Please take this paper patching survey

Josstyn · February 18, 2014, 12:00 AM

I am a student at the university of North Dakota doing a case study on paper patch bullets. If I could have just a couple minutes of your time to fill out this survey about paper patch bullets that would be greatly appreciated.
Just click on the URL below.
Thank You.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DDCH9SB

Mike38 · February 18, 2014, 08:00 AM

Okay, I'll bite. What's a paper patch bullet?

Salmoneye · February 18, 2014, 08:15 AM

Paper patching was the first 'jacketed' round...

The first commercial 'jacketed' rounds (that I am aware of) were called 'Metal Patched'...

Many people still paper patch to get the right size for their groove diameter, and to control leading...

I am told that you can push paper patched bullets to near jacketed velocities with no gas check...

Cornbread · February 18, 2014, 08:15 AM

Josstyn you might want to check with Cast Boolits lots of paper patching. ( http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php )

Romeo 33 Delta · February 19, 2014, 02:23 PM

It's one of those "obscure", old-timey things ... there is a learning curve and it is a little "futzy" ... BUT ... the results can be well worth it.

One of my Martini Henry .577-450s, a Mk-III with a .465" grease-groove bullet, shot poorly (leading after about the 5th shot). I resized some bullets to .451" and paper patched them and HOLY COW!!!

I had 10 rounds loaded, the first 3 or 4 were so-so accuracy, not exactly where I was aiming ... but all were "round holes. Then ... something began to happen ... a hit, low, but centered. Then for the remaining rounds, using "Kentucky Elevation", I walked them right up into the target!

That sold me on the value of paper patching. I now look forward to Winter when I've found the humidity level to be just perfect. I do my patching on a glass-topped desk which is simply ideal for rolling and finishing up the base.

A good read about the mystique of it all is Paul A. Matthews' "THE PAPER JACKET".

DMZX · February 20, 2014, 05:41 PM

I still use Top's cigarette papers to patch minie balls in my 1863 Remington. I grease them well and roll them around the grooves, packing the overlap into the cavity at the base of the ball.

It keeps the bullet in place and softened and reduce the carbon fouling. They also seem to be more accurate than un-patched balls.

BumbleBug · February 20, 2014, 05:57 PM

The other advantage to paper patching is that a bullet can be cast in dead-soft lead then shot at close to jacketed bullet velocities. The soft lead bullet will mushroom on impact to create an expanded wound channel. Regular hard-cast bullets, even gas checked, often act more like solids going straight through.

FWIW

Salmoneye · February 21, 2014, 08:05 AM

Quote:

I still use Top's cigarette papers to patch minie balls in my 1863 Remington. I grease them well and roll them around the grooves, packing the overlap into the cavity at the base of the ball.

I am going to have to try that...

I have played with 'Teflon Tape' with mixed results, but this is a great idea to try...

DaleA · February 21, 2014, 11:58 PM

Paper patching was also used as a gimmick in the Stephen Hunter book 'Point of Impact' and I think also in his book 'The Third Bullet'.

I don't know if this would actually work or not but they took bullets fired from one gun, paper patched them and fired them from a second gun so that the ballistic data would appear that the bullets had been fired from the first gun and they could implicate the owner of the first gun for the dastardly deeds done by the second shooter.

February 18, 2014, 12:00 AM	#1
Josstyn Junior Member Join Date: February 17, 2014 Posts: 1	Please take this paper patching survey I am a student at the university of North Dakota doing a case study on paper patch bullets. If I could have just a couple minutes of your time to fill out this survey about paper patch bullets that would be greatly appreciated. Just click on the URL below. Thank You. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DDCH9SB

February 18, 2014, 08:00 AM	#2
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	Okay, I'll bite. What's a paper patch bullet?

February 18, 2014, 08:15 AM	#3
Salmoneye Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 2,076	Paper patching was the first 'jacketed' round... The first commercial 'jacketed' rounds (that I am aware of) were called 'Metal Patched'... Many people still paper patch to get the right size for their groove diameter, and to control leading... I am told that you can push paper patched bullets to near jacketed velocities with no gas check...

February 18, 2014, 08:15 AM	#4
Cornbread Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2012 Posts: 103	Josstyn you might want to check with Cast Boolits lots of paper patching. ( http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php )

February 19, 2014, 02:23 PM	#5
Romeo 33 Delta Senior Member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 315	It's one of those "obscure", old-timey things ... there is a learning curve and it is a little "futzy" ... BUT ... the results can be well worth it. One of my Martini Henry .577-450s, a Mk-III with a .465" grease-groove bullet, shot poorly (leading after about the 5th shot). I resized some bullets to .451" and paper patched them and HOLY COW!!! I had 10 rounds loaded, the first 3 or 4 were so-so accuracy, not exactly where I was aiming ... but all were "round holes. Then ... something began to happen ... a hit, low, but centered. Then for the remaining rounds, using "Kentucky Elevation", I walked them right up into the target! That sold me on the value of paper patching. I now look forward to Winter when I've found the humidity level to be just perfect. I do my patching on a glass-topped desk which is simply ideal for rolling and finishing up the base. A good read about the mystique of it all is Paul A. Matthews' "THE PAPER JACKET".

February 20, 2014, 05:41 PM	#6
DMZX Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2007 Location: E. Oregon Posts: 563	I still use Top's cigarette papers to patch minie balls in my 1863 Remington. I grease them well and roll them around the grooves, packing the overlap into the cavity at the base of the ball. It keeps the bullet in place and softened and reduce the carbon fouling. They also seem to be more accurate than un-patched balls.

February 20, 2014, 05:57 PM	#7
BumbleBug Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2013 Location: Near Heart of Texas Posts: 870	The other advantage to paper patching is that a bullet can be cast in dead-soft lead then shot at close to jacketed bullet velocities. The soft lead bullet will mushroom on impact to create an expanded wound channel. Regular hard-cast bullets, even gas checked, often act more like solids going straight through. FWIW

February 21, 2014, 11:58 PM	#9
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,312	Paper patching was also used as a gimmick in the Stephen Hunter book 'Point of Impact' and I think also in his book 'The Third Bullet'. I don't know if this would actually work or not but they took bullets fired from one gun, paper patched them and fired them from a second gun so that the ballistic data would appear that the bullets had been fired from the first gun and they could implicate the owner of the first gun for the dastardly deeds done by the second shooter.