Author Topic: "Make-do" round ball patches?  (Read 3109 times)

Naphtali

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"Make-do" round ball patches?
« on: July 30, 2017, 08:21:18 PM »
Patched round ball shooters may experiment with using different patch thicknesses, or RB diameters, or exhaust their supply of either component. I expect that most of these shooters have [tried??] jury-rigging loads by using more than one patch when loading - that is, double patching thinner cloth patches to emulate the thicker patch they prefer or exhausted.

As best you can, patched RB shooters, how does such jury-rigging effect accuracy, consistency, and perhaps velocity?

Offline hanshi

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2017, 10:43:10 PM »
I've certainly done this before and it appears to work okay.  I prefer "one" thick patch but don't really worry about it if I have to use two, instead.
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2017, 11:52:09 PM »
I tried it decades ago and didn't get as good of results as what I was hoping for.
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Offline Maven

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2017, 01:11:54 AM »
Years ago when I was still wet behind the ears with respect to ML rifles, I used 2 patches of different material to get a perfect fit for the nominally .495" RB (.497" in fact) in my .50cal. Mowery rifle.  Accuracy was excellent, but went to a single.018" (compressed) pillow ticking patch when I could no longer duplicate my original, i.e., double, patch thickness.                                   
Paul W. Brasky

Offline smokinbuck

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2017, 03:37:39 AM »
Ran out of patches once years ago. Pulled my T shirt out of my pants and came home with a row of holes across my belly. Tried to use 2 at a time but didn't have a lot of luck, a good laugh but that was it.
Mark
Mark

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2017, 04:59:30 AM »
My grandad said the only real whipping his mother ever gave him, was for cutting bullet patches out of his shirt tail.

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Turtle

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2017, 08:27:54 PM »
 I watched a scruffy  good old boy with a ratty longrifle at a shoot use his t-shirt for patching because he forgot his. People made fun of him till he won!  At the prize ceremony someone gave him a new primitive shirt.

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2017, 12:51:20 AM »
Late last year, while shooting our trail alone, I ran out of patches, so I started walking back out, and along the way, picked up dropped pre-cuts that I found along the trail.  I used them all, and never missed a shot.  But I know that all the folks who shoot our trail use good and appropriate material for their patches.  Double patches, as when you are trying to use a .50 cal ball in a .54 cal rifle, don't work.
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Offline Daryl

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Re: "Make-do" round ball patches?
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2017, 12:56:56 AM »
As the target notation says, I used 2, .017" denim patches with a .662" ball in my .69.  That runs .662" + .034" + .034" = .730".  the groove to groove diameter of that barrel is .690" = .010"+ .010" = .710",  thus the .010" compression each side in the bottom of the grooves seems to have worked. Note, I used only a light 3 drams, 1,200fps load - low pressure lets you get away with this sort of Tomfoollery. Except for the flinched shot way off in the boondocks, not a bad 5-shot group at 50yards, 6 counting the 'flyer'- lol- tight-eyed flyer it was, too!

So- does it work - yes - IF you run VERY low pressures.  Increase the pressure as Taylor noted, and no - not bloody likely going to be happy.



Almost as good as normal patches and balls.



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« Last Edit: August 04, 2017, 01:00:15 AM by Daryl »
Daryl

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