My findings with the paper patched bullet

[Kurt]

There seems to be increasing interest in shooting the paper jacketed bullets. I'm going to start this and I hope others will join in and add to what I have found.

Patching the bullet is not much of a problem, but making them shoot with consistent accuracy during a long string of a days match shooting where you will shoot 30 to 45 shots for record plus the sighter shots can start to strain the accuracy of the loads you have worked so hard for getting a MOA developing it and seeing it starting to throw up dirt where it should not have hit.
There is a great difference the way I patch my bullets for hunting and what I use for match as well as just for a day at the range busting pins or random clay birds laying on the berm.
For hunting I will patch the bullet where I can make several shots with out controlling the fouling. I want that round to chamber with out having to use a tool or a blow tube for a fast follow up shot if I need it. Lube alone will not do it. I don't care even if that lube wad is 1/4 or 3/8" thick, it will not do it using a bullet patched like one used for the matches.
I use a bullet that will be small enough that it will chamber with several shots fired in a fouled bore. This takes a little work working out the alloy that must be a little softer so it will expand to fill the grooves and get the proper rotation to shoot accurately after several shots fired. This also needs finding how far up on the ogive to hold the patch because using the softer alloy it also sets back the nose as the bullet expands filling the grooves and this exposes dry lead to the fouled bore destroying the accuracy. This is where you want to use thicker paper where a double wrapped patch is thicker then the groove is deep because the patch has a tendency to wear from the rough fouled bore and it exposes the dry lead to build up. This gets to be more of a problem using a round nosed bullet like the government more then a ogive like the postell. This is where a dual diameter or tapered bullet shines. They allow for the expandin ogive when the charge goes off.

Patching for the matches. This is where a lot of shooters get discouraged with the PP bullets.
When they first start patching they go to the range with a hand full of rounds and see some good groups and think hey this is alright, these are shooting quite well. But after shooting several rounds and the accuracy drops off even to the point that they get dirt diggers. This is caused by several things going on.
Paper rings is one of the biggest problem. And this is not just for the PP but also for the GG.
With a now standard 45 degree chamber end and it does not matter if the case mouth is right at the chamber end it will cut the patch or lead with a GG. It just takes a few more shots to build up enough rings if they don't move out with the next bullet fired or wiping helps this greatly. When you use a blow tube these rings will have a greater chance to stay behind wedged to the 45 degree chamber end. You will find them if you spend time looking for them. When the bullet upsets and fills the void between the case mouth and the throat it will start smearing the lead forward into the bore.
A patch to thin, thinner then the groove is deep will start lead build up on the sharp, or round, land leading edges and after a few shots it will be enough that it effects the accuracy.
A patch not far enough past the shank will expose lead to the bore if the alloy temper is not hard enough to keep the radius of the ogive off the bore. I spend a lot of time during the winters working this out getting the right alloy temper with the unpatched bullet diameter to get the proper placement of the patch placement ahead of the bullet shank so when the charge goes off dry lead don't come in contact with the bore. I see no difference with accuracy if the patch is a few thousands short of the ogive as well as to far forward of the shank but I do see a problem starting if it is to far back after several shots fired, even wiping the bore between shots. And the patches when cleaning the rifle will be gray from the smeared on lead that is still in the bore.

This is getting to be a book so I will stop here. I know that there will be disagreements from what I said but it is what I find.
I will like to hear what y'all do and find.

Kurt