Reloading EverythingLee PrecisionWidenersLoad Data
MidSouth Shooters SupplyRotoMetals2Inline FabricationRepackbox
Titan Reloading
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 26

Thread: Cigarette Papers

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    213

    Cigarette Papers

    Hi all.

    I will start by saying i'm a newbie at paper patching. To date my paper patching experience is 3 "shootable" boolits.

    I wanted to have a go at paper patching my .358 Win. I did a bit of research among these forums and learnt enough to commit.

    I ordered a mold from Accurate Molds. It's the 35-225P which drops a .351 225gn bullet.

    I found some 60GSM tracing paper at the local craft store which mic's at .002". Some locals here (i'm in Australia) tell me to find some 50GSM "bank pads" which are acid free archival quality. I'm still looking for some of that.

    I cast some boolits and tried my hand at paper patching for the first time using the tracing paper. After 3-4 hours of trying different patch dimensions, soaking times and rolling techniques i had found the dimensions i needed and managed to produce a whole entire 2 bullets. Rolling the paper on was easy but i stuggled with the tail. Getting it to fold under and not unravel was challenging.

    After drying overnight those 2 successfully patched bullets measured .359 - .360 which is what i was hoping for.

    So here i am , a couple of days later and a friend was rolling a cigarette. I asked if i could have one of his papers. The paper measured twice the width of my required dimension and about 5/8" longer. It was also only .001" thick so i would need 4 wraps to be the right size.
    Then it occurred to me that there's a natural fold down the length of the paper so it can easily doubled. Trimming the 30(ish) degree taper brought it down the to the correct length.
    I grabbed a bullet, dunked the paper in water and tried wrapping it.

    Wow, compared to the tracing paper the cigarette paper is a dream. I went on straight. Gripped well and the tail folds under flat. It's still drying but the patched bullet is right on .360.

    So, is cigarette paper a good material for paper patching smokeless bullets? Please tell me it is.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	35-225P.jpg 
Views:	73 
Size:	44.6 KB 
ID:	263904

    Here is the 2 bullets with tracing paper.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1438_45%.jpg 
Views:	99 
Size:	42.0 KB 
ID:	263905


    And here is the bullet patched with cigarette paper.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1439_50%.jpg 
Views:	86 
Size:	27.3 KB 
ID:	263906

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    sulphur springs, Tx
    Posts
    1,243
    CW
    That’s a good looking boolit and the patching job looks fine. If it’s coming up to .360” I’d load ten rounds and try them. I haven’t tried cigarette paper for patches mainly because tracing paper is easier to find and seems to dry tight and the tails are then easily twisted and clipped off. I am pretty sure cig. Paper has been tried but not sure of the results. Good luck with it!
    Decreed by our Creator: The man who has been made able to believe and understand that Jesus Christ has been sent into this world by the Father has been born of the Spirit of God. This man shall never experience spiritual death. He will live forever!

  3. #3
    Banned

    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    South Texas
    Posts
    1,419
    I think cigarette paper is too thin unless you wrap it more than one revolution.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    213
    Quote Originally Posted by smithnframe View Post
    I think cigarette paper is too thin unless you wrap it more than one revolution.
    Yes, that's why i folded it lengthwise, effectively doubling it so i have 4 layers when wrapped twice.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Northwest Ohio
    Posts
    14,454
    I wrap for BP rounds 45, 40, 38 calibers. I wrap with cole paper about .002 thick.2 wraps at bore dia so they can be loaded long, only 1/8" of the bullet is in the case.
    I also wrap dry. Ill give some techniques now

    Finding the right length of patch:
    cut a strip of paper the correct width and 6" plus length.
    wrap 3 times around bullet
    with a razor blade or xacto knife cut a nick thru all 3 layers 1/8" - 1/4" on one edge is plenty
    the distance between 2 nicks is the patch length complete and unstretched
    subtract 1/32 from this to allow for stretch and the small radius where 1 layer overlaps the edge.
    Glue this to a piece of sheet metl and cut file for template.

    Wrapping the bullet:
    I wrap dry and no tail. there is a .100 or slightly smaller dia of the base showing in the center of the base
    Wrap tight and carefully roll the fold under onto the base forming a smooth layered base.
    This base is very square releases well and is easy to do

    A patching board makes this easy and consistant.

    You want 2 wraps of paper around the bullet in a continuous length fold in half dosnt release as well and may leave a ridge at the base. Te patch should be snug and right around bullet but not stretched to tight.

    When shooting you want to see a cloud of confetti at the muzzle this is the outer wrap and then as close as possible to the muzzle ( on a calm day) you should find the under wrap with rifling engravings and the fold under intact. Finding these can tell you a lot about how the load is performing. When all is good and right the patch comes off at muzzle and bullet travels on with no distortions.

    On the patch I like an angle that gives 1/2 wrap in its length. Cant say it makes any difference but it seems more balanced

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    1,308
    I have read of cigarette paper being used to patch cast. I have wrapped some .338 cast to 377 for my 375 Whelen, I used green printer paper and patched them wet, I just twist the tails and when dry I lubed and run them through a Lee sizer. I have not fired them but I can tell you the paper took some removing when dry. My understanding is that you use a bullet and paper combination that will allow you to use the fattest wrapped bullet that will chamber and let the bore do the sizing. Regards Stephen

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    9,078
    Yes, as fat as will chamber and seat into an unsized neck. Of course that does not mean the cig paper patching won't work. I would think three or four wraps rather than folding double but again, one can never know until one tries them. I did try cig paper when I started patching but I don't remember the results.

    I ended up using cheap printer paper because of its compressiveness which made for easy and firm seating in an unsized neck or lined notepad paper which gave me very good results in one rifle. I too adopted the dry wrapping, using a twisting between thumbs and forefingers to get the patch real tight and rolled over the base leaving a small 'eye'. I also used tail-les patches that seemed to work just fine.

    Example of a dry wrap with rolled over tail. This works best with cheap printer paper.


    Recovered tail wrap - notepad paper folds rather than rolls over.


    I can't seem to find pics of cig paper patches. I did find a note saying a particular load with cig paper appears to be accurate. It was a 303 Brit loaded with a 245gr smooth side over 37gr H4350.
    Last edited by 303Guy; 06-22-2020 at 05:46 AM.
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    9,078
    Found a pic of a loaded cig paper patch
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  9. #9
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    MO
    Posts
    3,338
    I also found those curler papers that the girls use or did at one time for hair perms, worked very well

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy nelsonted1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Webster MN
    Posts
    379

    Perm papers for bullet

    Quote Originally Posted by brstevns View Post
    I also found those curler papers that the girls use or did at one time for hair perms, worked very well
    I rushed out to a beauty store and probably paid too much for enough wrappings for ten million billion bullets. Perm papers: https://www.amazon.com/perm-end-pape...erm+end+papers

  11. #11
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Burleson, TX
    Posts
    2,120
    Quote Originally Posted by nelsonted1 View Post
    I rushed out to a beauty store and probably paid too much for enough wrappings for ten million billion bullets. Perm papers: https://www.amazon.com/perm-end-pape...erm+end+papers
    That there is plain funny. I gotta start paper patching.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    MO
    Posts
    3,338
    I used them to patch for a 7mm Rolling Block with a over size bore. They really helped.

  13. #13
    Banned


    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    NJ via TX
    Posts
    3,876
    it's all about finding the right thickness, and strength, of patching paper to make the bullet in question to be wrapped fit the lands or grooves, and yield acceptable consistent accuracy. testing beats words and theory. there are LOTS of PPB things to test out. have at it!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    MO
    Posts
    3,338
    Quote Originally Posted by CamoWhamo View Post
    Hi all.

    I will start by saying i'm a newbie at paper patching. To date my paper patching experience is 3 "shootable" boolits.

    I wanted to have a go at paper patching my .358 Win. I did a bit of research among these forums and learnt enough to commit.

    I ordered a mold from Accurate Molds. It's the 35-225P which drops a .351 225gn bullet.

    I found some 60GSM tracing paper at the local craft store which mic's at .002". Some locals here (i'm in Australia) tell me to find some 50GSM "bank pads" which are acid free archival quality. I'm still looking for some of that.

    I cast some boolits and tried my hand at paper patching for the first time using the tracing paper. After 3-4 hours of trying different patch dimensions, soaking times and rolling techniques i had found the dimensions i needed and managed to produce a whole entire 2 bullets. Rolling the paper on was easy but i stuggled with the tail. Getting it to fold under and not unravel was challenging.

    After drying overnight those 2 successfully patched bullets measured .359 - .360 which is what i was hoping for.

    So here i am , a couple of days later and a friend was rolling a cigarette. I asked if i could have one of his papers. The paper measured twice the width of my required dimension and about 5/8" longer. It was also only .001" thick so i would need 4 wraps to be the right size.
    Then it occurred to me that there's a natural fold down the length of the paper so it can easily doubled. Trimming the 30(ish) degree taper brought it down the to the correct length.
    I grabbed a bullet, dunked the paper in water and tried wrapping it.

    Wow, compared to the tracing paper the cigarette paper is a dream. I went on straight. Gripped well and the tail folds under flat. It's still drying but the patched bullet is right on .360.

    So, is cigarette paper a good material for paper patching smokeless bullets? Please tell me it is.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	35-225P.jpg 
Views:	73 
Size:	44.6 KB 
ID:	263904

    Here is the 2 bullets with tracing paper.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1438_45%.jpg 
Views:	99 
Size:	42.0 KB 
ID:	263905


    And here is the bullet patched with cigarette paper.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1439_50%.jpg 
Views:	86 
Size:	27.3 KB 
ID:	263906
    So how are those working for you?

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    350
    Quote Originally Posted by nelsonted1 View Post
    I rushed out to a beauty store and probably paid too much for enough wrappings for ten million billion bullets. Perm papers: https://www.amazon.com/perm-end-pape...erm+end+papers
    I use these same papers for making my combustible cartridges for my cap and ball revolver.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master



    skeettx's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Amarillo, Texas
    Posts
    4,102
    Zig Zag Cigarette paper and a slant breech Sharps carbine are the bee's knees

    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Posts
    166
    9# onion skin with 25%+ rag content works quite well for me. .0025 dry and after wetting for application it will dry to .002”.

    Dress pattern paper works also, but is quite thin. Expect .0015” dry.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Capital Region NY
    Posts
    680
    From the title, I thought you were going to talk about paper cartridges!

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Posts
    166







  20. #20
    Boolit Master



    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Alturas, California...where the west still lives!
    Posts
    2,255
    With the current shortage on just about anything shooting related, it's about time I stop screwing around and try paper patching. I'm impressed with the results I see and it's one more method that doesn't depend on an outside source. I think I'll try the cigarette paper method first.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check