wet or dry?

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Originally Posted by Bent Ramrod

I patch dry. When I dampened the papers, I’d find paper stuck to the ends of the dirt diggers around the target.

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BR, that is why they were in the dirt instead on the target. :D

I have a friend that lives below the snow belt that asked me if he could send me some of his patched bullets and with instructions how he loads the shells. I followed his instructions to a T and shot them into a snow drift and recovered them and send them back to him.
Those bullets flew down range and penetrated 10-12 feet into the drift and the results is what you see plus I found patches on the ground that came off in the drift after the snow melted.
Those patches were wet patched and the tail tugged into the cup base like they should be using a cup base bullet to protect the skirting keep the wad from sticking in the base.



Attachment 297651

I wet patch
I find the accuracy to be much better and believe that any dirt diggers is most likely a problem with something else


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I do em dry, so no sticking issues.

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Originally Posted by FrankJD

I do em dry, so no sticking issues.

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I'm with Frank on this ,every thing I shoot patched is laying within 10 feet of the bench (no free rides)/Ed

I’ve used the moist patches for all the reasons stated. But dry would go on faster and be held by the case and creases at base. I tell you this reading these threads is changing how I think it should be done. I like the lube and beeswax ideas too.

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Originally Posted by midnight

I have never done this but my brother dampens patches & rolls them on & lets them dry. He then melts beeswax in a pan and stands the bullets up in the melted beeswax & waits until the lead is heated to the temperature of the wax. He then removes them & stands them on a paper towel until they cool. Excess beeswax on the noses is wiped off & they are loaded. Any comments on this method?

Bob

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in "the paper jacket",, similar methods are described to waterproof the jacket for hunting use ect.

I believe the British did the same for the Martini bullets.

Twisted tails tied for a tighter snip.
https://i.imgur.com/y3UMnJQ.jpg

The twisted tail patch has a place when using cup or the deeper hollow based bullets.
I think the thought behind the hollow and cup based bullets I believe was a throw back from the muzzle loader that were beneficial for quick expansion in the deeper grooved bore used and they still have the potential to shoot well with a proper twisted tail in the fixed cartridge rifles if the cavity is filled properly with the twisted tail. The twisted tail was used to hold the wad from getting pushed away from the bore wall letting gas pass by and causing sevear gas cuts. The twisted knot holds the wad from getting pushed into the cup base, it's really needed using a cup or hollow base.
Below I cast and I shoot cup based bullets cast with an original Sharps bullet mould and they shoot very well but I have to use the twisted tail like the Sharps Rifle Company did. If the patch is just folded under like a flat based bullet every bullet had full length gas cuts from the base to the ogive curvature or what I call mouse nibbles at the base.
As far as dipping a patched bullet in wax or even lube I have never done this because of the thought that the patch would ride down range with the bullet.
Heck I don't even use any lube using a PP bullet under it or on it.

Attachment 312554Attachment 312555

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Originally Posted by FrankJD

I do em dry, so no sticking issues.

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Do the bullets you use have grease grooves or straight sides?
My understanding is the very best accuracy can only be achieved by the entire patch releasing from the bullet at the same instant, Your thoughts?

I wet patch DDPP Elliptical bullets from a BACO mold with Seth Cole 55 paper for my 40-65 . It took some getting used to but it is not hard and I have shot 3 of 4 five shot groups in a CBA 100 yard bench rest match that were under 1 MOA...let one shot get away on the fourth group. It really is worth the effort.

I dont wet them with water. But i will put 300 or so cut patches in a ziplock bag with a few drops of Jo Joba oil and let set for a few days.the oil is spread thru the paches evenly non are wet just a glisten to them. These patches roll on very even fold under and into the cup base good. When loaded they seem to be just lubricated enough, not wet to be sloppy but wet enough to grip and lay down good. Patches confetti is found 3-5 feet in front of the muzzle. I find the inner wrap showing engraving with the fold under attached. no burns or discoloring. The outer wrap is confetti I wrap tail less with a small circle of the base showing in the center of the patched bullet.

My bullets are all smooth sided most are cup base but there are a couple flat based. My PP bullets are all bore riders. I PP in 38-55,40-65, 45-70 and 45-90.

Recovered patches can tell you a lot about your load.

I wet patch in 45-110 and 50-100. If you are finding patches (or remnants) stuck to your bullets the bullet is not expanding to allow the rifling to cut the patch.Could be the bullet is too small, the charge is too light or.... I don't have a problem with the patch dropping but have had a lube cookie stick in the hollow base PPB. Fixed this with a hard wad and disc of wax paper on top of the lube cookie

I dry patch all my bullets. 45-70 straight sided and dd, 40-65 dd and 50-90 dd for years. We have had great match results. I like that I can sit in my easy chair and patch, no fuss no muss.