What Size Patch?

[ndbilly]

Gentlemen.

.58 caliber Green Mountain barrel. 1:70 twist. What size, not thickness, but size patch? Should the cloth completely cover the ball or just those areas touching the bore? Do you have a good source for pre-lubed patches? I know I'll have to determine the thickness through T&E.

Thanks.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use strips of 1-1/4" width and have enough on the edges to slice out a .54 patch and leave cloth all around the hole in the strip. I'd guess 1-1/2" would leave you plenty to spare. It only needs to form a gasket around the bore but a little extra won't hurt.

You can do a "dry run" with a ball, paper and scissors to see how big a circle is left when you fold the paper around the ball and snip it off at the top.

 

[roundball]

Gentlemen.

.58 caliber Green Mountain barrel. 1:70 twist. What size, not thickness, but size patch?

I use .58cal precut pillow ticking patches marketed by TC and they measure 1+3/8" diameter

 

[Thunderchild]

I use Muzzle Loader Originals patches and they are 1 5/16th in size. I use these patches for my .577 and .580 rifles.

these patches don't go very far from the muzzle once fired. I usualy find them about 15 feet from where the muzzle was when fired.

 

[MikeChapin]

I have a .58 GM barrel on a flinter I built a couple of years ago. I use about .034 denim with a .562 ball. It's a little tough to start but goes down fine. I can also use a .570 ball with .020 Ox-Yoke patching that gives the same performance.

I cut my own patches with a modified 1 3/8" modified hole saw. That is just my personal preference. Using square cut patches or cutting at the muzzle like Stumpy mentioned work just as well.

I use spit for a patch lube but soaking precuts or strips in Hoppes or Moose Milk will work just as well.

 

[Jerry Coffee]

Shooting and cleaning patches can be purchased by the bag in the appropriate size for a .50 to .60 cal. bore. Use only the appropriate size patch made of 100% pure cotton for shooting and cleaning. Never use cotton-polyester patches, especially for cleaning. They will stretch and wad up behind the jag and the ramrod will get stuck in the bore. Then you have to chuck the ramrod in a vise and pull the rifle off the ramrod. A stuck ramrod will send you home for the day if it gets stuck in the bore at the range.

 

[rabbit03]

Gentlemen.

.58 caliber Green Mountain barrel. 1:70 twist. What size, not thickness, but size patch? Should the cloth completely cover the ball or just those areas touching the bore? Do you have a good source for pre-lubed patches? I know I'll have to determine the thickness through T&E.

Thanks.

I have the same barrel on Big 58, and I like others on here, cut my patches at the barrel.

What are you doing mostly with your rifle? Are you hunting mostly or target shooting?? If hunting I would go to a .575 or maybe even a .570 roundball and then use the .018-.020 thickness patches. But if you are shooting targets and want pin point accuracy then stay with the .575's or even jump up to a .580 if you can find a mould. Remember the important thing is the tightness of the weave and not the thickness necessarily of the patching material.

If you get frustrated and need any more help with the material let me know in a PM and I can get you started immediately in the right direction if accuracy is your thing!

rabbit03

 

[Zonie]

The correct diameter of a patch will be large enough to cover 1/2 of the ball plus a bit more to assure that the bore and ball never touch. It does not have to cover the entire ball.

In the case of a .58 caliber ball the patch should be about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. A bare minimum diameter would be about 1 1/8 inches in diameter but anyone using this size patch with a .58 caliber ball must take great care to make sure the center of the patch is positioned within 1/16 inch of the center of the barrel.

 

[Hawkeye]

Didn't there used to be a table of patch diameters for various calibers posted on this site somewhere? I've been looking and can't find it.

 

[Zonie]

There have been several posts about patch diameters but I don't recall seeing a "table" of the answers.

If someone wants to get a answer that will work well they should take the ball diameter and multiply it by 3. (like, .50 X 3 = 1.5).
Then divide this by 2. (like 1.5 / 2 = .75).
Then add the ball diameter (like .75 + .50 = 1.25).

This doesn't have to be exact because some error won't make any difference at all to how it shoots in a gun.

 

[Swampthang]

Remember the important thing is the tightness of the weave and not the thickness necessarily of the patching material.

OK, I just learned something else on the forum and it seems like I just joined :grin: