Your patch should be approx .005 bigger than your over all barrel groove dia. Yes the patch is sposed to fit down into the grooves, and seal the ball to the point the burning powder does not go past the patch. Your balls are too small, and your patch is way to thin.
Now to this clean shot/fouled shot. Pure hog wash. When your rifle is set up correctly, and you are using the correct lube, you should be able to shoot 1000s of shots and they all will follow each other. Mine do.
Your starter loads need not be over 60 grains, and depending on how short your barrel is, need not exceed 80 grains.
Any more and your wasting powder. Next get rid of that statute. Holy black only.
For those of you that use petroleum based products inside your barrel, are making it worse by forming sludge.
Water based products will make your rifle shoot & shine well.
Ive used only Thompson Center 1000+ products for decades now, and I shoot 100s of balls a year.
Ive not washed, nor oiled my Rice barrel since it was new in a decade ago.
Everything your know about, or use in a modern firearm should NEVER be put down your barrel.
You will have to wash it out with soapy every hot water to clean all the crud out.
After that lightly lube with TC 1000+ bore butter only.