Patch material

[chawbeef]

Last time at the range I determined that my 100% cotton patches were to thin at .015". So I went searching for "pillow ticking" The nice lady at Fabric Land didn't batt an eye when I told her what I needed it for. Sadly, the only pillow ticking they had was even thinner. So I bought a quarter yard of 6 oz. Denim. It measures .018". Just wondering if anyone else uses Denim for patching their balls.............Daniel

 

[hanshi]

I occasionally use denim (.024") but use mattress ticking (.020") and recently bought some canvas cotton duck material to try (.022"). The denim I've used is, IIRC, 10oz. I can seat denim patched prb is some of my guns with the wood underbarrel rod. It still takes a bit - for me - of force to seat. I have to be careful not to break the rod with my weakened hand strength.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Once upon a time in the dim, dark past, many a pair of Levis got their legs clipped off just for that reason. Back in the old days when .58 caliber guns like the Zouaves, etc. first hit the market Lyman only made a .562" round ball mold. had some extra windage to fill up! Spit patching with denim took a good, wet mouth! :wink: :haha:

 

[azmntman]

I made a batch of denim (what I felt was kinda thin) dutch patches and took out to try some different ratio's. Could NOT get my .440 ball started! So I used Hoppes and precut round patches that day. Still got 5-6" group at 75 yds and couldnt see the (now painted white) front site on the target. Cant wait for the TIME :cursing: to really work up a load with this rifle. I'll be using it in the deer woods in 2 weeks and am comfortable to kill as it shoots. MUST get back out at least once to shoot the now white site though!

 

[William O.]

I occasionally use denim (.024") but use mattress ticking (.020")

Same here, except that in my area the pillow ticking is a 50/50 cotton-polyester mix, and even if it was thick enough I wouldn't use it. The there is mattress ticking which, when mildly compressed, measures .018 thick and has a nice, tight weave. You need to wash the sizing (starch) out first before using it. The edges will unravel and you'll loose a bit of material but you won't get a good seal if you don't. If you are heavily compressing the fabric there in the store, lighten the mic up a bit, then buy a small square, wash and dry it then mic it again. While you are at the fabric store, see if they have any 100% cotton flannel. It makes great cleaning and swabbing patches.

 

[Dr5x]

Axmhtman,

I suspect that you do not have or use a micrometer.
Your post implies they using the dry patch system does;t work but that the patch material was too thick to load. Then you switch to Hoppes and precut patch of unknown thickness and got a group indicating too thing a patching..

Prior posts from you had given me the idea that you were doing much and had figured out how to get more exact patch thickness

I am puzzled

Dutch

 

[necchi]

I really haven't used anything but Denim for the last 10-12yrs.
You can find it in thicknesses from .010 to .026,,

 

[hanshi]

As a matter of fact, I still have my Lyman "minie ball" mold and the Lyman .562" rb mold. But the zouave is long gone.

 

[hanshi]

I carry my calipers to the fabric store and also use them after washing the material. I squeeze the jaws with both hands as hard as I can; and that's where I get the .020" reading on the mattress ticking. Denim is an even tighter weave which makes it such a great prb material. With my hunting lube of mink oil it often taxes my arthritic - rheumatoid arthritis - hands too much. Using a liquid lube, such as Hoppes, helps quite a bit.

 

[M. De Land]

What I have changed in my ever present search for better patch material is fitting the ball diameter to the material instead of the other way around.
The best material I have found to date is cotton shirt felt which is very tight of weave and tough enough to reuse the patches if washed out.
I also like the idea of using my worn out work shirts I get from Costco and Cabella's which run about .022 thick.
I feel one always needs to error the side of to thick as opposed to to thin of a patch.
A thick patch seals better, is stronger and more absorbent than is a thin patch of the same material.

 

[Tom Compton]

I bought part of a bolt of denim at a garage sale. .025 iirc. I load .355 balls in a .36 GM barrel and .395s in a Douglas .40 w the denim WET w spit and pop em in w nub then use the rod to push the load down. No need to wipe unless I sit out a relay or two or other delay.
TC

 

[azmntman]

Dutch....

I got yer syatem down. My issue is time. I have none and when I get a chance to grab a gun and go (lately when I am wood cutting for a poor family) then I seem to always grab the wrong stuff. I carefully made up the DENIM patches and had 3 differet ratio-strips to try. They were too thick. I do not yet have the micrmeter but will get one when I get the right patch. Ya see I am just now getting to work up a load for this new to me .45 and was ahopin the denim would be nice n thick and give me outstanding accuray. I dont load to the point I need a mallet to start (though I was very tempted to use the wood maul) so I said to meself...self...HELL just shoot! So I grabbed what was in the box and shot.

I hope to report back to ya soon that I have found the patch thickness and have a micrmeter and am shooting 1" gropus. But due to my business FINALLY picking up (sept busiest month in 4 years) I am lagging and tired all the time. With a deer hunt in 2 weeks I may have to use pre cut n Hoppes....I need a deer. I just will have to boiler room him instead of the between the eyes shot with "the system".

I have yer system working wonders on a CVA hawkin and may take a strip or two of that patch material to try next time. Need to cull the herd when I find the best rifles and keep 1-2 of each caliber instead of between 6-4 :redface:

 

[Dr5x]

It's really none of my business. But you seem to be saying you intend to go deer hunting with a rifle that with precut patches gives you a 6 to 8 inch "group" when you have other rifles that perform better.


When you get a micrometer you will be able to eliminate guesswork and will have a better understanding of what each rifle wants.

I HAVE NEVER BEENTO ARIZONA BUT HAVE A SUPER GUB SMITH IN PRESCOTT. MY 92 YEAR OLD BROTHER LIVED THER DURING THE SUMMERS BUT DIED THERE LAST SUNDAY NIGHT. I HAD HOPED TO VISIT BOTH HE AND THE GUNSMITH BUT HAVE HAD TO FORGET ALL SUCH TRIPS SINCE I AM NOW IN DIALYSIS THREE DAYS A WEEK


DUTCH WHO CAN BE A PAIN IN THE BUTT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT

 

[Dr5x]

HANSHI,
IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GET A COMPRESSED MEASUREMENT WITH CALIPERS AS ANY PRESSURE WOULD TEND TO BEND THE CALIPER RATHER THAN GIVE A GOOD SOLID MEASUREMENT
UNLESS YOU HA DIFFERENT KIND OF CALIPER I AM ALWAYS WILLING TO LEARN.

DUTCH

 

[azmntman]

I do have other guns that shoot better (so far, this one should end up being a very accurate gun once I get TIME to dial it in.) but am to be sitting a water hole and max range (visibility) will be 50 yds so I am confident in a five inch group (taking it out again today and should do better with white front site).

I was actually quite pleased with the group seeing as I could hardly see the front site on the target. I dont think my ack drivers would have done much better with the site picture :idunno: Getting old sucks.. :td:

 

[hanshi]

Dutch, I take hold of the jaws, themselves with both hands and squeeze so there's no flex at all. It's a stainless steel dial caliper that seems to pretty much agree with most other's measurements. Anyway, the loads are tight for my hands to seat.

 

[hanshi]

So far I don't have any flannel shirt I dare cut up at this stage. I do have an old flannel shirt and flannel baby blanket but they are pretty thin measuring .010" and .014" respectively. The cotton canvas duck is a very tight weave and I'll be trying it out probably Tuesday. It measures .022" which is right between mattress ticking and denim.

 

[M. De Land]

The Duck cloth works as well as the shirt felt if the weave is tight. I have both type cloth patches in the same plastic bottle of pre-made patches lubed with cold weather windshield wash.
I prefer the shirt felt because it is free to me from my worn out work shirts and works just as well as the Duck cloth.

 

[chawbeef]

What Hoppes product are you using to lube your patches. The only one that I have is Hoppes no. 9 lubricating oil in a spray can. Should I lube my patches with this???????????..........Chawbeef

 

[Okie Hog]

i use unwashed khaki drill cloth. The lube is GoJo hand cleaner.