Patch size and Materiel

[Mtman725]

So looking thru past post I seen nothing about patch materiel,pillow ticking is cotton, so why would one not check other tightly weaved material, next is thickness, I shooting 50 and .490 balls, so 5,10,15 ths. or should you shoot all and see what you smoke wagon likes?

 

[cynthialee]

if you want to branch out to other fabrics other than pillow ticking
1. make sure you do not use anything synthetic
2. when you are done with all that Joannes has plenty of pillow ticking

 

[dkasprzak]

I tried pillow ticking in both blue and red stripe, precut patches (.015) and denim, my .50 likes denim the best. Every gun is different so YMMV but, as @cynthialee stated, do not use anything synthetic and as you stated, try it all until you determine what your gun likes.

 

[deerstalkert]

i was given a set of cotton sheets that had some staining on them. 1000 thread count and .018 thickness. i punch out a hundred or so from strips of this. they work perfect in all my bores.
.32, .45's,.50's, and .54's
some are a little tighter than others but i don't have to hammer any of them.

 

[Mtman725]

i was given a set of cotton sheets that had some staining on them. 1000 thread count and .018 thickness. i punch out a hundred or so from strips of this. they work perfect in all my bores.
.32, .45's,.50's, and .54's
some are a little tighter than others but i don't have to hammer any of them.

I got the same, and its tough stuff, I am going to give it a try.

 

[mooman76]

It has been talked about extensively but I don't think for awhile. Try the search feature to bring up old posts. Pillow ticking is traditional but I don't think it is the same as it was many years back. Some people use canvas, pocket drill or sometimes called drill cloth, denim, and other. It's kind of a try it and see what works best for you.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lot of good replies. Patch material has been discussed, and cussed extensively here. Search and you will find many posts. The material that will work best for you will be determined by your rifle. I used to use a thick denim but needed a smaller ball and it was hard to load. The tickings are generally a good, tight weave, fabric that works well for many. Basically, it comes in two thicknesses, .012" and .015". Like others here, I bring a micrometer the store when I shop for my ticking. Yes, I get strange looks from the ladies.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Like every thing else in this game you will just have to try and see what works best for you.I often use used sheets for patch material, Our neighbors ran a bed and breakfast and bought new sheets every year. The center of the sheets would be worn and weak , but the outside foot would be strong and soft.Pillow or mattress ticking, or denim will work, and you can get a lot of patches from a yard.

 

[Musketeer]

Cotton canvas "duck cloth" is good and can be found quite cheaply. Thickness is measured in oz. so you'll have to look up a thickness chart that converts oz. to inch measurements. I bought 2 yards last year, one is ~.017" and the other is ~.022" when firmly squeezed in my digital calipers, but I don't recall exactly what they were listed as in oz. In any case, 100% cotton, tightly woven, and available in thicknesses that are very useful for patches. I think I only paid like $9 shipped per yard and a yard is enough for a ton of patches.

 

[hanshi]

Ticking is a good place to begin with patches. I've used everything from t-shirts to denim and canvas and about everything in between. The thinnest material I'll use now is mattress ticking which is slightly thicker than pillow ticking (.015" compared with .018"). Synthetics will leave melted stuff in the bore.

 

[Maven]

You can also try 100% cotton twill. "Sew Classics" is one manufacturer, but there are others. Here's the good news: It is thinner than pillow ticking (mine measures ~.011 - .012"); is quite strong; and allows you to use a larger diameter RB. The bad news? Not much, but harder starting is a possibility with a larger RB.

 

[mhb]

Another good material is 100% cotton 'super muslin', which my local Walmart stocks. It measures about .014" thick, and performs very well in all my muzzleloaders, both rifled and smooth. As it hasn't been mentioned earlier in this thread, it is always necessary to wash your patch material before use, to remove the 'sizing' - a sort of starch.

mhb - MIke