"paper Patching" With Copper?

[Flinchrock]

Just out of idle curiosity,,,aren't you supposed to wrap your patches opposite to the rifleing??

[willdixon]

HI FLINTLOCK -

Yes, the patch with the bevel edge must be opposite to the direction of the rifling twist. See LOADING AND SHOOTING PAPER PATCHED BULLETS, by Randolph Wright, page 32.

[pdawg_shooter]

That was true with the old shallow rifling first intended for paper. Modern rifling is deep enough that if you have you sizes correct it doesn't make any difference how you wrap the bullet.

[Zeek]

The patch, any patch, must leave the bullet at the muzzle. Anything else and accuracy is nonexistent.

Well, the discarded-patch works fine. That is for sure! However, I have found that 2X (i.e., two times around the boolit) adhesive label patches CAN work very nicely too, even though the patch stays on the boolit after leaving the muzzle. Copper foil? Boy! I never tried that. Likewise Teflon tape.

On the labels, for 35cal and under, use the 3-columns-on-a-page type of label . . . the type that has SQUARE-ENDS (no rounded corners).

Veral Smith turned me on to the adhesive label option. These have are non-spiral-ended patches (square ends) that are cut to a length where it will just come around twice and end in a butt-fit (not as bad as it sounds). You must PICK your length to STOP before the rear end of the boolit. I like to have the front end tucked down in a crimping groove (tends to make it snag-proof) and the rear edge sticking out over the GC shank ~0.020" ~~~> you then use your thumbnail, while twirling the boolit, to tuck the front end down into the crimp groove (then switch it end-for-and) and tuck the rear end over the edge and down onto the front end of the GC shank. I usually put on a GC when sizing to final diameter. Thus, to be clear, the "seam" where the finishing end of the patch meets the starting end is parallel with the boolit axis.

Wrap these patches on just between your fingers ~~~> get the patch looking square across the boolit and with its front end at the forward side of the crimp groove, then start it around and keep twirling it on between your fingers, watching out for deviant tendencies. Once your batch is wrapped, stick them in the oven at 200F for one or two hours to "set" the adhesive, then let them cool and then lube VERY LIGHTLY (especially if the lube has any oil in it . . . for that will ruin the adhesive bond, over time!) and run them through your sizer die point first, adding a GC if desired.

Hint: Here is a damn good use for your Rooster Jacket lube, if you have any, for it has no oils in it. Just spin some on the boolit's jackets jackets and then let them dry completely prior to sizing.

They seat, chamber, and shoot just like regular paper patched boolits, but there is no "snow flurry" at the muzzle.
Regards, Zeek