cured a cranky fasttwist paperpatch .50

[johnson1942]

i have a .50 custom sidelock i built a while back in 1.23 twist. it would shoot double wrap on and off in the paperpatch. well to day i took the bull by the horns and reground the base of my .50 swageing base punch to a very slight concave base. swaged up some 680 grain true blunt round nose bullets and made some 60 thounds fiber wad wads. they swaged out at .50 and i resized them to .495. i then cut some mumber 18 paper into perfect small retangles. they go only once around the bullet and the base is simply folded over and the paper covers about 3/4 of the base.its called the chase paper patch system. the paper was prelubed a while back with a little thompson butter and wasnt deteriorated at all. i used 70 grains of blackhorn 209, fiber wad just started with bullet on top of the wad. the wad helps keep the paper on the bullet. the bullet again is .495 and when wrapped it is .499. it goes down snug but very smooth and with out diff. had some tin hung on a fench post at 30 yard. shot a hole in it and the next 2 went through the first hole. shot several more at small snow clumps out to 125 yards. was blowing them apart. shot at a small snow clump at about 450 yards as it was about 50 yards on this side of a 500 yards away high ridge. i aimed just above it at the 500 yards away ridge. hit just above the 450 yard snow spot by 6 ft. was really surprised it hit above the spot as the 680 grain bullet really carried well. was in perfect alignment and not left or right. all my other guns shoot the double wrap system perfectly and im going to keep shooting the double wrap in them. however the singe wrap chase system really realy works in my big fast twist .50. recoil on that gun is very easy. good stock design and a nice slip over leather pad did the trick. it your have a cranky gun the chase system may cure it. i dont my putting the paper on as i load each shot as i do the same with a cloth patch and a roundball. a lot of interest in paperpatching of late, glad ron and the others help make converts. all my guns are paperpatch now but two and they are a slow twist roundball gun and a specialty target sabot long range gun.

[johnson1942]

freezer wrap paper available at grocery stores is the same as 18 lb. paper and their is no need to lube it as it has a polymer coating on one side.

[idahoron]

I got out and tried to sight in my 50 after I replaced the stock. Last fall I had to put that barrel on a different stock and the sight needed to be adjusted for the different type stock. Going back to the original style I knew I needed to do some adjusting. The wind was blowing so hard that I couldn't get much done. I am about 80% sure that my 50 yard was good but shooting at 100 in a 30 MPH wind doesn't work. I was shooting down wind but it was still affecting either me or the bullet. either way I was on the target but all over it. Ron

[johnson1942]

ron i tried 200 yard shooting in a 30 mile cross wind once. 680 grain bullet or not, it moved the bullet 18 inches to the left. i thought the big .50 would buck the wind but drifted as bad as any.

[Nobade]

Thank you for posting this. I am going to have to try the Chase patch one of these days, it does seem like it would work well and eliminate fliers because it absolutely has to come off as soon as it leaves the muzzle. They are hard to do with cartridges but should be a snap for muzzleloaders.

-Nobade

[johnson1942]

nobade, i think it is way way back here on cast boolits but may be on another site where a couple of shooters do the chase patch on cartridge bullets. it is a modified chase system but shoots holes in holes. what they do is wrap their bullets in wet paper as before but the water has some elmers paper glue in it. they twist the tail tighter when dry and snip real close to the base with a curved blade from a cuticle sissors. the paper is tight and stiff and dry, they then take a small sharp knife or razor and cut the paper through along the seam where it is joined form top to base. because the paper has a little glue in it it keeps its shape. they then lube with lube of choise and shoot. they call it the chase double wrap system as the paper when wet glued is like one piece of paper and the cut seam makes it like a single wrap that just kept its shape. i tried it once in my 45/70 and found no falt in it. the paper comes instantly off. i think the advantage to the chase system is that the paper comes off the same every time without fail. with the chase system for the muzzle loader the guys with the heavy bench guns use that system and they can get bumblebee groups at 200 yards. they use a machined starter but i see no need for that as i use the same cut paper they do and wrap as i shoot. i patch as i shoot a roundball so its the same thing. try it, you will like it. just put a wad of some kind just inside the bore with the bullet on top of the wad. this keeps the paper on the bullet as it goes down the bore.

[Nobade]

Good tips! Especially about the wad.

I wouldn't have thought to use glue and cut the patch. I had only been aware of using this system with breech seated boolits, where a breech seating tool would make it easy and everything would stay together.

Thanks again!

-Nobade

[johnson1942]

if you try it let us know your results.