ball patch material ?

R

rebs

New member
What is the reason for pillow ticking as compared to cotton patches ?
I have been shooting .015 thick cotton patches with no burn or anything, they look real good after I shoot them. Would there be a reason I should start using pillow ticking ?
 
Ticking is a tighter weave to keep feathers from escaping. Pillow ticking is cotton. Used to be a lot cheaper than it is now.
 
Rebs,
Any tightly woven fabric can be used but you have to find out what thickness is best for your combination. Cotton patches for cleaning are loose weave and are not typically used for patching round balls.
 
I have been using TC cotton prelubed patches which are tight weave, would I be gaining anything by going to pillow ticking ?
 
I looked for pillow ticking in the local fabric shop and the thinnest they had was .030 measured with a micrometer so I'll just keep using the TC prelubed patches for now.
 
I used cotton cleaning patches in a pinch when I ran out of "piller tickin" patches as it were.

Results were "not so good", as the old hands say. They were "done blown through" as the old hands also say.

A good tickin' patch is a strong material, able to withstand the firelock's discharge and present to the ball and fine surface to spin with the rifling.
 
My long time favorite material for patches is unwashed khaki drill cloth. The stuff is very strong and takes lube well.
 
I just found .015 pillow ticking at Hobby Lobby for 5.99 a yard. When I wash it should I use liquid laundry soap or what ? Should it be line dried or put in the dryer ?
 
ok I washed it and hung it on the line to dry. It seems to have blown up in thickness, maybe I should have thrown it in the dryer. It was .015 before the wash and .022 after the wash with line drying.
This is starting to get more involved than I thought it would be. Maybe I should just accept my 3 inch groups and have fun shooting. With my 70 yo eyes maybe 3 inch groups with open sights is all I can do. With a 1/48 twist this is not a PRB target rifle.
 
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that 22-thou/washed is still the same compressibility as 15-thou unwashed. don't sweat it.
if you have any unwashed ticking left, just cut it in 5-colored-stripe strips and use it as-is.

you might also go down to (most any) fabric store w/ your micrometer and pick up some 18-20 thou ticking (standard-as-issued) for a tighter fit. Denim also works well (comes in different weights/thicknesses) but doesn't come with it's own Cut-Here straight lines. ;)

PB/48 twist can be fine -- just keep load mid-range.

Oh... and run a damp patch in/out/in/out between rounds....
 
I use an .018 patch with a .530 ball in my .54 for a hunting load. It is a booger to load but it's dead nuts accurate.
 
mehavey said:
that 22-thou/washed is still the same compressibility as 15-thou unwashed. don't sweat it.
if you have any unwashed ticking left, just cut it in 5-colored-stripe strips and use it as-is.

you might also go down to (most any) fabric store w/ your micrometer and pick up some 18-20 thou ticking (standard-as-issued) for a tighter fit. Denim also works well (comes in different weights/thicknesses) but doesn't come with it's own Cut-Here straight lines. ;)

PB/48 twist can be fine -- just keep load mid-range.

Oh... and run a damp patch in/out/in/out between rounds....
Click to expand...
You'll want to always wash it.

Remove the sizing.
 
Never have....
(and still get single hole groups at 50 with the 54 -- my "Black Gold" standard.) ;)
(Besides -- I'm either a spit patch fan (and apparently eat totally tasteless sizing--if there is any), or a 7:1 water/cutting-oil fan (in which case the sizing gets wrung out just before I blot things totally dry)

But "wash" the patch (shudder)
NEVER ! :mad:
 
mehavey said:
Never have....
(and still get single hole groups at 50 with the 54 -- my "Black Gold" standard.) ;)
(Besides -- I'm either a spit patch fan (and apparently eat totally tasteless sizing--if there is any), or a 7:1 water/cutting-oil fan (in which case the sizing gets wrung out just before I blot things totally dry)

But "wash" the patch (shudder)
NEVER ! :mad:
Click to expand...
I've heard for years to wash it to remove the sizing. Sizing is a chemical coating they put on the fabric in the stores. You should remove it to be sure.
 
If it takes a small mallet on the short starter to drive the ball into the muzzle what are the chances the ball will get stuck part way down the barrel and not seat all the way down to the powder ?
 
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