Paper-patched roundball - can it work?

[Gator Weiss]

Paper cartridges for roundball loads in smoothbores work great! Besides accuracy equal to cloth patching, they are historically correct, if you care about such things. They're also faster loading for times events, like the Winter primitive snowshoe Muzzleloading Biathlons we run up here in the Northeast.

When Gator asked the question ... it really would have benefited us if he had clarified the use for revolvers, rifles or smoothies ...

The English tied the ball in place where the French typically sealed it with a slight twist above the ball. I lube the ball area by either dipping them in a 50:50 mix of bees wax to olive oil or by smearing on some mink oil from Track of the Wolf.

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Yeah, you are right. Paper patched slugs would probably work in a revolver, but I have not tried it.

 

[Gator Weiss]

Why do you use cornmeal in a rifle?

Cornmeal buffers the patch, reduces burning of the patch, helps gas seal, knocks foul loose for easy clean later. Many things are used ranging from wasp nest to sawdust to rolled oats, chaff, plug of chaw, etc etc. Cornmeal os cheap, handy, works very well

 

[Thomasss]

[QUOTE="Gator Weiss, post: 12665024, member: 73087"Paper used ranged from onion skin to newsprint to baking parchment to brown-bag. Paper by itself (lubed) heavy brown bag worked well. Newsprint worked well with cotton patch. Experiment showed some types of paper used sensibly, works.[/QUOTE]
I use to wrap them with cigarette paper, like rolling your own. It all depends on ball size and patch thickness.

 

[BCRider]

Gator, I'm not sure what you're trying to "fix" here. Obviously using a smaller size and paper or cloth patching is possible. But did you find that the paper patched smaller round ball shot MORE accurately than the "proper" size soft lead balls that were swaged into the cylinder in the classic manner?

For sure it would be far more fussy and time consuming to wrap the balls. So unless you found them to be more accurate for your needs I sure can't see any benefit.

Been a while since I cruised this forum but I shot my Colt 1860's in a monthly fun cowboy action match just yesterday and I'm in love all over again.....

 

[Gator Weiss]

Gator, I'm not sure what you're trying to "fix" here. Obviously using a smaller size and paper or cloth patching is possible. But did you find that the paper patched smaller round ball shot MORE accurately than the "proper" size soft lead balls that were swaged into the cylinder in the classic manner?

For sure it would be far more fussy and time consuming to wrap the balls. So unless you found them to be more accurate for your needs I sure can't see any benefit.

Been a while since I cruised this forum but I shot my Colt 1860's in a monthly fun cowboy action match just yesterday and I'm in love all over again.....

I was working long guns not revolvers. Im not wrapping balls. Heavy brown-bag-paper patches alone over buffered loads shoot fine. In cases of undersized roundballs, paper patches combined with fabric allow for adjusting thickness, works just fine. Additionally, it raises a question about using paper patched slugs in a revolver.