Paper patching

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35Wailin

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I picked up a bag of bullets for my 43 Mauser. Upon returning home, I realized that they are .439" for the .43 Spanish. I was thinking of paper patching them, so I don't waste them. I have seen the technique of paper patching through various websites and videos, but I am still unclear on the type and thickness of paper I need to use.

My understanding is that the Mauser round takes a .446" bullet, so I need to patch it up another .007-8". Almost all the information says I need two wraps of paper, so that means 4 thicknesses at .002"

Can I use ANY paper that is the correct thickness? Does anyone know a specific type of paper that is .002"?

Thanks for the assistance.
 
I haven't patched any myself yet so my info is from book learning. Get yourself a copy of Paul Matthews' "The Paper Jacket", it's very informative.

Normally, two wraps are used however he says occasionally he used 3. Essentially any paper can be used; sewing patterns, writing paper or even computer paper, as long as it achieves the desired result. He describes the best results he found regarding; which way and size to cut the paper, angle to cut it on, direction to wrap it and desired diameter of bare bullet and final product. He also mentioned the use of teflon tape by others who seemed satisfied by the result.

A really good read which can help you get started on paper patching.
 
i paper patch for my `42 LE. it slugs at .317 and i use .314 cast. i give two wraps of onion skin(from staples)lubed with Lee case sizing lube. i don`t get to shoot all that often, so it takes time to work up a proper load. i`m pretty happy with the results so far, as they only get better the more i practice.
 
I really wonder about paper patching. I have done it with different papers that were on hand. It didn't seem to make a lot of difference one way or the other as long as the wrapped bullets were at least .005in larger than the bore. Lube didn't seem to be all that important either but it made me feel better to soak my paper in it for two reasons. One it was easier to wrap and two paper is abrasive and IMHO the lube almost eliminates that. I was worried the lubed paper wouldn't hold together but it seems fine.

I have some Kynoch 577-450 that is paper patched from the factory. The paper used on those bullets resembles a single wrap of masking tape. I am going to try masking tape on some 45-70 bullets to see if it works well. It would certainly save a lot of time.
 
Ditto. This is an excellent book. I am just beginning down the road of paper patching myself, and I've found his book to be very easy to follow.

yonderin said:
I haven't patched any myself yet so my info is from book learning. Get yourself a copy of Paul Matthews' "The Paper Jacket", it's very informative.

Normally, two wraps are used however he says occasionally he used 3. Essentially any paper can be used; sewing patterns, writing paper or even computer paper, as long as it achieves the desired result. He describes the best results he found regarding; which way and size to cut the paper, angle to cut it on, direction to wrap it and desired diameter of bare bullet and final product. He also mentioned the use of teflon tape by others who seemed satisfied by the result.

A really good read which can help you get started on paper patching.
Click to expand...
 
bearhunter said:
I really wonder about paper patching. I have done it with different papers that were on hand. It didn't seem to make a lot of difference one way or the other as long as the wrapped bullets were at least .005in larger than the bore. Lube didn't seem to be all that important either but it made me feel better to soak my paper in it for two reasons. One it was easier to wrap and two paper is abrasive and IMHO the lube almost eliminates that. I was worried the lubed paper wouldn't hold together but it seems fine.

I have some Kynoch 577-450 that is paper patched from the factory. The paper used on those bullets resembles a single wrap of masking tape. I am going to try masking tape on some 45-70 bullets to see if it works well. It would certainly save a lot of time.
Click to expand...

Don't use tape or anything else to stick the paper on the bullet. The patch absolutely needs to be cut into confetti by the rifling, and come off as soon as it exits the muzzle. Don't worry about abrasiveness as mentioned above. It is well proven to not be an issue. The paper doesn't need to be lubed. Dip the patch I water, wipe the excess off on a towel, wrap it on, set the wrapped bullet on its base on a newspaper, to help absorb the water and speed drying. When dry, the paper shrinks a bit, and will be nice and tight. I have done hundreds of these, trust me, it works. If the patch sticks to the bullet beyond the muzzle, bad stuff happens to your accuracy.
 
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My method is fairly similar to Easyrider's, with the exception that I pass the cut strips across a moistened sponge...one pass each side....then wrap onto the bullet. The strip only needs to be moistened....not soaked through. If the strips get too wet, there is a tendency for them to either stretch excessively, or tear. With practice, you soon become adept at figuring out how much to dip or swipe. I usually lube my patched bullets, but only as an aid in easy loading into the case. Also, to waterproof the patches somewhat, if used for hunting. You just need to be more careful with them so they don't collect dirt or grit. Some shooters like to size their patched bullets to the desired diameter, prior to loading. Some don't. I've used both methods.....both work. It mostly seems to depend on the end result....a proper diameter patched bullet that fits your rifle's bore. More importantly, though often overlooked....the rifle's chamber throat. The key thing to remember is that a paper patched bullet is relatively delicate....so slow and easy loading into the case is always prudent.
The Paul Matthews book is a great resource on how to learn the art of paper patching bullets. It contains all the information you will need to do it well and right. Some years ago...mid 1990's, if memory serves, gunwriter Ross Seyfried also published a very useful article on paper patching bullets, in the "Double Gun Journal". Well worth the read, if you can find it.
 
A correction: Ross Seyfried's article "How to Paper Patch Bullets", as appeared in "Double Gun Journal", was a reprint of an article he wrote for Handloader magazine. Handloader: December-January 2002 issue. Volume 37. Number 6. Must be "Oldtimers" taking hold.....thought it had appeared earlier. Might still have that copy of DGJ around somewhere. Will try to look it up.
Though I have not heard of it being done, I can see no reason why a person could not paper patch revolver rounds. It can be done for lever action rifles, where a crimp is required.
 
I shoot lots of bore diameter PP bullets. The paper that works best for me is 8lb Seth Cole with is about 0.0016" thick as close as I can measure it. I've also used a fair bit of 0.002" thick paper 9lb onion skin that I bought several years ago at Buffalo Arms. It can work well, but I like the thinner paper generally. I don't put anything on the patches. It's certainly not necessary, unless maybe you want to use them for some purpose other than target shooting.

The best book I've seen for learning about paper patching is "Loading and Shooting Paper Patched Bullets" by Randolph Wright. It's quite well written as is his other book on Schuetzen rifles.

Chris.
 
Along with the helpful folks here you'll also find a forum dedicated to paper patching at Cast Boolits dot com.

I haven't got around to doing my won PP bullets yet. But I understand that the better option is bullets cast with smooth sides. So that sort of means modifying a mold to remove or at least seriously reduce the lube groove bands in the mold.


EDIT- This post got me all enthused and I did a quick check. Apparently a few folks find that the lube grooves aid in holding the paper in place. So it looks like the early checking I did that indicated straight sides needs some updating.
 
Sounds very complicated to do, just because you acquired a box with the wrong sized bullets.

Sell the bullets, somebody needs those, take the money and buy the proper .446 size bullets.
Et voila: no headache with paper thickness, no expense for a book you need only once and best of all, you are ready to start reloading in no time.
 
Properly done, PP will reduce and has even been reported to remove previous leading. Something to consider if you're going to be shooting to be shooting cast anyway.

Looks to be a fun challenge, hope to start doing my own soon.
 
OK! I get why you need to paper patch your bullets. But in the beginning why was it done? Was it just a pull over from black power muskets? Standard practice? Somebodys new ideas? Just curious as I have several paper patched cartridge's,.Seems the British were big on it for the time, early 1900's. Thanks! In need of a little history lesson.
 
I have paper patched off and on. Like others, I highly recommend Paul Mathews book. I use 100% rag content paper which is about .004" thick. I made a sheet metal template up so that I can draw the patches on the paper before cutting. I did the paper into cool water just before wrapping and leave them to dry. Finally I run the slugs through a sizing die to crush the paper down and so the slugs come out the correct diameter. It is important that the sizing die has a tapered transition from entry hole to the finished diameter hole or it will strip the paper off of the bullet
On some guns, paper patching seems to be absolutely necessary. I once owned a Farmingdale Shilo Sharps with rifling only .0015 or .002" deep and which was made specifically for paper patch. It would not shoot cast bullets at all. Other guns with deeper rifling seem to be not so fussy. Historically I think it was done to prevent leading of the bore and paper patching was not limited to Europe but was done in the US as well and I think you could buy bulk bullets (slugs only) already paper patched.

cheers mooncoon
 
Mooncoon hits it right on the head. The short answer is: Before the advent of smokeless powder and metal jacketed bullets, paper patching of bullets resulted from the need to reduce leading and black powder fouling in cartridge rifles and improve their reliability in the field. From a military standpoint, this was vitally important. Also, to allow higher bullet velocities. A paper patch fulfills the same purpose of today's metal-jacketed bullets...to reduce lead fouling in the bore. Why paper patch? As Mooncoon mentions, sometimes this is necessary, where a particular firearm's rifling depth won't allow the use of naked lead bullets. The other, is to custom fit bullets to those rifles with way oversized bores that would be impractical to use otherwise. As an example: Some .303 Lee Enfield service rifles may feature bores well in excess of the nominal .311-.312" bore diameter; often measuring .315" or more. Obviously, a standard diameter .311-.312" metal jacketed bullet will just rattle down such an oversized bore without touching the rifling. The result: non-existent accuracy and yet another perfectly serviceable rifle relegated to becoming a wallhanger. But, where a paper-patched bullet is substituted that more closely matches actual bore diameter....the venerable .303 rifle that served the Empire so brilliantly for well over a century, once again regains its proper and respected place in the hunting field or target range. It bears mentioning that bore tolerances in today's modern firearms don't seem to suffer from the variation often seen a century or more ago. But, there are still plenty of those old boomers still in use today that do. So, paper patching becomes a viable option.
As to when, where and whom started paper patching bullets, this is unclear. Almost certainly, the practise evolved from the use of cloth patching rifled musket balls. To reduce also, the dreadul lead fouling experienced in many early rifled gun barrels, where naked lead bullets were used. Paper patching was also popular amongst 19th Century long range marksmen. Very much for the same reason it is today. The paper patch provides greater shot to shot consistency and thereby accuracy, than is capable of many lubricated naked lead bullets.
One question sure to arise from this forum's discussion so far, is: Can paper patched bullets be used with smokeless powder? Sure can. In fact, paper patched lead bullets can be driven at or very close to the standard muzzle velocity of many of today's cartridges. A bit more care may have to be taken with powder selection and chamber fit, but thats about it. An earlier post mentioned that paper patching may be too complicated to bother with. Not so. The fact is, most people can learn how to properly paper patch a bullet in well under an hour. After that, it just takes practise to perfect the technique. Yes, it is a bit more work than just shoving a jacketed bullet into a case. The real payoff is in the knowledge gained by the experience. Plus the direct link a shooter forges to the history of firearms development. Works for me. I suppose one way of looking at it is that as long as a person has a supply of paper and lead, they'll never run out of ammo.
 
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