1st paper patched boolits

[jack19512]

Here are my very first paper patched boolits. I used lens paper and egg white. I tried water first but couldn't get the paper to stick to my boolits using it. If they shoot as bad as they look I probably won't even hit the target. :cry:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/jack19512/1stpaperpatchedboolits.jpg

[docone31]

Not too bad for a first attempt. Try a cigarette roller. They get real tight.
What caliber?
I don't know about lense paper. I had heard about egg whites, but I only use water.
Wrap height looks ok. Good tuck on the base,
Now to let em dry, and see how they print!
What size for the prime, and what final size?
Way to go. Mine looked real rough. I sure was psyched though. Missed the target by a mile first few times. Had to get the lead out and the patched loads did that! After that, was finding the final size.
No crimp when you load them! Just neck tension.

[longbow]

As long as you get them the right size and rolled tight they should be okay.

I also find some papers difficult to work with if there is no "stickum" in the juice.

I have some 100% cotton bond that patches real well but is a bit thick at 0.004". That rolls very nicely though and stays tight.

I have some other bond that isn't bad but won't twist real tight so I have to be careful. With that I have tried a very thin glue mix or milk in the water. Both help to hold the paper and don't seem to cause trouble for patch release.

The tracing paper I am using now is really tough and about 0.002" thick. Again, it doesn't wrap real tight if I use plain water. Saliva is better and milk or egg white would probably work the best. I have read that some people use Sprite or other soft drink for a bit of stickum.

I can roll them nice and tight with plain water but I tried folding instead of twisting and they just wouldn't stay tight so I reverted to twisting again and even then some were a problem with lifting the last wrap when drying. Maybe it is my wrapping technique but I do have trouble with some paper.

I use the parallelogram patch with 30 degree (off vertical) cut. That gives a nice tip to start the wrap with.

Longbow

[303Guy]

Don't be discouraged by an apparent inability to be perfect the first few times. It won't be long and your neural pathways will be established and you will find it easy. (You will have learned how to do it! :mrgreen: ) A trick I have learned is to wet the paper and roll it quickly, before it can shrink. Then roll it on a smooth surface with a finger to get the joint gap to close. It closes where finger pressure is applied. The trouble is, it also tends to come loose as the paper dries and shrinks. I use paper glue applied with a cotton wool bud just under the edge. Because the paper is damp, the glue dissipates and only just holds the end down. I do that after the ends meet.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/MakingEndsMeet-1.jpgThe dried boolit.

(The composite is inside out because I botched it!)

With the 30° patch, only a dab of glue is needed under the tail that overhangs the base.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/MVC-120F.jpg
Here one can see how the paper stretches as desired. That edge started out straight! That's because the boolit has a curved profile and is tapered.

One thing I am doing differently is folding or twisting the tail after drying.

The only thing I can say as fact is that rolling the patch gets real easy real quick!

I'm in early days too so I'm always glad to have someone else on board who is also new to paper patching.:drinks:


If they shoot as bad as they look I probably won't even hit the target.
The trick is to use a big enough target! I did and was glad of it when my 'group' made a shotgun look good! I didn't bother to shoot off the rest of that batch - they ain't gonna get better. I did have one loading that looked promising! Thing is, it didn't matter that I didn't get it right the first time. It was fun and I know I will get it right in the end!

[jack19512]

What caliber?









These will be shot out of a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that has a bore of around .312-.314 if memory serves me correctly. I don't have a dedicated paper patch mold, just sized some tumble lube boolits to .308 and final wrap size was .314.

I'm not going to expect much for the first time, I have been wanting to get into paper patching for some time so you gotta start somewhere. I look at it this way, it can only get better. :mrgreen:

[Southern Son]

Jack, what are you rolling them on? I have found that the reverse side of an old mouse pad is pretty good. I put the mouse pad on an old clip board and I can roll while watching T.V. Before I found the old mouse pad, I could not get the paper rolled on at all, it would just tear when I tried to pull it tight and if I didn't pull it tight, the patch would fall off when it dried. I have seen some lense paper. I found some here at home one night. It was very thin, but still quite tough when wet so I thought if I could get enough of it I might try it. Have you managed to locate a source able to supply enough (I found a little package with 5 sheets, each sheet big enough for 1 boolit)? Let us know how they go.

[docone31]

Jack,
Prime candidate for a rolling machine!
Cut the patches at 45* X 1 3/16" on either notebook paper, or computer printer paper. Your Nagant has deep rifleing and should make lots of confetti. Push em hard. I found light loads was just a waste of time and materials.
With a rolling machine, I lay the patches on soaking wet, set the casting, and roll......
Those castings should do allright.
Good luck.

[montana_charlie]

I have seen some lense paper. I found some here at home one night. It was very thin, but still quite tough when wet so I thought if I could get enough of it I might try it. Have you managed to locate a source able to supply enough (I found a little package with 5 sheets, each sheet big enough for 1 boolit)?
I went Googling for lens tissue (last winter) and came up with this.

Ross Optical Lens Tissue
Non-abrasive. Processed from 100% linen stock; free of mineral and vegetable filler. Does not lint or scratch and will not disintegrate under vigorous manipulation.

Ross Lens Tissue, 21.6 x 35.6cm (8-1/2 x 14")
Ross Lens Tissue, Large pkg/100 $17.00

They sent me a sample, and the paper measured about .002"

CM

[303Guy]

Lense paper sounds like just the ticket! I found some strong and thin paper - KFC (over here) use it as carton liner. It looks like tracing paper (sort of) and works like tracing paper, is tough like tracing paper and measures .00016! I'm not sure how much it shrinks after wetting but it does wrap tight in a rolling machine. Trouble is, it doesn't stick to itself with plain water - I used a 'sliver' of paper glue under the end.

[Southern Son]

CM,
Thanks for that tip. I might have to look into a possible local dealer cause the postage would be a bit much. I want to save up and get an some stuff from BACO. When I do that, I will get them to include an order of the 25% cotton paper they sell so I can try that, to.