Patch help

[longbow7777]

Hello,
Question for you folks....took my .56 smoothbore out this afternoon and had good accuracy with .535 round ball and .18 patch(2 inch groups at 50 yds from shooting sticks). My patches were blown to pieces, is it just poor patching material or?

Thanks for any info!

 

[HC]

You might try Cotten duck, or pillow ticking. Good luck.

 

[longbow7777]

Ok, these seem to be a fairly loose material. They look like pillow ticking, but maybe not...

 

[HC]

May need larger diameter ball then.

 

[longbow7777]

Do you think gas is burning by and tearing up the patch?

 

[HC]

Yes

 

[longbow7777]

Makes sense, thank you

 

[dbowling]

Could be old patches too maybe? Were they pre lubed, if so after awhile lube breaks down material.

 

[longbow7777]

They are somewhat new, but the material is kinda loose. I lube them with Precision Lube...

 

[Idaholewis]

I just went through this fairly recently, My Group was Good, But Patches were Blown out? This is a Brand new .50 Cal Barrel, .495 Ball and .018 Ticking, It’s a Tight Load



Patches look AWFUL

I polished this Bore to a Mirror, so I know for sure it wasn’t that

 

[longbow7777]

That’s the same patch material I have. Groups are good, patches are blown apart.

 

[Idaholewis]

That’s the same patch material I have. Groups are good, patches are blown apart.

Try this, After you dump your Powder, push a Cotton Ball down tight on the Powder, Then the Patched Ball

Any form of Hard over powder Wad isn’t such a Great idea with Patched Roundball, Hard Cards would be Worse than any, But lets Say a Wool Wad for Example, When the Charge is set off The Wad will Form Around the Ball, Defeating it’s purpose in Creating a Seal Behind it. A cotton Ball on the other Hand will Form a Seal Behind the Ball

 

[longbow7777]

Brilliant, I will try that. Side question, is your drop tube a carbon arrow?

 

[Idaholewis]

Brilliant, I will try that. Side question, is your drop tube a carbon arrow?

Yep it is! EASY to make, It only takes an extra Second to use, I Swab Between Shots for Consistency. When using my Home made Drop tubes My powder Charges Free Fall down a Slick, Clean, Dry Tube and Land directly in the Breech Plug where the powder belongs. I can’t prove them to be any Better than Pouring straight down the Barrel? But it sure doesn’t hurt anything Drop Tube have ALWAYS made Good Sense to me, And Being they are so simple to use, i go ahead and Do so. I don’t use them Every time out. But when i am Trying for Best possible Accuracy, you will see a Drop Tube in EVERY one of those Videos

 

[longbow7777]

That’s great! I will have to make one

 

[Idaholewis]

Brilliant, I will try that. Side question, is your drop tube a carbon arrow?

The Cotton Ball will tell you if it was Gasses escaping around the Patched ball? If your Bore is Smooth, I suspect your patches to look good after using Cotton Balls

 

[Walkingeagle]

Possibly try denim as a patch material also?
Walk

 

[Idaholewis]

You could also use Bee’s Nest as Wadding on top of the Powder, That’s an Old trick that’s been around a LONG Time. Cotton Balls are easy, Cheap, and Safer to get than Bee’s Nest Though

 

[longbow7777]

I will have to try both. The bore is smooth, so material is the next factor. Different round balls will be down the list a bit

 

[Renegadehunter]

I'd also say gasses are burning it up. You're using a .535 RB in a .560 bore, so you have an .018" patch trying to take up the .025" of difference. Track of the Wolf has some .543 & .550 available if the cotton ball doesn't help, or take some calipers to a fabric store and look for some thicker cotton canvas material.
With that being said, if I was getting 2" groups at 50 yards with a smoothy I'd never look back.