I am wondering if anyone knows about paper-patching a jacketed bullet for hunting.

This would be for my 577/450 Martini-Henry which takes a .470" diameter bullet. My thought was that I could use a top quality .458" bullet made for the modern rifles and wrap it up to .470".

This would keep the copper from harming my old barrel and give very good bullet performance at closer ranges(better mushrooming than a cast wheel weight bullet)

These rifles were designed for and used paper-patched bullets for many years.

I am just trying to determine if this has any merrit, I don't want to jump right in if there is a possibility of harming my barrel.

I have read some articles (not sure of the author, might have been Ross Seyfried?) about patching jacketed .308 bullets up to .318 for "J" bore mausers. He would roll the bullets on a file to roughen the jacket to make the paper stick better. I wouldn't have a problem with paper patching jacketed bullets, but I would rather paper patch soft lead bullets for hunting. I think you would get better proformance at 577/.450 velocities with PP lead than PP jacketed. just my .02.

Haven't had much luck with paper patching jacketed bullets...perhaps you'll have better.

One rifle (smaller bore) worked but the rifling was more of the Medford type...the others never did group very well. May be that pressing the rifling through the patch and engraving a jacketed bullet is just more than the paper could stand without ripping....may just be bad luck on my part.

thanks guys.

just brain storming the possibilities for this cartridge. I might try it someday, first I need to find it's favourite load and go from there.

thanks guys.

just brain storming the possibilities for this cartridge. I might try it someday, first I need to find it's favourite load and go from there.

Seems that it would be easier to take down .475" bullets to your needed .470" than to patch up smaller diameter bullets. Know the .480Ruger bullets are a bit light for your use (usually in the 300-400gr. range) but with the correctly made dies (press mounted would be better) it should be a "go".

Have done things like that, and found taht absoultly filling the grooves with lube BEFORE sizing helps. Lube won't compress, so the lube grooves stay full sized and don't close up...the bullet grows a bit in length rather than closing up the lube grooves..and being pre-lubed they pass into the sizing die with a lot less effort.

definately a consideration. I wanted to do some paper-patching as the original cartridge was made that way as well. Also I can get the .470" 500gr bullet mould, and likely will eventually.

The 480 Ruger dies can be used to neck size and load for the MH MkIV which is quite economical.

Ross Seyfried did a number of articles on paper patching jacketed bullets ! Carcano91 said he has been doing it for sometime ! I never could get it to work but didn't try very hard either ! I think 20# paper would bet the best to try with what you want ! Keep un informed ! JAGG

I'll do some experimenting. I am not sure if I can get enough velocity to get a really heavy nosler partition or something like that to open up well or not-perhaps shots within 100 yards or so it may work fine.

Anyway, there are plenty of bullet types to patch up, or size down, or use as-is. certainly enough to keep me busy playing for a long time!!

I'll do some experimenting. I am not sure if I can get enough velocity to get a really heavy nosler partition or something like that to open up well or not-perhaps shots within 100 yards or so it may work fine.

Anyway, there are plenty of bullet types to patch up, or size down, or use as-is. certainly enough to keep me busy playing for a long time!!

What is the diamiter across the lands? This will be the item to look at to patch a jacketed bullet. Since the bullet will not obturate it will have to be at least lightly etched by the rifling. You can then patch to the bore.

I just reread some tests where cast bullets were shot at smokeless velocities of 2700fps patched with teflon tape. Then you would have to consider what the top end of the barrel is and then decide on bullet terminal ballastics. (handloader # 86)

Best of luck. JB

I slugged it using a .490" round ball. It has a very unusual rifling and 7 lands/grooves at that-very hard to measure properly!!

Near as I can figure, .471" will fill the grooves well, .456" or so is the land width. It is difficult to get a reading on this area.