Thicker Patches

I shot my new fowler recently and found that .715 plus .010 was very tight to load. .690 with .020 or .015 was much easier, but seemed to shoot a lower. I'm wondering if I need a thicket patch than .020. Is there a source for a patch of, say, .025 or .030? I bought a yard of pillow ticking from a fabric store, but checked it and it came only to .015. I'd ideally like to get up to at least .025 to do some testing with the .690 ball. Does anyone know where such patches could be gotten either in pre-cut, or in yard form.

Some folks here on the forum use denim patches. I think its 10 or 8 weight denim, I believe one of these is around .25. Its the blue jean type material. I got some one time that miced out at .30, could'nt use it, to thick. So go and mic some out. You might find some that will work.

I've never done it, but I've seen talk here about doubling patches. :idunno:

I've dinked around with multiple patches and it works just fine when you find the right match. I even stacked four patches one time when I got to the range with a 54 cal rifle and 50 cal balls.

Dropping from a .715 to .690 ball is huge, and you might need multiples. Some canvases might let you get away with one patch, but I can't say which. Keep tabs of how many patches you have to use, then go to looking for the right cloth that lets you have the same thickness in a single patch.

Only reason I know not to use multiples is convenience.

armakiller said:

Some folks here on the forum use denim patches. I think its 10 or 8 weight denim, I believe one of these is around .25. Its the blue jean type material. I got some one time that miced out at .30, could'nt use it, to thick. So go and mic some out. You might find some that will work.

Click to expand...

Agree. Denim is pretty heavy stuff regardless of 8 or 10 oz. I have about a half yard that has been unused for decades. Can't find a useful application for it.
I think the OP would be better served by dropping to a .710 or .705 ball.

This might be what you need- I bought some yellow "awning" material, I think it was, from WalMart. Very tight weave, can't blow through it. Just miked it again, and it is .0235. It is too thick for my .54 and .58 Hawkens, but I used a few patches as an overpowderwad in my .58. See "I Quit While I Was Ahead" in this Flintlock Forum, there is a photo of a patch there. It might work with .562 balls, I'm going to cast some this morning and will try this awning material again. Should not need an OPW.

The drop in size is a big part of the issue. I'd eventually like to custom cast ball for this particular gun, but it isn't in the cards right now. Is there a source for ball of .700 or .705 or so? I looked all over and found Track has .690 and .715, but that most do not even bother with the large ball in retail sales. They are expensive too.

Try Eddie May in Chatsworth, GA. 706-581-8225. (no web site)

A commercial caster that Birddog6 put me onto several years ago, he supplies Dixie, and sets up at Friendship and other places every year...best combination of price & quality I've ever found and if you shoot a lot its an outstanding source if you don't cast yourself (as I don't).
I use his .395"/.490"/.520"/.600"...far less expensive than Track.

He may not make the size you're looking for but a simple phone call and you'll know...

If you can't find a commercial source, Jeff Tanner will turn out a mold in any size you need for not much more than you pay for a LEE mold. They're really nice quality too.

The Walmart canvas is probably just what you need and a yard of it will cost less even than the shipping on a small sample of balls. Yes, large caliber balls are expensive, that's why I've never bothered with firing balls from my 12 gauge, even the cost of feeding a 20 gauge is a bit rich for my blood, yet one more reason I prefer rifles for ball shooting. :haha: