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Marlin Junky
04-01-2009, 01:52 AM
Here's a question for Gunsmiths that have handled a bunch of different reamers over the years and also have some experience with paper patching...

I would like to know (and perhaps others, too) what chamberings lend themselves to successful paper patch shooting. I can see where the .35 Whelen with its long and wide throat might be a good candidate for paper patch success, but are there other chamberings in their standardized SAAMI form that would really work well? Perhaps, I'm way off base, but I would guess the .444 with its throat-less chamber would be a poor candidate for paper patch success.

MJ

pdawg_shooter
04-01-2009, 08:12 AM
Some chamberings are a little harder to get to handle paper than others, but I havent found any that just will not work. The toughest I messed with was a .357 revolver. Once I learned how to get the patched bullet through the forcing cone it went well. I have given up patching hand guns because I just couldnt see the advantage. The 444 was easy to get to shoot once I figured out the micro-groove barrel challenge. The easiest I have messed with was the 30.06. That may have been because by the time I tried it I had been patching for years. I even had Douglas build me a 1 in 22 twist, .458 barrel that I chambered to .458 Winchester to test the limits of paper patch. It can be a challenge but it sure is fun.

Digital Dan
04-01-2009, 08:35 AM
Yeah, what he said!

There are tricks that can be done when cutting a chamber specifically for paper patch shooting, but experience tells me that most any chamber cut will get the job done. Often times it's not the cut of the chamber so much as the geometry of your loads in three dimensions...including the case...and bullet..and paper...etc

Dan Theodore wrote an interesting article not long ago on this subject for the Black Powder Cartridge News that you might want to dig up. Contact Cheryl at SPG Lubes for a copy. Issue before last as I recall.

Dan