Square patches?

[Niederlander]

Hello the camp!  I'm new to black powder rifles (although not to revolvers).  Is there any reason patches can't be square?  I always see them round, and I've read some people make them octagonal, but it seems to me they'd be much easier to cut if you can make them square.  Let me know your thoughts!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I use square patches and have never found them any different than any other shape.  Their function is to hold lube and to physically fill the gap (windage) between bore & ball. Upon ejection from the muzzle, a patch of any shape will fly off on its own.

They are easy to make; After selecting the proper thickness, tear it into strips of a suitable width, and cut or tear the strips into square patches.  I take a stack of them and impale the corners on a safety pin, attaching same to my shirt or to my shooting bag strap. To use, just jerk one off the pin. I have used them dry - popping them in my mouth to soak with saliva before loading, or presoaking them in lube -olive oil works quite well, but I have used winter grade windshield washer fluid for use in freezing conditions.

I love the experience of going into the female domain of a fabric shop with micrometer in hand selecting just the right thickness of 100% cotton for patch material.  You get some pretty quizical reactions from the regular shoppers and staff. Mostly nowdays I use well worn cotton from wornout shirts. Usually I find that .012 thick is about right.

[Yeso Bill]

Personally, regardless of lube used on the patch, I like to barely start my patched ball into the barrel and then cut the patch off even with the barrel.  That way I know the ball is dead center in the patch.  Accuracy wise, possibly it makes no difference but I have never shot any other way.  I do know that my rifles shoot awful good groups with this method.
     Unless I am hunting and using a greased patch, I use the dry or "spit patch".  I'll just tie a strip of patching material measuring about 1 1/4" x 12 or 14" to my shooting bag's strap, chew on the end for the moisture and cut off of that end.... of course.   
     
Billy

[Tsalagidave]

When on the trail, I carry my flask, ball bag and a 1' x 24' strip of cloth in my hunting bag. When I get down to shooting, I shift the ball bag, flask and ribbon into my shirt or coat pocket depending on the weather. I usually grab the end of the ribbon in my teeth and  cut off a swatch using my patch knife in a down & outward cut.

I never have taken the time to make many circular patches but the ones I have and factory ones I've bought show no difference between the square patches I normally cut. My greater concern is for using the right material that won't get blown on firing. However, the original mountain men fashioned patches out of everything from spare cloth, paper, wasp nests to packed vegetable matter and thin leather from smaller animals. (I've tried each with reasonably acceptable results; some better some worse. When I compare the .535 rounds I wrap in ticking vs. a cheap calico, there is a difference in regards to match shooting but either way would get you through the day living as a subsistence hunter on the frontier.

Attached is my stripped down kit of patches, ball, flask, caps, spyglass and meal sack for when you need to shuck the gear and crawl around in the bushes.

-Dave

[Niederlander]

Interesting!  It's going to be fun learning a whole new shooting discipline!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Interesting!  It's going to be fun learning a whole new shooting discipline!

Rather than try to educate you all by myownself, I thought I'd look it up on the confuzer;  This is a site that looks very promising, but others may have their own recommendations.

http://traditionalblackpowderhunting.com/the-basics/

Find out if there is a traditional ML club near you. In person mentoring is usually the best way to learn.  Avoid the In-line-laser bunch; - an entirely different mindset.

[Niederlander]

Unfortunately, we don't have one near here, so I'll probably have to learn the way I usually do:  Do research and then learn through trial and error.  It usually works pretty well!

[GunClick Rick]

I just redid the stock and polished up the brass on this old Jukar

[pony express]

I used to do it the same way as Yeso Bill, starting the ball and patch into the muzzle, then cut it off, and I was shooting a rifle similar to GCR's old Kentucky kit rifle(mine was from CVA, 1970's).

Haven't shot muzzle loaders in several years, maybe I need to get back into it....

[Tsalagidave]

Here is the current selection of greased patches I carry in my patchbox. The round patches are made from a higher grade cotton fabric that holds together on ignition. The cheap print calico almost always is blown out to some degree when I recover them downrange. I have cut them round on occasion. However, I've never noticed a difference in accuracy on account of the patch shape. The wad however, is a different story. My grouping is a lot better using a good, thicker wadding that does not blow out.

The ribbon I was talking about in the earlier post is from when I spit-patch. It's a cheap calico but serves its purpose adequately enough.

-Dave

[Gus Walker]

     I usually cut patches at the muzzle also. For anyone here if you would like to learn more on muzzleloaders i'll put in a plug for our forum
at  www.traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com  . We would be glad to have ya. There a lot of good info and a lot of just plain ol good natured fun.We deal in nothing but Traditional muzzleloaders rifles and handguns. Come on by. I am one of the moderators there so if ya want to become a member just mention cas city and i will approve membership asap.  

[dusty texian]

Most time's I cut my patch material into square's ahead of time, for hunting follow up shot's. I also just use the same material in strip's if at the bench or just wood's walking, and cut at the muzzel. Have had good result's both method's. I think the patch material type and fit is the most important thing you need to find for your ball & patch ,barrel combo.Try different thickness of material and cutting square and round,combo's. You will find what work's for you and have Mucho fun doin it,,,,,,Dusty

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

here's a google resource;

Patch thickness and Pressure - Traditional Muzzleloading Forum ...
www.muzzleloadingforum.com › ... › Firearms › General Muzzleloading‎
Oct 28, 2007 - 8 posts - ‎7 authors
Can any one tell me if an increase in patch thickness has an ... I doubt any pressure measuring device is even accurate enough to detect the ...
Measuring Patch thickness
2 Oct 2013
Ball and patch thickness for .50cal TC Hawken
21 Jul 2011
How thin a patch ?
21 Feb 2010
Measuring pillow ticking thickness
27 Jan 2006
More results from www.muzzleloadingforum.com

[Tsalagidave]

I strongly recommend Sam Fadala's "Black Powder Handbook".  He did some pretty comprehensive field ballistics with various makes/models of BP guns over the years. It will give you a ballpark on the muzzle energy/velocit, etc. It covers a lot on load measurements of FFg, FFFg, etc.  It also speaks extensively on patches and ignition. Real good stuff. I used it extensively when I really got into BP shooting. I still carry a copy to the range for use with field notes today.

As a rule of thumb, I normally load my primary shot with a greased patch of using either ticking or another thick weave cotton. From then on, I spit patch till I'm done.  Normal shooting distance for me varies from 50-250 yards. I'm in agreement with the others here, I've seen a bigger difference based on the wadding selection over the cut of the patch.

-Dave

[GunClick Rick]

  I usually cut patches at the muzzle also. For anyone here if you would like to learn more on muzzleloaders i'll put in a plug for our forum
at  http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/  . We would be glad to have ya. There a lot of good info and a lot of just plain ol good natured fun.We deal in nothing but Traditional muzzleloaders rifles and handguns. Come on by. I am one of the moderators there so if ya want to become a member just mention cas city and i will approve membership asap.  

Nah kee cha ho nay~ Chief Thundermoon 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Me-2 on sam Fadala's book.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?kn=black+powder+handbook+fadala&sts=t&x=40&y=11

[Gus Walker]

Nah kee cha ho nay~ Chief Thundermoon 

 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

    I usually cut patches at the muzzle also. For anyone here if you would like to learn more on muzzleloaders i'll put in a plug for our forum
at  www.traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com  . We would be glad to have ya. There a lot of good info and a lot of just plain ol good natured fun.We deal in nothing but Traditional muzzleloaders rifles and handguns. Come on by. I am one of the moderators there so if ya want to become a member just mention cas city and i will approve membership asap.  

Thanks for the link.  I have it bookmarked.