Shooting Patch Size

[jtmattison]

I used strips of ticking and cut at the muzzle for a while but it became a real pain to do so because I usually fire 20-25 shots in a 2 hour trip to the range. Pre-cut patches allow me to load faster. Also, the blueing is wearing off my rifle muzzle from doing it that way, not to mention the bleeding induced by a razor sharp patch knife.

Huntin

 

[Stumpkiller]

<<Am I the only one on here that always cuts his patches from a strip of ticking. >>

Not by a long shot, Huntinfool.

I carry two 1-1/2" x bolt width (36 to 42") strips of tick. But I usually load from a block. I have one in the pouch with five prelubed (by me) and cut patched balls and another I wear around my neck. The neck one looks like a small gorget - tied on either end so it doesn't flop around so much and when lifted to the muzzle there is no chance of poking one down with the patch above the ball. Probably not 'authentic, but efficient. That's ten rounds as fast as I can pour powder and prime. I then find it easier to hunker down with all my fixins before me on the ground and reload the blocks instead of one-at-a-time at the muzzle.

I drew up a pattern for one Claude has that looks like the head of a guitar and holds eight rounds. Got as far as selecting the right piece of cherry, but it's still sitting and waiting on my workbench.

 

[riarcher]

I cut at the muzzel too.
However for shotgun it's differrant.
What they call a "short nipple" in the plumbing industry works. Grind the outside sharp on one end and with a mallet punch your wads on the endgrain of a piece of hardwood. Works and "cheaper than dirt".

 

[Huntinfool]

Hi Ya Roundball,

I tell you what I don't believe my gun could be any more accurate. And I get mine ticking at Wal-Mart usually wash it once and then cut in strips just wide enough to make centering a ball in it easy! To me nothing could be more easy or cheaper. Now I do use a loading block while hunting. I load it the same way so I have 6 pre-lubed balls ready to pop in the barrel.

I know what you mean about cutting yourself Musketman and others. My son tends to cut himself every time he touches one of my sharp toys. Just yesterday he was tossing my hawk up in the air and missed the catch, I had to take him in and bandage him up and he's 23. Been cuttin' himself since he snuck into my glovebox and played with one of my hunting knives when he was 5 years old. That time he didn't tell anyone about it. But I blood trailed him from my car to the bathroom where he doctored himself up! LOL!

I'm glad to see that I'm not alone.LOL! And that we got something else in common Stumpkiller! LOL! I feel the same way about the authenticity of my block! When I'm out there huntin' I have to wear blaze orange so I can't be too period correct anyhow.

I got into that discussion ie. argument with some fellow on MLML. I personally don't believe that all people were cut from a cookie mold so to speak. I have pics. of loading blocks that are in the Valley Forge Museum and as you probably already know the George Newman collection has short starters and loading blocks from the Rev War period.

My contention is that if one man had such things anyone could've saw them and copied. Same as we do today, what say you fellers?

Keep Her Dry Fellers,
"The Chuckster" ::

 

I made that cutter several years ago and haven't used it in quite a while....I'm not real sure I know where it is, but it did work slick! I started out cutting patches on the muzzle in '76....1976 for you Revolutionary War guys..hehehe...anyway, I went back to cutting on the muzzle after a brief fling with pre-cut patches. I thought it was easier to grease up a strip of patch material than to grease up all those individual patches.

I do use a 7/16 arch punch in my drill press for cutting wads for my 45 cal. BPC rifles and bought one for my 40 cal. BPC rifle. Sure beats whacking on them with a hammer.

You can pick up a cheapy drill press for less than $100.00 from places like Harbor Freight, N. H. Northern, etc. It would be fine for cutting patches but certainly not for any work that required accuracy.

Vic

 

[gordy]

I do cut at the muzzle at times ,but mostly use the loading block.And ,Yes There is much evidence that loading blocks were being used at least as early as the Revolution era.The loading blocks I've made for range use "might" not be period correct,they hold 16 lubed patched round balls each,not something to hang around the neck,and even on Your belt they tend to tip You sidewise.I have two for each gun .45 .50 .54 cal.The ones for hunting are round and hold 6 PRBs.The range blocks were cut from a maple cutting board a neighbor gave to me.I cut the board into 1-1/2" strips and tapered one end and drilled a hole for a leather thong,the strips can be made a little narrower if You offset the holes instead of side by side pattern.It only takes a short time at the bench to load the blocks,and it's nearly as good as cutting at the muzzle (saves on the bluing) if it bothers you.The cheap drill presses can be picked up at Flea Mkts.and Garage Sales for $1.00 to $15.00 thease of corse are the ones that You clamp an electric hand drill in.But for running a hole saw /patch cutter they do the job. As for getting cut using a patch knife,I've had only slight problems! They now call Me "Old Three Fingers Gordy" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif :redface: :: :: :bull:

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

I must say I too have tried them pre-cut patches but much prefer the ol' short starer follerd by my trusty patch knife. That's the way I was taught and by golly it works just fine fer me. Cuttin' a few strips of tickin' is mighty handy as a swabbin' patch too and you can always use some ifn' ya git snake bit or hafta make up a quick bandage from slicin' it a mite too close at the muzzle.