patches incinerating?

[fisher2]

so i got out today with my walmart fabric patches to test out and fired about 20 rounds and went looking for patches but couldnt find any.. is there a chance if patches are too thin that that will just blow apart in the explosion? or is it more likely that they bunched around the ball and flew all the way downrange and into the target

 

[rem700]

Dont think the patch woulda stayed with the ball.
Did you check the material with a match to see if it was natural or synthetic?

 

[mooman76]

They can be difficult to find at times. At worst you could have burned it and shreaded part. It won't burn past the ball. I usually find mine(when I do find them) about 15 ft give or take from where I shoot.

 

[ebiggs1]

They actually don't burn very well. At least not completely. You just didn't find them. If you are getting severely burnt patches, though, just try more lube first. It's the easiest thing to do.

The Walmart stuff is all over the place in thickness but it seems to be thick enough and actually works very well. That is one from Walmart in the photo.

 

[fisher2]

i tried to make a lower load of 30 grains to just get the ball out hoping it would be easier to find the patch with no luck

 

[Zonie]

I've found most of my shot patches about 10 yards downrange and usually a few yards off to the left and/or right of the point of aim.

If there is a cross wind blowing even slightly they seem to drift with the wind.

It helps a lot to have someone standing behind you 'spotting' where the patches land.

 

[Bill Hall]

What Zonie said, about ten yards downrange. About half the time I actually see them in the air and follow them down. They suddenly appear in the air, then arc off to one side or the other. If you're shooting over tall grass, weeds, sagebrush, or any other kind of ground cover, they can be very difficult to spot. And, if the dirt and the shot patches are close to the same color, also very difficult to find.

Even if your patches are shredding or burning, you can still find them. Just think of it as a very challenging Easter egg hunt. Once you find one, you'll know what to look for. Bill

 

[50cal.cliff]

Didto on the 10-12yds down range, check for prevailing cross wind and start in that 10-12yd range and start walking back and forth between your shooting position and your target!

If you make a light flag to set to the side of the area you are firing in you will see how much cross wind there is, at the 10-12 yd range. The patch will break away and drift with that prevailing wind! I have had them be a yard or three from what you would have thought be a straight shot. They tend to blend well with any grass and such so sometimes are hard to see!

 

[Ken Rummer]

Personal note on patches.

Shreaded patches are hard to find because they don't look at all like a patch anymore.

When using OPWs I found some at 25 yds because the patch was wraped around the OPW and the added weight from the combo allowed greater distance.

I have seen patched just burn up leavin a small sheet of black ash. If it was not smoking I would never have found it. I think the lube was Ballistol. Not good when the leaves are dry.

 

[hoochiepapa]

They may look like this or even worse, just a shred or two, and very difficult to spot.

 

[Rifleman1776]

The Walmart stuff

I understand, that to many, Walmart is the great satan to be blamed for everything.
But, the type of fabric is really all that is important. Was it ticking? Was it pure cotton or synthetic blend? How thick? He gives no useful information by which we can help him.
And, BTW, I once, only once in 45+ years of ml shooting, pulled a patch out of a 50 yard target. It made it's own hole.

 

[fisher2]

its just normal fabric , its pure cotton though i have 0 idea of thickness i think right around .014

 

[TennesseeJed]

I was shooting yesterday, found one patch that could easily be reused and another that was shredded and burned. Both were the same material and lube, odd how that happens.

 

[nchawkeye]

I like to put a tarp in front of my muzzle to catch patches...

We really need much more info to give you much of an idea to what is happening...

Like: what barrel??? ball size?? More of an idea as to ticking used??? Powder type?? 777 is hard on patches... Lube used???

Some things that make patches burn are:
Not cotton or linen...Any poly in material will burn...
Too loose of a fit...ie...ball too small, patch too thin...
Lube isn't doing it's job...
Bore of rifle rough...
Sharp rifling, cutting patches...
Crown sharp, cutting patches...

And that's just what pops up off the top of my head...

Simplest thing to do is put a patch on top of the powder charge and try again, see what happens...

Some of us also start a ball, then pull to see if the patching is getting cut...

Patching usually needs to be between .015-.020 or so to keep from burning through...

Just some random thoughts...

 

[fisher2]

so i ran some tests,

test 1 lube burning patches lubed patch does not burn any faster

test 2 sharp rifling- no holes in patched with pulled ball (fully seated then pulled)

i think the patch might be too thin it doesnt feel that way as it seats well and doesnt need the short starter but does require a good push

 

[ebiggs1]

"... thickness i think right around .014 ..."

And .012, .016, .018 and every .01 number you can think of! I have found it very inconsistent. But I have found it to work very well in spite of this inconsistency.