Paper Patched Bullets!

[moodyholler]

Are they hard on the bore? Modern steel VS old steel. Thanks, moodyholler

[felix]

The very best way to answer your question is based upon cost/effectiveness. If you don't plan to ever replace the barrel because of the gun's history, AND you are a young person who might be shooting during the next 30 years every weekend or so, then don't use any boolit other than naked lead. Paper patches pick up primer/powder grit very easily. ... felix

[moodyholler]

Felix, I just put a Green Moutain # 3 taper barrel on my Hopkins and Allen Silhouette rifle and chambered it in 38-55. I want to hunt with it this year with paper patch bullets. The cool factor will be high! I will be shooting PB cast in the matches. BUT, what if, I decided to use the pp bullets in matches. 6 Matches x 60 rounds = 360 rounds per season (40 for record and sighters). In ten years would I need to replace the barrel? Thanks a bunch.moodyholler

[felix]

No, but if you find you can shoot better than the gun after about 4 or 5 years, then your question will be answered for sure. The paper patch boolit was the culprit. But, so what, you can easily afford another barrel at that time should your competitive interest holds up. My competitive experience says otherwise. No fun after about 3 years, about when you find your personal accuracy capability. ... felix

[moodyholler]

Thanks a bunch!! moodyholler

[45 2.1]

My My, i've been shooting paper patch for the last 25 years thru a Marlin 1895 in 4570. It still shoots my loads very, very well and doesn't look any worse for wear. Use the correct paper and you won't have problems, use the wrong one (those with any clay content) and you will.

[eka]

45 2.1,

What paper do you recommend and how do you determine the clay content?

[45 2.1]

45 2.1,

What paper do you recommend and how do you determine the clay content?

I recommend 9 LB. onionskin, do not buy the erasable kind. This is still obtainable but you will have to search for it. Any slick glossy paper has clay content and will wear your bore as well as dull a knife quickly. If you haven't paper patched before, get a good book on the subject. Paper patching for blackpowder is completely different than paper patching for smokeless powder. the lead slugs dimensions in particular.

[eka]

Thanks 45 2.1.

I don't know much about the subject and intend to get a good book. One more question. I read an article in Shooting Times where the author talked about running the bullet through a sizing die after the paper patch had been dried on. Do you do this?

[45 2.1]

Thanks 45 2.1.

I don't know much about the subject and intend to get a good book. One more question. I read an article in Shooting Times where the author talked about running the bullet through a sizing die after the paper patch had been dried on. Do you do this?

No, i get them the right size before I patch them. It works alot better that way.

[Buckshot]

Here's some of the naked and patched lead slugs I've used in the Whitworth muzzle loader, and 45-70 and 45-90.


Lee 458-405F patched with 20# bond for a .470" diameter over the patch in 60, 577-450 Martini-Henry cases for a MkIV Martini.


Swaged (.443") 540gr hollowpoint cup based slugs for the Rigby and Whitworth muzzle loader. Paper is 9# 25% cotton onionskin.

Your best bet is to NOT use any recycled paper. This stuff in various grades my have tiny bits of metal and other undesirable stuff in it. To answer your question about wear, from my point of view (not having fired 10,000 patched boolits through any one barrel) paper does more burnishing then truly wearing away of any barrel steel, new or old.

You can take a strip of paper and do the shoeshine routine on a piece of steel and it will bring it to a high polish. It will remove the bluing on blued steel if rubbed long enough. If you lube the paper it becomes almost ineffective in doing the same thing. I doubt you could wear out a modern barrel with paper patched boolits in your lifetime. You should make a real effort to protect them from dirt and dust accumilation, however.

The plastic slip top ammo boxes do a good job of protecting loaded ammo.

"I don't know much about the subject and intend to get a good book. One more question. I read an article in Shooting Times where the author talked about running the bullet through a sizing die after the paper patch had been dried on. Do you do this?"

Sometimes, yes. Those same 405gr Lees get done that way for shooting in the 45-70 and 45-90. As cast they're about .459" and patched with 9# paper go .466" over the patch. They get tumble lubed and then run through a Lee .459" die. Works a treat! Not for real competative LR shooting but hunting or 100 yard stuff is fine.

What happens is you're sizing the paper down into the boolit and the tiny seam where the ends don't quite touch leaves a little ridge of lead a couple of thou high, in a partial spiral around the slug. When the paper leaves in a confetti cloud at the muzzle, the ridge can act as a tiny fin, plus it just slightly causes an imbalance. At short ranges it makes no difference.

While I like paper patched slugs a bunch and they look way cool, most serious competitors don't use paper patched boolits. Why? Well it's another variable and they're not in total control as to if the paper comes competely off or not. Kind of like wondering if that flyer was caused by a GC coming off.

Speaking of that, that is why I don't twist the paper into a tail at the boolit's base and clip it off later. I make the the patches long enough to fold over the base but not meet in the center. I can't help but think that if it were so, the ignition swat would plaster the paper there up against the base and stay there, vs getting blown off at the muzzle. At least that's my thinking on it.

I've never recovered a paper patched boolit that still had paper on it except some patched 58 cal Minie' bullets and the paper was still folded over the skirt in the cavity.

..............Buckshot

[pdawg_shooter]

I have seen paper in the bore compared to cutting paper with a knife. Cut a couple hundred sheets of paper and the knife will be dull. OK, resharpen that knife and see how many jacketed bullets you can cut before the knife wont cut any more! My 1895g has a little over 3200 pp bullets and the rifling is sharp, clean, and polished better than the finest hand lapped bore.