Paper thickness vs groove depth?

[RMulhern]

In order to shed more light upon Paper Patching, for some of those interested it might be beneficial to know about paper thickness vs groove depth! In other words let's, for the sake of supposition say one is using a paper thickness of .0015" thereby giving with two wraps around the bullet a total thickness of .003" per side but since groove depth on our rifles usually runs around a depth of .004" the question to be answered is......will the paper not be thick enough to protect the barrel from being 'leaded'??:shock::shock:

[Dan Cash]

Ray,
I am just getting started paper patching after having thought the process to death. My thanks to you for your inciteful observations and suggestions here and on other forums which we frequent.

Regarding this proposition, I wonder if the paper is not distorted and thinned as the rifling presses into it rather than being cut or torn to the degree that the lead comes in contact with the barrel? You posed the question; have you made any perliminary observations?
Dan

[martinibelgian]

There's one way to find out - and that's t try it. Just let us know what the results are :)

[45 2.1]

In order to shed more light upon Paper Patching, for some of those interested it might be beneficial to know about paper thickness vs groove depth! In other words let's, for the sake of supposition say one is using a paper thickness of .0015" thereby giving with two wraps around the bullet a total thickness of .003" per side but since groove depth on our rifles usually runs around a depth of .004" the question to be answered is......will the paper not be thick enough to protect the barrel from being 'leaded'??:shock::shock:

I fully realize this is the wrong forum for my answer, But I have done this in the deep groove military rifles with smokeless powder. I used tracing paper which fits the 0.0015" thickness requirement with 0.0055" deep grooves. The patch was cut and shredded in strips with pretty good accuracy and just a little more fouling than normal. The rifles bore was rough from previous military service, but there wasn't any more leading than what it showed with regular grease groove boolit loads.

[montana_charlie]

the question to be answered is......will the paper not be thick enough to protect the barrel from being 'leaded'??
If a guy used paper that was (call it) 'too thick' the outer layer of the patch would be shredded, but the uncut inner layer would flip off like throwing a bath towel from a speeding car.

But, when you go the other way, I start wondering if the bullet in a bore-diameter package ever bumps enough to make the paper reach groove diameter.
If the paper never gets pressed to the bottom of the groove, it might not be cut all the way through...even though it is thinner than groove depth.

Mine are the wrong size to start with, but maybe some of Kurt's snowbankers can tell us if bore diameter packages bump all the way up to groove diameter.

CM
(Seems like this thread really belongs in the new PP section...)

[Don McDowell]

I've recovered a number of .435 bullets patched to .448 and if cast from soft lead , they do bump up and fill the grooves.

[Lead pot]

MC.

Yes they will upset to full groove diameter minus the paper thickness.
But this depends on the temper of the alloy. At 1/25 they will fully fill the groove but at 1/18 to 1/16 the bullets will not fully upset and I find most with the hour glass shape with more upset at the nose light in the center and again thick at the base but usually less than the nose diameter.

Kurt

[montana_charlie]

I kinda thought there might be some that don't. Just had that feeling from some of the things that people say...like feeling less recoil when shooting paper patch, or seeing patch material that is just blown into tiny bits.
Paper that is pressed tightly between the lead and steel should come out like small ribbons...not 'crumbs'.
CM

[Don McDowell]

Using thick paper for the smaller diameter bullets , the patch is usually in 2 or 3 pieces , plus the fold or twist over the base. Even using the thinner paper to patch .441 bullets to .447 or 8,or .400 bullets to .408 (bore size) the patches will just be confetti.