Has anyone used leather patches in their muzzle loader?

[Texantothecore]

I read a reference concerning the use of leather patches for shooting and wondered whether anyone here had tried it. Apparently the patches can be reused a number of times.

[Hanshi]

Yes, and they work just as well as felt or anything else.

[Texantothecore]

Hanshi,
Have you experimented with using a much smaller ball and using a thicker patch to make them run true in your ML?

[Shooter]

It makes sense that early trappers and Indians had much more access to leather rather than cloth.
Buckskin would be rather thick. I wonder if squirrel, or groundhog would be prefered. The old folks said groundhog made the best shoe strings.

[KCSO]

Yes I tried patches of chamois about 40 years ago. They worked but not as well as cloth, they tended to tear little holes on the lands as you seated them. In addition you need really thin leather and it's a tight fit even then. As far as accuracy they did about as good a job as cloth. I lubed the patches with sperm oil back then.

[Texantothecore]

That does make sense. The patches would come with each night's meal and fabric would be much harder to come by in the wilderness.

The reason I asked this is that a thick patch could be used shoot a smaller round thereby allowing the trapper to preserve his lead.

Just a thought.

[waksupi]

I've used brain tanned deer flank area for patches. You can re-use them quite a few times. Works well.

[OverMax]

This is the first time I've heard of this being done. Never read about or seen leather usage in this manner. But quite possible at one time this was done to conserve on lead usage. Split hide or made from smaller mammals is very possible. I would think.

O/M

[Stonecrusher]

The British issued leather patches, made of goatskin I think, with the Baker rifle in the early 1800's.

[Texantothecore]

It sounds very likely to have been used. Gonna have to take a trip to Tandy Leather with micrometer in hand.

Lead was dear and I suspect it was treated with care.

[DIRT Farmer]

The most valuable thing a man had when he was travling on foot was the heivest thing he carried. Lots of big round balls out away from Kings mountion, lots of smaller one in the center of the battle area.
I would think that anything almost has been tried due to necessity or inquiring minds. Many accounts of patched rocks being fired from trade guns and muskets.
Same with wads. jerky makes amazing shotgun wads. (the pressed kind avatible instores) You can also get a tosty snack on the way to retrieve the game. Tobacco leaves will work well and leave the fouling soft. Dry tree leaves don't work worth ahoot but grass and green leaves have worked for me in a pinch.
There is an account in the Foxfire books of a suscuful bear hunt where a nail head was patched in leather.

[waksupi]

I'm not betting on commercial tanned leather being all that good. It doesn't have the compressible qualities of a natural tanned hide.

[Shooter]

Now we get to the details.
Flesh side of the leather patch; to the bore or ball?
Lube, if not spit, what grease?

[Texantothecore]

"Many accounts of patched rocks being fired from trade guns and muskets."

That was an ancillary question that I had as it would seem that if you can fully patch a projectile with leather you should be able to shoot it. A round pebble for instance.

[OnHoPr]

Maybe one of these days I'll give it a try. Maybe with stretched fox squirrel or deer belly to a close resemblance of about .018 or matchbook thickness and soften with bear grease.

[Hanshi]

Hanshi,
Have you experimented with using a much smaller ball and using a thicker patch to make them run true in your ML?



No, I haven't; but I see no reason it would not work. I've heard of some small bore shooters using sub caliber ball with a much thicker patch or even two patches and experiencing good results.

[Hanshi]

Sorry, but I've misread the original question (common for me). I was thinking "wads" instead of "patches". Still, my answer is the same; yes it would work and was probably not uncommon at one time.

[nagantguy]

I have not tried this but would like to l have leather. also I have read a few accounts of goat skin patches. English and Germans used them from what I had read.

[Texantothecore]

No, I haven't; but I see no reason it would not work. I've heard of some small bore shooters using sub caliber ball with a much thicker patch or even two patches and experiencing good results.

That was yet another question I had that I was a bit hesitant to ask. These larger bore rifles are really handy.

It would be very nice for squirrel or rabbit with a .50 cal.

[DCP]

It sounds very likely to have been used. Gonna have to take a trip to Tandy Leather with micrometer in hand.

Lead was dear and I suspect it was treated with care.

Tandy can be pricey ask to see some cut off or remnants

[Texantothecore]

Last time - was in Tandy the had a table or of assorted scraps. A few minutes with a micrometer should get me enough to start with.

[Junior1942]

I just mic-ed a piece of brain tanned deer hide which belonged to my father--.012" - .014".

[Texantothecore]

That sounds as if it would work well. One of the reasons I became interested in it is that you can get leather in .06 which might allow you to patch down a long ways for the much smaller ball (and lower speed) for rabbit or squirrel using your .45 or .50.