Huh?

[offshore44]

Wow, what happened to smokeless paper patching?

Haven't been around in awhile and it seems there isn't a lot of activity here recently. What's up with that?

I shoot 458 Win Mag (exclusively pp), 7.62x51 in an StG58 and Spanish Mauser, 7.92 Mauser in various rifles, and a couple of others on occasion.

Now setting up for Marlin 1895sbl in 45-70, and a Winchester BB in 444 Marlin. Oh, and the wife's Ruger #3 in 45-70.

What all are you shooting pp through that "trips your trigger"?

[Dan Cash]

I think the newbies are too busy painting bullets with fingernail polish to paper wrap anything. Those of us who have cracked the code don't have anything to add to the conversation.

[offshore44]

Gotcha. Makes sense.

[super6]

When the clutch pedal disappeared so goes paper patching..I think the finger nail polish thing was a bit over the top, All said and done paper patching is a good skill set to have. Most likely will not do it as it seems tedious, And yes I have never done it!

[ShooterAZ]

It's a little time consuming, but well worth the effort. Once you get things dialed in it's hard to beat IMO, and no I don't powder coat anything.

[Good Cheer]

Mostly I've just been patching the .401, the .458 and .520 bore side lock muzzleloaders.
Life somehow interrupted my fun with the 9.3x74R. Had something to do with a plague.
Still haven't gotten a patching mold for the .375x45-70.

[rdlange]

The paper part was easy. it's was getting the slug shape/diameter, chamber throat, powder type and volume, load density, filler/wad, etc that caused me to drop it. wrapping was fun and they looked cool though.

[BadgerShooter]

I've been highly successful with the 45-70 and 35 Whelen/350 mags. I swage my projectiles and patch. I haven't shot any myself but I paper patch a .375 bullet that a customer has been slaying deer with in his 375 Win Contender.

Once you set up your patching board and figure out how to rapidly cut patches, it doesn't take a lot longer that sizing gas check bullets.

Accurate and solid performance on meat.

[d4xycrq]

I’ve heard a lot about this fingernail polish for bullets. And just read paper patching is fiddly and fussy. So I’ll hafta try out this paint! <wink>

[barrabruce]

And there I was going to experiment with different colours of paper.
[smilie=1:

[offshore44]

I hear red is fastest.

Might just start a thread, somewhere, about casting and loading.

The better half and I live in a 28' trailer. Spend a fair amount of time in rather primitive conditions.

Currently I reload for three pistol calibers, two rifle calibers, and two shotgun gauges.

The processes might interest somebody.

[Nobade]

Not much PP going on in my life now, but the last rifles I was working with were a 1903 Springfield bored out to 338 with 1:15 twist. Got a custom mold from Accurate and it's proven to be a great performer. And a Parker Hale Volunteer, that gets treated just like a caseless 45-90 and does pretty much the same thing. Otherwise I'm mostly carrying a shotgun these days, between my failing eyesight and the large number of squirrels around here.

[offshore44]

Accurate does good work. I've got several of them now, and they are all nice to cast with. (Once I figured out what they liked)

Squirrels! Man those things are destructive. Hate'm.

[Shanghai Jack]

OK, how about fingernail polishing a paper patch boolit.

[ShooterAZ]

I polish my paper patches with White Label's BAC, does that count? It's pink.

[offshore44]

It's not as fast as red...

[BadgerShooter]

This colored bullet thing is a slippery slope - I'm worried about you guys....

[nanuk]

I am wondering about this whole site

I was offline for awhilw, I come back and all I see are folks being banned

[offshore44]

Mjolnir, the ban hammer...

I seal my overshot cards with clear fingernail polish. The cheap kind. Should I be concerned? Asking for a friend.

[tunnug]

My boolits don't need diapers.

[barrabruce]

I seal my overshot cards with clear fingernail polish. The cheap kind. Should I be concerned? Asking for a friend.

Yes.
It can leave a build up that needs scraping off.
Easier to see if its of colour.

You only need to be worried it you are concerned if it clashes the rest of your shooting outfit.
Or you take half an hour looking for the right shade.

No concern of mine, but what ever spins your wheels or lifts your skirt!
Ha

[303Guy]

I'm still paper patching for one of my 303's. I'm not able to replicate the accuracy I once achieved with it though. Different boolits, different alloy, different eyes ....

But to check the open sight issue, I fitted a reflex sight and got the same results. Oh, it now has a different action. The barrel was loose in the original action. Maybe i should put it back on and see what happens. I'm thinking that maybe the loose barrel threads gives the barrel nothing to vibrate on? I just keep trying different load combinations. Sometimes I'll get a good group and then the next time not. That's what makes me think it's my eyes. I'm far sighted now and cannot focus on the sights at all.

[nanuk]

303guy

Research aperture sights

I tried once a test:
Take a piece of black electrical tape and poke a small hole in it
Put that spot in the upper inside of your glasses on the shooting eye
Then try your sights
When positioned in the right spot sights are in focus as is the target
Move spot around till it is located exactly where you want it and leave it there on a dedicated pair of shooting glasses

I have a pair that is an old prescription that I use

Works awesome!

ETA: i think you can buy commercial Stick on apertures

[bearingsmith]

Nanuk.
Got it right. The aperture idea really works and blackening the front and rear
sights with soot from a candle, a wooden match, or a cigarette lighter.
Nothing beats flat black open sights. Opinions may vary.
I PP 45x70, 50x70, 40x70 Bottle neck, 71/84 Mauser
and 577x450 Martini.
PP can also spark a conversation at the range as most shooters have never
seen PP or the large caliber rounds some people shoot.

[303Guy]

Thanks for that nanuk. I'll give that a go.

[Good Cheer]

So using a 0.354" sized boolit finally found out that the bore diameter on the 9.3x74R is slightly less than 0.353".
Don't know what it precisely is yet but it's actually less than 9mm and already the needed patch increase is looking like 0.013"/0.014" above bore diameter.

And, the entrance into the rifling has the longest shallowest angle I've ever seen on a Ruger, very similar to the CIP specs for 9.3x74R. I asked Ruger for a sketch and their customer disservice people told me to get lost. So, re-doing the old beat up pound cast was the only way to go. Last night did a preliminary sketch and weight of lead calculations for a lube groove design. Comparing the Ruger chamber to Accurate's catalog designs it looks as though the ones with long looking bore rider portions (even the 286 grainer) would drop right in without ever encountering resistance from engraving on rifling. I'd been looking at that particular trait seeing as this is a single shot and thumb pressure is all that would be behind the cartridge. The down side is lube for that front portion sticking out of the case neck. Seeing as I'm a proponent of having real lube grooves inside the case neck I was thinking about perhaps dipping loaded boolits in a more solidly hardening carnauba wax lube after loading the cartridges, with an appropriately corrugated contour ahead of the crimp groove. Well, we'll see.

For now I have the pretty cool .358 NOE 280 grain spire, a Saeco #352, the Accurate remake of Ideal #358009, the RCBS and Lee gas checked .35 Remington 200 grainers, and the heavy version of Ideal #358430 to try patching with. They are all way over bore diameter. Some have bore rider areas above the bore diameter and some are below. It's a mixed bag but hey, something mite work out.

[barrabruce]

311364

Who need night vision when you got these.
Straight from Q’s lab.

[barrabruce]

Good cheer
How about using a bullet wallet to keep the loads in.
I have one and it solves the lube on the nose problem.
Mtm make a 308 case that the top flips over on the side and goes on a belt.
Like there bigger 50 case holder’s thou smaller.
Got to be something out there besides a pocket.

[nanuk]

311364

Who need night vision when you got these.
Straight from Q’s lab.

Glow in the Dark?

[barrabruce]

Yep.
Bought cheap glow in the dark nail polish to see if it would help see the front sight at night while spotlighting.

[303Guy]

303guy

Research aperture sights

I tried once a test:
Take a piece of black electrical tape and poke a small hole in it
Put that spot in the upper inside of your glasses on the shooting eye
Then try your sights
When positioned in the right spot sights are in focus as is the target
Move spot around till it is located exactly where you want it and leave it there on a dedicated pair of shooting glasses

I have a pair that is an old prescription that I use

Works awesome!

ETA: i think you can buy commercial Stick on apertures

I have found that I can no longer see the front blade of a peep sight so I fitted a tube on it and that works great.

https://i.postimg.cc/63Mg9ddJ/DSCF6083.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I did find an aperture front available but haven't had a closer look yet. I made a front sight for my 22 target rifle which is where I got the idea from. I've used it for plinking in the field and find I can use it for general shooting just fine.

https://i.postimg.cc/NfHJ9J4n/DSCF5429.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I also tried a tube with open sights.

https://i.postimg.cc/QxNG27mq/Tube_Front_Sight.jpg (https://postimages.org/)https://i.postimg.cc/yNWQVPs5/DSCF3908.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[OverMax]

I've been patching for a few years. Took a year or so to get the technique right. As I learn more and more about patching I grew more interested. Then again I'm a history buff in heart. New technology that Powder coating is doesn't interest me --yet.
What I have to patch here all are pre 94 levers. 30-30_32 special_32-40_25-35. So these days, I'm waiting for the Spring thaw so I can go to my gun club to better my shooting skills with old school equipment.

[Txcowboy52]

I’m confused aren’t we all casters, reloaders and shooters? Why the trash talk about those who powder coat? I’m of the mind if you like it and it works for you great . If you don’t like it and you like lubed bullets great . There’s room for all of us here . I don’t PP and don’t care anything about it, but I’m not gonna talk trash and run down those that do . Far as I’m concerned that’s narrow minded.

[GregLaROCHE]

I paper patched BP rounds for a while, but recently have been spending most of my time with muzzle loaders. Cloth patching.

[barrabruce]

I only paper patch for a single shot 30-30 that I recently purchased now.
Mostly I just cast and shoot finger lubed bullets in unsized cases either finger seated or breachseated at modest velocities.
Pping does what I want and the materials are around me when I want more velocity.
Accuracy is good enough for any reasonable distance for the game I may ever encounter.

I don’t need to spot something 400 yrds away and have to drive back another 600 yrds and have a poke at something.

I can’t buy coated bullets worth using past pistol distances unless I buy a match gauged barrel and then the quality is iffy at best.
And the ones I have tried are all too small.
If I size down bigger bullets they tend to loose the paint in the bore or groove areas.
So you have to lube anyway.
Honestly I’m disappointed in what is commonly available.

More power those those who do and have stellar results.

I’ll stick to my soft alloy with paper diapers on them and be happy.

[William Yanda]

Mjolnir, the ban hammer...

I seal my overshot cards with clear fingernail polish. The cheap kind. Should I be concerned? Asking for a friend.

As stated earlier, red is fastest.

[Digital Dan]

I patch a fair bit. Read Mr. Matthews’s book and figured it out. Calibers .40, .44, .45, .50. It’s hard to argue with a single ragged hole in the 100 yd target or critters that didn’t take a step after the shot.

[Lead pot]

It's a little time consuming, but well worth the effort. Once you get things dialed in it's hard to beat IMO, and no I don't powder coat anything.

Nah, patching is not time consuming when you're sitting in your favorite chair watching a good western on TV. It takes less than 15 seconds to patch. :D
https://live.staticflickr.com/2914/33922294460_d926c4998e_n.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TFACiS)MVI_2950 (https://flic.kr/p/TFACiS) by Kurt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/leadpot/), on Flickr

Now using finger nail polish, yes this can get time consuming :D

312047

Hey what ever trips your sear having fun with, do it.

[nanuk]

303Guy, have you tried the aperture near your eye?

just to prove it to yourself, take a piece of dark hard paper or thin cardboard/cereal box stuff

push a small hole through it in the middle, to block all other light. I use a large push pin, and round it in the hole so the sides are smooth

then put that up to your eye (remove glasses even... not needed) and you'll see it really works.

bullseye pistol shooters have a piece that mounts on glasses and swings down into vision

old science at work

[elmacgyver0]

Nah, patching is not time consuming when you're sitting in your favorite chair watching a good western on TV. It takes less than 15 seconds to patch. :D
https://live.staticflickr.com/2914/33922294460_d926c4998e_n.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TFACiS)MVI_2950 (https://flic.kr/p/TFACiS) by Kurt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/leadpot/), on Flickr

Now using finger nail polish, yes this can get time consuming :D

312047

Hey what ever trips your sear having fun with, do it.

I hope that's a cartridge you're holding there.

[Barry54]

I’m confused aren’t we all casters, reloaders and shooters? Why the trash talk about those who powder coat? I’m of the mind if you like it and it works for you great . If you don’t like it and you like lubed bullets great . There’s room for all of us here . I don’t PP and don’t care anything about it, but I’m not gonna talk trash and run down those that do . Far as I’m concerned that’s narrow minded.

Trash talk? I thought the reference to fingernail polish was hilarious! One of the funniest things I’ve read on this site all year! I’m glad this thread got revived just because of it. And it’s sparked my interest in paper patching now that I’ve accumulated a stash of soft lead that could be used for hunting.

I don’t see it as trash talk. Just friendly banter. The old Ford vs Chevrolet thing...
Plus it’s an inside joke that only casters will understand.

[Lead pot]

I hope that's a cartridge you're holding there.


Yup it is.
It's a .44-100 Rem. :D but that is not powder coating on the paper, it's ink :D

[pbcaster45]

I've been trying my hand at paper patching... still have lots of work to do. I'm really out of practice with my Sharps which doesn't help either.

Bullet: Montana Precision Swaging 400 gr. RNPP (Microchamber Interleaving Paper .0025 White/Sized .460/Liquid Alox)
Powder: IMR-4198 27.0 grs. (0.001 Onionskin Disk/Kapok Filler ½ gr.)
Primer: CCI-BR2
Case: Federal
OAL: 2.595
Average Velocity: 1311 fps
Extreme Spread: 43 fps
Standard Deviation: 16 fps
Comments: Cases partially sized with Lyman Neck Die, expanded with Buffalo Arms .458-.462 Expander, and belled with Hornady New Dimension Expander. About 0.075 inch of paper patch exposed beyond case mouth. Seated rounds taper crimped in Hornady New Dimension Seater Die (minus seater plug)

Bullet: Buffalo Arms 500 gr. RNPP (Buffalo Arms Onionskin 0.0015/Sized .458/Lee Sizing Lube)
Powder: IMR-4198 25.0 grs (0.001 Onionskin Disk/Kapok Filler ½ gr.)
Primer: CCI-BR2
Case: Federal
OAL: 2.738
Average Velocity: 1177 fps
Extreme Spread: 38 fps
Standard Deviation: 13 fps
Comments: Full length resized in RCBS Sizer Die. Expanded with Buffalo Arms .458-.462 Expander and belled with Hornady New Dimension Expander. Taper crimped in Hornady Seater Die.

326267

I didn't really like the smell from the Lee Liquid Alox. Lee Sizing Lube works well, and I like the color.

326268

I like to use a thin onionskin paper wad over the powder charge when using any kind of filler.

326271

326274

[barrabruce]

Finally come good.
Made a pp mold yesterday with a D reamer.
Wanted about a 130 grain 301" diameter.
Casts with soft lead 0.298" and 132 grain.
So I have to run a bastard file over it to bring the core up to 0.301"
I’ve dry patche’d some rounds and the paper does not want to move.
I made it with a scraper groove on the nose and a little wee pip of a hollow point.
How they fly?
I may not know for a bit but they are looking good to me.
Hoping the nose catches the air flow and stabilises it a bit and the pip does something or other too.
A fuzzy photo for proof.
327329

I may have finally got nearly to another level .

Note the mold turned out just usable, but learnt a few more things along the way.
Cheers.
Thankyou everyone who has put up with me for so long.

[Nobade]

Good work. Making things and especially tools yourself is a very satisfying part of this game. Plus it's a real bonus if they fly accurately!