Paper patching bullets

[Ron Macy]

I'm trying to find a way for my SIL to have a "shooter". He has a 6.5 Carcano he'd like to shoot but can't afford the slightly oversize bullets.

I found some cases for him from Graf and gave them to him.

Now I've found 500 lead bullets, 140grain, .264 dia. His rifle slugs .268-.269 and the bullets rattle (I think) going down the tube.

Can we use something like notebook paper to put a wrap around the cast bullets? Wrap and forget? Glue in place? Don't do it at all?

New territory for me.

[william iorg]

You can use any paper you desire.
Ross Seyfried used pages from guns and Ammo to patch bullets for the pictures in his articles.
While any paper will do the next time you are near a stationary store stop in. The sell paper by the sheet. Ask for 25%, 50% and 100% rag paper.
I prefer 100% and my Dad prefers 25%.

I suggest you use a folded tail rather than a twisted tail. I prefer the folded tail for use with smokeless powder as this gives me a sort of paper gas check. I have found it improves accuracy.

I also suggest you use Lee case sizing lubricant as a lube on you patch after you have rolled it. Lee case lube is a die maker’s wax and works very well on less than pristine bores.

[Kansas Ed]

Try 2 full wraps of teflon plumbers tape, cut with scissors to length, and use something to heat shrink them to the bullet. I've used lighters, rolled them over an electric burner on the stove, propane torch way back, etc. Right before the tape turns transparent you need to quit. What you are trying to do is just start the lube to attach itself to the tape to hold it in place.

Ed

[Ron Macy]

Thanks guys. That's a great starting place for me.

[gimdandy]

Ron ,
As you can see there is a variety of things that will work, and these work WELL
After you get a bullet patched seat it in an empty case and make sure that it will chamber
With the bullet a little larger dia. it may run too much interference in the throat , that being the case you will need to look into Lee push through (PT) sizing dies and run them through. Not complicated at all but bear in mind that it may not be necessary. Just don't give up, because this is your answer to the problem and it may take a little work to find the right formula for that particular barrel , but it will shoot very good and very inexpensively

[kimwcook]

Don, what do ya think?

[Cliff]

Some good answers given. Another approach would be to use onion skin paper, I think it is called 7 pound. Forms well and about the thinest paper while still tough. Use it like you would any other paper. Some people also use tape, similar to masking tape, but is called Freezer(sp?) tape used to tape up paper for freezing stuff. It is tough, several things however must be done. No overlap, butt the edges together, must not hang over the rear, cut flush with the base of the bullet. Kind of tricky as it is sticky. Press it on hard and let it sit for a few days. Lube after you patch if you desire. It is usually available in hardware stores. Don't use masking tape, it isn't strong enough. Also get Paul Matthews book paper patching bullets. From Wolfe Publishing, and good information andreading. He experimented with a lot of combinations. Good Luck.

[pdawg.shooter]

I have been patching since the 70s. Started out making jacketed .308 bullets fit a Mauser with a .318 bore. I now patch all my cast rifle bullets. I size the bullet to BORE diameter +.001/.0015. I wrap with 2 wraps of 16# green stripe printer paper and twist the tails. Let dry overnight. Clip the tails, lube, (I use Bac but most anything will work) and size .001/.003 over GROOVE diameter. Load same as you would a jacketed of the same weight and go shooting.Back in November I decided to develop a sub-MOA, 3000fps load for a 30 caliber rifle. It took awhile, but I believe I have “got er done.”
The Rifle.
In order to get the velocity I wanted with this weight bullet I chose a 300RUM in a Savage model 116. It is stainless with a laminated stock. It came from the factory with pillar bedding, and I added glass behind the recoil lug, and under the front receiver ring and tang. I topped it with a Weaver T15 for this test. This rifle will group ¾ to 7/8 with good jacketed bullet loads.
The Bullet.
The most consistently accurate 30cal bullet I cast is the Lyman 311284 so this is the one I worked with. The alloy is a mix of WW and Linotype. I added lino. until an air cooled bullet tested 16.0 BHN on my Lee tester. The bullet was then sized .3015 with a push through die. This gave me full length bearing surface. The bullet was then patched with 16# green bar printer paper and allowed to dry overnight. I then clipped the tail, lubed with White Label BAC and run through a .310 push through die. This left the bullet .311 and ready to load. The finish weight, with patch, was 202gr.
The Brass.
I used new Remington brass. I full length sized them and sorted by weight allowing no more than +/- 1%. It was then trimmed to length, outside neck turned to .012 thickness, the primer pocket reamed to a uniform depth, flash holes drilled uniform and deburred. I then loaded with a 180gr. Core Lock and H4831 to fireform. The test load was then loaded in UNSIZED brass. I tried H1000, Retumbo, and finally settled on reloader25. The starting load was 88.0 and I worked up to 93.0. This gave me 3069 with no signs of excess pressure. Oh yes, the primer was a Federal 215. The bullets were seated about ¼ inch into the case and finished seating when the bolt was closed. This gave me an OAL of 3.670.
The Test.
Testing was done over 2 days. Shots were fired over a bench rest with a windage and elevation adjustable front rest and “bunny ear” rear rest. Twenty 3 shot groups were fired allowing the barrel to cool completely. The smallest group measured .760 and the largest was 1.140. The overall average figured out to .992. Mission accomplished, but just barely. So what good is this load? Not much unless you like poking holes in paper. Next step will be to neck size, seat to correct OAL and see how they shoot. Might make a good hunting load that way.
I do load some jacketed 180, 200, and 220 grain bullets for this one. It now wears a Simmons 3.5x10 scope. Maybe some day I can go elk hunting.

[Ron Macy]

Looks llike several to try. Thanks for all the input.