I plan on trying paper patching, where should I start? What should I read? I hope to close on a rifle chambered for 9.3x57r (360 2 1/4).
It comes with a paper patch mold, dies and brass. I have never paper patched before.
Thanks Mike

Get Randy Wright's book on paper patching, thoroughly covers it!

I second Get Randy Wrights book. I just started paper patching last fall on a Pacific 45-100. Now on to a pair of Hepburn 40/70 SS. Much fun.

yamoon wrote on Jun 5^th, 2025 at 11:03pm:


Helps to keep the wet patches from unrolling.  There are some superstitions about rolling them in one direction or another depending on the twist direction of the rifling, but doubt that there is anything to them.

CHRIS

You will need a good micrometer right from the start.

Fair enough point. But they didnt have Randy Wrights book either. Or the ASSRA FORUM to ask and answer questions.

So I will modify my suggestion as someone who just started paper patching last year to 

A good micrometer will come in handy.

 

You have to search through them (mostly by hand because their search functions aren't all that great), but there is a lot of black powder paper patch bullet loading and shooting info on the Shiloh and Historical Shooting forums.  Also two subfora, for black and smokeless powder paper-patching, on the Cast boolits forum.

Probably not much on metric calibers, but the general instructions will get you started.

There are distinctions between patching to bore and patching to groove, and using black powder and using smokeless.  Mathews' books are really confusing (to me anyway) because he seems to switch back and forth from one to the other without saying he is doing so.