Patches

[EDP1]

Can I use cut up jeans for shooting patches?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yep. Any natural fiber (and, it turns out, some synthetics according to a few shooters here).

 

[123.DieselBenz]

Yep, but . . . if there "used" or "worn" jeans there will be thicker and thinner areas, from wear and tear . . . which will result in a hard, or impossible to load load, to a really loose one!

 

[Rifleman1776]

As deizel said, yes, but you will get inconsistent results.
Denim by the yard new is not expensive.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I've probably used more "old blue jeans" patches than anything else. The lower leg below the knee seems not to get much wear. They make a very thick patch, around .032-.034" and I have never found denim by the yard to be anywhere near that thick. Maybe you have access to better stores but the denim yard goods I have found is about .018-.020" thickness.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yep, mine is .022". Used to load .457" balls into a .45 Douglas barrel with that denim. Lost my big mallet, had to go with thinner material. :wink:

 

[Grullaguy]

I picked up a set of ladies shorts in denim at the thrift store. Had my calipers handy and they measured .015" and showed little wear. Women don't tend to wear their jeans out like guys do and sometimes the ladies clothes are made with a thinner denim.
$2.00 for the shorts and I got around 1000 patches out of them.
Squeezing my pennies until they scream.