Paper patching the hunting bullet for a Muzzleloader

[idahoron]

I wanted to share my success with paper patched muzzleloader bullets for deer. I started to paper patch for my 45 cal TC Renegade. I was doing great with that gun so I decided to try my luck with my 50 cal.
The 50 I wanted to try to patch for was a gun I put together for my son. It is a TC Renegade with a Stainless Steel Green mountain barrel with a 1-28 twist. The sights are a Lyman 57 sml peep with a Lyman 17 aml globe with Lee Shavers inserts.



The bullet I looked at from the very start was the Lee C-501-440-RF. The mould casts a pure lead bullet at 460 gr. I paper patch this bullet with 9# onion skin paper. I wrap them dry and size them back to .501 dry. The tails are just twisted and folder on the base.



After playing with the load I settled with 80 gr of Pyrodex P with a over powder wad. I am getting 1310 FPS with this load and the accuracy with this load is very consistent.



My son was the first one to try the load out on deer. Last year he got a doe but all his shot told us was a little about accuracy he shot the deer in the neck so we didn’t see what penetration would be like.



This year I drew a good ML tag and decided that the 50 was the one. I closed the gap to 117 yards on my range finder. I saw a bush I could use for a rest and got a little closer. I set the sight for the shot and whistled for the buck to stand. The fine pin on the sight found the pocket behind the shoulder and the big bullet was on its way. The buck was hit through both lugs. The bullet was not found since it BLEW threw the deer.



The next test for the load was for my hunting buddy. He used the same load for his TC White Mountain Carbine. His shot was in that 110 yard mark. His shot hit the buck quartering to him. The bullet hit the main shoulder bone and exited out the flank on the off side, the bullet exited and was not found.



This was a great test of the bullet. I would now like to try something bigger. My son wants to shoot a moose with it. With some luck I hope he draws a tag.
Ron

[Lead pot]

Good report Ron.

I always like it when I see someone that put a plan together and works out with great success.

Good show!!

[Nobade]

Are you using a lube cookie, or wiping between shots, or something else?

[idahoron]

I use a wool felt wad with Hornady great plains lube between the powder and bullet. I cleaned between shots to sight in the rifle and to work up the original load. Further testing was done to determine how many shot could be fired without a loss of accuracy. I was able to shoot 3 to 5 times, and maintain the accuracy I was wanting sub 2" groups .

[Digital Dan]

Good goin' and NICE buck!

Dan

[danyboy]

Idahoron,
Just what I was looking for. I have a been loading patched boolits in cartridges but just purchased my first black powder muzzle loader last week (Thompson Black Diamond) and tried some copper jacketed boolits in sabots the previous owner had left me with the gun. I imagine the bullet has to turn WITH the rifling when you push this paper patch boolit in the bore otherwise the paper would all tear up by the time it reaches the powder and wad. The rod would have to turn or have some kind of swivel to let the bullet turn when stuffing it in, wright ? Is your gun rifled or smooth bore ?

[idahoron]

The bullet turns as it slides down the barrel. Ron

[danyboy]

OK, so I'll try using my cast .446" 346 gr. bullets and patch them up to .500" but I suppose I'll have to get a .500" sizing die.
Thanks Ron,
danyboy

[nanuk]

I've relieved the muzzle of my ML

this spring I hope to cast some 440gr LEE's and PP like idahoron.

I'm going to try WW/PB 50/50 and pure.

I have the ability to push a boolit out from the breach, so I'll be able to check for patch tearing from my DIY-PAS

it is very difficult to find ML boolits up here, and even Sabots are often not available.

[idahoron]

OK, so I'll try using my cast .446" 346 gr. bullets and patch them up to .500" but I suppose I'll have to get a .500" sizing die.
Thanks Ron,
danyboy

I hate to tell you this but the .446 patched up to .500 is probably not going to work. Ron

[idahoron]

nanuk, I have not had any luck with lead harder than 6 to 7 BHN with those bullets. Ron

[jimd46902]

You size them with the paper wrap?

[danyboy]

Idahoron,
Probably wright, kind of silly to patch a .446 up to .500. I'll try to McGiver something else.
Thanks

[Djones]

Awesome story and load. Thank you for sharing

[bigted]

awrite rascals... bought some .492 slicks from baco to give this a try in my TC Encore...wowww now...easy on the name calling for using such a contraption. this little rifle really shoots boolits or sabots and now patched.

had some little 2f GOEX left so thought id try it for size in the TC with these new fangled wrapped boolits. stuffed 80 grains powder in a dry barrel and followed it with a felt wad...a 1/8th lube cookie [Vaseline/bee wax]...another felt wad and the boolit weighing 450 grains.

shooting the first one I didn't aim too carefully as I wanted to see what the confetti looked like...hard to tell with all the smoke tho but the ground was littered with pieces of patch. loaded as fast as I could for 4 more shots with the same load. judging from the ease of loading with fairly soft fouling and the wrapped boolit going in at the same friction im bettin that this rascal will do its job on about anything walking.

thanks fellas...especially you Ron for getting me into another room for shooting and wrapping lead for black powder. just what I needed...another way to destroy my powder hoard.

thankyou for real Ron for a nice write up and report on another fun and useful patching art.

[idahoron]

Your welcome. There are a lot of guys that are starting to try it and it is easy, fun, and accurate. I like to see others have good luck with their paper patched bullets. You got a picture of those bullets? Ron

[bigted]

I will try on the photo's of my wrapped boolits but im not promising anything as I got a new phone and it wont release my pictures to me and the card is way deep...stupid phone...gotta get another camera that will do the job I need.

boolit is Baco's .492 inch diameter with a hollow base wrapped in .003 inch tracing paper with 100% rag content...strong but a bit difficult to wrap...even wet as I wrap wet...they weigh 450 grains and with 77 grains powder in this lite rifle it goes off very nicely. I liken it to a 50-70 gubberment but in a modern muzzleloader. I need to scope it to do some longer range experiments but im bettin it will deliver the goods.

[idahoron]

You got a link to that bullet? IS there a mould for it? Ron

[bigted]

You got a link to that bullet? IS there a mould for it? Ron

Ron...the boolit is from buffalo arms in Idaho...it is in the paperpatch boolit section and they make em with a swaging machine. they have a hollow base and are solid lead and looks like the old sharps style nose. I wrap em ...[.492] ... in .003 tracing paper/velum for a final of .503 which loads nice and impresses the rifling on the boolit just barely with loading.

there are custom mould makers that will make any type hollow base slick for patching. my last one came from wild west moulds and if memory serves it cost me around $150.00 it is a .452 for my cartridge loading in .458 inch but they would make any style and nose style you want I think.

I am just using baco's boolits till I get an understanding with the muzzleloader needs for patched boolits. wish to heck I could post some pic's of these as they are the shis nis. my only problem is with the thicker paper as I really like my onion paper as it wraps very nicely but it is thinner so I will have to experiment with a bigger diameter slick to start with to end with the .503 or 4 as this is a seemingly "just rite" end product thus far.

if you want a boolit that is flat base then by far the best quality and cost is from "accurate bullet moulds". these are the best I've come across and for a very good price. he will work with a fella for exactly what you have in mind. well worth a look at what is already provided as he has a large catalog of moulds already.

[idahoron]

I have an inline that I have started to shoot my loads out of. It would really like a smaller bullet. I am thinking I might try those one's you using and see how they work. Ron