For all the years I have been shooting muzzleloaders, I have used store bought patches. My Hawken rifle liked the .015 patches and just a tap or two on the short starter then ram her home. While at Walmart, I decided to try making my own patches and have read here that most of their pillow ticking is.018, which I have tried in my rifle and you need to hammer the ball in with those, so I picked up another densely woven fabric that felt about right to try out. I don't own a caliper and wouldn't know how to read one so the feel test was the best I could do. Washed the new fabric and let air dry, cut off a strip and went to the range. I just spit patched them and the first ball, I could push into the barrel with my thumb. No short starter needed. Well, this was not going to work. The patch was too thin. Imagine my surprise when I had the most accurate day my 60 year old eyes have had. I was taught that the patch needed to be tight for the ball in engage the rifling. Guess my rifle has other ideas. :wink:
Patch Thickness
- Thread starter oldmaster
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I guess front loaders have a mind of their own. I was having problems getting a good group with Thompson pre lubed patches. I think they were .010.
A friend had me try some of his. He called them # 40 drill cloth. about .018 What a diff. it made.
A friend had me try some of his. He called them # 40 drill cloth. about .018 What a diff. it made.
Blizzard of '93
Cannon
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some of it depends on groove depth and lube, it's amazing how BP guns respond to tweaking the variables.
Amen Brother! Good for you! See the thread on "Rubber Mallet". If you have to beat on your tools, dogs, horses or spouses to get them to work you're probably not doing something correctly. You're supposed to pound things WITH the tool. Like deer and squirrel. It's a rifle, not a tomato stake! The rifle is a tool and should be treated respectfully and with a craftsman's touch. No wonder folks bad-mouth hickory rammers. They're abusing them! Heritics.
I don't carry a short starter. I just spent a while coming up with the proper load for my rifle(s).
I don't carry a short starter. I just spent a while coming up with the proper load for my rifle(s).
