Adobe .PDF - Thompson Center Arms

To perform its task properly, the patch material must be extremely tough andit must be under considerable compression- not only in the area where it bearson the lands but also at the bottom of each groove.Ball diameter must makeallowances for addedthickness of the patchat the lands.Ball Dia.The patch must bethick enough to fill therifling grooves.When a perfectly patched round ball is driventhrough the barrel, it will show cloth marks around thecircumference of the ball. It will be heavily engravedwhere it bore on the lands and lightly engraved in thegroove area. As it is too difficult to load by hand, acombination this tight is seldom used in a hunting rifle.For target shooting, an extremely tight fitting combination of patch andball is sometimes used. Often a bullet starter, shaped to the contour of the ball,is employed and a hammer is used to start the projectile. Such a combinationis, naturally, too difficult to load under field conditions and, therefore, mosthunting rifles use a slightly looser fit.T/C Patch Material is available (unlubricated or prelubricated) in sizeswhich relate directly to the proper round ball diameter and barrel dimensionsof each specific caliber. (See the current T/C catalog). T/C Patch Material representsan optimum compromise between tight fit and loadability. Bear inmind that the ball must be seated firmly against the powder without excessivebattering or flattening of the projectile itself. To obtain accuracy it is essentialthat the front of the ball remain round. When used with the proper size (lead)round ball, T/C patch material allows the shooter to load under field conditionsand obtain fine accuracy.When targeting a muzzleloading firearm, it is wise to recover a few of thefired patches and to check their condition. Fired patches can usually be foundlying on the ground about 10 yards in front of the muzzle. The following illustrationswill help you to determine whether your patch and/or lubricant is doingits job.Lubricant is required to ease loading and prevent the patch material fromburning. The “spit” patch (wet with saliva) should be avoided as it will dry out24