First Paper Patched Cartridge

[Butler Ford]

Just in case I blow my fingers off and can't type later.

BF

[s mac]

Looks good, hope it's not that iffy.

[Butler Ford]

NOE 303 172gr. cast out of home mixed 20:1. Wrapped in standard weight tracing paper on top of 3.7 gr 4227 and 37 gr 860 milsurp. The load was compressed appx. 0.10" and fired from an H&R Handi 30-30 with a 1 in 12 twist.
Fired from 100yds the bullet made a hole 8" left and 6" down from scope settings from a completely different load. Straight in, clean hole and the bore of rifle was clean.
What did I learn?
1. I need to do some changes to the nose punch in the seating die. The bullet was soft enough that it took the shape of the punch with a small ring forward of the ogive.
2. I need to reduce the main charge a couple of grains, the bullet is to soft to try compressing powder while seating. May have to make a powder compression die for 30cal?
3. Don't play with the bullet after patching and the patch is dry, it was a little ragged on the leading edge by the time I got around to loading it.
4. The .303" nose will engrave the rifling when seated on top of my powder charge, need to seat deeper/reduce main charge.
5. I'm not sure what happened to the patch position, when wrapped it was beyond the start of the ogive toward the pointy part of the bullet.
6. This is more fun than a washtub full of puppies.

BF

[barrabruce]

Whoo wee same gun as mine

Finally some other idiot..... mean enlightened enthusiast to talk/ compare gun specific issue with.

If I could get some powder cheap like you lot over the pond do I'd be trying that too.
Tried a case full of ww 785 20yrs? old tin and got good groups ..but had to shovel out the unburnt powder each load to get the next case in.
I finger twist my pp bullets in the case then final seat with a lee whackem die.
Save multiple issues when seating such as paper tearing .....base wrap moving up the core alignment etc.

Looking forward for more results.
My seater die I made so as it touches the bullet nose before the paper starts and saves flaring/raising crumbling at that point while seating.
But I mostly just hand twist seat mine.
Try flaring the case mouth and opening them up wider or do as I do and if your lucky just use un sized cases and adjust patch to suit that.

[303Guy]

Careful now, paper patching is addictive! It is just so satisfying. Teach a kid to paper patch and keep him off the streets. I intent to teach my great nephew to paper patch soon. I should find him a break action 30-30 (or just a good ol' worn 303 Brit which happen to make great paper patch candidates).

[OverMax]

I'm not sure what happened to the patch position, when wrapped it was beyond the start of the ogive toward the pointy part of the bulle

If your patch slid because of its (second) boolit resizing. That's a issue that needs to be addressed. Because the patch slid such a distance away from its chamber mouth intended measurement. More than likely your patch & boolit separated prematurely. Thus the 8" X 6" targeting.

Those second resizings are just tearably hard on a patches retained tightness.

[Butler Ford]

OM, thanks for the suggestion but this bullet wasn't sized at all. I will in the future but I honestly believe the cause was my having played with it most of the week, commitments kept me from trying it much earlier. Much like getting a new gun on the first day of a 3 day storm, ya still can't keep from playing with it. The patched boolit was .311 unsized.

Thanks,
BF

[OverMax]

6. This is more fun than a washtub full of puppies.

Well if one thing commented is spot on. You're right B/F. It sure is a fun past time. Every time I sit down to patch a couple. I learn something new. Patching for me has been quite similar to learning how to cast._ Ah yes!! "Takes some doing & learning in order to succeed at it._ No doubt about that." Regards,

[303Guy]

I wrap dry using a twisting action between fingers and thumb and that tightens the patch as much as wet patching. I then use a dab of glue under the trailing edge and twist some more. It makes the fingers strong (or sore). The method has its merits like being able to patch while watching TV of chatting online. The downside is the lead smearing on the fingers. Lead being toxic and all requires thorough washing off.

A wet sponge on a plate might make wet patching just as convenient.

[Dan Cash]

Butler, congratulations on your first patching. Your process is the sam as mine to include the use of tracing paper. I do find mine to be quite durable after the patches dry and suspect your patch might not be quite tight. I wet patch and give the tail a good twist when rolling is complete. I think you will find better results in the accuracy department using Reloader 15 or 3031 powder. These powders will not fill the case but are slow enough. I load a lot of .30-30 ammo for lever action matches that are held as side matches to BPCR shoots.