Anyone here shoot paper patch bullets?

Just what the question says. I'm going to get back into shooting this summer, and jacketed .458 bullets have gone through the roof in the last 10 years.

I'm thinking about getting a specialty die made to make a 400 grain smooth sided bullet in about .450 so I can paper patch it and shoot it through a marlin 1895 cowboy (45-70, of course).

I thought I was going to maybe get a decent open sighted single shot 45-70 until I looked at where those prices have gone, too.

Anyone shoot paper patch? Any thoughts vs. hard cast gas checked (which if I read correctly, are not good at the higher velocities where the 1895 can go).

I also saw something else new, from bullet casters, some kind of coating that doesn't appear to add to the diameter, and they claim it reduces leading. ("Hi Tek" coating). Anyone know much about that? Figure some what I shoot may be 300 grainers (for my shoulder's sake) which are going to slide along at a pretty high velocity even if they're loaded to trap door specs.

I'm having a little trouble finding custom cast dies that make a PP bullet that's not 500 grains, I guess because that's what the BPCR guys like to shoot (and I'll be shooting offhand from 25-100 yards, no super long shots).

Check out midwayusa they may have what you are looking for.
If it were me I would cast my bullet then run them through a lube/sizer die then load them up an let fly.

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Originally Posted by oldblades

Check out midwayusa they may have what you are looking for.
If it were me I would cast my bullet then run them through a lube/sizer die then load them up an let fly.

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I thought I might be able to get away with buying a 45 colt large pistol bullet mould, but they seem to stop mid 200s, which makes for too short of a bullet.

I'll check through midway again. There are a couple of outfits out there that make paper patch custom moulds, anywhere between $125 and $250. that's pretty stiff, but it would allow use of soft lead, which is a lot cheaper than lyman alloy or linotype.

The marlin is the only gun that I have where I can't get access to the bore with a cleaning rod from both sides, so I'd like to avoid leading it. I don't remember how it grouped before I stopped shooting though, either. All of this is just in my head at this point.

I don't know if brownells has that kind of stuff, but I'll check there, too. I'm kind of surprised that lee doesn't make a single cavity BPCR mould or two with flat sides in a diameter that would be good for paper patch.

This will be a big departure from loading 300wby to the hilt and trying to shot everything as flat as possible.

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Originally Posted by DaveW

The marlin is the only gun that I have where I can't get access to the bore with a cleaning rod from both sides, so I'd like to avoid leading it. I don't remember how it grouped before I stopped shooting though, either. All of this is just in my head at this point

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Seems pretty easy to remove the bolt on a Marlin lever to access the barrel from the breech end https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9YrijjCxI . I remember doing that with my 444 Marlin.

Bob

Thanks for the heads up on that. It was the last gun I purchased and then I stopped shooting it, so I don't have much experience with it.

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Originally Posted by DaveW

Thanks for the heads up on that. It was the last gun I purchased and then I stopped shooting it, so I don't have much experience with it.

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Yea, know what you mean. I would suggest using a bore guide that takes the place of the bolt and helps keep your cleaning rod centered so you don't put any wear on the chamber or barrel throat while using a cleaning rod. Any nylon/plastic round stock cut to length with a appropriated sized center bored hole will work for diy.

Bob

My cleaning rods are all aluminum just for that purpose. I've always used jacketed bullets, though, so I have never had to deal with much fouling of any type. I'm somewhat curious as to how hard lead fouling is to remove, but maybe I should read up on that...

...and figure out where to seat the bullets so that they're touching the lands when loaded (or very close to it) to minimize the fouling.

I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has shot any of the HTK coated bullets, as they are so cheap in (what are probably swaged) some bullets - 20 cents each or so - that it wouldn't be worth it for me to cast or paper patch if they shoot lead free at higher velocities.

Dave, get onto the Cast Boolit Home website, you should get some really good info. I use paper patched Pritchet bullets in my Enfield Rifle muskets, I make up the issue paper cartridge, and use Bienfang 360 linen rag paper, about 2 thou, Buffalo arms carries a heap of stuff for paper patching bullets for britch loaders .

Cheers

Heelerau

My local shop starting making polly coated hard led cast bullets end of last year. They significantly cut back on smoke and fowling. I was talking to the manager and asked about 9mm leadind in a carbine and they had not tried them so he gave me a box to try out. I did a review of them along with some chronograph numbers. After a couple hundred rounds through my 9mm AR I had no lead at all and I was pushing them at 1400FPS. The review is here.

King Shooters Supply

May be an option if they make them in the size/weight you are looking for.