Author Topic: Field Research Update - Square cleaning patches for PRB (Read 16171 times)

Old Ford2 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 11, 2016, 03:48:46 PM »

I think they only work with square balls

Fred

bones92 · « **Reply #26 on:** January 11, 2016, 06:39:28 PM »

So it turns out that some of you old guys might actually know what you're talking about...

Tried these with the Tingle .45 rifle. .440 ball, 50gr of GOEX 3Fg, 50 yards. In truth, I think the rifle (and therefore the patches) could have done much better, but I found the brass front sight blade and curved-notch rear sight difficult to use in getting a crisp, precise and repeatable sight picture.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #27 on:** January 11, 2016, 06:54:42 PM »

Pretty much what I expected.

I love pillow ticking for shooting patches.

Daryl · « **Reply #28 on:** January 11, 2016, 07:40:06 PM »

Quote from: Jerry V Lape on January 11, 2016, 04:40:29 AM

Daryl, which side of your head did your wife smack for the original comment? It might be a clue as to whether she is right eye dominant or left.

LOL - picking up patches & examining patches sure explains a lot.

little joe · « **Reply #29 on:** January 11, 2016, 10:33:34 PM »

Bones92 Listen to us old !@#$% and we will make you a champ

Most of what I have learned the hard, $$$ way so listen and save some money. Its hard for a beginner to realize what a difference proper patch will make.

bones92 · « **Reply #30 on:** January 11, 2016, 11:39:21 PM »

I learn a lot from you all, Little Joe. I'm not as young as I once was, but I'm old enough to know that age does not beget useful experience, per se.

FWIW, the rifle still shot pretty well. The variation below was mostly my fault... a heavy cross-wind yesterday made it hard to keep steady, and I'm not keen on the sights.

50 yards, .490" with square cleaning patches (cotton flannel) lubed with Lehigh Valley Lube, 50 grain GOEX 3Fg.

Tingle .45 Hawken-style sights... The brass blade was glaring somewhat. I used a Sharpie to darken it, but it was still reflecting light. The rear sight notch is just not conducive to a crisp sight picture, IMHO.

What is a good way to darken the brass blade? Anything that will adhere well? I don't want to modify it permanently, just darken it up.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #31 on:** January 12, 2016, 01:03:14 AM »

You got away with it, because of the light 50gr load.

retired fella · « **Reply #32 on:** January 12, 2016, 01:25:04 AM »

Anytime that I walk into the local fabric store with calipers in hand you can almost
feel all sets of eyes locked on the back of your neck. But there is no other way to get exactly what you are looking for. Normally the end caps will tell you % cotton, etc. They do tend to draw the line at burning a swatch to make sure that it is in fact cotton. Maybe that is why I get such hard looks?

bones92 · « **Reply #33 on:** January 12, 2016, 01:32:57 AM »

When you measure a piece of fabric, are you compressing it with the calipers in a firm manner?

bob in the woods · « **Reply #34 on:** January 12, 2016, 06:34:16 AM »

The front sight has a rounded back edge. I wouldn't be able to get a nice crisp sight picture with that.

Don Steele · « **Reply #35 on:** January 12, 2016, 12:54:09 PM »

Mike Davis fashioned the front sight on my SMR out of a Morgan Silver Dollar. Looks real nice, but can be too bright at times. When that happens, I use Birchwood Casey Sight Black when conditions dictate.
Unlike a Sharpie...it leaves a FLAT black finish which is easily removed when you need it to be.
I used to use the sight black spray, which gets all over everything...but since I found the Pen type...I've gone with that.

bones92 · « **Reply #36 on:** January 12, 2016, 02:20:11 PM »

Don, I was wondering about that, too. We used Sight Black on the range in the Marines, and it would probably work great.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #37 on:** January 12, 2016, 08:30:08 PM »

Soot works good to dull it up too. Then wipes right off when you don't need it.

bones92 · « **Reply #38 on:** January 12, 2016, 09:57:21 PM »

I may just clean it well (with alcohol wipes), tape around it and spray it with flat black paint. Probably need to rough up the edge a bit.

Is the group pictured above considered decent? The fellow I was shooting with commented that it would be fairly competitive in the matches they have there at the camp. I wasn't overly impressed, but then I'm used to shooting military bolt-actions.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #39 on:** January 13, 2016, 12:34:55 AM »

Were you shooting offhand?

bones92 · « **Reply #40 on:** January 13, 2016, 05:09:41 AM »

No, I was using a small ledge mounted to a pillar. The wind made it hard to keep really still.

Candle Snuffer · « **Reply #41 on:** January 17, 2016, 11:58:47 PM »

The patching results were no surprise, but on the other hand, many people I've shot with over the years can't do much better then that with sound patching...lol

I contribute the latter to lack of practice time at the Range. Least you tried and found out.

little joe · « **Reply #42 on:** January 19, 2016, 08:33:52 PM »

Bones 92 My 36 flintelock is all sorted out and I put them all in the x-and 10 with a few 9.s at 50 yds and I,m 74 yrs and there are a lot of folks way better than me. I get a lot of 48,s and 49,s and striving for the magic 50 Keep working on this as I am and we will both have a good time.

bones92 · « **Reply #43 on:** January 19, 2016, 10:38:27 PM »

Agreed, Little Joe. It's a lot of fun. Once I get the front sight subdued (and possibly swap out the rear sight) I suspect my groups will tighten right up.

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Author Topic: Field Research Update - Square cleaning patches for PRB (Read 16171 times)