 

[necchi]

Never really seen a chart per se'
You'll just hafta experiment a bit. If your going to cut squares for the cal spread you have listed,
I'd simplify and make 3 sizes. :surrender:
One size for the 56-54
another for the 50-45,,and
another for the 36-32
Extra patch fabric over the ball makes no differance, the only real issue is that the circumfrance of the ball is fully surrounded buy the patch.

 

[D Sanders]

You can cut your patches flush at the muzzle after starting the ball. This would require putting strips of patching and a patch knife in your possibles bag. The patches will be centered and the same size every time.

HH 60

 

[poordevil]

You can also wrap the patch cloth around the ball then cut it. Use that as a templet to cut more.

P

 

[ohio ramrod]

Since many are pie impaired. The simplist way to determine size is to drill a hole in a piece of wood slightly larger than the ball and patch. Put a piece of cloth over the hole, push down a ball and then cut with a sharp knife. This will give you a simple templet. And you can get the ball back out easier than pulling it out of a barrel. :hmm:

 

[paulvallandigham]

A 12" brass rod put down the barrel before seating a ball at the muzzle, will knock the patch and ball out of the muzzle easy enough with a few shakes of the barrel. YOu want the rod to be heavy for its diameter, so that the weight transfers to forceful blows against the PRB you cut at the muzzle to knock it out of the gun. A brass rod 12 " long for just about any diameter you can expect to put down a barrel has enough HEFT to it to knock out the PRB, so you can retrieve the patch to be a template for cutting more patches.

 

[Supercracker]

OMG. Let's see if I can remember all this.

Circumference is C=2*Pi*r

So, for a .50 the actual C around would be ~1.57. half would be ~.78. So if you were able to flatten out eh surface area of half of the ball it would be .78" across. Naturally you would want the patch to extend beyond the halfway mark when in the barrel.

So maybe a round patch a little over 1" in diameter for a .50 cal ball?????

Work up from there.

?????

 

[Zonie]

Multiply the ball diameter times 2.6 to get a good shooting patch size.

Actually my method is to multiply the ball diameter by Pi/2 and then add the ball diameter.

For a .50 caliber this method says the patch should be 1.285 diameter.

Using the 2.6 times ball diameter says the patch for a .50 should be 1.30 diameter.

Because the shooting patch size isn't real fussy, the patch for a .50 can be used for a .45 or .54.

Likewise the patch for a .36 (.936) would work for a .32 or a .40 (and even a .45 if your careful to center the patch before loading).

 

[paulvallandigham]

Circumference is Pi r Squared, IIRC. I look for a patch that is 1.3-1.5" in diameter, or "square"( a lot easier to make if you are cutting the patches out of material yourself) to use in the .50.

I don't skimp on material, because with pre-cut patches, you almost never get the ball centered exactly in the middle of the patch. The extra "width" gives you a " fudge " factor so that the ball is Still surrounded by patch, even if you are slightly OFF-Center. :thumbsup:

If you think I am being overly cautious, try centering a ball on a patch on your muzzle in pitch black night time, such as can happen when you are loading the gun in the field before first light opens the deer season. :shocked2:

Stick with Zonie's advice for calculating other patch sizes for other caliber guns.

 

[necchi]

:rotf: :haha: You Guy's!
Basic algebraic formula's,,several of which would/could be used and work fine,,
,,but then through in a "fudge factor"! :grin: :haha:
Well, that IS a good safe way to make the proper size patch.
A feller could always go to a sporting goods store with a tape measure too, ya gotta believe the people that make a living selling patch, have determined The most efficiant size for every cal, proper fit and maximum use of material.

 

[nkbj]

Well, could do your cipherin' and then pick up muzzle cut patches off the ground to check for pencil malfunctions.

 

[Supercracker]

Well, could do your cipherin' and then pick up muzzle cut patches off the ground to check for pencil malfunctions.

but.....but......but....I have to overthink it and make it as complicated for myself as I possibly can! :redface:

 

[Zonie]

:shake: :shake:

Paul, ole buddy. Your math teacher is probably shaking all over with what you said and saying something like, "I just knew that boy was thinking about that well developed girl to his left when I was trying to teach him!" :rotf:

Pi R squared is the formula for the area of a circle.

The circumference of a circle is Pi D.
Pi times the diameter when put into english.

That's OK. Lawyers don't have to be up on all of those formulas. They just have to know how to multiply their going rate times the hours devoted to a case.

(Don't take this personally. I know you really meant to say Pi X D. :grin: )


I am kinda wondering what the circumference of a circle has to do with figuring out the size of a patch to use though. :hmm:

 

[paulvallandigham]

You are correct, Jim. No, I was not very good in Math, and there wasn't a great looking girl to look at in my class- darn! But, i should have known better. Circumference is Diameter times Pi.

I still cringe whenever I see or hear of someone trying to make a Minimal sized patch to wrap around a ball. Obviously, he has never tried to center a ball on the muzzle of his rifle and then drive a ball down the barrel on top of it, or he would know to give himself some " Fudge"* factor. [*derived from a similar sounding cuss word often heard uttered by men using too small a patch after they smack their short starter only to find that the patch is crooked, and part of the ball is touching the lands of the barrel, as in, " Oh, FUDGE!" or something similar.] I still prefer to use patches that are closer to 1.5" in diameter, or square, with my .50 cal. rifle, than anything smaller.

About the only time I am going to use something smaller is if a ball block is used to pre-load a patch and ball into the block, and the patch is trimmed to the block.

But, I like to use 5/8" thick wood stock for .50 caliber balls, rather than only 1/2" thick stock. I don't want the bottom of the PRB rubbing against anything in the block when its in a pocket or my hunting pouch. The extra depth provides some protection to the greased patch inside the block, yet offers no real problem when I want to drive the ball into the barrel with either a short starter or my ramrod. :surrender: :thumbsup: