.45-70TC
Member
Sorry, it's been a while since I last shot my muzzle loaders, quite a while. On my .50 cal southern mountain, using a .490 ball, would I use a .10 patch? Like wise on my .54 Hawken, a .530 ball, a .10 patch? Thx.
Patch size?
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troy fairweather
Member
depends on that you use for patches, ether pillow ticking or commercial made one's. there can be .010-.017 difference between patches. but .010 is a good start, u have to see what the gun likes best.
Armored farmer
Member
It seems that i usually end up ...............(ball size)+(patch size)=(bore dia+ .005")
.45 caliber:
.440ball+.015patch=.455
Thereabouts
.45 caliber:
.440ball+.015patch=.455
Thereabouts
Ironhand54
Member
I usually test loads with .010 and .015 patches but the .010 patches should work fine and will be easier to load.
IronHand
IronHand
Jackrabbit1957
Member
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I have used .018 canvas duck from Wally World for years, it's a bit tight but it works well for me.
J-Bar
Member
I have never measured patch fabric thickness. I am a “feel” kinda guy. I get perfectly acceptable groups using pillow ticking from Joanne’s fabrics which has been liberally lubed with PAM cooking spray. The patched balls load with just enough effort to give me confidence that the ball is not going to move until I shoot it.
If you have to grunt to seat the ball, then the fabric is probably too thick or not sufficiently lubed. If you can seat the ball with a thumb and one finger on the ramrod, the fabric is likely too thin.
As with so many other aspects of shooting a muzzleloader, experimentation is at least half the fun!!
If you have to grunt to seat the ball, then the fabric is probably too thick or not sufficiently lubed. If you can seat the ball with a thumb and one finger on the ramrod, the fabric is likely too thin.
As with so many other aspects of shooting a muzzleloader, experimentation is at least half the fun!!
cheygriz
member
I get plain white broadcloth from the fabric shop, and have my wife throw it in with her laundry 4-5 times, them lube it with petrolatum. (white vaseline)
Buckskin is traditional, and works well if you have the patience to fiddle with it. (I don't)
Buckskin is traditional, and works well if you have the patience to fiddle with it. (I don't)
arcticap
Member
Most guns that I've ever fired always seemed to load and work best with .015 TC factory patches.
I have most all of the common commercially made patch thicknesses, but it seems that 9 times out of 10, the .015 patch fills the bill.
Especially when shooting a round ball that's .010 under bore diameter.
And I also like to rub a liberal amount of Bore Butter into the patch which much of the excess gets squeezed out at the muzzle during loading.
Having acquired a nearly lifetime supply of unlubed TC .015 factory patches also helped me to maintain using a consistent patch thickness "standard" over many years.
They were probably made by the old Ox-Yoke Originals company which is now Eastern Maine Shooting Supplies.
TC having been located in New Hampshire, that's an assumption on my part due to Maine and NH being neighboring states that share a long common border,
and due to TC's previous home location of Rochester, NH being just a stone's throw away.
But there always seemed to be a lot of similarities between Ox Yoke patches and TC factory patches. --->>> https://www.emshootingsupplies.com
My guess would be that .015 patches are the most popular patches of modern time, if not all time.
I have most all of the common commercially made patch thicknesses, but it seems that 9 times out of 10, the .015 patch fills the bill.
Especially when shooting a round ball that's .010 under bore diameter.
And I also like to rub a liberal amount of Bore Butter into the patch which much of the excess gets squeezed out at the muzzle during loading.
Having acquired a nearly lifetime supply of unlubed TC .015 factory patches also helped me to maintain using a consistent patch thickness "standard" over many years.
They were probably made by the old Ox-Yoke Originals company which is now Eastern Maine Shooting Supplies.
TC having been located in New Hampshire, that's an assumption on my part due to Maine and NH being neighboring states that share a long common border,
and due to TC's previous home location of Rochester, NH being just a stone's throw away.
But there always seemed to be a lot of similarities between Ox Yoke patches and TC factory patches. --->>> https://www.emshootingsupplies.com
My guess would be that .015 patches are the most popular patches of modern time, if not all time.
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darkcloud
Member
To thin and it won't engrave into the rifling and make a good seal. velocity and accuracy suffer. To thick a patch or to large a ball results in difficult loading and slightly distorted ball though I have never had accuracy suffer going .005 over. Sure does make loading a bizatch after the second shot. Even with the soft carbon build of BP.
ThomasT
Member
No, not really. When you have a .440 ball and wrap it with a .015 patch you end up with .470. Thats because you have a .015 patch on BOTH sides of the ball. .440+.015+.015=.470.
So if you have a .50 caliber barrel with .010 grooves then the total is .520. (.500+.010+.010=.520) So a .490 ball will in theory need a .015 patch. .490+.015+.015= .520.
So for the OPs 54 caliber gun you need to know the approximate rifling depth. If his 54 has .008 grooves with a .540 bore (.566 total) with a .530 ball he will need an .018 patch. .530+.018+.018=.566. At least thats a starting point. And the rest is experimenting. Thats the fun part.
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
The quality of the patch material is as important as the thickness. Look at the condition of your patches after they are fired. If they are torn or have holes in them better material is needed. Sometimes an additional patch over the powder helps. I usually use .010-.012 patches and .495 balls for 50 cal and .575 for 58
Only gun I use .010 patches in is my .32cal Cherokee. On my .45 and .50 rifles patches run .015 to .018 for a moderate to tight fit depending on what I am shooting that day. Never had good accuracy with .010 in my larger calibers but a buddys TC Hawken .50 shoots clover leafs using a .495 ball and .010 patch. My patching material is pillow ticking from Wal Mart.
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