Can't find my patches.. (after firing)

[Hiaboo]

I am a new to BP -- But I have read about others finding their patches and "reading" them.. I cannot find mine, at all, so I'm wondering what could have happened to them, hitched a ride all the way to the target? Blown to bits?

It's just a thin cotton material (ticking) with crisco.

[Maven]

Hiaboo, What kind of groups are you getting? I.e., is there any indication that you're experiencing seriously blown patches? It would also help to know the rifle, caliber, powder type, granulation and charge, patch thickness and lube, etc. You're right of course, you SHOULD be able to locate and "read" your fired patches. In the mean time, it may help to put a dry patch atop the powder charge and then load the patched roundball. It's not a bad idea to reduce the powder charge by 5 or 10 grains (volume) if you add the "overpowder" patch.

[docone31]

I have looked, and have not found, any patches! So far to date, never.
I do not load that hot, I only bumped a load up with a R.E.A.L., and did an hot fire.
So far, no patches.
They are pillow ticking over a green range.
They go somewhere, but where, I am not sure. My loads hit pretty dead on also.

[fishhawk]

i usaly find the patches 10-15 yds down range or whats left of them at times. not easy to find at times if they are blowing out. steve k

[Maven]

What are you guys doing to your patches to make them dematerialize (pun intended)? Are they being beamed aboard a UFO by curious ET's? To tell the truth, I find at least 90% of mine.

[docone31]

I have suspected all along, there might be Latent Liberals lurking at the range.
Rather than shooting with us, they learn about muzzle loaders, and devote all their time just picking up patches so we cannot see bore condition.
I have suspected this all along.
That and tree huggers. You know what they do.

[Hiaboo]

docone31-- too funny..

It's a .50 T/C Hawken. I'm using Pyrodex RS, 70gr behind a 180 .495 ball cast from a lee RB mold... CCI caps.

Groups alright, about 4" at 50, stitting at a bench, offhand not using a rest...

I looked everywhere between here and the target... Nothing.

I suppose I really should reduce my load until it bloops out then work from there to find out the sweet spot but I'm happy with the results I'm getting although I think it could be better?

[Dean D.]

You might try dying your patches a really bright color. Just a thought.

[peter nap]

You may want to check further downrange. I once killed a Grizzly bear with a patch...at 300 yards.

[HWooldridge]

With a good load, they'll be more or less in the same area and depending on the wind, spread over a 10-15 foot circle. A good patch will be black with stripes from the rifling but no tears or holes. Some may look so good you'll be tempted to reuse them again.

[mooman76]

I'm with fishhawk, I usually find fine about 10-15 yards out but I usually don't look for them, I just happen on them and check them out since I found them. As long as your groups are good, I wouldn't worry about it. If you have the means you could maybe set up a dummy target at like 10y and the ball should go through and the patch should bounce off.

[kenjuudo]

Have a helper stand ten-fifteen feet to the side and stare down range, they will see the patches flutter to the ground and walk right to it. The rest will be there too unless the wind is variable.

jim

[Hiaboo]

I'll take those suggestions and put em to practice the next time I go to the range, with a proper rest and see what I can do.

[Jim]

Bright blue is the slowest fading color in the spectrum and the last to be lost in color blindness. I use .015 bright blue 100% cotton cloth for my patches. I can see some of my patches from the bench and find most all on the way to the target.
I'm not interested in "reading" them, though. I read the target sheets. I pick up the patches to keep the litter cleaned up. I'm shootin' on private property.

[Tom W.]

Remember that they won't be the same color or condition as they were when you loaded them, and if they're torn they will look like little black shredded fuzzy things.

[northmn]

Try a true bench rest to see if you are getting any kind of accuracy. At 50 yards I can get 4" groups out of a smoothbore. Are your patches cotton or some sythetic? Does the rifle clean OK. Go to a gravel pit or somewhere similar where ther is no grass and shhot off a few.

northmn

[405]

You should be able to find your patches. If all is working right most of the patch should be there. I find mine about 20 ft in front of the muzzle.

Here's a pic of a patch from some shooting I did a couple of days ago.
The gun is a 50 cal flinter. 70 grs FF black, felt wad over powder, pillow ticking lubed with a few drops of moose milk and cut off with patch knife, .490 ball. The gun shoots consistent groups at 50 yards between .5" and .8" center to center.

[Jim]

405,
I'm guessin' that's the ball side of the patch, right?

[fishhawk]

actualy no that looks to be the outside from what i see. steve k

[405]

It is a pic of the outside of the patch. The felt wad seems to protect the base next to the powder. In this particular gun the ball-patch-bore fit seems to be near ideal for accuracy. The ball is .490. The patch is .016 ticking. The bore/groove specs are .508/.524. and has seven lands/grooves. Sometimes the stars and planets all line up :) The bore measurments are as close as I can come with the odd land/groove number. Not sure of barrel maker. It was bought used. Maybe a Rice barrel?

[Jim]

I missed the part about the felt wad. 10-4.

[405]

Yep, not much difference between inside and outside of these patches. The black fouling and the distinct un-colored ring where the wad was are the only clues. The main reason for the pic was to show an example of what to look for after firing. Just worked out where it was handy to go find one I'd just fired at a friend's range and take a pic of it. Not that the near text book patch after firing guarantees accuracy. I've shot some pretty impressive roundball groups out of a .54 Hawken using a thinner patch where the patch gets pretty eaten up on the way down the bore. I've found the only absolute indicator of successful roundball shooting is conistent POI and accuracy on target. Fired patch condition is only one possible indicator of how well a load is working.